With his little sister literally in his hands, Xander saw no reason to linger. He mounted his horse, intending to journey back to the Nohrian capital. He needed to complete his mission, and deliver the little traitor as promised. Yet first, he had to signal to the army to retreat. He rode as fast as he was able, one hand on the reins of his horse and the other cradling the tiny Corrin. Nothing would stop him from completing the task his father had trusted him with.
Within his hand, Corrin shook with fear. Shrunken and kidnapped by her brother… no, her enemy. She couldn’t be in a worse position. Unarmed, and unable to transform, she had no way to escape. She pounded on Xander’s fingers with her tiny fists but failed to elicit even slight movement. Whether she liked it or not, she would soon be transported wherever the man wished to take her.
For a time, she was alone. Trapped in the darkness of Xander’s hand, low noises resembling hoofbeats ringing in her ears. She withstood the assault on her senses and persisted in her attempts to free herself. Eventually the din relented, granting her the briefest moment of silence.
“Leo, we’re retreating.” Xander’s voice resonated through Corrin’s tiny body. Hearing that her younger brother might be nearby, she shouted his name as loud as she could manage.
“Retreating? Now?” She heard Leo respond. “Why, brother? We can win this battle!”
“We need not win now.” Xander told him. “The Hoshidan army has taken heavy losses, but so have we. If we withdraw, we can regroup and crush them later, at full strength. If we continue to fight, we will only lose more troops and gain little for it.”
“… All right. I’ll give the order.”
“Leo!” Corrin shouted once more. But she could feel Xander’s horse was beginning to move away, her chance to contact her other sibling lost. She wasn’t sure if she would be happy or scared to see Leo, for he too was her enemy now. What she wanted the most was to be free of her dark prison, and to be back with her real family. It was warm in Xander’s hand, but it was stifling rather than reassuring. With every passing second, she was taken further away from the Hoshido she wanted to call home.
When the fingers finally unfurled, Corrin found herself in the worst place possible. The room had been magnified to gigantic proportions, but it was still recognizable as the audience chamber of castle Krakenburg.
“Xander, you have returned.” Boomed a deep voice. “And I see you have completed your mission.”
“I have, father.” Xander confirmed. “I have brought Corrin back.”
Garon was scary before, but at his new scale he was like something out of her worst nightmares. Words failed Corrin, the tiny princess shaking in fear.
“Excellent. Bring her closer.” Garon commanded. “Let me see her traitorous little face.”
When Xander started to move, Corrin sprang into action. The white-haired woman scrambled back over his palm, heading towards his wrist. Xander moved too quickly for her however, snatching her up with his other hand. She wrestled against his grip as he moved her around, before depositing her onto her back in his other hand. Before she could get up, his fingers closed around her, gripping her body from the shoulders downward. Held in such a way, she could barely move, only try to lean away from the titanic visage of the Nohrian king.
“Corrin. What do you have to say for yourself?” Garon demanded. The volume of his voice was so intense, Corrin had to scrunch her eyes shut and grit her teeth, feeling like she might be blown away.
“After everything I have done for you, you dare betray me for Hoshido?!”
Her senses had been utterly bombarded, but Corrin didn’t forget her resolve. Even as Garon’s voice rang in her ears, she retorted.
“You used me!” She shouted. “I was just a tool for you to use, to cause that tragedy in Hoshido. All of these years, I have just been a pawn to you!”
“Don’t you dare take that tone with father, you traitor!” Xander reprimanded her, out of fear of what the king might do to her next.
“Peace, Xander.” Garon told him. “A traitor she may be, but she was once my child. If she swears her allegiance to Nohr, right here and now, I may yet be merciful.”
“I will do no such thing.” Corrin replied.
A tense silence followed, the miniaturized princess scowling at the huge king. Though she was his sister no longer, Xander feared for her life. It seemed like Garon might suddenly lunge at her, taking deadly retribution for her traitorous ways.
“Xander. I have a new mission for you.” He said at last, not even a hint of anger in his voice.
“Father?”
“You are to keep watch over Corrin.” Garon commanded. “Keep her here, in the castle. Keep her hidden from all others.”
“O-of course, but why?” Xander asked.
“You know better than to question me. Deal with anyone who learns of her presence here. That includes your siblings. Understood?”
Corrin could sense Xander hesitate, but only for a moment.
“…Understood, father.” Xander answered.
“Good. Await further orders. Now go.” Garon commanded with a wave of his hand.
I’m to be kept prisoner? Again? Corrin worried. I should have expected this from the moment I was shrunk...
It felt cruel. The little princess had experienced true freedom for such a short time in her life, only for it to be immediately ended. The prospect of being confined again bothered more even than shrinking had. She silently swore to herself that she would find a way out, and return to the Hoshidans who were her real family.
“Yes, good.” Garon mumbled to himself, once Xander was out of earshot. “She will suffer. More and more, no matter how much she wants it to end. I should tell Xander to take her into battle, so she can see the lives of her beloved Hoshidans end before her very eyes…”
Xander stood at the door to the audience chamber, brow furrowed. He had expected to just deliver Corrin and be done with it. Instead, he had been tasked with watching over her. But how?
“Is something the matter, prince Xander?”
He nearly jumped when he heard the voice from behind a pillar. The sorcerer Iago creeped into view, a wide smirk on his face.
Keep her hidden from all others. Xander remembered, quickly hiding his hand behind his back. His father’s instruction surely included even the Nohrian tactician.
If it had been someone more friendly, Corrin would certainly have shouted for attention. Instead, she remained quiet, not wanting to be found by the Nohrian mage. Even in the brief time they had spent together, it was abundantly clear to her that there was nothing but malice in his vile heart.
“Iago.” Xander greeted him.
“The king must have given you a new mission.” Iago assumed. “Are you going to be departing the castle again, so soon after arriving?”
“No. I am to stand by for the time being.” Xander told him.
“Oh? Nohr’s most capable general is to remain in the castle? How very peculiar.” The sorcerer said, his surprise seemingly genuine. “It would make more sense for you to be deployed immediately, would it not?”
“Those are father’s orders.” Xander replied. “Besides, war is unpredictable. Perhaps our king is waiting to see what the Hoshidan army does next before sending me to the battlefield again.”
“Really? Then you would be better able to respond if you were closer to the front lines.” Iago countered.
“There is little point in speculation. Father’s orders are absolute.” Xander said, refusing to be drawn into Iago's little game. “If you will excuse me.”
He headed down the steps, his tiny sister safely hidden in his hand. It was obvious that she would soon be discovered if he carried her around everywhere. He had to think of a way to keep her contained…
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