Princess Kassandra of Nohr

I sat down on the throne and closed my eyes.

Instantly, my mind was filled with all the things Norton must have seen -- days spent with the whole family, special occasions. But I also saw things that I knew belonged to me, like games played with Takumi and mornings fussing over little Sakura.

I argued with Ryoma a lot -- I hadn't realised that we'd disagreed even before Nohr had come between us. But the arguments were never about families or war. They were silly little things, and every night after we argued, I would walk to his room when I was supposed to be asleep.

"Yes?" he said in my first memory of it, swinging his door open. He looked seven or eight, and yet there was also something about his wise eyes that made him seem much older.

"I'm s-sorry," little me said, my voice trembling. "Will you forgive me? I d-don't want you to hate me."

Ryoma's eyes softened. "I don't hate you. But you should be in bed."

"I c-couldn't sleep because I was worried that you would h-hate me."

He sighed. "Do you want to come in?"

I nodded.

He took my pudgy hand and led me further into his room. When he sat down on his bed, he pulled me onto his lap. I cuddled him until I fell asleep, my head against his shoulder.

In the morning, I woke up in my own room, tucked in carefully beneath the covers.

In real life, I smiled. This made me truly understand why my family had missed me. Now I could see what we had done and how much they had loved me.

The memories rolled by until I was five. I saw Cheve. I saw the Northern Fortress. I saw Iago reach towards me to wipe my memory clean, and I knew that should have been the end of it.

But I jumped forwards ten years.

Norton and I were standing on the rooftop of the Northern Fortress, training alone with wooden blades.

"Just accept it, Norton!" I yelled between blows. "Father is never going to let us out of here! So let's finish after this match like we should have done ten minutes ago. The others have been waiting for ages!"

"I will fight Xander and win!" Norton bellowed. "I have to train!"

"Do you really hate it here so much?"

"Yes! I want to see the outside world, damn it!"

I caught him off guard and pressed my practice blade to his throat. "I win. Again. Norton, give up. Maybe when we're as old as Xander is now --"

"No!" He backed away. "I want to get out now! I hate this place. The walls feel too tight. Everything is dark. I just -- I don't belong!"

His arm suddenly transformed, exploding towards me like a bolt of lightning. His claws slashed my cheek, cutting deep, and he stumbled back with wide eyes.

Fear unfurled in my belly like a beast. I pressed a hand to my stinging wound; felt hot blood beneath my fingertips.

Norton's arm snapped back, and he came towards me again. I reversed, tears spilling over as the pain spread beneath my skin. "S-stay away from me!"

My boots hit the edge of the roof, and I stopped. Still, he came. My knees gave out, and I cowered beneath him.

"We need to take you to the medical ward, Kassandra." Coolness had quickly replaced his shock, and I recognised the hard expression that would later become permanently etched on his face. The expression he'd wear as Captain Norton: the demeanour he'd take to survive. "Nothing happened, do you hear me? You hurt yourself while we were training, but it was all a blur. You don't remember." He clasped my shoulders. "Got it?"

"Got it," I whispered.

He took me to the medical ward, and I repeated the story, afraid of what would happen if I did not. I didn't know or understand the cold soldier who stood next to me. Or the monster I'd met on the roof.

While my wound was being stitched up and my other siblings were being fetched, Iago entered the room. Norton stepped out with him for a moment.

They didn't come back until I was on my own. When Iago's hand glowed, it seemed oddly familiar.

I didn't even have time to struggle before my memory of the event had been wiped clean.

***

I opened my eyes. Norton's expression now mirrored the brief horror I'd seen six years ago, in the millisecond after he'd struck me.

"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely.

"So that was the beginning of the end." I stood up. "My reaction...it was awful."

"I think we were both too young to handle the situation."

"It was an unusual one. Now that I've seen what happened, I forgive you for taking the memory away. You must have been terrified." I stopped in front of him and touched my scarred cheek. "And I forgive you for this. I always knew in my heart that it wasn't your fault, but now I've seen it with my own eyes. It was just an accident, Norton."

His eyes searched mine. "Had you honestly never transformed until today?"

"Honestly. I wish I had, and then you wouldn't have gone through that alone."

"What's done is done." He opened his arms to me. "But thank you for your forgiveness."

I stepped into his embrace.

***

We found our families waiting outside, arguing with each another. It took them a moment to realise that Norton and I had emerged, and then they slowly trickled into silence.

Ryoma frowned as he looked between us. "Was that all right?"

I looped my arm around Norton's shoulders. "Yes. I remember everything. Now I understand, and I'm not angry."

I gave him a quick squeeze and then let him go. Ryoma breathed a visible sigh of relief.

Norton cleared his throat. "What were you talking about?"

The heated arguing started up again.

Azura sighed. "Please, everyone! Let me sum it up for you."

They quietened.

"We can't decide whether we should bring our armies, or who should lead the march," Azura said. "Obviously, I'm finding it difficult to explain the risk, as Kass will understand. But I think any portion of an army will be too much. Just ourselves and a few select others should go."

"We should lead, as we'll be on horseback," Xander said.

"No --" Takumi began.

Norton held up his hands. "Enough. Xander speaks sense. The Nohrian royal family and their companions, guided by Kass and Azura, should lead the way on their mounts. They can act as scouts. The Hoshidan royal family and their companions will follow."

Xander nodded. "As I thought."

"All right," Ryoma said begrudgingly. "I will leave Yukimura in charge of the castle."

He turned away.

"Wait!" I said. "One more thing before we go. Having my memories back has made me wonder -- who is the oldest twin?"

Ryoma turned back, looking sheepish. "I don't know. Mother would never tell us who was born first. She didn't want one of you to be treated as the older and one as the younger. She wanted you to be equal."

I turned to Norton. "I bet I'm the oldest."

"I bet you're not."

"I so am! I've seen how much I used to boss you around."

"You are very bossy," Leo said.

I rolled my eyes at him, but I was smiling.

Xander cleared his throat. "We should send our soldiers home and prepare to leave. Are you ready, Kass?"

"Yes." I tossed a teasing grin at Norton. "Oldest first."

END OF PART II