Prince Nayoko of Hoshido

When we eventually arrived at Fort Jinya, we were warmly greeted by the guards and taken inside. As we passed through the outer walls towards a tower that spiralled into the sky, Ryoma turned to us. "I was hoping that I would be able to show you around every place in Hoshido we come to, Nayoko. But as soon as we go inside, I'll be making arrangements to hold a war council. Semyaza, you were here recently on a mission. You should have all the information Nayoko needs fresh in your mind. Could you show him around in my place?"

"Of course, my lord," Semyaza said.

"We'll come, too," Hinoka added, glancing at the others.

Azura shook her head. "I'm sorry. I promised Sakura that I'd help in the medical ward as soon as we got here."

"Well, Takumi and I could --"

"My apologies, Hinoka," Ryoma said. "I have duties waiting for you, Takumi, and everyone else. Semyaza and Nayoko will be fine on their own."

***

The fort was much like those of Nohr within, but brighter. A circular entrance hall of grey stone led away to several corridors, and there was a spiral staircase tucked to the side.

"This isn't a sightseeing tour, my lord," Semyaza said once we'd branched away from the others. "This is so that you know where things are and how they work from a military perspective, should the information ever be vital to you."

"Understood."

"The first thing I always do when I enter a fort, unless I have duties elsewhere, is go to the highest point to refresh or familiarise myself with the surrounding terrain. So that is where we will start."

We ascended the spiral staircase to the top of the tower. It took five minutes of climbing before we emerged in a room with huge windows extending all the way around the steps. I slowed my pace, hoping to give my aching muscles a rest, but Semyaza's natural stride seemed to be even longer than my own. Giving up on catching a break, I hurried after her.

She walked a whole lap of the room, allowing me to look in every direction. To the north were the entrance and its high walls. Beyond it, the land was rocky and flat until it began a sharp descent downwards. To the east and south was a thick forest of green trees. To the west there was an empty plain.

Semyaza stopped so that we were facing the entrance. "The first question I always ask myself is from which direction I think an enemy might attack."

I stared over the land. "If I was them, I'd come from behind. The forest would mask their approach until they were almost upon the fort. They would have the element of surprise."

Semyaza smiled. "That's what I thought when I was asked the question, long ago. But to come from behind, the enemy would have to take a different route to us, and they would see things that you have not. Deeper into the forest, the ground rises and creates a series of narrow valleys. We guard them heavily with sky knights. As the enemy commander would have studied the terrain in all directions of the fort carefully, they would know that there was the potential to be trapped and slaughtered. They would not come from the south or east.

"They would also not come from the north, as the rocky cliff faces are impossible to surpass. Therefore, they would most likely come from the west, in plain view but not trapped. Then their best option would be to wait outside the walls and lay siege until we surrendered. That's why we have so much land in here. It's been harvested now, but we grow crops within the walls. Our enemies would starve before us."

I stared at her in amazement. "Gods, Semyaza! You should be Yukimura's retainer, not mine."

A light blush rose to her cheeks. "I'm just repeating what I've been told. As I said, my first answer was the same as yours."

"And who gave you this talk?"

"Prince Ryoma. Kaze and I came here with him many times in preparation to become your retainers. Then, a few months ago, Queen Mikoto sent us to all the forts in the land again to refresh our memories. She wanted us to be able to help you to our utmost."

"She was certain that she'd get us back, wasn't she?"

"Yes." Semyaza's shoulders drooped. "I wish that Princess Kaiya had stayed, for her mother's sake if nothing else."

"Me, too. But Kass was right at the border: the Nohrians were there for her when all of her own blood was not, whether it was through choice or unfortunate circumstances. They were the only people she had while she was in the Northern Fortress. I think that creates bonds between them that can never be broken."

"Can your bond together be broken?" Semyaza asked quietly. "Are you ready to face her on the battlefield?"

I looked at the land spread before us and thought of all the miles that were now between me and my sister, growing by the minute. "I don't know. I suppose I could face capturing her alive...if Ryoma would allow that."

"I think he would, my lord. He loves Princess Kaiya dearly, but when someone we love hurts us, we grow angrier than usual. The pain digs deeper. I believe that Prince Ryoma didn't mean what he said about never forgiving Princess Kaiya. And I believe that he was never intending to cause her serious harm at the border. He just wanted to bring her back, and he loves her so much that he was prepared to bring her back by force."

I scoffed fondly. "How do you find it so easy to see into the minds of others? Honestly, you should assist Yukimura. You would earn a better reputation as a tactician and a royal adviser than you ever will as my retainer."

