Hello there.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I have no claim, nor ownership over Fire Emblem.

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It had been morning when we began our trek back to Ylisstol. It had been rather kind, and generous of the ruling Khan, Flavia to offer several of her horses to accelerate our progress. Well, everyone except Sumia, who had taken the time to fly about with her new pegasus whenever she had the chance.

Though the pace we traveled had been quick, it would still take us around a week to reach the kingdom. Thankfully, it would be only a third of the time it had taken for us to travel to Regna Ferox, so that was something good to think about.

As we made our way through the snow, I had my horse keep pace with Kellam's. When I had imagined riding a horse, I didn't figure it would be this uncomfortable. I could tell my backside would be aching later tonight.

"Say, Kellam?" I asked the knight next to me. Kellam, in turn, turned his head, giving me half of his attention.

"Hm? What is it Lux?" He responded.

"This Exalt, Emmeryn I believe her name is. Have you any idea of what she is like?" I asked him, unknowing of the few listening ears nearby.

"Hm… To be honest, I am unsure myself. I never had the chance to properly speak with her, which even then is rare. I've learned from other sources that she is a fair and just ruler, taking time out of her schedule to meet and converse with the citizens of Ylisstol." He responded after thinking for a few minutes.

"But it cannot be confirmed." I stated. He nodded, wordlessly shifting his horse to the right, allowing an uprooted root to pass by. He then shifted his horse so it was walking next to mine once more.

"From what I've seen from a distance, I am inclined to believe what the others say, however, the same can be said about the two Khans of Regna Ferox. In which the two are similar in no common grounds." He said. The eavesdroppers slowly grew in numbers.

"I've also learned that she would lower taxes in villages that suffered from famine and drought, but I believe that to be a lie." He grunted at this. I raised an eyebrow in response. Nearby, Chrom and Lissa gripped their reins, annoyed with Kellam's response.

"Oh? And why is this?" I wondered to him, getting a snort.

"When my village had been struggling through a drought, our village tax was not only not lowered even slightly, but instead was doubled. We lost about a fourth of our food supplies in order to make up the unpaid taxes." He growled, lost in his memory.

"... I've never experienced such a thing, so I am incapable of relating with you. However, I can, in fact, offer a hand in consolation." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me, smiling as he nodded in thanks. I nodded back as I patted his shoulder a few times.

"Let us drop this part of the conversation." I said as I sloppily shifted my horse to the left, a large stone passing by. Returning to Kellam's side, I coughed.

"What do you think of the nobility?" I asked. The eavesdroppers, particularly the royals and their retainer perked their ears up.

"The nobility? I think the majority of them are worthless piles of meat." Kellam stated, drawing shocked stares from everyone at his blatant response, though the two of us were unknown to them.

"Oh? Why's that?" I had to wonder. Was the food supplies lost related to the nobles?

"Most of them simply sit in their large and unnecessarily luxurious mansions, feasting on fattened meat and sugary treats, ignorant of the commoners who farmed for the ingredients to make the treats and hunted for the meat." He gripped his reins, a grimace appearing.

"To make things worse, they are entitled to so many things, we commoners have no access towards, be it medicine or education. By Naga, you'd be lucky to get to learn to read. For the nobility, they get to learn the writings for a decade for free, while we commoners have to pay outrageous prices for a single hour."

"The nobility are a group of cowards and swine, unfit to rule under the Exalt, yet they remain. Why? All they do is bicker amongst eachother over mundane and useless matters and even look down at us commoners for thinking differently. As if to show off their prestige and power, the nobility are even divided from the commoners, their mansions residing near the caste itself, walled off to the rest of us."

"... You must really detest the nobility..." I trailed off, unsure of what else to say. By now, the number of eavesdroppers comprised the entirety of the Shepherds. At first, the royal siblings and Frederick had been shocked and somewhat angered by Kellam's views on the nobility, only for it to become surprised when many of the non-noble Shepherds nodded in agreement.

"Well… If it makes you feel better, I'm a commoner and I cannot read as well." I finally responded, making Kellam's eyes widen in response.

"Truly? I had thought you to be nobility, even one who's reputation had been sullied and thus forced to become a thief. With a name like Lux, I am surprised that you are, in fact, a commoner." He said, drawing an eyebrow from me.

"Lux is not my true name, rather, it was one I had come up with on the spot." I said as Kellam's eyes opened fully in surprise. Surrounding us, the rest of the Shepherds looked at us shocked at the discovery.

"Oh, and could I perhaps inquire why exactly?" He asked, getting a nod.

