A/N: I always give Jakob a Fell Brand in my playthroughs.

The warmth of spring's first sun greeted Jakob as he stepped out of the back door of their little Mess Hall. Corrin was off slaying Faceless on some mountain they had discovered in another world, helping to train some of the children for their next battle. There was a rumor going around that young Shigure would soon trade in his pegasus for a kinshi, but judging by how attached the boy was to his mount, it was much more likely that he was simply going to take up the mantle of a Falcon Knight and be done with it. After all, they already had Kiragi and Reina to cover the Kinshi Knight class. What good would yet another one do?

Of course, Corrin's absence meant that someone else would have to feed Lilith that day. Knowing that his favorite princess would be more than upset if Lilith's feeding were not handled correctly, Jakob took it upon himself to perform such a sacred duty. Sure, he had to literally wrestle Ryoma, Hinoka, and Camilla for the honor, but he was sure that they could get over themselves. At the very least, he knew that his status as brother-in-law was secure for as long as he kept Corrin happy.

Lilith's shrine seemed extra lovely today, its surrounding trees blooming with beautiful pink flowers. Jakob hefted her meal – a perfectly cooked bowl of beans – onto his customary silver tray as he straightened his back and stepped into the small stone building. There, Lilith awaited him, floating over the stone dais that acted as her alter.

"Lord Jakob?" she asked, causing Jakob to freeze in the doorway. His stomach twisted in knots at the mention of his title. He had already held that name for a very long time, yet he still could not get used to it. He was sure he never would get used to it. After all, he had spent more than 90% of his life as a servant – his days as a Nohrian noble's son were long forgotten. "This is unusual, but a pleasant surprise. How are you? What brings you here today?"

"Please, Lilith. Call me Jakob," he said tightly, finally able to move again. He would need to get over the strange unpleasant feeling his title gave him sooner or later, but that time was not now. "Lord makes me sound so… non-butler-y."

"But you are a lord now, Jakob," Lilith chuckled. "You became one the moment you married her. Don't tell me you regret it!"

"Of course not!" he said, face growing warm. "I'd never regret being with her! Do I think she deserves better? Certainly. But if I'm allowed to be even a little bit selfish-"

"I jest, I jest, Jakob!" Lilith crowed, bobbing up and down as though she were a puppet on a string. She shook her tiny head and wriggled her tail at him, almost like she was wagging a finger. "You really should loosen up, though. You won't be a butler for much longer and you know it."

She was right. Lilith, like his wife, was always right. When this war finally ends, he and Corrin would finally be able to settle down together. Perhaps even bring a new life into the world. Though he would never admit it, he loved his sons more than anything – save perhaps his own wife. They had both grown up so strong and determined, even if Dwyer was lazier than he would have liked, and Kana was still a child. Still, he and Corrin often admonished themselves over how easily they had let the boys' childhoods slip out of their fingers. When this war ends, they had decided, Corrin would stop drinking the special moon tea Camilla always brewed for her and they would try again. This time, they would be there for the baby no matter what.

It was with a somber note of acceptance that Jakob lifted the cloche of his silver tray and set the bowl of beans down before Lilith. The Astral Dragon's spines straightened in excitement as she saw the food placed before her. Without a moment's hesitation, she flew down and began eagerly munching on the beans, going as far as to eat the entire bamboo bowl as well. That was fine. There was a reason, after all, why they had hundreds of these things stashed away.

"Thank you, Jakob. That was delightful," Lilith said once she was finished, licking the last vestiges of beans from her lips. "Normally I'd offer a gift to Lady Corrin, but this time around, I'll offer one to you."

Jakob inclined his head. "Thank you, Lilith. Your gold is always appreciated. Our funds actually are getting a bit low, and-"

"Oh, I apologize, Jakob. What I'm offering you this time is not gold," Lilith said. She turned around for a brief moment to enter a tiny alcove behind the dais that only she would be able to enter. Normally, she would return with a gold bar or two, which Corrin would immediately take to the treasury. But this time, Lilith returned with a rather strange looking object instead.

At first glance, it seemed to be nothing more than a Master Seal, just like the ones he or Corrin would purchase from the Staff or Rod Store whenever one of their allies was ready to take on new skills. Just like a Master Seal, it was made of finely wrought gold, with a gem in the center that reverberated a strong and ancient magical power. However, while the gems in the center of Master Seals shone brilliant red, this one was purple. As Jakob brought it closer to his face, he could barely make out some sort of symbol in the middle of the gem.