She smiled. "I am a royal adviser. Yours."

"And how lucky I am to have your counsel. All my life I've been privileged, and all my life I've been supported by strong people. But never have I deserved it."

Semyaza frowned. "Don't say that, Prince Nayoko. You're a good man."

Prince Nayoko may have been a good man, but Captain Norton had not been. I had never questioned an order from King Garon. When he'd told me to invade homes, I'd invaded homes. When he'd told me to take lives, I'd taken them. Even if I hadn't been given the reason for my orders, I had killed anyway. Ignorantly.

They had been enemies of Nohr, yes, from the criminals to the rebels to the Hoshidan soldiers. It had been my duty. But I had never been honourable when the opportunity had arisen. I had never shown mercy.

I wondered if Kaze had told Semyaza that I had stood by when he'd faced death.

I thought she should know. We'd connected quickly, and I'd decided already that she was going to be a steadfast aide. I trusted her, and I wanted her to be able to trust me. That trust would start with making my dark past clear.

But she retreated to the spiral staircase before I could open my mouth. "The next thing we should do is visit the armoury within this fort, my lord. You may wear our clothes, but you still fight in Nohrian armour. It will be easier for you to work with our troops when you are protected like a Hoshidan."

I hesitated, wondering if I should call her back. Then I gave in and followed.

***

Fort Jinya's armoury was a separate tower located within the walls. As we walked there, Semyaza told me that most of its contents had been made in the closest town to the west.

We entered the tower unchallenged and stopped in the circular hallway. Naginatas hung from weapon racks against one half of the wall, and katanas hung from the other. A large man in all senses of the word was coming down the stairs. "Prince Nayoko, I take it?"

Semyaza lit up with a smile. "Good afternoon, Raiden!"

The man reached the bottom of the staircase and grunted at her. Then he turned to me and crossed his arms. He stared.

"This is Raiden, chief armourer of Fort Jinya," Semyaza said. "He and his men maintain and repair all the armour that's stored here."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Raiden," I said.

"Likewise." Raiden turned away again. "I think it will fit him."

As he pounded back up the staircase, I looked at Semyaza. "What's going on?"

"Ryoma has a lot of old armour that he doesn't use anymore. He and Queen Mikoto thought that some of it might fit you when we brought you home, so when Kaze and I last came here, we discussed it with Raiden."

At the top of the staircase, we came to another hall where shurikens hung. Raiden was disappearing through one of four archways stationed around us. Semyaza and I followed him.

We stepped into a room packed full of armour: breastplates embossed with the emblem of Hoshido, gilded pauldrons, gauntlets fretted with roses, red greaves. Raiden picked up a breastplate and made me try it on. Then he made me try another, and another, and another.

"Is all of this Ryoma's armour?" I asked in bewilderment, glancing around the room again.

"Most of it," Semyaza replied. "He loves having new armour made for him, and as a result, he ends up casting off some of his older pieces. A lot of it goes to our soldiers, but he kept some here for you."

Once Raiden was convinced that everything seemed to more or less fit, he had me try on a few full suits. Then he set aside some pieces that needed adjustment and declared that I was free to take the rest to my room. He disappeared with a pair of arm guards that the Hoshidans called kote.

"You shouldn't need it all for this campaign, my lord." Semyaza swept her arm over the mess that was scattered around us. "Most can be stored here until you need replacements."

"It will take us forever to carry even some of it my room."

"Let's see if Raiden's men will help. Raiden himself prefers to keep to the armoury, but his workers are usually more than happy to assist me."

She led me out of the room and across the hall to another ascending staircase. When we reached the top, we entered a dark, narrow corridor that smelled of smoke. She went straight to the door at the end and knocked.

"Who's there?" a gruff voice called.

"Semyaza."

The voice brightened. "Come in."

She pushed open the door, and a plume of smoke wafted out. The cloud was so thick and foggy that I could only see outlines of the people inside it.

Semyaza took me by the elbow and guided me in. My eyes adjusted. There were perhaps twenty men sitting around a large table in the middle of the room. A few pieces of armour lay on the surface, but knucklebones were also scattered across it. They were obviously in the middle of a game.

"What can we do for you, lass?" the owner of the gruff voice asked. He was a muscular man and also tall, the combination making him dwarf his chair. He was seated in the middle of the group, holding a knucklebone in one hand and rubbing his beard with the other.