"I had been theoretically held at swordpoint by Frederick who had almost stomped on my toes with his horse. Nearby, Chrom and Lissa had been surrounding Reflet's unconscious state like some sort of predators." I responded as behind us, Reflet gave the royal siblings a dirty look. The two siblings in response looked away.

"Since I was being threatened by Frederick, who had been dangerously close to crushing my feet at that point, I had to feign a lie towards my identity. To this day, I shudder at what Frederick may have done to me if I had done otherwise." I shivered at the memory.

"Then… would you perhaps tell me your true name then?" Kellam inquired. I closed my eyes.

"Perhaps one day." I stated, getting a nod from the knight.

"I'll hold you to that." He stated, his eyes squinted once more.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Is it a bit hot, or is it just me?" I wondered aloud. Wordlessly, Kellam nodded. Around us, the others had looked forward, acting as though they hadn't been eavesdropping on us. They distanced themselves from eachother as they did this.

()()()

It took us three days before we reached the border of the two kingdoms and I could already see the great wall that leads out to the Halidom of Ylisstol. As we neared the gates, I heard shouting and watched as the great gate slowly opened, the groaning of wood being heard.

I hadn't noticed it before, but I could see the difference between Ylisse and Regna Ferox. There were a couple clumps of snow, but the border of the to kingdoms was rather visible, the fact that there was snow not melting on the grass field astounded me to a degree.

Nearby, I could hear the arguing of the two Anna's. Speaking of which, I had taken the time to get to know the two Anna's and I learned of the differences between the two.

The first Anna was the older of the two and was not, in fact, her sister, but instead, one of her cousins. I didn't really listen to her explanation, though I did hear something about her mother dying if she birthed a dozen kids.

Anyways, the first Anna was the one who did not possess the long strand of hair atop her head otherwise known as the Ahoge. Besides the strand of hair difference, she was the only Anna I had seen who wore their hair in a different hairstyle. Her's were a pair of braids, one trailing down her back, the other down the left side of her face.

She was a Valkyrie, an elite Pegasus Knight exclusive to Regna Ferox. The inn we had rented a couple days ago was, in fact, owned by her family. Anyways, as a Valkyrie, she excelled in the use of spears and javelins, but also in thunder and wind tomes.

The armor she wore was similar to the Pegasus Knights in Ylisse, except hers were exclusively the color of cobalt, with a secondary of gray. The armor she wore was made of six different pieces;

The first piece was a long-sleeved gray turtleneck that mitigated the harsh winds. The second piece was her breastplate which covered only her breasts, and the majority of her spine. The third piece was the vambraces which covered her entire arms. The fourth piece was a set of leggings which were reinforced with iron on the thighs and shins.

The fifth piece was a buckler that resembled a miniature tower shield. On the exterior was the insignia of Regna Ferox, while on the interior was a few slits where up to three throwing knives could be stored. The final piece was the helmet itself.

The helmet somewhat resembled what the Pegasus Knights of Ylisse wore, however, a Valkyrie's helmet had an attachable visor. The visor itself was composed of seven narrow slits allowing partial-vision and had wing-like ends.

The second Anna or Ahoge Anna was one of the Sentinels, a soldier exclusively found in Ylisse. Unlike a soldier, Sentinels were given a more difficult training, making them elite soldiers. The only downside to being a Sentinel apparently was that they were usually assigned to guard duty.

The only reason why Ahoge Anna wasn't doing the same was that she had priorities with her family which had connections to almost every single business be it small or large.

Directing my horse, I had her stride next to the arguing Anna's, curious about what exactly they were arguing about. Unfortunately, I would never know as upon my appearance, Anna clamped her mouth. Ahoge Anna had been facing her cousin, so she hadn't noticed my appearance. When she noticed Anna staring over her shoulder, she looked around, searching whatever it was she was looking at.

The moment she registered my face and the close proximity, I could only watch as a blush surfaced, growing rapidly as a slight amount of steam appeared.

"Troubled?" I asked, only for her to wordlessly shake her head fiercely, eyes shut. Since the two's vision was unable to see my hands, I smiled as I discreetly pulled out my teapot and poured myself a cup of tea.

When Ahoge Anna finally opened her eyes, she was treated to me sipping some tea. Her expression changed to that of confusion while her cousin adopted a strange expression. I watched as Anna grabbed her cousin's shoulder and pulled her in close, a hush discussion being heard. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I did glimpse Ahoge Anna's face turn a deeper shade of red, borderline crimson.

"Is something wrong?" I asked eyebrow raised as I took another sip. Kellam rode up next to us, Reflet in tow.

