Kamui shifted herself in her saddle, guiding her new horse as she tried to also get used to her new armor's feel. Having been officially welcomed back to Nohr after proving her loyalty, King Garon had gifted her with armor "befitting of Nohrian Royalty". The armor was lightweight, made of several pieces attached to individual body parts to insure her the maximum amount of ability. While it wouldn't hold up to much more than light strikes, it would allow Kamui to fully execute her own fighting style without any hindrance. Beside her Silas rode on his own horse, the knight having been promoted to be her new retainer by her own request. Ahead of her rode Xander and Elise, their own retainers being spread around the three royals in a protective formation as the group marched towards their assignment of the land of Mokushu to meet with it's leader to finalize a treaty between the two nations.

Speaking for herself, Kamui was actually pretty excited being able to be out on a mission with Xander. His stories told to her and Tatsu over the years painted a picture of the world outside of their lonely home that the two always wanted to see made real. Having Elise along was also it's own joy, not only thanks to the little princess's own enthusiasm, but also because of the cheery nature of her retainer Arthur. Barely an hour seemed to go by without the poor man experiencing some kind of misfortune, whether it be tripping and falling into mud, or having bird poop fall into his hair, or having his foot stomped on by a horse. Despite all of this however, the man remained upbeat and optimistic, balancing out quite nicely with the serious and focused Effie, the other retainer of Elise consistently helping her peer up everytime he slipped on fresh horse manure.

There were also the fun antics of Peri and Laslow, Xander's retainers. Peri held a childlike excitement that mirrored Kamui's own, the blue haired girl always seeming just as excited about a view as Kamui was. Laslow also held a strange charm of his own, consistently flirting with every female at every chance he got. It wasn't the flirting that held a charm, but it was the man's boundless determination to continue doing so despite the consistent slaps received and stern rebukes issued by Xander. Kamui had noticed however that anytime conversation gravitated towards his past, Laslow always deflected away from the conversation.

"Lady Kamui, is all well?" Silas's voice called.

Kamui blinked as she was jolted out of her thoughts before smiling at the knight. "Oh yes, everything's just fine Silas. I was just thinking about how much fun it is to be out and about with everyone."

"It is quite lively, isn't it?" Elise's voice giggled from next to Kamui. "Such a colorful bunch we have here for this journey."

"Indeed we do Lady Elise!" Arthur's voice boomed. "Have no worry Lady Kamui, know no harm will befall you with my gallant self here!" The man held his head up proud, only for a wet leaf to smack him directly in the face.

Nearby she heard Laslow chuckle. "Ah dear Arthur, always a pleasant fellow you are."

"You could learn a thing or two from him about that, huh Laslow?" Peri said with a smile.

"Lady Peri! Why would you say such a cruel-" Laslow began.

"Quiet." Xander's voice stated, silencing everyone. "Remain focused, we don't know what the shadows ahead hide."

That got everyone quiet as their march resumed, Kamui keeping an eye on Xander as they marched. Ever since she'd shared the news about Tatsu, Kamui felt Xander had been...stiff to put it best. There was an unease about him, present since King Garon had ordered their group to travel to the land of Mokushu to meet with it's leader Kotaro. While Kamui was unfamiliar with either name, her father had stated Kotaro had expressed interest in turning away from their alliance with Hoshido and instead entering an alliance with Nohr, and so Xander was being sent to oversee negotiations with herself and Elise joining. Along the way they were to also stop by an old Nohrian Fort and insure it hadn't become occupied by Hoshidans.

Once they had insured the fort was still held by Nohr, they would leave the battalion of soldiers sent with them to hold the fort while they continued to Mokushu. After negotiations, they were to sneak through Hoshido to rendezvous with Leo and Camilla in Izumo before boarding a ship to travel to Cyrkensia. Everything seemed pretty straightforward, but they were under strict orders to remain undetected. Though not officially declared, Nohr and Hoshido were in a state of war against each other, so being captured was not an option.

For the next few hours they all marched in relative silence, scattered bits of private conversations being heard. At one point Xander called Laslow up to him to converse about something or other, and before long Kamui found herself studying the strange curved blade Laslow wore. Both the blade and sheath looked quite old, suggesting perhaps it was an heirloom of sorts. What she really found interesting was the leather strap that wrapped around the hilt of the sword. The wrap wasn't a complicated one, just a simple wrap around, but more then enough to prevent the blade from being easily pulled out casually. Did he have it wrapped up so because the blade would fall apart due to age?