"This is Prince Nayoko," Semyaza said. "Raiden's just helped us find Hoshidan armour for him, and we wanted to take some of it to his room. But it's too much to carry on our own. Would you mind helping us?"

"Raiden," the man muttered. "That bastard needs to stop leaving you to do all the heavy lifting. If he weren't so damn good at repairs, he'd be useless. Come on, lads. We'd better get stuck in."

All of the men and boys rose and followed him out of the room without a protest. Each offered Semyaza a smile as they passed. Some were confident, some were gruff, and some were shy. But all of them were friendly.

"You have them charmed," I remarked as we followed them back downstairs.

Semyaza blushed. "They're very kind to me. Every man is a good man if you look hard enough."

I wasn't certain how far that was true unless you were in her presence. Her dark hair was plaited down her back today, bringing attention to her delicate face. Long lashes framed her sweet, brown eyes...and it was difficult not to notice her long legs again. You didn't have to look very hard at all to want to be a good man in her book.

We told the men what armour we wanted taking. As they began to pick it up and cart it off, the one who seemed to be their ringleader turned to Semyaza. "Why don't you and the prince carry on, lass? With all of us, we should be able to manage just fine."

"Are you certain? We don't mind --"

"Go on, now. You can repay us by playing knucklebones one of the nights. The lads would enjoy seeing you."

Semyaza caved in, and she led me away down the first staircase.

"Will you really come back and play a game with them?" I was so curious about my new homeland that I quite fancied accompanying her.

"I'd like to, my lord, and they've offered before, but I'm always too busy. Besides, Kaze wouldn't be happy about it."

I frowned, suddenly getting the idea that the two might be courting. "Why -- if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because I'd be the only woman trapped in a room full of men. I trust them, but Kaze would worry that they'd do something untoward and make me uncomfortable. We're best friends, you see. I've known him since childhood."

We reached the bottom of the staircase. Raiden was emerging from one of the ground floor rooms, but he stopped to watch his men troop past with my armour. Semyaza beamed at him as we followed. His grumpy features softened, and he smiled back.

When we stepped outside, fresh air filled my lungs, sweet and beautiful. I'd thought they'd never be smoke-free again.

"I'll take you around the rest of the fortress, my lord," Semyaza said. "Most of what you need will be in the main building, so we'll go back inside and start from there. By the time we reach your quarters, Raiden's men might have finished moving your armour."

"All right," I replied. "I have to say, it seems like you've been training extensively to become my retainer. Is this all you've been doing since you joined the Hoshidan army?"

"Not since I joined the army, no, but my focus has been on you and Kaiya ever since I took this role. Although I have done other things, such as fight against the Faceless and travel across Hoshido to evacuate villages. I will be able to use all of the knowledge and experience I've gained doing that to help you."

"What if I hadn't returned? It would have been for nothing."

"No, my lord. Everything I've done for you has benefited someone else, too. And it will continue to do so. You are the second prince of Hoshido -- the decisions you make will always impact greatly upon others."

That was something I was already familiar with from my time as Captain Norton. I just hoped that Prince Nayoko would make better decisions than him.

***

Supper was served not long after my tour ended. We ate in a dining hall much like the one at Castle Shirasagi: light, bright, and not just limited to the royal family. Instead of meals being dark and private as they were in Nohr, here they were cheerful and noisy. I sat at a table in the centre of the room with my siblings and all of their retainers, and we feasted on sushi, sashimi, and miso soup.

When the meal was over, Ryoma spoke above our conversations and drew them all together with seven words. "We need to secure the Rainbow Sage."

Everyone at our table fell silent.

"During war council, we came to the conclusion that all neutral countries are also potential weapons," Ryoma said. "Notre Sagesse is no exception, especially as it is where the Rainbow Sage, one of the twelve First Dragons, is rumoured to live. He may grant the Nohrians great power if they approach him. For this reason, I have decided that we must seize him before they do. Perhaps I will also be able to follow in my father's footsteps and gain his power.

"I will set off to Notre Sagesse in a few days' time. Takumi, you will be coming with me. We'll take our retainers and a third of the soldiers stationed here, and we'll hold down whatever part of the island is necessary."

I frowned. Invading a neutral country seemed unfair, but Ryoma was right. Getting to the dragon first might be crucial in winning the war and saving innocent lives.

"The rest of you will stay in Fort Jinya until you hear otherwise," Ryoma continued. "I will leave a map behind with our route in case we request your assistance. If we do not, expect to hear from me shortly with different instructions."