"Ah, Lux. Could I perhaps have a cup as well?" He asked. I wordlessly reached behind my back and pulled out a cup. Dropping it gently onto his waiting hand, I pulled out my teapot before pouring him a cup. Meanwhile, Reflet had ended up directing her horse until it was directly behind me.

The two Anna's seemed to have finished their discussion because, Ahoge Anna looked at me, blush still visible as she opened her mouth to speak. However, whatever she wanted to say was interrupted as Reflet rode up between the two of us.

"Is something the matter Reflet?" I asked as said tactician looked at me, smiling.

"Nothing much. Wanted to ride next to you." She stated, her tone a bit strange… Actually, I haven't ever heard her speak without a stutter until now when I think about it. It was an odd experience for me.

I was going to say something, but my attention was directed away by Kellam who wanted another cup. As I moved to pour him some more tea, Reflet stared at Ahoge Anna with a dark look, sticking her tongue out, declaring her intention.

Anna stifled a chuckle as her cousin gave the tactician an equally dark stare, blush non-existent. When I finally looked back, I could only fathom as I watched Ahoge Anna and Reflet have some sort of staredown, with Anna giggling in the background… Did something happen?

()()()

It had become night and Kellam and I had been assigned the task of tending to the horses. While the two of us did so, the rest of the Shepherds began the task of setting up camp. When we had finished tending to the horses, we proceeded to set up our tents, mine being near the edge of the camp, Kellam's near the center.

Though it wasn't often done, the Shepherds occasionally had a member assigned to the kitchen… Usually, it was me who was in charge of dinner, though I wasn't sure why they always chose me to do it. Due to my task of tending to the horses, someone else had to be assigned to kitchen duty, Sully getting the task.

I had heard rumors of the woman's cooking, none of them positive. When I inquired why they clambered up, refusing to speak a word or feigned ignorance. As such, today would be the day I witness and taste the cooking of Sully. I peeked into the cauldron, where her cooking laid and blinked.

There bubbling ominously, a blackish purple tar rumbled every-so-often. I stepped back.

"It's bubbling rather ominously." Virion observed as the tar popped, a revolting yet complicated smell arose.

"I can see full bones sticking out of this… thing..." Stahl spoke, eyes twitching. From what I could see, a full fish skeleton was rising and sinking in the tar.

"Something seems to be moving in there." I muttered as Vaike quickly turned away.

"The Teach is going to skip tonight." He said as he covered his mouth. I watched on as a single tentacle rose from the cauldron. It wiggled in place before striking forward. I was unable to react in time when it wrapped around my leg and lifted me off the ground.

It took the efforts of both Kellam and Vaike before I was saved...

()()()

I stared at my dinner, a sense of foreboding overcoming me. I had been given a wooden bowl before Sully scooped up a ladle of whatever foul concoction she had created. My eye twitched when a disgusting squishing noise was heard as it dropped onto my bowl.

Grabbing a spoon, I prodded my 'dinner', grimacing at how similar it was to jelly. Scooping up a spoonful, I blanched at the smell. Nearby, Chrom happily dug into his meal. Watching him readily eat his meal gave me a sense of resolve. If Chrom was eating it fine, then that means it couldn't be that bad.

I tasted the jelly and stopped. Chewing a bit, I swallowed as I licked my lips. Huh, it really wasn't that bad. With renewed vigor, I began to dig into my meal.

You know…

This really…

Isn't that…

Ba-

THUMP!

()()() [Third Pov]

Everyone stopped staring at their meals when they heard a thump. Turning towards the source, they found their resident thief, Lux staring listlessly towards the night sky, his hand, limp, the spoon partially out of grip. The thief seemingly uttered a few words before closing his mouth. He then slouched in place.

It seemed as though the man had just died in his seat. They could only watch as the man slowly leaned back, muscles inactive as he fell out of his seat, landing onto his back, an echoing thump being heard. As he fell, the remains of Sully's dinner flew through the air, his spoon slowly flipping in the air, its afterimage being seen.

Only when the man twisted his head to the side, in clear view of everyone did they react. Why they did so? His eyes were rolled up and his mouth was gaping open, Sully's meal pouring out of the said mouth, as though it was blood. Everyone gulped as they wondered if he was dead or not.

Stahl meanwhile, seemed to make up his mind. Without pause, he lifted his spoon and dug into his meal seriously. Hearing his chewing, everyone turned to watch the man devour his meal relentlessly. Once he had finished the said meal, he slowly set his spoon down and sighed. He grinned happily.

"What a fine final meal that was." He spoke content.

"...Final?" Miriel asked cautiously. He grinned and nodded, as a trail of the dinner trickled down his lower jaw. His eyes closed as he gave the others a calm and happy smile as he slowly leaned back. They reacted when he collapsed, as though he died accomplishing something. Lissa made to rush over to him, only to freeze when another thump was heard. She turned with the others, only to witness the fall of Vaike.