It was a pair of lines twisted together, with three eyes on either side. It didn't look like any sort of mark Jakob had ever seen before. There was something very strange about it as well; the eyes seemed to pierce right through him, into his very soul. He wanted to look away, wanted more than anything to throw this horrible thing right back at Lilith and tell her to destroy it, and yet… he couldn't stop gazing at it. The symbol held all sorts of promises within it. Promises of power and vengeance and mass destruction against anyone who dared cross Jakob or his family…

"Do you like it?" Lilith's voice was so cheerful, so sweet that it snapped Jakob from his thoughts. He paused for a moment before pocketing the item, taking extra care to drop it into a hidden pocket inside his jacket. For some odd reason, he felt the need to keep it there.

"Yes, it's quite lovely. What exactly is it?"

"An ancient treasure of my people," Lilith replied. "They are long gone now, but I thought it would be appropriate to pass it on to you and your lady wife." She let out a bell-like laugh. "After all, she is of the blood of the First Dragons. It's why she can activate dragon veins."

"Indeed," Jakob agreed. He continued to address Lilith, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Somewhere out there, his wife and two sons were out on a battlefield. How were they doing? Were there any dragon veins? Was Dwyer finally gaining control over his dragon form? "It's the same with my in-laws… and my sons."

"Your boys can activate them too?" Lilith asked. The surprise was evident in her voice. She looked absolutely pleased as punch too. "Goodness, that's unexpected! And they can transform into dragons too, can't they?"

"They can. The first time Kana transformed, we were in the middle of a bandit attack. It was a rather nasty surprise for all of us. Dwyer… honestly, if it weren't for that attack on Mitama's home, we'd probably have never found out. But of course, those two bond so easily over how much they enjoy napping, it's no wonder he got so enraged."

"Your boys have certainly inherited their mother's strength," Lilith mused. "Oh, my clumsy tongue!" another bell-like laugh rang through the temple, the tiny dragon throwing her head back and nearly dropping the crystal ball she held. "You have your own strength as well, Jakob. But a quieter one. You certainly can't turn into a dragon, but I've seen your loyalty. I know that if anyone should ever cross Corrin or your sons, they'll find a dagger between their ribs faster than they can blink."

Jakob smiled at that, though it was tight. The cold pit gnawing at his stomach seemed to widen at her words. Once again, Lilith was right. He was no dragon. Sure, he could throw some knives and wield some staves, but that was nothing compared to a dragon's rage. On top of that, Dwyer knew how to wield staves as well. It was always such an efficient strategy; Corrin and Kana on the attack, Dwyer on staves, but ready to pull out his dragon stone and transform if he would ever need to. And Jakob on the sidelines, cheering his wife and sons on, barely handling his own against whatever adversaries came for him-

The strange item in his hidden pocket grew cold suddenly, sending an icy chill through his body. He froze, every sense on his body heightened and aware. He could see every beam of light, every speck of dust floating around him. And – he could hear something as well? A very quiet, almost silent whisper. What was it saying? Should he try listening harder…?

"Jakob?" Lilith, again, snapped Jakob from his reprieve. "Is everything alright? Did I say something to offend you?"

He had to get out of here.

"No, of course not," he replied, the sudden coldness of his pocket disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Did that really happen? No, of course not. He hadn't gotten enough sleep lately. He must be delirious. "I apologize for worrying you. I just remembered that I ought to head back to the Mess Hall. It's my turn to make supper, you see." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked outside, trying his best to ignore the tiny whisper of the wind in his ear.

"Papa! We're home!" Kana's high, cheerful voice resounded all around the walls of the small quarters that Jakob and Corrin shared, announcing the arrival of his family back from whatever training exercise they had embarked on. Jakob, perhaps a bit quicker than he would have admitted to, got to his feet and opened the door. He almost immediately received the tiny ball of energy that was his youngest son in a tight embrace. Kana's cape was more torn than ever, and his armor was chipped in more than a few places. There were no fresh wounds, thankfully, and that was honestly all Jakob could ever ask for.

"Wow, someone's awfully affectionate today," the quiet, lilting voice of his elder son drifted over from his side, causing Jakob to stop hugging Kana. How embarrassing. He didn't want to seem too eager to have his family back, after all. "What about me, Father? Can I get a hug?"

"You'll get one as soon as you can marinate and grill a proper steak," he said. He gave Dwyer a once-over and shook his head. "Look at the state of your cape! It's filthy! I've told you time and time again that if you're going to have a white cape, you ought to take care of it-"

"Nevermind, he's the same as ever. At least we know he isn't sick," Dwyer yawned as he gently pushed past his father and walked into the room. Jakob wrinkled his nose as he glanced down at the boy's feet. Trailing mud. Again. Kana was too. Damn it all, he had just scrubbed the floors!

