Princess Kassandra of Nohr

Our days of riding were long, but we eventually reached Castle Krakenburg a week after we'd left the border. It looked even more hostile than when I'd first seen it, like a deep, dark execution chamber. The first time I'd come, Gunter had still been alive, and I'd believed that I was Nohrian. Now my beloved trainer was dead, and so were both of my real parents.

Somewhere down there, their murderer was waiting.

As I didn't have much experience riding wyverns, I had to double up with one of my siblings for the descent. The first time we'd done this, Camilla and Elise had quarrelled over who I should ride with, and today was no different.

"Enough!" Xander said eventually. "If neither of you can decide, Kass will ride with me."

Elise pouted. "That's not fair! She's ridden with you all the way back here!"

"That's true," I said quickly. "And I rode down to the castle on Camilla's wyvern last time. So I'll ride with Elise."

Elise cheered. Camilla huffed and mounted her wyvern alone. Leo shook his head at us, but I beamed at him. Little things like this made it good to be with them again.

***

King Garon was waiting in the throne room.

From the moment I'd met him, this part of the castle had felt like an extension of himself. Sinister shadows clung to the corners, half-disguising the armed guards and their unsheathed swords. Painted trees with twisting branches reached across the walls, and black spears framed the throne.

Garon was elevated so high above us that he was like a god: weapon as big as a mortal in his hand, a face of thunder, and a tyrannic temper bubbling beneath his surface -- one that sometimes led to people being struck down as if by a bolt of lightning. Cold sweat spread across my skin.

As we stopped at the bottom of the steps and craned our heads back, Xander started to greet him. But Garon stood up and slammed his axe into the ground. "What are you doing here, Kassandra?"

Xander's greeting died on his lips.

My stomach sank. "F-Father! I..."

"I know you've been in Hoshido," he growled. "You are surely now aware that the royal family of Nohr is your enemy by birthright. Norton has joined them, yet you came back. I cannot help but wonder why."

"She must have sided with the enemy." Iago emerged from the shadows beside the throne, black locks framing a face so pale that he resembled a phantom. "It smells like betrayal to me. Could it be that she is planning to assassinate Your Majesty?"

Panic spiked through me. "No! I chose to side with Nohr because it's where my loyalties lie."

"Kass would never turn against us," Xander added fiercely.

"How can you be so certain?" Garon said. "I expect less sentimentality from a future king of Nohr!"

"I have proof: Kass fought off a large portion of the Hoshidan army alone."

I stared at him. "Um, Xander --"

Leo stood on the back of my boot, hard enough to pinch my skin. I closed my mouth.

"What's more, I saw her elect to return to Nohr with my own eyes," Xander continued. "We all did. Because of that choice, Prince Ryoma tried to kill her. If she was a Hoshidan spy, why would he have done that?"

"The whole thing could be an elaborate ruse!" Iago said.

Xander's eyes flashed. "Silence! As Crown Prince of Nohr, I swear on my honour that it was no act. You weren't even there, you fool! How could you possibly know what transpired?"

Iago smiled. Garon stood in silence beside him, watching us all with cold, dark eyes. His gaze lingered on me, and I shivered.

"Kassandra," he said, "where is the sword I gifted you with?"

As quickly as it had come, the frustration in the room dispersed. My siblings cast me nervous glances.

My mouth dried. "That sword exploded in Hoshido and killed hundreds of citizens. If Queen Mikoto had not sacrificed herself to save me, I would have died."

"I see," Garon replied coldly. "How very touching."

"Father...did you give me that sword knowing this would happen? Was it planned?"

Xander frowned. "Kass --"

"I must know." I raised my chin and clasped my shaking hands together. "For myself, and for the innocent Hoshidans who were killed. Father, please tell me the truth. Did you plan that explosion?"

"That sword is just a sword," he muttered. "I know nothing about this attack of which you speak."

I'd never heard words being said more unconvincingly. "Father --"

He glowered. "I gave you my answer, girl! I will not say it again."

"Still doubting King Garon, are you?" Iago asked. "Those Hoshidans really got under your skin. Your Majesty, I think it is safe to say that we have a dirty spy on our hands."

"Sadly, I must agree." Garon sat down. "I cannot allow this little problem to go any further. Xander, kill her."

My heart stumbled over its beats.

Xander paled. "What?"

"Father, stop this madness!" Camilla stepped forwards, her hands curled into fists. "Kass is no traitor!"

Garon just looked at Xander. "You have your orders. I'm waiting."

Xander gritted his teeth. "I won't do it."

"Is our own crown prince also a traitor?" Iago's voice held a note of malicious glee.

My blood ran hot. "Stop! He isn't!"

Garon looked at me, and a dangerous atmosphere fell over the room. I was balancing on a knife's edge.

"Father, I am the cause of all this," I said. "Please don't bring Xander into it. Leave him be, and I will disappear by myself."

The words pained me. I'd missed my siblings so much, and I had only just returned...but if my presence was going to threaten the lives of my family, I had no choice except to leave immediately. My love for them -- and for Xander especially -- was so great that it was a physical weight in my chest.

"No." Xander flinched and gripped my bicep, anchoring me next to him.

King Garon watched us, his sharp gaze like a knife skinning us down to our bones.

"Perhaps your willingness to protect him is of some value," he said eventually. "Perhaps it acts as proof. But is it proof enough?" He raised his eyes to the ceiling. "I will have to let Anankos, the Silent Dragon, decide."

Xander's expression melted into despair. "Father, I don't understand."

"Now would be a good time to start praying," Garon said to me. "Anankos alone will decide your fate."