The said man was shivering in place. When he stopped shivering, he looked up to the others and gave them a thumbs up before slouching forward. His eyes dulled as he leaned to the side, his body unceremonially dropping to the ground, unresponsive. Every remaining Shepherd, sans Chrom and Sully, decided…

The stew that Sully had concocted seemed to realize their intention as it began to rumble. Before their eyes, a massive partially-transparent tentacle slowly formed in front of them, bones and other questionable items found inside it. When it fully formed, it slowly lost its transparency as the tip of the tentacle split into four parts, a gaping hole visible.

The tentacle then closed its opening as it bubbled in place. It then opened once more to spit a glob of itself. Kellam quickly made an appearance as he literally shimmered into view, his shield raised as the bob impacted against it. The knight was forced to release his shield in the process however as the impact sent it into another direction.

There was a brief rush of wind as Virion sprinted by. Gripping his bow, he drew a trio of arrows and leaped into the air, arrows nocked as he aimed. The tentacle twisted itself as it made to attack the archer. It struck just as the arrows pierced it. The tentacle shivered in apparent pain as Virion landed onto his feet, only escaping with his clothing smeared with the stew.

Virion nodded to Miriel who nodded back. He bent forward as he sprinted, Miriel following closely behind, tome opened and ready to cast a spell. Virion leaped forward and nocked two arrows, firing as soon as he could. Unfortunately, his luck ran out as when the tentacle was struck, a second tentacle was formed. The second tentacle then struck, forcing itself down his throat and into his stomach.

His fall was not in vain however as Miriel finished her preparations.

"Elfire!" She cried as a massive fireball ignited from her outstretched palm. The second tentacle spilled from the unconscious Virion's mouth as it wrapped around the archers' body, flinging him towards the others. Kellam caught Virion and gently dropped him to the side, before resuming his defensive stance, lance raised.

The second tentacle raced towards the fireball and before it reached contacted, split into two, and traveled around the fireball before reforming into a single tentacle. Miriel was too surprised at the sudden event that she was unable to react when the tentacle splattered against her face. The mage collapsed onto the ground, unresponsive with her eyes rolled up, and tongue out of her gaping mouth.

Unwilling to witness any more defeats, Frederick let out a wordless shout as he rushed forward, lance ready. Behind him, he could hear the footsteps of the others. The pair of tentacles predictably reacted, with the second tentacle rising into the air. It bubbled rapidly before spitting multiple globs at them.

They never stopped their charge when they heard Lissa's cry. They never stopped when they watched Kellam's body being encased with the foul liquid. They began to falter when they watched one of the Anna's, a strand of hair resting atop her head stiffen in the taste as she collapsed.

They slowly stopped to a halt as the other Anna twisted and dropped onto a slump, her entire front covered with the stewy filth. Reflet had visible tears trailing down her eyes, while Frederick had an emotionless expression. The two were unwilling to look back, lest they wished to view the massacre of their comrades.

Reflet growled at the pair of tentacles with hatred as she readied her tome. Without a word, Frederick tensed, lance raised. The second tentacle suddenly arched itself, striking down towards the knight.

Without any reaction, Reflet aimed her palm at the approaching tentacle and shot. A pair of wind arcs shot forward, slicing the tentacle into three. She almost instantly switched, this time firing a small fireball. The fireball struck the base of the tentacle, causing a slightly audible screech which rang in the air. The struck tentacle shuddered before splattering on the ground.

The first tentacle must have been shocked at the second's sudden death as it was unable to react as Frederick stabbed forward, somehow hurting it. It wavered, as another fireball struck its opening. The two remaining Shepherds watched in silence as a fire started from the opening and trailed down to the base, where Frederick aimed his lance at. Without a word being said, he threw, watching as the lance pierced the tentacle.

The tentacle managed one wail before it exploded into a fiery mess. Watching its death, the two remaining Shepherds bowed their heads, silently weeping for the fallen. Though one would usually celebrate a victory, they were unable to. They had been forced to watch as many of their comrades had fallen in order to win the battle, some having sacrificed themselves to scout out the enemy, granting them vital information.

,,,

...

While the two were mourning, Chrom finally finished his meal, a satisfied burp being heard.

"Can I have seconds?" He asked cheerfully. Nearby, Sully grinned as she pulled out a second cauldron, making the two freeze. When it began to bubble, the two did what was best.

They ran.