"Oi! Come back here, both of you! Swords, stones, and staves by the door," he ordered briskly. He was met almost immediately by a pair of groans. Honestly, what was with young men and bringing weapons into the house? There was barely room for what sparse furniture they had as is!

"What about tomes, Papa?"

"Tomes are fine. Leave them on the bookshelf," he replied as he fetched a wet rag and started mopping up the mud the two were leaving about. "And go wash your feet before you two track even more mud. Where's your mother?"

Almost on cue, the door opened again, revealing his obviously exhausted, sweaty wife. Out of the three other members of his family, Corrin looked like she had been through hell and back. Her armor and cape were filthy and nearly torn to ribbons, there were fresh cuts, bruises, and scrapes all over her, and her Yato was covered in some strange green substance that looked and smelled horribly like it had met with more than one Faceless gut. Overall, she looked like a mess, and it was without a second thought that Jakob helped her inside – tracking mud, no less – and immediately began using Dwyer's staff to help heal her wounds.

"Thank you, Jakob," Corrin murmured as her various scrapes and cuts slowly knitted themselves closed. Outside, he could hear both Dwyer and Kana splashing around in the springs. "I… may have overexerted myself out there."

"You reckless woman," Jakob clucked disapprovingly as he set aside the staff and retrieved a vulnerary. "You can lead an army, turn into a dragon, convince a silly old butler to marry you, and yet-"

"And yet I don't know my limits. I know, I know," Corrin interrupted, smiling fondly. She grimaced as he began rubbing the vulnerary into her wounds with a cloth. It always stung her. He hated having to hurt her this way. "Next time, you can come, okay? The only reason why I asked you to stay home this time was so that as many people as possible could get the training they needed."

"And by the gods, do some of them need it," Jakob said. He finished healing her wounds and stood up, putting away the vulnerary before moving towards the small table near the door. He had specially ordered dinner to be served to them in private today. It was rare that they got to have a family dinner nowadays. "If I have to clean up one of Avel's messes one more time-"

"Then you might like the fact that Avel was actually listening to Sophie today," Corrin said, laughter in her voice. "They were actually some of our star warriors. Everyone did really well today. The boys too." She chuckled. "They might surpass us both one day."

Jakob gave her a wry smile as he brought over the tray of food. Perfectly grilled steak, roasted potatoes, and an assorted number of different greens greeted Corrin's eyes when he lifted the cloche. "I'll call the two troublemakers in. Please, enjoy."

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead, two on each cheek, one on her nose, and of course, one on her lips. Corrin's lips were soft and gentle, like a cloud on a Hoshidan summer day. They molded and undulated gently with his own lips, tasting of macaroons, strawberries, and the faintest hint of dragon fire. He would never get tired of these lips, of her face, of her. Gods, how could he be so lucky?

"Mm… hey, what's this?" Corrin's slim hand reached up and traced his cravat, stopping over where his new brooch sat. Not long after he had left Lilith's Temple, he went to the smithy and asked Laslow if he could borrow the forge for a quick second. A little too eager to run off and flirt with whatever poor maiden was just trying to do her market shopping, Prince Xander's retainer had left him all alone to work. It took a bit of delicate skill, but in the end, Jakob was able to make a fine brooch of the strange little item Lilith had given him. He still had his old one, of course, but he thought that perhaps it would be good to try out this new one.

"Do you like it?" Jakob asked, tilting his neck slightly for her to get a better view. "Lilith gave it to me after I fed her today. I know that I should have consulted you first to see if you wanted it, but-"

"It's beautiful," Corrin said, leaning in to place a light kiss on his neck. "Compliments you really well. Especially your eyes… it totally matches!"

"Does it?" he asked, face growing a bit warmer as she placed another few kisses on his neck. "Perhaps I should wear it more often."

"Maybe you should. But right now, I think you should take it off," Corrin said huskily, lightly wriggling the brooch and tugging at his cravat. "You know, I'm pretty tired after that last fight. Too tired to feed myself. Do you wanna help me with that, my lord?"

It was as though a switch had been flipped within him. Without another word, he picked up the dinner knife from the tray and threw it with a quick flick of his wrist, striking the door's bolt and locking it shut. The boys – and dinner – could wait.

"So… tell me again why you can't just take the damn thing off for this battle?"