Well, it's not like she had much else to do for the next few hours. She waited until Laslow was done speaking to Xander to motion the blue haired man over to her. Trotting his horse up, Laslow flashed her a pearly white grin as he bowed his head.

"Princess Kamui, of what service can I provide for you?" Laslow asked her.

Kamui pointed towards Laslow's sword. "I was just curious about that sword is all. I've been trained with many weapons, yet I've never seen one quite like that. It doesn't seem like any part of the blade is straight."

Laslow looked down to the blade. "Oh this old thing? Think nothing of it dear Princess. Just an old relic discovered long ago during my travels."

"Travels?" Kamui asked with interest. "You've travelled Sir Laslow?"

"Oh yes, quite a bit. Some days it feels like I've travelled across entire worlds in my life." He said with an odd smirk. "But you don't want to hear-"

"Actually I do!" Kamui said with sincere interest. "Growing up, the only things about the world I learned were from books and second hand accounts, and even those were pretty limited. If you don't mind, I'd love to hear about the places you've travelled..." Kamui said.

Laslow pursed his lips, not speaking for several moments before nodding. "All right, I can never turn down a lady. Please, ask away."

Kamui gave a brilliant smile. "Oh thank you! For starters, your sword, where did you find it?"

Laslow chuckled. "The sword again? Just an old relic is all, found during travels with Ow-Odin and Selena."

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "Odin and Selena? Have you three known each other long?"

Laslow smiled. "Our whole lives. Our parents were friends, all members of a travelling band of fighters."

"Fighters?" Kamui asked. "Like mercenaries?"

"Not mercenaries, more like a militia." Laslow said. "Drawn of people from all sorts. Eventually they all...retired, and we took up their mantle for a bit. Eventually we retired the group and all settled down, all though Odin, Selena, and I stuck to our journeys."

"Really?" Kamui asked in confusion. "I guess I understand why, if you've spent your whole life travelling it would be hard to give up."

Laslow again chuckled. "Oh no Lady Kamui, to be honest with you I've had quite enough travelling in my lifetime. Like I said, it feels like I've travelled worlds already, and really just want to settle down and watch the worlds travel past me."

"Than why continue travelling?" Kamui asked, before giving a playful smirk. "Trying to find a woman who can stand you?"

Laslow gave a quick laugh. "You wound me there Lady Kamui. No, I am simply joining Odin and Selena to watch the end of a show that's been playing for years now."

"A...show?" Kamui asked.

Laslow nodded. "Oh yes. We all have been waiting for years now to see if Odin finally grows a brain and notices Selena's feelings for him, or Selena just finally loses patience and beats them into him."

Kamui's eyes widened. "Wait, BEATS them?"

"Well, not literally...maybe." Laslow said. "Don't get me wrong, Selena is an amazing friend and wonderful person, she's just...rough around the edges."

Kamui raised an eyebrow but decided to save that for later. "So you're following them to see when they get together, and Selena is following after Odin because she loves Odin?"

Laslow nodded. "That is correct, though Selena would deny that last part."

"So than what is Odin searching for?" Kamui asked.

Laslow gave an amused scoff. "Sadly that is not my secret to tell Lady Kamui. But enough of that, may I perhaps ask you some questions of my own?"

Kamui blinked before giving a nod, wondering what Laslow had meant. The two didn't know, but Xander also found himself wondering his retainer had been speaking of. When he overheard Kamui begin speaking to Laslow, he began listening in so he could have a chat with Laslow if he attempted to womanize his little sister, only to discover some interesting things about the three mysterious warriors. He had already been able to pry bits of Laslow's past from the man, a strangely difficult task when one considered how talkative Laslow normally was, but he didn't know Odin was searching for something. He'd have to try and figure out what they were searching for later, but for now...

He continued listening to make sure Laslow didn't overstep his bounds.

...

Later that evening and after camp had been set, Laslow was busy cleaning his sword. Peri had guard duty for Prince Xander, so he was comfortable in removing his armor and relaxing himself, and thanks to the lovely conversation he'd had with Princess kamui earlier his spirits were quite high. While he rubbed the blade with polish, he caught sight of his reflection staring at him from the metal, his Brand quite clear in his left eye. He still couldn't believe the symbol of Naga was so easily hidden, but not one person had ever said anything to him about it, so he guessed the spell Anankos had said he'd cast worked.

