"There's the signal. It is time then." Cordelia spoke up, finally the silence was broken between the two women. To say that the redhead was shocked, it would be a complete understatement. A newfound hope welled in her, as two other instances of Hoshidans arriving in Ylisse were known. Surely, the possibility of another could be likely. There were a number of precious people she did not see amongst the dead, particularly her. The queen.

"Not going to catch up for old times' sake?" The taunting nature of her question did not faze the redhead, who merely shrugged off the other's coaxing.

Cordelia's eyes snapped back to lock with the other's pupils. "We have never spoken once before."

"You are not wrong. However, we have crossed paths on an odd occasion. My father after all was an esteemed figure, despite his rather shortcomings. Our tribe while neutral, was a dear ally to your kingdom. After the war ravaged much of the continent, he devoted himself to aiding your mother." As much the exposition was helpful, it was unnecessary at the time.

"Look, I chose to move on from that life. If you are that keen on reminiscing, you can talk with Gaius. But first, we have to defeat Campari like Robin ordered us." Her steed now readied to taxi the dark mage over. The line to the general's defenses was straightforward, only needed the assistance of a mage to crack through the heavy armaments. A job that was made for Robin and Tharja. A harsh pull brought the dark mage to the saddle, then in a quick motion the pegasus descended down on Campari.

The wind produced by the mount's wings did little to shake the steel-clad officer. For the brief moment the animal stalled, the dark mage landed on the limestone softly. A Nosferatu spell blasted out instantly, it caught the man off guard at least. Unfortunately, a counter came with a fine short spear being flung Tharja's way.

In a rapid succession, the weapon was thwarted by a dual guard. In retort, Robin fired out magic from his Elthunder tome. The lightning tore itself through the man's shield, likely was able to singe the skin. "You'll never save your precious exalt, scum." Once again, the short spear readied itself to strike down the general's attacker. Tharja was not quick enough to protect the tactician, nor well-versed enough to recognize that Robin purposefully steeled himself to take a blow had circumstances failed. In no time to spare, the redhead raced to white-haired man's side. Her aid came in the form of sand clouds; tiny particles flew in all directions. Campari let out a frustrated growl as his vision failed him.

Not a chance to waste, Robin sent forth a second round. The bolt curved, in the shape of a hook, into the general's torso. The older man erupted in pain, the attack was a critical success. Without the strength to stand, the heavy armor clanked to the floor. His knee connected to the ground now, he was a surefire target for physical weaponry. To match Robin's great speed, Cordelia's lance shot past the armor and cut through the soft flesh.

"Urgh… Killing me will only… feed Plegia's rage…" His voice soon faded, the general now lay dead. While his blood still fresh, there was no time to spare. Campari's death was just a precursor to the true mission. Plegian forces now completely befuddled, some chose and others simply fled. Chrom, on Sumia's pegasus, reached the mouth of the gate, the other Shepherds raced to the location too.

"The wyverns have been downed, it is about time for Phila's company to step in." All eyes shot to the shadows that soared above them. Emmeryn, from her perch, noticed the royal guard come inbound.

"Phila? When?" The resident pegasus knight asked in surprise.

It was Chrom who answered. "As we stormed the citadel and Flavia dealt with the executioner, we heard word from Basilio that he freed some prisoners, including captain of the pegasus guard. Having the foresight to see this coming, Robin made sure to include a couple pegasi in our caravan to the plaza." The redhead was more than shocked at the tactician's alarming intuition. Regardless, she was more than grateful to see her superior in good health and spirits.

All eyes soon moved from the Ylissean fliers, to a scratchy voice that originated from the castle. "That damned Ylissean tactician never plays fair, calling in those pesky flies. Fortunately, your insight was spot on." A devilish smirk graced his mouth, to which caused both Robin and Chrom's blood to freeze over.

In the blink of an eye, withered archers arose from the sands. Each aimed their bow at a specific knight. "Risen?! Oh gods, no! Phila! Get out of there! Now!" His pleas did not reach the blunette, yet it mattered little. All of them were now ensnared in Gangrel's trap.

"Damnit, not now! We were so close!" Chrom roared out in anger.