"King Garon, you cannot be serious." Iago stared at him. "Ours is the Dusk Dragon, and we certainly don't pray to it. Are you feeling well?"

"Mighty Anankos!" Garon boomed over his right-hand man. "I call upon your wisdom on this day of reckoning!"

He sat in silence for a few minutes. Xander tightened his grip on my arm. Elise shifted from foot to foot. Camilla glanced at Leo. He shrugged, but his posture was tense.

"Fate has smiled on you today, Kassandra," Garon said suddenly. "As decreed by Anankos, you shall be accepted into the Nohrian royal family again."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Father."

"Your Majesty, this is preposterous!" Iago exclaimed.

Xander released my arm. "You did the right thing, Father. We are all eternally grateful."

"Not so fast. Before it can be done, Kassandra must first pass a test."

"A test?" My stomach sank again. "What kind of test?"

"Anankos decrees that you must suppress the Ice Tribe's rebellion. Once you have gloriously fulfilled that obligation on behalf of Nohr, I will welcome you back as my daughter."

Suppressing a rebellion sounded a good deal harder than the first task he'd given me, and that had been a disaster. A sliver of resentment twisted in my gut. Queen Mikoto had never asked such tasks of me before welcoming me into her family. It wasn't something a father should do.

But King Garon wasn't my father. My father had died at his hands.

I let my resentment seethe under restraint, saving it for a better time. One day, I would avenge everyone who had died because of this king. One day, I would fight against the way Nohr was ruled. But if I wanted to live long enough to make a change, it could not be today.

"I will prepare the troops immediately," Xander said. "With our army at your side, you will make quick work of that little rebellion."

Garon smiled. "You fail to understand the task at hand. To fulfil the wishes of Anankos, Kassandra must do this all by herself: with no soldiers, no siblings, and no retainers. Immediately."

My breakfast turned into a rock in my stomach.

"Father!" Elise cried. "That's not possible!"

Afraid that she'd undo the mercy I'd been given, I put my arm around her shoulders and took a deep breath. "It's all right, Elise. I will find a way to do this alone. If you will excuse me, I must go and make the preparations for my journey." I looked at Garon.

"You are dismissed," he said. "I have high hopes for you, Kassandra. Don't let me down."

I swallowed my nausea. "I won't, Father. I promise."

***

When I went to my room, I found Felicia unpacking my bag, and I asked her to pack it again. Flora was in there, too, seeming to have become my retainer -- or perhaps my retainer's assistant -- without discussion now that Norton had gone. I instructed her to send a message to the stables asking for Zodiac to be prepared, and she left with neither a delay nor a word.

Anxiety was rising in me quickly, seeming to cloud every thought and cripple every movement. I shouldered my bag with great effort and turned to Felicia. "How is Flora holding up now that Norton's in Hoshido?"

"It's hard to say, my lady," Felicia replied. "She always seemed to have sympathy for you when Norton left, but she hasn't said much about his betrayal. Perhaps she feels that you've been wronged again?"

I wasn't convinced -- Flora had never struck me as being warm or sympathetic at all. But I decided to let it be and gave Felicia a quick hug. "I'm sorry that this mission involves the Ice Tribe. I promise to end the rebellion peacefully."

"Thank you, my lady."

I made my way down to the wide bridge near the stables that served as our courtyard. Zodiac, my big, beautiful jet black gelding, was saddled and waiting. One of the stable boys cupped his hands together as a step for me, and I mounted my horse while Flora held him still. I settled myself, shortened my reins, and then noticed the saddlebags on Zodiac's flanks. When I looked inside, I found a bottle of mead and some apples.

Flora caught my eye and dredged up a smile. It was terse, but I supposed it counted as something.

"Thank you," I said.

I put my heels to Zodiac's sides, and we rode out of the courtyard. The reins felt slippery in my hands, already coated in a thin layer of sweat. I didn't want to leave my family or my intimidating home.

I'd never gone anywhere alone before. And I had no idea how to stop a rebellion.

As the bridge narrowed and the courtyard fell out of sight, someone yelled, "Kass!"

I halted Zodiac and twisted around in the saddle. Xander was striding down the bridge behind me, a massive figure in height and even more imposing still with his armour on. Wild, blond hair framed his face like a lion's mane. My heart leapt.

He stopped at my side, his expression severe. "I came to wish you luck. May the gods be with you."

"Thank you." I found that my mouth was suddenly flooded with moisture, and I swallowed nervously. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." He put his hand over mine, his gaze full of worry. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

"I promise."

"Good. This is a dangerous mission, and I'm used to you being in the fortress. I always knew you were safe when you were there. But I don't have that insurance anymore."

He moved his hand to my cheek, cupping it gently. Sparks skittered across my skin.

"If we never see each other again, Kass, there's something you should know." He took a deep breath and met my gaze. "I care for you as more than my family. I always have done."

A hard knot of nerves and excitement tangled in my stomach. As something hot and passionate bloomed in the air between us, I leaned forwards and kissed him on the cheek. "I feel the same way."

He swallowed hard; allowed himself a flicker of a beautiful smile. We stayed close for a long moment, swept up in sixteen years of suppressed emotions that we did not have the time to drown in. I'd always hoped he'd felt the same way...even believed it, some days. Doubted it during others. But it was true. And he was here with me now, looking at me in the way I'd always wanted him to.

It was better than the compliments I'd heard him say in my head at Castle Shirasagi, or the tender scenes I'd dreamed of at night for years. It was real.

He brushed his lips against the corner of my mouth and stepped back. "You should go. Good luck, my princess."

My skin tingled where he'd kissed me. I touched it. "Not little princess?"

He smiled. "You're not a little princess anymore."