The Arranged Marriage. Prince Xander x Oc

Act 4 Scene 2

We had docked early the next morning and currently Corrin and Kaze were leading us through a cherry blossom forest. We had met up with Kotaro, the daimyo of Mokushu who was going to ally themselves with Nohr, despite being in Hoshido territory. He was apparently leading us to a path that we could use to sneak into Hoshido. While Corrin and Kotaro spoke I noticed Victoria had her eyebrows knitted together and her lips pursed. The two of us weren't at the front but were still in earshot of the two. If we whispered I'm sure they wouldn't be able to hear us.

"Is something bothering you Princess Victoria?"

"Something isn't right here, I just know it. I don't trust that ninja. What do you know about him?"

"Besides his status in his territory, not very much." She tsked at me.

"Shouldn't you people know better than to trust those you know so little about?"

"Well I trust you, and your quite the mystery to me," she smiled and rolled her eyes.

"If I was going to kill you I would've done it by now. But this guy, I definitely don't trust."

"Well it's nice to know that I'm worth to be keeping alive Princess." She snickered slightly but when it caught the attention of a soldier in front of us she stopped immediately and regained her seriousness. I wish that we both could be more carefree and not have others look at us thinking that's not how we should behave.

Then a ninja appeared telling Kotaro that Hoshidan ninjas were invading. Kotaro explained that the Hoshidans has been attacking them recently and Corrin decided to help. Meaning that we all now had to help them. I saw Victoria raise her eyebrows in disbelief. I'm starting to wonder too if something is up.

We spilt up to deal with the ninja and when we regrouped Corrin was attacked by a ninja, but luckily Kaze blocked it.

"Kaze I know you side with the Nohrians but to ally yourself with that devil Kotaro! That is more of a betrayal." I believe this is Kaze's brother Saizo, Ryoma's retainer.

"What's wrong with Kotaro?"

"He killed our father you idiot and he's kidnapped Kagero to make Hoshido surrender! Is that really who you want as an ally?" And then Kotaro returned.

Corrin confronted him about the hostage and he cracked under pressure.

"We refuse to do things as our father does and it seems he has influenced you. You will release the hostage immediately," I commanded. Victoria nudged me and gave me a "told you so" look and walked off towards her wyvern. Which was a good decision seeing as a bunch of Mokushujin soldiers appeared and we were forced to fight them.

Although she told me off for doing so, I couldn't help but keep Victoria in the corner of my eye as I fought off soldiers. With her repertoire of spells the soldiers couldn't even get close to her. I could tell that she took my advice and her spells were fuelled by anger. Her face was scrunched in concentration with a slight smile. This where she's suppose to be, on a battlefield. Not trapped in a castle anywhere. Her and her wyvern have such great chemistry that they don't even need verbal communication.

After defeating Kotaro everything was over. Corrin went off to find the jail cells while Kaze and Saizo spoke over Kotaro's dead body. If someone murdered father would I track them down and serve revenge? Is that even a question? Of course I would, right? I shook my head, their is someone I need to thank.

I found sitting with her back against her sleeping wyvern flicking through a tome.

"I believe I owe you a thank you. After your warning I kept myself on alert. How did you know that Kotaro couldn't be trusted," she closed her tome and stood up, dusting from dirt off her dress.

"To be honest I'm not quite sure. Something just felt off to me when we met him. Although it's not the first time I've had that feeling." She looked around the camp we had set up. "Can we go on a walk?" The question came out of the blue.

"Of course. But let's not try to be too long," she nodded placing her tome in a pouch on her wyvern and taking my outstretched arm. We walked into the woods and after a while Victoria started to talk.

"Back in Vimore, sometimes I would get this feeling that I shouldn't go to a certain place at a certain or be around certain people. And then it's revealed that something bad happened there or was planned to happen or that person was a traitor". That really is strange.

"Can you describe a time this happened other than today?"

"I was young, maybe around 5 or so. My father had banned me from the gardens. And as you can imagine I didn't like that very much." I chuckled.

"Really? I never would've guessed!" She lightly slapped my arm before continuing.

"This one afternoon when I knew there would be no guards at the garden doors because they would be leaving their shift and another pair would be on the way. So I only had a few minutes, but I had convinced myself it would be worth it just to see the flowers and then run back to my room. However once I got to the door, my hands were on the handles ready to open them when I got this cold shiver. And then I had this feeling of dread that going out there would be a bad idea. Not just because I wasn't allowed, I broke rules around the castle on the daily just no one caught me. I knew my time was running out before the next shift of guards arrived so I had to get out there now. But I just couldn't shake the feeling. So I decided to go back to my room."

"Then what happened?"

"When the next shift of guards arrived they heard noises out in the garden and they discovered that there was a group of outlaws hiding in the garden. And I think they were planning to kill me, and I think that feeling I had was warning me about them. Almost as if I knew what was going to happen. Even now I don't know why that happened. But it wasn't the last time it happened and I listened every time I got that feeling."

"So that's what happened today?"

"Not exactly. It wasn't the same feeling I've had back in Vimore, I just knew that I couldn't trust Kotaro. I guess it's because I tend to not trust outsiders."

"Well, regardless of the feeling you had today, I'm glad it happened. And I hope that if anything like that happens again, you'll notify me immediately."

"Of course. But I must ask that you not tell anyone about this. Not a word to anyone."

"Alright. Does anyone know about these feelings you've had?"

"No. I feel bad that I haven't even told Victor about them, when he tells me so much, somethings that it might be better if he didn't tell anyone. I've read tons of books to try and find out the reason behind them and I've looked so deep in Vimorian history and I've found nothing that remotely close to the information I need." She sighed and looked off into the night sky.

"But you have suspicions," she looked down at the ground and sighed.

"I do. Am I that easy to read?" She almost seemed saddened that I could point that out.

"We should be heading back to camp," Victoria nodded and I lead us back. We walked in silence and when we reached her tent and let go my arm and I said "I'm able to see past your stone face facade because that's how I have to live too," and turned to leave not even waiting for her to reply.

When I returned to my tent I thought about Kotaro and how my father had influenced his actions. For my entire life I've had to wear my static face obeying my father and his methods. I knew what he does is wrong and it took me while to start doing the right thing behind his back. I don't know how much longer my father has left in the land of the living, but I know one things for sure; when I'm king if Nohr, I will fix this kingdom to the way it's suppose to be. I want Nohr to be happy like Hoshido. But most importantly, I want Victoria to be able to be herself, for her to take off her mask and smile and laugh and be carefree all the time. I want her to know she doesn't have to be this image of a perfect princess.

And the most important thing I realized tonight, was that I want Victoria as my wife.