I PROMISED SEVERAL READERS OF THIS STORY THAT I WOULD UPDATE THIS STORY THIS MONTH AND YOU KNOW WHAT IMMA DO IT, I KNOW IT'S BEEN LIKE 50 YEARS AND I'M SO SORRY, BUT IMMA TRY TO KEEP UPDATES REGULAR FOR THIS, I SWEAR ON MY OWN LIFE

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And yet, hidden away, deep in the forests of Hoshido that bordered the ocean, three girls sat comfortably, with none other than the moonlight to accompany them, and in each of their hands, they held a glimmering, yet mysterious scale that came from the body of a dragon not seen in the lands they called home. Wonder was in each of their eyes as they conversed over the shard that was tougher than any stone, yet smooth and almost comforting to the touch.

"I can't believe... that this came from a dragon," Corrin mumbled absentmindedly to herself, running a gloved finger down the edge of it as she marveled at the color. "I still find it hard to believe that I myself can turn into one, but this..." Her eyes widened as she let out a soft gasp, barely audible to even her own ears as she looked at the girl to her right. "Do you think it could have come from someone like me, Azura?!"

Azura hummed at the question, setting the scale in her hands down on the earth in front of her. "I'm... unsure. If so, then she was a dragon that was a very different form from yours. Her form was... menacing, yet in a respectable way. Almost as if she was a deity that had come down from the heavens above to deliver what she had said to us."

"A hidden message of ill will lies in wait behind a blonde curtain of betrayal and hurt in the Castle of Darkened Souls..." Sakura began, her eyebrows furrowing together adorably as the scale she possessed simply laid limp in her grasp. "...The truth shall become apparent to both purity and corruption. Allies sit silently in the most unexpected places, waiting for you." Letting out a tiny puff of air, she leaned forward a bit, allowing her elbows to rest on her legs as her fingers began to absentmindedly fidget in the midst of her thoughts. "But what does that mean? A blonde curtain of betrayal and hurt? Purity and corruption? What on earth could she have m...meant?"

Corrin let out a hum of thought, bringing a hand up to rest on her chin as her eyes narrowed with thought. "It's definitely a head-scratcher, that's for sure. I only wish we could see this dragon, so we could ask it a few questions. The Castle of Darkened Souls... That has to be Castle Krakenburg. There's no doubt in my mind there. And the blonde curtain of betrayal and hurt...could she..."

A near look of horror crossed her features as her complexion paled a fair bit.

"Could she have meant my sister?! Or my brothers?!"

She realized the error of her words immediately, almost going stiff as she turned to quickly look at both Azura and Sakura, a look of regret working its way onto her face. "I-I'm sorry, I know they aren't my siblings... but still, I..."

Azura allowed a sympathetic smile, though small, to light up her face. "You miss them. And care for them deeply still."

"Of course I do! I mean, I love you all just as equally, as this is my home. But..." Letting out a sigh, she crossed her arms over herself tightly as she stared at the ocean waves beyond the hills and through the blades of grass, the next obstacle in their path in their march towards Nohr and, hopefully, where Ryoma was. "...I can't deny that I love them too. Though they aren't my birth family, I won't deny that I still wish only the best for them. The last thing I want to do is fight them, let alone wish any harm upon them. I... I truly wish that it didn't have to be this way... that we could all fight together, and bring peace once and for all..."

Looking up to the dark blue skies above, she muttered a prayer that not even the two girls next to her could begin to hear.

"Please let me be wrong... please let my family be okay over there... no matter what they think of me... please let them be okay."

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Though the hour was late, the four siblings strode through the Castle somewhat confidently, following in the lead of Xander as he lead them all to the Throne Room, where their Father would no doubt be.

Though if any of them were to deny the fears they held in their hearts over what they were to speak to him about, they would be blatantly lying.

Though Leo knew that he and Xander had what was basically a foolproof explanation to give to Garon in regards to his disappearance, he still couldn't help but feel... afraid. Almost like a phantom, he felt the gashes burn through his memory and back onto his cheek, he once again felt the bite of the dagger on his palm, causing him to clench his fist tightly. Yes, it would more than likely keep him from getting exiled or downright killed, but he still feared that pain awaited him all the same... a feeling that made him sick knowing that it was his own Father that gave him such fears, fears that no child should ever experience towards their own parent.

Though Leo knew himself to not be a weak man, he still couldn't help but feel uneasy and on the verge of fainting when the doors to the Throne Room came into sight. He could feel the sweat begin to bead down his forehead, his throat closing up and causing him to lose control of his breathing, his heart pounding so hard against his ribcage that--

A pressure, firm yet so small, found its way around his right hand. Looking down at the source, he saw Elise, gripping onto his hand with all the strength she could muster, while smiling up at him. A real, pure smile, one that he hadn't realized he had missed until he saw it brightening her young features.

Everything calmed around him as he returned a smile that he hoped was just as reassuring. He wasn't going in alone. His family was going in there with him. And he knew that this time, they wouldn't let him be alone with the man who sat upon that throne.