Jakob rolled his eyes as he quickly leaped in front of Selena, his dagger coming up to deflect an arrow off its path. She quickly responded to the archer with a powerful lunging blow, slicing his chest open and silencing him for good. The spray of blood that followed was enough to paint her shield red – and there would only be more red to follow.

"Because I need something to keep my cravat in place and did not think it necessary to bring a backup brooch," he said for the umpteenth time. Throughout this whole battle, Laslow, Odin, and Selena had all asked him about the brooch. And throughout the battle, Jakob had deflected their requests for him to take it off. Why should he? It wasn't like the damn thing was overly distracting or anything like that.

"How about you just take your stupid cravat off and stick it in your pocket then?" Selena snapped.

"Or how about you swallow your opinions and keep to yourself?" he countered. "Lady Corrin actually enjoys how it looks on me, and frankly, I'm enjoying how well it holds my cravat in place. It's even better than my previous one."

"Well… Well because it makes me uncomfortable!" Selena said, pausing for a moment to slam the hilt of her sword into the head of an approaching myrmidon. She whipped around and aimed a powerful kick at his head before ducking to allow Jakob's knives to streak over her and into the chest of an oncoming mage. "I mean, have you looked at the thing? It's… all glowy and creepy looking. And it's got this weird air hanging around it. It reminds me of-" she hesitated, eyes going wide as she continued to stare at his brooch. For a brief moment, the fierce woman and warrior he knew her to be melted, replaced by a small girl who was scared, lost, and simply trying to find her place in the world. Then, she shook her head, retreating into herself once again, and turned around to cut down an axe fighter. "N-Nevermind. Just take it off. It's creepy."

"You hardly strike me as a woman who fears jewelery," Jakob said calmly. A few more knives flew from his deft fingers, striking the soldiers surrounding them. They fell with cries silenced by the gurgle of blood in their throats. "Perhaps you ought to stop being so decadent with your spending, then."

"I buy whatever the hell I want to buy!" she snapped.

"More like your husband buys you whatever the hell you want to-"

"Ugh, will you SHUT UP!?" she said. "Gods, I can't believe I agreed to this stupid bonding thing! Where's Lady Camilla!? You can just go right on ahead and bond with Beruka instead! Gods, I can't stand you!"

"Oh, do be careful while you're around her. I hear you-know-who recently proposed to her. She might be sporting a-"

"SHUT IT!"

Watching Corrin in the fighting was like watching Azura dancing. They were both absolutely mesmerizing and always refreshed him when they did so. However, though Azura could command the stage like no one else ever could, it was his wife's skill with a blade that truly made Jakob pause, his breath catching as he took in every step, every slice, and ever strike. Corrin's blade work was very much like a dance; one moment, she would be light and free as the wind, twisting and turning, moving in and out like so many streams of water. The next, she would be a dragon, hard and fierce, glowing with an inner fire that not even Azura could produce in a dance.

As usual, Corrin had chosen him to be her partner in battle, picking him despite receiving so many other offers. More than once, Prince Ryoma or Princess Camilla had nearly pushed their way into the battle whenever they saw that Corrin would be facing off against a Spear Master or literally anyone that didn't wield an axe. Corrin, of course, would always kindly decline their offers and turn to Jakob for her support. Even after all these months, she relied on him and, much to his pride, he relied on her.

Their opponents at the moment were a rather odd pair: a berserker and a sage. These were powerful foes who had more than once given him and his sons trouble, but for his lady, they were silly little pieces of pudding at best. Still, for all her wondrous blade work, it was Jakob's job to land the killing blow. He had no staves with him. Dwyer was making use of them instead.

Corrin charged for the berserker first, quickly striking an uppercut slice at him before performing a backflip and running back to her position. This allowed Jakob to quickly follow up with a pair of knives of his own. The first one missed, but the second hit the berserker squarely in the chest, causing him to reel back. Still, it would take much more than that to fell the beast, it seemed, because soon enough, the berserker was charging at his wife, ready to rend her apart with his powerful axe.

Aim…

Corrin was, thankfully, quick on her feet. She dodged the punishing swing of the axe just in time but could do nothing to avoid the sage's Arcfire. She quickly charged at the berserker again, this time landing a quick glancing blow on his left side. It wasn't enough to kill, but certainly enough to distract.

Aim…

He took aim and threw his knives again, but this time, the accursed sage blocked them. Bits of blood and ripped paper filled the arena air as the sage threw aside his book. There would be no overly complex spells this time, but no doubt, the man had more than a few memorized. Speaking of which, he followed Jakob's knives with some fireballs of his own. He had to bend over backwards, dropping to his knees just as the fire flew over his nose. That was way too close.