()()() [End Third Pov]

I watched the scenery as the snow gradually faded away, being replaced by green pastures. In the distance, I could see a cluster of people surrounding a carriage, though this was simply what I saw in the distance, and could be something else entirely. I didn't say a word, however, as Chrom hadn't said a word, so that meant he'd probably known what it was. As such, I simply looked on quietly as we rode forward. Our horses simply walked the rest of the way, seeing as they had been running constantly throughout most of the day, thus it wasn't surprising that they were exhausted.

What I did find surprising was how I could easily ride a horse. During the first few days, I had been kept busy by the others, small tasks, but they were numerous. As such, I had no time to think about this, but now that I had nothing to do and we were nearing our destination, I had to wonder. I hadn't joined any horseback clubs back in high school, nor had I actually interacted with an equine of any sort in my life, so how I was able to easily handle a horse, I wasn't sure.

As we neared the cluster, I noticed how elegant and extremely expensive the carriage appeared. One of the people in the cluster, a Ylissean guard, noticed our approach and nodded to another guard. The second guard disappeared into the crowd, and once we were a few meters away, the carriage door opened. Stepping out of the carriage was a woman who exuded an aura of authority.

The woman had short light blue hair, which had fashioned into a bun of sorts, with a braid next to it. Her eyes were somewhat covered with a helmet that left the hair area and the face uncovered, the front protecting the forehead, and had a large straight horn jutted forward. The woman stepped to the side as another woman exited the carriage, her appearance seeming regal. For some odd reason, I found myself unable to describe her appearance...Perhaps it was that regal aura she was exuding, though it could be something else entirely.

As we approached, I noticed the rather tense atmosphere that had suddenly become about. Glancing around, I noticed how the guards seemed to be fidgeting in place, impatient. Looking around, I realized that most of the guard were female, each riding, or standing beside a pegasus. Ah, so they were all Pegasus Knight's, like Sumia. Seeing as nothing was going to occur anytime soon, I cleared my throat.

"So, Kellam. Which one of these women do you think is the Exalt?" I asked casually, ignoring the sudden looks of disbelief from everyone (except Reflet and Kellam). The knight hummed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, ignoring the surprised glances from everyone as they noticed his presence.

"Who knows. I've never met her in my life." He responded, just as casual. I grunted as I peered at the gathered guards. I pointed to one of the Pegasus Knights, who had long red hair.

"Do you reckon the Exalt would be that woman? It's possible the Exalt could be her." I said as Kellam shook his head in disagreement.

"Impossible. I heard the Exalt was a Sage, not a Pegasus Knight. I've also heard rumors of how the Exalt is scared of heights, so that makes your suggestion even more improbable." Kellam denied. In-front of us, Chrom had facepalmed in embarrassment, while the true Exalt simply giggled in her hand amused.

"Alright, How about her then? She's exuding a rather large amount of authority and frankly, I keep getting stray thoughts of bowing to here." I spoke, pointing at the woman standing next to the Exalt. Said woman looked both astonished and slightly proud.

"Not likely. She is Phila, captain of the Pegasus Knights and the Exalt's personal bodyguard." Kellam once more denied, waving his hand dismissively. I stroked my chin in thought.

"Then who'd you suppose the Exalt could be?" I asked as I pulled a pot of tea out, pouring myself a cup. Offering it to Kellam, I poured myself one as well.

"Who knows ~Sip~." Kellam wondered calmly. The two of our horses had already sat down by now as we had our conversation. With our feigned ignorance, it was rather humorous to watch as Chrom became more and more embarrassed.

"I suddenly came with an epiphany!" I exclaimed, jolting some of the nearby guards with the sudden yell. Looking at me alarmed, Kellam gave me his full attention.

"What if this entire time, the Exalt had been amongst us this entire time!" I cried as his eyes opened, widening as he did.

"Impossible! You Cannot Mean!?" He cried shocked, as everyone gave us extremely amused stares, Chrom hiding his face in his hands.

"It Must Be! There's No Other Explanation!" I confirmed, still yelling. By now several of the townsfolk had left the city and were watching us, also amused.

"I see... Then We Must Confirm This Immediately." Kellam spoke, his voice aloud as he wore a solemn expression. I nodded back, just as solemn. Seeing our expressions, everyone's faces became somewhat confused, but also anxious at what our conclusion was. Turning towards Chrom, as one, I spoke.

"Chrom! Is It Po-" I never finished as I was slugged off my horse, and into the air. As I twisted into the air, I mentally nodded to myself. It was totally worth it. I was out before I even hit the ground.