He understood why they had to keep their true names and place of origin a secret, but it still felt wrong to him. Laslow detested dishonesty personally, something he attributed to his upbringing personally. His father was an upfront man with his feelings, and his mother was to kind hearted and pure to be able to tell a lie, or at least tell a good one. But he supposed it better to have a vague and mysterious past than everyone in this world thinking him a madman telling stories of crossing worlds.

Returning his attention once more to his blade, he held the blade up in a satisfied manner. The basic design was no different to a blade from Ylisse, though a Nohrian blade felt lighter to Laslow. What was interesting though was how every Nohrian weapon held the same pimprint of a dragon on it, no doubt a symbol of the Dusk Dragon the Nohrians seemed to worship. That was another thing Laslow found interesting, the parallels of the Dawn and Dusk Dragons when compared to Naga. All were dragons worshipped in their respective worlds, and according to legend had imparted their own power to select human followers. Truth be told, Laslow was jealous of the abilities held by Xander and his family. To make even the very world around him bend to his needs would be an ability he would certainly appreciate. Maybe he'd try to ask Xander how he influenced the so called "dragon veins" and see if Naga's power would work in the same vein?

Laslow scoffed to himself. That certainly wouldn't raise suspicions. Shaking his head, he sheathed his blade and reached over to grab Balmung. He had to be careful when maintaining the legendary blade, since as far as everyone else was concerned the blade was a relic and was liable to fall apart if removed from it's sheath. He was just beginning to undo the tie that held the blade when he heard soft thumps against his tent.

"Laslow, are you still awake?" Xander's voice called.

Laslow raised an eyebrow as he carefully put Balmung down. "Lord Xander? Is that you?"

"Yes." Xander's voice called. "Do you mind if I enter? I wish to speak with you?"

Laslow blinked in shock. Why was Xander visiting him? "Of course Milord." Laslow called as he entered a kneeling position. "Please, come in."

Not a moment later Xander entered his tent, a small look of surprise at seeing Laslow's position before he cleared his throat. "Rise Laslow, there is no need for you to bow right now."

Laslow nodded a stood up. "Thank you Milord, though with all due respect my station demands it of me."

Xander pursed his lips but did not reply. "Do as you wish." He said.

The two stood in silence a moment before Laslow cleared his throat. "So, what can I do for you Milord?"

"First things first, I overheard you speaking with Kamui today." Xander said sternly. "I just wanted to make you understood the same rules that apply to Camilla and Elise apply to Kamui."

"Of course Milord, though I must admit it will be quite difficult due to Lady Kamui's radiant-" Laslow began.

Xander's eyes grew cold. "Think very carefully about what you wish to say next."

Laslow gave a nervous chuckle. "Personality Lord Xander. She has a very relaxing presence If I may say so. She is the kind of person you can't help but want to spend time around."

Xander pursed his lips but gave a nod. "There is truth to your statement there Laslow. Both Kamui and Tatsu have always had a way of making others enjoy them."

"It is a good trait to have." Laslow sid with a smile. "One of my family members, my uncle's daughter, is very much the same way."

"It is rare to hear you speak of your home." Xander said.

Laslow shrugged. "Not much to say Milord. As I told Lady Kamui earlier, I am travelling along to watch over Odin and Selena."

"Is that truly all?" Xander asked.

Laslow raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean Milord?"

"I just find it difficult to believe you'd undertake a journey, pledge yourself to a nation you are a stranger to, only for the sake of seeing if two of your friends enter a relationship together." Xander said, causing Laslow to chuckle causing Xander to glare. "I do not find this as humorous as you do."

Laslow gave an apologetic smile. "Forgive me Lord Xander, I do not mean to make light of your concerns. I understand how difficult it must feel to have a stranger come and promise you aid, seemingly for nothing in return."

Xander scoffed. "Than you understand why I question your motives."

"Am I truly that untrustworthy Milord?" Laslow asked sincerely.

Xander pursed his lips before sighing. "No. Dare I say it, you are almost...reliable."

"Almost?" Laslow asked with a smile.

"If I didn't have to worry about you womanizing every girl that you lay eyes on, than I would say you were." Xander said.