To everyone's horror, one by one the women fell from the atmosphere. Phila felled only by a single arrow that jutted right through her chest. The redhead's eyes widened, nostalgia rung in her ears as she imagined her own father's last stand. Had she not been aware of her surroundings, Cordelia might have lurched to the sight. Bright red eyes took note instead of her companion's expression. Robin looked just about, if not more so, distraught than Cordelia. Out of instinct, her hand grasped onto his own, an attempt to comfort the tactician. "P-Phila." That small cry was her means of grieving. The urge to run overtook as it had many years prior. The Ylissean's victory was all but lost.

"No no no…" Robin's distressed look told far more than his words. Whether it was purposefully or not, he broke from her grip. His hands now clasped onto his head.

"It is our defeat…" Chrom too looked crushed.

Gangrel's voice bellowed out to them now. "I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes. Now... grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!" The pegasus knight's grip on her lance tightened in pure rage. Whether it was the gloating or the death of her captain, it mattered not to the woman.

"I'd give up my life before I beg for it from you."

"Oh, now THAT is a good line. It is that kind of spirit that makes this so much more enjoyable. I will be sure to use those the epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me..." It was both Sumia and Robin who had the duty of holding Chrom back from unleashing his fury.

"Big sister! We can still win, please!" Despite the plea, Emmeryn's grim expression did not change.

"ARCHERS! If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!" The command caused every single Shepherd to tense up. With no possible escape, everyone was at the mercy of the mad king.

"You're dead!" The prince snarled out fiercely.

"Go ahead! I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise!" It was true to an extent. Their failure meant that Emmeryn would die. The guilt seemingly weighed down on Chrom, his rage now absolute despair. "...And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt?" Much like the blue blood, everything reflected a similar sentiment. "...No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"Gangrel, you scum! I will kill you if she dies." For whatever reason, Chrom regained his flare once more.

"Then… what if she were not to die? How about this, dear princeling… In exchange for your sweet sister's life, you hand over… your sword and the Fire Emblem, how does that sound?" Cordelia stared dumbfounded at such a scenario, to be given such a choice from the devil no less. She stood firm in that the mad king could not be trusted, yet Chrom was hesitant.

"Chrom, you can't be serious. We can't take his word!" Robin was the one to speak up. "He's just deceiving you."

"Of COURSE I can't trust him! I'm not an idiot! But if I say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel, damn them! My sister or my duty... A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!" Every single body froze, all gazes lingered on the prince. His decision was a choice of life or death.

The tactician instead stepped forward. "Chrom, it is the life of one compared to the life of—" Chrom did not give the logic a chance to be fully iterated.

"Don't you damn well finish that sentence." His cold tone used against an ally was a spectacle that no one wished to see. Emotional distraught and confused, the commander struggled to accept the reality of the situation.

"What's this? You'll let your sister and ruler die, all to save some old family trinket? Oh, so delicious! I can't WAIT to hear what your people have to say about it! 'THE EXALT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE HER MURDERER' Your halidom will collapse before you could even begin your rule... do you not know a shred of politics? Even I in my madness, I know that people do not take kindly to usurper. I give you a once in a lifetime offer. Some hotheaded killer could never achieve what dear ol' sis found difficulty in maintaining. Now, I will give you the count of three. On the one hand, we fight and take those relics from your dead corpse and prolong our war. Or, Emmeryn returns to Ylisstol and bringing all that peace hogwash to your kingdom. Three seconds~!" Chrom was visibly shaking now, even the tactician could not be of much help either.

"I… It's… Everyone lay down—" His sentence was cut off.

Through the use of her own abilities, a voice echoed the entire battlefield. "No wait!" It was the exalt. Cordelia, and everyone else, looked up to the perch once more. "King Gangrel, is there no possibility of talking this out?"

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not. No, all I want is to hear a THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Why not have a peek at your surroundings? You can enjoy the view before you die. Can you not see them? The people," his tone then changed to a mocking one, "the precious resource of all kingdoms. These are common soldiers. Had they been born in Ylisse, they might have followed you. However, circumstances made them your enemy. Now have your moment… Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless if someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW!" His heated glare fell back on the bumbling prince. The silence almost was elongated by the sheer disbelief shared between lord and tactician.