()()() [Third Pov]

"-ssible That You're The Ex-" Kellam tried to finish, only to be uppercut by the now irate and thoroughly embarrassed prince. The armored knight flew high into the air, the force making him do a backflip before landing on his head, and audible thump being heard as the man collapsed. The two victims had steam rising from their faces, as Chrom stood above them, eyes closed, his right eyebrow twitching as steam rose from a clenched fist.

Any trace of humor skyrocketed as guards, Shepherds and townsfolk chuckled humorously at the prince and unconscious men.

()()() [Third Pov End]

When I awoke, I was in the Shepherds Barracks, on a bed next to Kellam who was still unconscious. Sitting up, I idly rubbed my cheek, where I had been slugged, noting how it had been healed already. Nodding to myself, I moved to get up from the bed, only to stop when I heard a whine. Looking down, I watched as Mari looked up dazed, only to go back to sleep the moment I stopped. I tried to get up, only for Mari to growl, so I stopped again.

I tried to leave multiple times, each time, I got more growls until finally, Mari seemed to finally give up as she rose to her paws. she stretched before jumping off my lap. Getting to my feet, I leaned down and began to scratch her ears, getting a bark from her. Raising my arms up to stretch, I heard someone opening the door to my room.

"Milo-Oh!" A feminine voice uttered. Looking towards the door, I found Clio staring at me, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at me, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Ah, Clio. What brings you here?" I asked nonchalantly as I continued to stretch, Mari mimicking my actions.

"...Milord, Lord Chrom has asked for the presence of all Shepherds to meet in the mess hall." She spoke, eyes fixated on my chest... I looked down and realized I had been stripped bare of everything except for a loincloth that covered my genitals. I only had semi-visible muscles, only visible enough to make it clear that I do keep myself in shape, but not enough to be compared to Vaike... or the Khan Basilio if I remember correctly. I was interrupted from my thoughts when I heard a gulp from Clio. Glancing at her, I watched as her blush became slightly more prominent.

"Um, Clio? Do you know where I can find any clothing?" I asked as I examined the room, no sort of clothing in sight. Looking back to the maid, she had regained her composure and had a stack of clothing in her arms.

"Of course, I had taken the liberty of having your clothing properly washed, to maximize comfortability when you go about with your day milord." She said as I thanked her, taking the clothing. I placed the clothing stack atop my bed and prepared to dress, only to remember.

"Um, Clio. Could I perhaps have some privacy?" I asked. The maid's eyes widened as a blush reappeared on her cheeks.

"Ah, of course, milord. I'll be by the door when you're finished." She said before closing the door as she left, albeit slowly. Now that I had some privacy, I got to clothing myself.

I was done after a minute or so. Walking towards the door, I heard heavy breathing. Eye twitching, I twisted the doorknob and pushed it open. I watched unamused as Ahoge Anna fell onto her back. Nearby, her cousin Anna and Clio were watching, one amused, the other annoyed.

"...What're you doing?" I asked said Anna's face slowly turned pink. Her eyes began to look in every direction but my own as she tried to come up with an explanation. Unfortunately for her, her cousin decided to intervene.

"She was being a pervert and was peeking through that hole in the door." She said pointing at a semi-visible hole located near the top of the door. I glanced at the hole, before placing my stare back at Anna who by then had gotten back to her feet. She stared at me with this somewhat nervous smile as she stared primarily at my chest.

"...Never knew I would be fighting alongside a pervert." I muttered aloud, watching amused as she stood shocked as though an imaginary arrow with 'PERVERT' written on it pierced her chest. Beside her, Anna was giggling in a hand, Clio giving her a calm smile. I sighed as I scratched the back of my head.

"So? What brings you two here?" I asked Anna. Anna stopped giggling as she glanced at her still-shocked cousin.

"We're heading off to the mess hall. Apparently, prince Chrom is going to discuss something rather important." She nodded to herself. I hummed in acknowledgment.

"Is that right? Well, I'll see the two of you at the mess hall then. Clio, will you be accompanying me to the mess hall?" I asked the maid, who gave me a smile, nodding. The two of us began our trek down the hall, idly hearing Anna try to coax her cousin out of her shock.

"Anna, are you alright? I know that he knows that Clio knows that I know that he knows that she knows that I know that he knows that I know that she knows that he knows that you aren't a pervert." I stifled a chuckle at how she said that a tone of indifference laced with mischief. Unfortunately for Anna, her cousin's words only ended up confusing her, as swirls replaced her eyes... Rather amusing to look at.

"How've you been?" I asked Clio, glancing at her idly. She glanced up at me and smiled.

"Fine, though I'd hope it was the same for you." She nodded as she suddenly began to tighten her fists. I didn't pay much attention to that as I spoke.

"Wish I could agree, but then I would be lying," I muttered as Clio's eyes became focused.