Aim…

His blood pounded in his ears as Corrin raised her sword and let out her favorite battle cry, "This ends NOW!"

She leaped into the air, her limbs twisting and reforming into those of a dragon. She flipped through the air and struck the berserker head on, spraying blood all over. Jakob used his customary tray to cover his face, grinning as he did so. His wife did not need his help. The berserker was dead. They could-

No.

Aim for…

Corrin ran back to their side of the arena, gripping her own side from where the berserker managed to strike the side of her stomach. The wound was shallow yet bled profusely. She would not be able to take another blow like that. Unable to do much else, Jakob tackled her to the ground, causing her to cry out as he agitated her wound. The sage's fire passed over them, nearly catching the back of the ribbon that held his hair in place.

"Agh… hah… Jake, I-" Corrin groaned as she removed her hand from her side. It was covered in a dark, viscous red. "Gods, I don't think we'll make it through this. That berserker-" she looked over his shoulder, worry written all over her face. "He's got a dragon axe."

No.

Aim for…

Jakob whirled around, his dagger coming up just in time to catch the blade of the dragon-slaying axe. The weight and power behind the blow caused him to cry out, forcing him to bend his wrists at an almost unnatural anger. It hurt. Everything hurt. The berserker was too strong, his knives too weak. And where was the sage!?

Aim for the…

The berserker leered down at him, eyes practically glowing red with bloodlust. Behind him, Jakob could hear the sickening squish of metal through skin and bone as Corrin, with the last of her strength, took down the mage. He heard her collapse behind him, gripping at his tailcoat, cries for help dying in her throat. They were all alone. They had led this pair too far from the main battlefield. By the time any of Corrin's siblings, or even Kaze could come for them, they would be long dead…

Aim for the heart!

Without warning, heat burst forth from the base of his neck. It was as though that spot were under a great stream of dragon fire. The heat spread all through his body, causing him to cry out in pain as his vision went purple, then white, then purple again. His stance faltered, his grip weakened, and all at once, the painful pressure came off his wrist as the berserker reared back his axe for the final blow-

All of a sudden, he could move again. There was still fire surging through his veins. But the feeling was no longer painful; it empowered him, heightened his senses, made his very blood sing. The berserker was nothing more than a single point of light in front of him now. It was red. Throbbing. Like a heart. It beat before him, over and over and over again.

Beat.

He spun on his heel.

Beat.

He took up his dagger.

Beat.

He aimed for the heart.

Beat.

"I'm afraid this will be messy."

"They're growing smarter," Ryoma murmured as he leaned over the map spread out before the group. All over, tiny little flags indicated where enemy camps were located. Purple stood for Nohr, black stood for the undead warriors, and yellow stood for the bandits. Lately, more and more black, yellow, and purple flags were crowding together. Bandits, undead warriors, and Nohrian soldiers alike were teaming up.

Jakob pursed his lips as his hands unconsciously gripped Corrin's shoulder even more tightly, causing her to wince. Lately, Prince Xander and Prince Leo had been hard at work trying to convince the Nohrian soldiers to defect to their side. Their father was obviously ill, they would say, in hopes that these soldiers would see the light. Sometimes, it worked. Most of the time, it didn't. He knew it upset them to see so many Nohrian armies on the map. They were essentially betraying their country.

"More than that, they're getting better-equipped," Prince Leo said. He frowned at the papers he was reading. Jakob raised an eyebrow as he barely made out Asuki's scribbles. Scattered all over were notes from Saizo, Kaze, and Kagero as well. The Hoshidan ninja have been busy. "According to our spies, they've been stocking up on more expensive weapons. Levin-this, Silver-that, and-" he paused as he turned and frowned at Corrin. "Dragon-slayers."

Corrin stiffened under his touch. Ever since her run-in with that berserker, she had been careful to only send herself or their boys out when she was absolutely sure that they would be in no danger of dragon-slaying weapons. Before, it was easy; such weapons were extremely expensive and difficult to come by even for the richest of bandits. But now? That was not at all the case.

"They must have a supplier somewhere," Prince Xander said. He tapped his gauntleted fingers upon the map before pointing at a small spot near Nohr's capital. "I know of a smith in that village that can craft the finest weapons in the world… for the right price. He made my father a Dragon Pike as a gift for my christening. I wonder…"

"Even so, all of Nohr's treasury can't handle that sort of transaction," Princess Camilla said. "We're not exactly broke, but we don't quite have all the money in the world either."