"I'm sorry, Emm. There is no other way. Today, we do not need an old heirloom. We need a leader to guide us. I do not think myself capable enough to match the level of excellency you display." It was a bittersweet smile that showed on his face. Bitter in that he lost, but there was an equal amount of happiness at the fact that his kin would see another day.

A short chuckled sounded from Emmeryn; her magic did its purpose in projecting her voice. "Thank you, Chrom. Your words mean so much to me. I know what must be done now." The prince was now confused, unable to decipher her meaning. "Plegians! What has this war done for you? Has it brought back your dead? Has it erased the dark memories you once had? Did you find prosperity? War brings nothing of the sort. You have only lost your brothers and sisters, and for what? Your hard work has earned you a relic of a forgotten time. I have come to plead for you to lay down your weapons. Ylisse does not wish for you to see blood. Moreover, I love you all of you. Each and every single one of you is a beautiful human being. A possibly diplomat or scholar may be amongst you. In that sense, I love humanity. I love both the people of Ylisse and Plegia. I have little to offer any of you, especially since Gangrel has fated me to die. I do not want pity; all I ask is that you listen to me. For all that is good, you do not need to prolong this pointless bloodshed. Although I said I have nothing to give, I do have an offer."

Chrom's eyes narrowed as it became clear what she meant. "No, no, no…"

"In exchange that you return to your families and live happy lives, I give to you my word and my life. I will make the ultimate sacrifice to you. I am not forcing you to comply, but please consider that I would gladly die if it means convincing you to not kill one another."

"Emmeryn… Emm, NO!" Cordelia's, and everyone else's gaze for that matter, remained stuck on the exalt. Unlike the rest, Chrom was not perplexed by her words. In a mad dash, he rushed to his sister's aid.

No Plegian discarded his weapon. None chose to speak up. Not a single soul found the strength to reply. "No reaction… was I wrong then?" It was the last the exalt muttered, casted to every single observer. Step by step, all eyes widened to her slow movement. Until, there was no space left. "Chrom… This is some torch I'm passing you… Hmph, so be it." Her foot finally raised, only to meet the air below her. The only sound that could be heard was the screams of the young princess, horror etched into her face. "Chrom… Lissa… And all people… Know that I loved you." The echo of her voice vanished. The exalt was dead.

"O-oh, gods…"

"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom cussed out, now beyond livid.

"NOOOOOOO!" Lissa could only muster that much.

It was then that the mad king stepped forth. The chortling he emitted caused everyone in the vicinity to clench their fist in rage, the redhead was no exception. Cordelia cared little for what Gangrel had to say, rather opted to focus on the three figures that appeared. Basilio, Flavia, and Marth reflected a newfound anxiety. Without Emmeryn, there was no reason for Chrom to submit the shield or blade. The most worrisome matter now was escape.

"We've secured an escape route! Hurry! Hurry!" The burliest of the three shouted.

"But- But- I have to recover her—" He was not even allowed to finish his sentence.

"Not enough time, boy! Robin, drag him!" Not much choice in the matter, the tactician complied.

Into the carriages they went, all the Ylissean combatants looked to be in a daze. The tight carriage Cordelia found herself looking into was by far the most somber. Chrom, Robin, and Lissa all looked a myriad of emotions. The youngest of the lot was about near to break out crying once more. The white-haired man had a solemn air around him, a figurative miasma that caused her to hesitate any sort of approach. It was self-explanatory what was the prince's state. Out of everyone, he took the hardest blow. To someone placed in a similar exodus, the redhead gave all her sympathies to Chrom. Yet, she was unable to reason the full extent of Robin's woes. Unlike the empathy she held toward Chrom, she knew not any means of comforting her friend. Hesitantly, she closed the door. Her pegasus now in wait of her command. "Oh Dawn Dragon, what can be done?"

Her head rotated to look backward on the citadel. "Goodbye, Phila, Exalt Emmeryn. Your deaths will not be in vain. Chrom, Lissa, and everyone else live on and get stronger." She said to herself. Although her sentiments were for no one to hear that, it was attempt at showing her once lost optimism.