"Eh? Please tell me you weren't injured at least." She said, her tone laced with nervousness. I closed my eyes as I thought back...

"Well... I did get pierced by three spears. I also got thrown into a wall, giving myself a concussion..." I began listing off each injury I had suffered during my time in Regna Ferox. For every injury I spoke, Clio's face began to become paler, shock, worry, and fear becoming more and more evident, By the time I had finished recounting my tale, Clio had begun to tear up.

"-And that is why- Clio! Is something wrong?" I panicked. She meanwhile continued to cry as we approached the mess hall's entrance. I opened the door, ignoring everyone in the room as I tried to calm the maid down.

"Why must milord constantly be injured everywhere he goes?" She cried as I waved my arms panicked. My mind didn't register that question as everyone watched on curious until a few moments later. I raised a finger.

"Well, to be fair, I didn't really begin my injury spree until I met Chrom," I mentioned and watched as her tears dried up in flames as she rounded on the prince who was standing on a table, in an awe-inspiring pose, whose expression changed to that of nervousness. For some reason, the green-haired woman exuding that regal aura was nearby.

"You're the one who dare cast your unluckiness on milord?! For shame!" She cried outraged. I meanwhile looked on with a sweatdrop, not understanding her reaction. Chrom seemed to be in the same state as he looked on confused. Frederick looked compelled to defend his lord but actually faltered when the maid glanced at him, making him instinctively take a step back.

For some reason, the situation got a bit funny when Lissa strode up beside the maid and nodded, frowning, though her eyes said otherwise.

"Yeah, big brother. For shame," she said, shaking her head as she crossed her arms.

"Eh?" Chrom wondered aloud, as the maid began a tirade against her employer. Most of the female Shepherds (excluding Miriel) were also giving the prince disapproving frowns, (Reflet's being twice as much) while the men were simply giving the prince blank stares. Chrom glanced around, looking for some reason out of his situation and glanced down at Vaike.

The half-naked man stared up at the prince, before giving him a grin.

"Heh." Chrom's face turned a shade of white shock as the rest of the men gave him similar reactions. He tried to glance at me, but Clio had stood between us, actually hissing at him.

"Um...Clio? Is it really a good idea to be hissing at your employer? What if he fires you?" I asked placing a hand on her shoulder, watching as the maid turned to face me with a smile, an aura of happiness leaking out.

"Hm? Whatever do you mean milord? Lady Emmeryn was the one to hire me, meaning lord Chrom has no actual involvement in my hiring." She mentioned casually, nodding towards the green-haired woman. So she was the Exalt.

"...Eh?" I muttered as her smile grew wider.

"Even if he did fire me, I'm sure I would be capable of finding employment somewhere else. For instance, would you hire me?" She asked, once more. I didn't really think of the meaning of the question, though I should have, seeing as Reflet was giving our general direction a dark and foreboding stare.

"If I had a house, then yeah I guess I would." I agreed, giving her a smile. The dark and foreboding stare grew more intense. While we had been speaking, the rest of the Shepherds had gone to do their own business, Chrom still standing in that pose, albeit now stark white, a tear forming. Behind him, the now revealed Exalt, Emmeryn giggled in a hand.

()()()

"Ahem, now that we've all calmed down, I have an announcement to make," Chrom spoke, as we all looked at him. When I say we, I meant everyone except Clio and Reflet who were giving eachother a stare, imaginary sparks flying between them. Unfortunately, I stood nearby the two, having coming to stand beside me on both sides, so I felt a bit of heat on both sides, though thankfully they weren't actually using any sort of magic. Kellam gave me a sympathizing pat. Mari seemed to like this arrangement as she slept with a peaceful face, as though she was resting by a fireplace.

"Within the next hour, we are to mobilize. With the abduction of Maribelle, there is no doubt that Plegia is behind her kidnapping, nor are they without a doubt responsible for the ransacking of her village Themis as well. However, we are to also escort my sister, the Exalt, Emmeryn to the border that splits us from Plegia." He announced as murmurs broke out.

"Why is lady Emmeryn heading to the border?" Sumia asked. Chrom coughed into a hand.

"Plegia's...king...has demanded her presence, using the life of Maribelle as a hostage. My dear sister, who detests violence has agreed and now waits for our mobilization so that we may make haste." He continued, only to pause as I raised a hand.

"If Maribelle's in trouble, why aren't we mobilizing now? Wouldn't the wait be enough time for them to run out of patience and simply kill her?" I asked as everyone stared.

"That is a possibility, but I am positive the king wouldn't dare do so. If he did, I'm sure he realizes, nothing will stop Ylisse from defeating them once more." He said though I had to wonder. Did the two nations clash recently?

