Princess Kassandra of Nohr

"Will you really kill me if Garon goes against his word?" I asked Ryoma as he led me towards the throne room. So far, there had been no sign of the Nohrian soldiers.

He didn't reply.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," I muttered.

"No. How could I, Kaiya?" He glanced at me and suddenly added, "If it hadn't been for Prince Xander, would you have stayed with us?"

I hesitated. "I'm sorry...I love the others, too, and I still hardly know you. But if the roles had been reversed and I'd known your family all my life, I think I would have chosen Hoshido. It's not personal, Ryoma. It never really has been."

He watched me closely. "Nayoko says that when this is all over, he thinks you'll be happy to accept us both as your families."

"I would love to get to know my older brother." I offered him a smile.

Slowly, he returned it, and it was like dawn breaking over a dismal sky. "It gladdens my heart to hear you say that. I've missed you more than I can describe."

"Then I'll be looking forward to it someday."

"Someday? This war ends here."

"Yes. But if King Garon is a demon...perhaps we'd better do something about the other demons?"

"Other demons?" Ryoma sighed. "I'm afraid to even ask. For today, let's focus on the task in front of us. Understood?"

"Understood."

We halted outside the doors to the throne room, and he squeezed my shoulder. "That being said... Are you ready?"

I elbowed him. "Get off me. You may be my older brother, but I can handle myself."

This time, he didn't smile. "Are you certain? This is a big weight you're putting on your shoulders, Kaiya. Are you ready to kill the King of Nohr, regardless of his humanity?"

I bit my lip. This was going to be difficult, but I'd spent our journey here steeling myself for it. I had already crossed the biggest point of no return: I'd taken the life of a man who'd helped me, the life of an innocent, and the life of someone who'd begged for the chance to change. The life of a tyrant -- even if he was the father of my Nohrian family -- was not so impossible now.

"I'm ready," I said.

"Thank you." Ryoma touched Raijinto as if for luck, then threw open the throne room doors.

King Garon was nowhere in sight, but something much more sinister was unfolding in front of us. Xander had Norton pinned against the back wall, his sword held under his chin. Azura and Elise were both advancing towards them, trying to diffuse the situation.

Camilla was keeping Hinoka still with a threat from her axe, and Leo was holding a sword towards Takumi. While Sakura was unguarded, she was also restrained, for it was clear that if she moved then her siblings would die.

At the other end of the room, Xander muttered something and raised Siegfried.

"Xander!" Elise ran forwards. "Don't!"

But he swung.

I lunged towards them, my chains tearing out of Ryoma's hands. "Norton!"

Time seemed to slow down. As the sword fell and my boots jarred against the ground, I realised I was going to be too late.

Then Elise dived between them.

A strangled cry escaped from my throat, and a new force seemed to hurl me across the throne room. For a moment, I thought I was going to fall, and I thrust my arms out.

But they weren't my arms anymore.

My fingers had claws and my arms had scales, and my chains broke apart as I transformed. Anger consumed me; stretched me; strengthened me until I was nothing but fury.

I crashed into Xander before his sword could fall, knocking us across the room. His head cracked off the floor, and he lay still.

Human thoughts prevailed over blood instincts. Good gods, have I killed him?

Then he groaned and opened his eyes, having lost nothing more than a few seconds in time. He froze like a rabbit in the torchlight when he saw me. Like prey. 

Human thoughts fell away again.