As the quartet came to a stop in front of the door, Xander raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Are you sure that we can keep Leo from... well..." Camilla spoke quietly behind him, causing him to turn in order to look at her. "Though I know Leo is no traitor, I'm still worried..."

"Everything will be fine," Xander whispered back, turning forward again as he sent a somewhat curt nod towards his sister. "Remember, just let Leo and I do the talking. If Father questions the bodies, then you jump to Leo's defense." Turning his head slightly, his eyes met with Leo's firmly. "Do you remember what we spoke of before heading here?"

Swallowing away the lump in his throat, Leo nodded, his grip never loosening on Elise's hand. "Yes, our story. I left the castle to scout out the forests on my own, not allowing myself to grab my retainers or to ask Father to organize soldiers for me because I knew of the inconvenience it would be at such an hour. I got held up by a Hoshidan Scout Party... yet I killed them all with Brynhildr. A foolish move of me to do, yet one that had to be done, in my mind, for the sake of Nohr."

Xander nodded, raising his hand once more to announce their arrival.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The silence that followed was so torturous, Leo could've sworn he even saw unease on Xander's usually stoic features. The grip on his hand grew to be almost too tight, and yet they all stood firmly so as the quiet air stretched on to what seemed like an eternity.

"Speak your name and business."

Garon's voice was lower than usual, almost grueling as it echoed in the room beyond and barely pierced the blackened doors.

Taking a deep breath, Xander allowed his voice to boom loudly enough to be heard without any issues. "Xander, Camilla, Elise... and Leo. We've come to offer you an explanation as to Leo's sudden disappearance, Father."

Yet the silence crept around them again, for almost too long.

"...And Leo is with you now?"

Xander turned towards Leo with an expectant look in his eyes, nodding subtly as his way of communing to say something.

And with a deep breath beforehand, Leo did just that.

"Yes Father, I am here. I wish to explain myself to you, if you'll allow me to."

This time, there was no silence to bask in before their Father's monotonous voice granted them entry, the verbal permission causing Xander to place his hands on the door and push it open, bringing the view of the bleak room into sight. Those next few minutes felt to Leo as though a thick vice was creeping ever so slowly around his neck as they all walked swiftly towards the Throne, Garon perched atop it with eyes akin to a stalking panther, staring down at his children with such a piercing gaze that could certainly kill any weak enough to enter its line, though his nerves were eased ever so slightly as he saw that Iago wasn't anywhere to be seen. As the four of them came to a stop in front of the Throne, it was Leo who decided to step forward, though his primal instincts screamed at him to do anything but.

"Forgive me for my sudden and unexpected disappearance, Father," he began, doing the best he could to steel his resolve so his tone didn't stutter. "But though the hour was late last night, I couldn't help but feel unnerved by the speed at which the Hoshidan forces are approaching Cheve, which hindered my ability to sleep. To ease my own worries, I decided to go out on my own to scout the forests that border our Castle, simply to see if any Hoshidan forces had gone ahead and been so bold as to approach our city."

Garon raised an eyebrow at this, almost skeptically. "And you went alone?"

Leo bowed his head, appearing respectful, but more as a way to avoid his Father's gaze. "A foolish choice, to be sure, one Xander has rightfully scolded me for, though I will gladly take any punishment from you Father, should you deem it necessary, for my actions. However, I did not deem it reasonable to ask you to gather soldiers for me to take that night, given the hour, nor did I see any reason to bother my retainers for such a task. Perhaps it was my own boldness, but I deemed myself fit to go alone."

Garon's gaze shifted over to Xander now, looking at his eldest expectantly. "And? What happened out there?"

"Leo's self-appointed scouting did indeed bear fruit, Father." Xander began, now taking a step forward himself so he could be better heard. "He ran into a scouting group near the Eastern Mountains, though by the time we found him, he had already disposed of all of them. Though there were many, hence his prolonged absence. Should you doubt Leo's story, then you can find the very men and women he killed out there, burnt to a crisp by Brynhildr's magic, near the base of the Mountain Range."

Leo bowed now, hoping it appeared respectful instead of timid or, heaven forbid, mocking. "I hope you can forgive me for my actions, Father. Should I be punished for what I did, then... I beg of you, please do as... y-you must." The words were difficult for Leo to choke out, yet he managed somehow, hoping that his Father wouldn't think he needed punishment for leaving like he did and "scouting" the forests.

Garon let out a rather thoughtful grunt, his eyes narrowing as he stared his two sons down, almost as if he was picking their souls apart to see if he could find any deception. After what felt like a millennium, he finally sighed, rubbing his eyes as if he were simply tired of discussing this any further.

"Very well. Perhaps it was presumptuous of me to automatically assume that you had also betrayed our country, Leo. You must understand, with Corrin, I... ugh. Never mind. You are all excused. I will give you all your orders in the morning."

Garon only furrowed his brow and began rubbing one of his temples, almost as if... he was in pain. The thought of that brought a frown to Leo's face, but he didn't hesitate in his departure, turning around with the rest of his siblings and heading straight for the door.

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