"Which means that there's gotta be some shadow supplier in the equation," Princess Hinoka said gruffly. She glared at the map. "Someone funding Nohr and the bandits and this smith of yours. Maybe…" she turned to look at Lady Azura, who had remained quiet all throughout the meeting. "The… you-know-what?"

Lady Azura blinked in surprise before pushing her hair out of her face. She looked worse for wear. Jakob knew that they had her working twice as hard lately, trying to keep the army's spirits up. It was a miracle that she was even able to attend the meeting at all. They had begged her time and time again to allow herself rest, but no matter what, she always insisted on sitting in on the war council.

"Yes… it's entirely possible that… well, that place is funding Nohr," she said quietly. Her elegant lips pursed into a thin line as she stared at the map. "Gods know, there are treasures untold hidden all over the place there. I wouldn't put it past our enemy to have access to them and be willing to part with them for the sake of victory." She turned now to regard Corrin and Jakob. "Particularly when it concerns you, Lady Corrin, and your family. Dragons win wars, after all."

"Tell that to Father's wyvern riders," Prince Leo muttered, putting aside his papers. "But I agree with Azura. When we have not one, but three powerful dragons on our sides, it'd no doubt make our enemies quite nervous."

"Well, I think our enemies have something else they should be worried about."

At the sound of Prince Takumi's voice, all heads in the room turned to him. The young sniper had been sitting quietly in the back this whole time, restringing bow after bow. He had taken it upon himself to make special bows for the army, ever since his own son began showing interest in hunting for more than mere game. He paused for a moment to finish oiling the string of his latest piece of art before setting it aside and fixing the war council with one of his customary concerned expressions. He seemed to stare at Jakob in particular.

"… Are we truly back on this topic again?" Jakob asked quietly. He felt Corrin suck in some breath before one slim hand reached up and covered his own gloved one. Jakob gave Corrin's shoulder a light squeeze, but kept his gaze trained on Prince Takumi, whose expression quickly turned sour.

"I saw what happened that day, Jakob. You took out a berserker. Then a sage. Then you ran over and wiped out an entire army," Takumi said. "I get the whole wanting to stay humble thing, but this is war here. Why are you so unwilling to share your secret?"

"I've told you time and time again, milord, there is no secret," he hissed. "I was merely infuriated by the thought of losing to a berserker of all people and- and lost my temper. And my extensive training kicked in. That's all."

"I'm going to have to agree with our little prince, I'm afraid," Princess Camilla said, smiling coyly as Takumi glared at her. "What you did out there on that battlefield… it wasn't human! In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would say you carry the blood of the First Dragons within you as well." She was now smiling at him, though her eyes remained cold. "You were practically a dragon out there, brother-in-law of mine. Very fierce. It terrified me!"

"I thank you for the compliment, Princess Camilla," Jakob said tightly. "But nevertheless, I shall give you the same answer as I did Prince Takumi. There is no secret. I've merely trained my mind and body extensively in the name of protecting my wife and sons. Nothing more."

Prince Takumi opened his mouth to retort, but Prince Ryoma quickly cut him off. "We're getting off topic here. If Lord Jakob-" he paused for a moment, catching Corrin's eye before correcting himself. "If Jakob truly says there is no secret to share, then it is not up to us to attempt prying one from him. If there is one, then it's up to Jakob, not us, to divulge it to the army."

Prince Xander nodded his agreement. "I would like to apologize on behalf of all the royals here. We know your loyalty, Jakob. If you truly had a secret fighting technique that could be passed on to others in our army, you'd no doubt be out there right now drilling it into everyone's heads. For now, let's focus on the task at hand." He gestured to the map. "We've had three successive bandit attacks on various Nohrian forts in the northeast. I believe that they're trying to draw us out."

"If we can dispatch a small troop, maybe each headed by one of the children and a parent…" Prince Leo murmured. He said something else, but Jakob wasn't listening. Instead, he focused his thoughts on his lady's warm hand on his and the warmth of the brooch resting against his neck.

The battlefield was a hellscape. Jakob had known this all his life. Charging into battle meant two things for the common soldier: that they might not live to see another hellscape, and that they would be living in this one until the battle was done. For the most part, Corrin's army knew nonstop cascades of hellscapes, one after the other, all in hopes of moving closer to their true enemy and finally cutting off their head with the teeth of Yato's blade. This hellscape, however, was different.