"Dismissed," Chrom said after a few moments. We all began to split off, no doubt to begin preparations. I was about to do the same when Kellam appeared. I watched as the two women besides me jump back surprised.

"W-wah?! Kellam! Don't do that!" "L-lord Kellam!" The knight ignored the two as he clamped both hands on my shoulder.

"Lux." He stated seriously. I gave him my full attention.

"Yes?" I asked. He closed his eyes for a second, before opening them.

"Are you monogamous, or polygamous?" He asked, drawing a blank from me.

"Eh? Monogamous? Polygamous?" I wondered aloud, unknowingly voicing aloud the two women's thought as well.

"You know, monogamous, you only have one wife, or polygamous, you have two or more wives." He explained as I began to blush.

"..." I couldn't say anything as the combined stares of Clio and Reflet's intense stares, mixed with Kellam's rarely opened eyes stared me down. In response, I stared back, while fixating my own face. Soon enough, a rather masculine face stared at the three.

"I. sorry. I. no. speak. Ylissean." I spoke in broken English. Kellam looked at me blank-faced while Clio and Reflet looked on confused.

"What. do. you. mean?" Kellam spoke in broken English as well, a manly face mirroring my own.

"..." I closed my eyes, a lone tear forming. I then put my hands on his chest and pushed him away.

"I. am. sorry. friend. But. I. must. go. now." I uttered as I turned to run. As I did run, I heard Kellam still speaking in broken English.

"Wait. My. Friend!" I looked back and I saw my friends eyes widened fully, arm outstretched. Behind him, the maid and tactician were too dumbfounded to react.

()()()

Thankfully, Kellam never brought up the previous subject. The two of us were hanging around the market when we saw something astounding. Before our eyes, Frederick was locked in a duel with one of the shopkeepers and losing.

"Please, Ma'am! I meant no offense!" Frederick cried as the woman swung at the knight, pushing him back a few feet, dust trailing after him.

"You dare imply me being a spy simply for being part-Plegian?! Shame on you!" She cried aloud. I slowly backed away, sensing a feeling, one I recently began to associate with pain. Noticing my departure, Kellam followed.

"Why'd you not want to stick around?" He asked. I glanced at him as we walked away from the scene, unknowing of how the woman managed to suplex the knight.

"I felt it... The feeling that reminds me of pai-" I said before being interrupted. Why was I interrupted? It was because, I suddenly found myself face-planted on the floor, Frederick lying atop, unconscious.

"You okay?" Kellam asked. I couldn't speak, seeing as Frederick's body was planted directly on my head. Instead, I gave him a thumbs-up...

...At this point, I may as well get used to this...

()()()

When it was finally time for us to mobilize, I witnessed Chrom arguing with a kid in mage clothing from afar. Now, I may have interrupted their conversation, curious on who the kid was, but I didn't. Why? My newly developed Pain Sense told me that if I tried to interrupt, it would result in bone-breaking pain. So I didn't.

I did end up seeing the kid while patrolling the area with Kellam the next day. We had set up camp for the night, and during dinner, I caught a glimpse of the boy. At the time, I didn't really think about him, so I just ignored him. When I saw him sneaking about, however, I felt I shouldn't ignore him any further. Unfortunately, I ended up wasting several hours of my time as the boy did nothing but hide in the dark... He only did this when there were people around, otherwise, he wandered about without a care.

I ended up leaving the area, just to try and forget what I wasted. I failed, but I did end up witnessing Chrom having an arm-wrestling contest with Vaike, so I guess that's a thing.

As I made my way to sleep, I could only wonder...

What was a war actually like? Will I survive this war?

Done.

Late I am, so very late. Five months and five days in fact.

I could say college is extremely difficult and it has been cutting into my free time, but that would only be excuses.

Instead, I will just say this.

"I am sorry."

Notes: Lux/Shen' Pain Sense: Due to the extensive amount of injuries he has suffered through the story, I decided to implement the Pain Sense. This sense is technically similar to the Spider-Sense, only instead, this sense only reacts to potential pain, like a brief vision on what may happen if he reacts in a manner.

Pairings: Unfortunately, unlike the predecessor, where the marriage was rushed, Lux/Shen will probably not get married and have a family life during the peacetime. Instead, I have plans for him and a few others. I need only the supports and I will be fine.

Supports:

Should Ahoge Anna be included in the possible marriage candidates? In this story, it was only for comedic purposes, but now I feel...Maybe she should be a part of this...

I should have a poll for this...

Kellam has been given some character development!

Final thing. The winner of the Class is...

The Shadowblade.

Anyways, until next time.