"I've told you before Milord, I am incapable of remaining quiet when I see a beautiful flower." Laslow said. "It is not my fault every woman falls under that category."

"That is a discussion for another time." Xander said.

Laslow smiled, though remained silent, leaving the two in a quiet atmosphere. Xander took the time to look around his retainer's tent, noting the armor carefully placed nearby along with his two blades. The strange curved blade of his remained as always sheathed, with his normal blade resting on a cloth shining bright. Xander couldn't help but feel pride in the care his retainer showed his weapons. Xander couldn't recall a time Laslow ever allowed his blade to dull or have a smudge.

"Lord Xander, if I may ask..." Laslow began. "What must I do for you to trust I mean no ill will?"

Xander sighed. "It is not something I expect you to truly understand. I am not some noble, or a general of this army, I am it's Crown Prince. All my life, I have had to guard my life from those who would exploit it, or worse take it. I cannot afford to trust anyone I do not truly know. That is what it means to be royalty Laslow. So you must understand that when I question your motives, it is nothing personal. I am just merely trying to protect both myself, Nohr, and most importantly my family."

Laslow gave a small nod. "I believe I do understand a little of what you mean Milord."

"Is that so?" Xander asked incredulously.

Laslow smiled. "Perhaps not to your extent, but my uncle was always warning my father he should not be so trusting."

"Your father?" Xander asked.

Laslow nodded. "You heard me talking with Lady Kamui about it earlier, how my parents along with Odin's and Selena's were part of a militia? Well my father was that militia's leader, and he had a very...generous recruitment method, much to my uncle's annoyance."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked with a tilted head.

Laslow chuckled. "My father once recruited a thief sent to assassinate him if that helps."

Xander's eyes widened. "He did what?"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Laslow asked with a smile.

An image of Leo and Beruka flashed through Xander's mind. "Well..." Xander said before shaking his head. "Never mind. So you're uncle was the voice of reason than?"

"He liked to think himself so." Laslow said with a fond smile. "I remember once overhearing them as a child arguing about it. Uncle was asking my Father to be more "intelligent" about who he picked to recruit, and I'll always remember my father's response."

"And what was it?" Xander asked with interest.

"My Father said he would take on any risk if it meant he could build a bond with another." Laslow said.

"Build a bond?" Xander asked.

Laslow nodded. "My Father came to believe peace would be possible if only everyone would sit down and have a chat, rather than fight each other."

"An idealistic view." Xander said.

"Add in foolish and you'd have my uncle's view on the matter." Laslow said with a laugh.

"Your uncle seems to be the pessimistic sort." Xander said.

Laslow nodded. "That is a fair assessment, though it's to be expected thanks to his own life experiences."

"Really? What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"Well...perhaps I can explain another time?" Laslow asked. "I'm afraid the night is growing late, and I'd rather not be groggy when I report to you in the morning Milord."

Xander paused before nodding. "Yes, of course. You are right in that regard Laslow."

"Than is there anything else you require of me Milord?" Laslow asked.

"No, no, you have done enough for tonight." Xander said. "Thank you. It has been nice to learn more about you."

Laslow bowed his head. "I thank you for your kind words. Know that I do not mean to be enigmatic, I just prefer to live in the here and now rather than focus on the past."

"An admirable enough trait I suppose." Xander said before nodding. "I have taken enough of your time. Rest up Laslow, and I will see you in the morning."

"Milord." Laslow said, keeping his head bowed til Xander had left. Waiting for a few silent moments, Laslow finally lifted his head and gave a relieved sigh. He truly did like Xander, and having to withhold his past from the Nohrian prince was quite awkward for him. He wished he could be honest about his origins but the amount of trouble it would bring wouldn't be worth it.

"Still though," He muttered to himself. "It would be quite funny for him to realize I am royalty myself." Shrugging, he stretched and made himself ready for bed.

...

"YOU WOKE UP!?" Kamui excitedly exclaimed.

Tatsu smiled. "Only for a little bit, but yes. I think Hinoka woke up most of the fort when she found out."

"Well that's certainly good news to hear Prince Tatsu." Silas said before looking around. "Will Lady Felicia not be joining us?"

Tatsu shook his head. "No, from what it sounded like everyone is leaving the fort as soon as possible so she probably got pulled into double duty."

"Leaving?" Kamui asked. "Does that include you?"

"Most likely." Tatsu said. "It would make sense after the Nohr attack."