They had been ambushed as they were trying to cross the river into the other side of the unfamiliar invisible kingdom known as Valla. They had been training for months for this very moment. Every sword broken, every drop of blood spilled, every time his lady had come home and cried in his arms, had led up to this day. Jakob, as ever, was by his wife's side, keeping the horse they shared steady while she held onto him and whispered directions in his ear. He had become a Paladin for a brief stint during their early training days, learning how to wield a sword and lance and ride a horse. It was only when he fully mastered Paladin that he was allowed to become a butler once again, though the skills he had earned from his Paladin days never left him. Even now, he was always proud to say that the one thing he could do that his sons could not was control a wild stallion.

The peace of their light canter, of his wife's warm breath against his neck, soon shattered. The army of Vallites came out of nowhere – from the trees, from the river, under rocks – and surrounded them. Corrin had leaped off their steed nimbly and stood with their sons as everyone else in the party reached for their weapons. But almost immediately, there was an outcry from the wyverns of the party; the entire army was armed to the teeth with dragon-slaying weapons.

"All wyverns, fall back!" the Crown and High Prince shouted together as they unsheathed their legendary blades and charged at the nearest group of soldiers. Princess Camilla immediately grabbed Beruka and Percy as they readied their charge and dragged them back, shouting something to Jakob about getting Corrin and his sons out of the way. He was already on the move, wheeling his horse around to-

Where were they?

Three separate dragon roars resounded over the field. Jakob whirled just in time to see a beautiful black and white dragon take to the sky, perform a quick wheel, then slam down on a group of soldiers below. He recognized easily the dragon form of his eldest son, Dwyer, flanked by those of his wife and youngest boy. Without another thought, Jakob dug his heels into his horse's flank, ushering it toward the watery, bloody destruction that his family left in their wake.

He was too far away. He would never make it in time. As he kept charging towards the three dragons, he threw knives left and right, trying his best to take down any soldiers who slipped through their powerful scaled limbs. Corrin, once again, was almost dancing on this battlefield, easily cutting down soldiers left and right, avoiding their weapons like they were nothing. Perhaps she would be okay…

Then, all time seemed to stop. Jakob looked on in open-mouthed horror, his steed nearly shrieking beneath him. Without any warning, a halberdier had charged forward, his Dragon Pike whistling as it twisted and whirled through the air. Corrin's back was turned; she was too busy dealing with another five enemies to notice the one coming after her. Cursing, Jakob dug around his pockets and bags, searching desperately for something, anything that would stop the halbierder in his tracks. He was getting closer and closer, and god no, please, anyone but Corrin-

A blur of black and white intercepted the blow, shrieking horrifically as the pike gouged a gaping hole through its chest. Jakob let out his own scream, digging his heels even harder into his steed. Dwyer had taken the blow for his mother. And he was going down, his blood a horrible, flaming red as it stained the grass. The halberdier sneered as he yanked the pike out of his son and turned it around, ready to strike the killing blow.

In the midst of his horror, of his desperation, something awakened. His brooch began to radiate a brilliant purple light, the metal burning white hot against his neck. He screamed as the pain blinded him, causing him to keel sideways and fall right off his horse, landing in the river below. The water was slowly turning red with Dwyer's blood. He coughed as he raised himself on one elbow, eyes watering from the pain, squeezing onto his brooch as though his life depended on it. In horrifically slow motion, he saw the halberdier raise the pike and slowly lower it for the kill.

Accept me and know infinite power!

The gem in the middle of his brooch was cracking. Jakob wasn't sure why he knew this, but it was true. It was cracking underneath his metal gloves. He was sobbing openly now, his chest heaving, his vision growing dark. He had to save his family. He had to save Dwyer. He had to tell Dwyer how sorry he was for being so hard on him-

The brooch let out an earth-shattering crack as it transformed into shards in his hand, the white hot heat never leaving him. In fact, it seemed to mix with the water around him and grow even hotter, spreading the wildfire all over his body. For a few brief, excruciating moments, he felt nothing but horrible burning as purple flames surrounded him, eating his clothes, shooting through his veins, and whispering to him the knowledge of ages.

Then, all of a sudden, he reached clarity once again. It was as though his body were moving on its own. A purple cloak billowed around him. A hood covered his eyes. He was bare-handed now, and his clothes were so much less restricting. He felt reborn. He was floating, floating, faster and faster, practically flying towards the battle before him.

On the way, he grabbed a sword and a tome from some fallen enemies. No longer did he feel any fear. He was enraged now. Time sped up again, and the halberdier prepared to strike Dwyer through the head. The boy had transformed into his human form already – his bloodloss was too great. No. He wouldn't allow that. No. No. No no no nononononononononono-

"THORON!"

