The Second Princess [indefinite hiatus.]

Lost In History | 13

I don't own Fire Emblem.

...

"Welcome to the team," she said.

Chrom took his daughter's hand and shook it firmly.

"Happy to be here."

...

He had no dreams that night, oddly. It was like the truth had cleared up his mind enough that when he woke up, he felt refreshed for the first time in two weeks.

Upon opening his bedroom door, Frederick handed him a fresh letter that Diana and Robin had written to him, detailing all of the information that he had missed out on about the plans to stop Octavius. Chrom quickly shut his door after Frederick left, locked it, and proceeded to read.

(He didn't quite like the part in which Diana had to volunteer to get herself arrested, but the damage had been done.)

That letter, after meticulous memorization, was burned to ashes with the aid of the candle on his bedside table.

Chrom's face was flat when he entered the dining hall. His sister was already there, chatting quietly with Odelle. So was Octavius.

His blood boiled, but he held his tongue as he sent his greetings and sat down.

It was difficult to be cordial when the man who had hurt his family was sitting right there. The thought of throttling him crossed his mind more than once when Octavius rambled on about the failed investigation and how there were no traces of Diana and her team anywhere.

He wasn't listening to much of what Octavius was saying, but when Octavius started mentioning their motives, that's when Chrom got a sudden idea.

In Diana's letter, she said that they were struggling to find a way to get the Book's location secured. Maybe...

"Did you notice," he started to speak, "that the stylistic approach that Diana's allies took in breaking her out was very coordinated?"

Octavius stared at him. Whether it was from shock at that first thing he had said all morning or from utter malicious judgement, Chrom couldn't find himself to care.

"Obviously," the man in front of him drawled out as if Chrom was an idiot, "otherwise they wouldn't have succeeded. Do you take me as a fool, Exalt Chrom?"

Chrom nearly laughed.

"I don't mean any offense in that comment," he said, "but it was just a thought. It is clear that her allies planned this situation beforehand, meaning that it could be targeted. And although the objective herself was Diana, we all saw the spectacle that happened with the arrow and her handcuffs. She could have fled right there, but she and her allies stayed there to fight it out."

Octavius frowned. "And?"

The lies flew out of him faster than he ever thought himself to be capable of.

Chrom shrugged. "I just think it's peculiar. There had to have been another goal for Diana and her allies to focus on that day. And before you say it...I don't think it was just that mercenary group that so happened to coincidentally be there."

Lissa and Odelle had stopped their individual conversations to stare at the two of them.

Octavius narrowed his eyes.

"Oh really," he drawled. "So what exactly do you have in mind, Exalt Chrom? What is this...secondary objective that the sorceress had in mind?"

"Hell if I know." Chrom poked at his food. "It's just a theory. But hypothetically, I feel like that's not going to be the last we see of them. I don't think they were quite finished with the business they came for the day of the execution when they left. Just a hunch."