"Where would they be taking you?" Silas asked.

Tatsu shrugged. "I don't know, I kept fading in and out today and I wasn't able to catch anything."

"Maybe back to the Capitol?" Kamui offered.

Silas shook his head. "Doubt it. With Nohr and Hoshido entering a state of war, both of the Capitols are now prime targets for attack, and with Prince Tatsu's condition they'd want to keep him somewhere they wouldn't have to be concerned of coming under attack."

"Not to many places that fit the criteria I'd expect." Tatsu said before looking at Kamui. "How are Xander and the others?"

"Well enough I suppose." Kamui said. "Camilla and Leo are on a mission to Izumo, while I'm accompanying Xander and Elise to Mokushu to meet with their leader Kotaro."

"Mokushu? What for?" Tatsu asked.

"Most likely an alliance." Silas explained. "Relations between Mokushu and Hoshido have been very strained in recent years due to rumors this Kotaro had a hand in the murder of the head of one of Hoshido's oldest houses, along with it's invasion of the former nation of Kohga."

"What?" Kamui asked. "Were the two nations at war?"

Silas shrugged. "I couldn't say for sure, the inner politics of Hoshido has never been something I had to pay attention to. Though if it's anything like in Nohr, it wouldn't surprise me. Sometimes I think the only thing stopping the various houses from trying to take each other over is the threat of retaliation from the King."

"I'm surprised Mother wouldn't have tried to do something if this were true." Kamui said.

"Mokushu's location for one thing." Tatsu answered, looking at the map Lilith had created. "It's right at the border between Hoshido and Nohr, making it a perfect buffer to invasion. Most likely why Father wants this alliance. If Nohrian forces could march through Mokushu to Hoshido without concern, it would make victory in the war much easier."

"So than the question here is what do you two want to do?" Silas asked.

"What do you mean what do we do?" Kamui asked.

"I mean, it wouldn't be wrong to say this is a very big moment in the war effort." Silas explained. "If this alliance goes through, Nohr will have an easy access point to invade Hoshido. But if it fails, the war will drag on, costing both sides more in resources and lives."

Kamui pursed her lips, looking over at Tatsu who had a look of contemplation. "Tatsu?" She asked.

Tatsu shook his head. "Truth be told, I don't know. Our whole goal is that we get Nohr and Hoshido to enter peace talks, so Nohr not getting this alliance seems to be the best option. But if you two are caught sabotaging it..."

"It would certainly end badly." Silas said pursing his lips. After a moment he cleared his throat. "Regardless of what you two decide, do know that I'll support the both of you."

"Thanks Silas." Kamui said, showing him a smile, only to narrow her eyes in concern when he looked uncomfortable. "Silas, is everything all right?"

"Oh...uh...yes, I am fine...just fine." Silas said before giving a nervous chuckle.

Both Kamui and Tatsu looked at each other before shrugging. Clearing his voice, Tatsu than spoke up. "I suggest just waiting for now. You two will be the ones in the situation, so I recommend just listening to your instinct and going with what you think is right."

"You're sure that will be best?" Kamui asked.

"We knew going in we'd be relying heavily on luck here." Tatsu said with a sigh. "We'll just have to hope it's on our side now."

...

...So...hi. Sure some of you have been wondering where I've been, and I do apologize for the unplanned hiatus.

Shortly after I posted the last chapter, I got hired on to do some extra seasonal work over November and December. Shortly after THAT, my main job promoted me to manager, giving me double my amount of regular hours. Than my seasonal job decided to hire me on full time, thus giving me two jobs. Add in the general craziness of the Holidays and, well, to put it in perspective, I did not write anything in December simply because I didn't have the time. I can't even really remember turning on my laptop except to sleep to Youtube videos. Not an excuse mind you, but an explanation.

But hey, better late than never. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't plan on leaving this story unfinished, so always know an update will come.

As for this chapter, nothing really much to say. One of those kind of filler chapters to help flesh out relationships and prep for events, but next chapter will focus on Mokushu and Kotaro. I'll get to work on it as soon as I can. My question/request for all of you while I work on typing it out is to leave a review seeing how you think it's going so far. I do recognize there are grammatical errors and whatnot and I apologize for those, but what do you think of the story so far? Really want to hear from everyone.

Sorry again for the wait, and hope to hear from you all soon.

Fave, follow, review, and have a great weekend.