Lightning danced at his fingertips. Sparks flew all around him. The skies opened up and down came a lightning bolt to strike him where he stood. Without a moment's hesitation, Jakob blasted the halberdier away from his prone son, then whirled around and launched powerful blades of winds at the five attacking his wife. Little Kana threw another three men into the river, and Corrin, ever the loving mother, immediately transformed back into a human and ran to tend to her bleeding son. She murmured tiny reassurances as she pressed a concoction to his lips. Once she was sure that Dwyer could be carried back to the medical tent, she turned to gaze up at him, red eyes wide with disbelief as Jakob closed his still sparking book and slowly floated down between her and yet another party of enemies.

He smiled as he pushed back his hood, revealing silver hair and a smile bright enough to blind the opposing army. "It's alright. You're safe now." Then, he turned to glare at the advancing troops. "Take the boys to safety. It's time to take out the trash."

"Pardon me, Jakob? May we speak?"

He looked over his shoulder at the man. Laslow looked worse for wear. He had heard rumors that Laslow had been separated from the group for a good while, forced to fight alone. It was only by providence that Sophie and Avel happened to be passing by the spot along the river where he was thrown in and left to die. Now that he had some concoctions and vulneraries in his system, he seemed much more alive. The color had returned to his face, at any rate.

"That's Lord Jakob," he corrected coldly. Strange. The word no longer made his stomach twist in knots as it did before. Perhaps he was finally getting used to it.

Laslow's eyes widened as he moved one hand over his heart, but he soon shook whatever surprise he was feeling off as he smiled at Jakob, though it remained tight. "Oh, using the title now? That's good. It always felt a bit odd referring to you by just your first name, and-"

"May I ask why you came here, other than to waste my time?" he interrupted. There were things for him to do, after all. Corrin, Kana, and Dwyer had come back with extensive injuries. Dwyer had nearly died! He needed to do everything from make the medicine to fetch the water. And hopefully, his little lord lazybones hadn't eaten the entire meal meant for the whole family while he was gone.

There was a beat of silence as Laslow seemed to process his words. Then, he spoke again, "It's just- your clothes. Might I ask where you got them? They're very… familiar. Someone from my homeland wore them. A fantastic tactician-"

"I don't know which tailor made these," Jakob said quickly. He turned around and fixed Laslow with a glare. "And frankly, I would think that is none of your business. Believe it or not, not everyone in the wear can have a completely unique wardrobe."

Laslow gaped at him, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Hm. Perhaps he was a bit ruder than usual. That wasn't good. Hopefully, Laslow wouldn't blab to anyone.

"I… apologize, Ja- Lord Jakob," Laslow said stiffly. He straightened his back, then saluted. His smile remained frozen on his face. "I ought to go look after my little Soleil. She took a rather nasty fall back there. I'll see you at the Mess Hall later, yes?"

Jakob didn't answer. He was already long gone.

"Jake…? What are you doing up?"

It was the night before their final march. They would follow young Anthony to where he was leading them, then march straight for the castle. It was important that all of them got sleep. But for one reason or another, he couldn't. Not yet. He was hoping that he could carry out his important errand whilst his wife slept, but of course, perhaps she was having trouble sleeping as well.

He looked over his shoulder at her. She was beautiful in the moonlight. Her white hair spilled all over the pillows, her red eyes dulled from sleepiness. The blanket covered most of her body, though he knew all too well the image of her naked body underneath it. For a brief moment, he was tempted to walk over and claim her again, make love to her in case neither of them made it out. But of course, the temptation died as soon as he remembered what gifts the brooch had given him.

They would both be fine.

"I thought I would take a walk to clear my head," he said. How easily lying came to him now. He used to be unable to hide anything from her. "Go back to sleep, love."

"I'll come with you," she said. The blanket dropped from her chest, exposing her pale breasts to the light spilling in from the window. His breath stuttered briefly, and once again, something deeply carnal stirred within him. But once again, it died, and he shook his head.

"You'll need a proper night's sleep, my dear. How can you lead an army without one?"

Sacrifice ten souls at the Dragon's Table…

"I… Gods, Jakob, is everything okay? You've been getting up every night for the past month!"

Shit. She knew.

Else lose the power gifted.

"Nerves, dearest. That's all," he smiled mischievously as one hand gently palmed the doorknob. "I'll only be gone for a short walk. An hour at most. If you're still awake when I return… we can play. Is that acceptable?"

She paused. "… Only if you promise to use some of the new things we bought last week."

He laughed. "I promise."

Heed the words of Grima, boy!

As she settled back on the pillows, he left. The outrealm gate was already opened for him. The strange land of Ylisse was only a few steps away. Quick in, quick out. All to protect his family.

Only blood can pay for blood's protection.