Hideto’s eyes looked heavy as he took a long swig from his gourd, she had always assumed that he must have gone through some shit but to think he’d suffered so much in only four decades. Just how many people have suffered at the hands of that family?

Mari wiped the line of watery tears that had started to pool under her eyelids, thinking about how foolish and immature she had been regarding her actions towards Maya in the past, and the insensitive comments she’d made about Hideto.

Dusting her skirt Mari stepped toward the melancholic Prince and fell to her knees behind him draping her arms around him and squeezing him into a vice-like hug. This surprising act of kindness seemed to catch even the unflappable Prince off guard as he let a quiet yelp.

“You’ve been through a lot haven’t you,” Mari whispered

“It’s still raw for you ain’t it like I am with Shi.”

“Yeah...”

She had been so consumed by her own trauma and pain that she had neglected to think about anyone else, but honestly, they’re all in it together like mindless maggots writhing in one great big mouldy pile of shit with that wretched kingdom at its core.

“Shinobu and Marcel are the same you know?”

“They were both our worlds and they were stolen from us.”

“Well you just got to soldier on, no point lamenting the past.”

“No fucking way, I refuse.”

“Riri.” Lilith hesitated

“Stop lamenting the past? You don’t even believe your own bullshit.”

“I can tell because you’re like me you haven’t moved on, you can’t.”

Hideto stood up dusting himself off and regaining his composure his usual bravado had melted away to reveal a dark and doleful expression, “You’re really something else Mari.” Hideto’s voice trembled to struggle to push words through his quivering lips.

“Not at all I’m just a girl, a very stupid girl.”

“Humble too, I see what she must have seen in you.”

“It’s funny, both of of you guys are so strong,” Lilith said misty-eyed

Lilith’s saccharine voice and sorrowful tone caught the both of them off guard and grabbed their full attention, small pools of tears had started to form under her eyelids and it was clear that Hideto’s story had hit her with the same intensity.

“Though maimed by your loses you two struggled through direful ordeals, all I’ve ever done is watch events play out from the sidelines like a powerless puppet dancing on strings.”

“You give yourself too little credit Princess, You survived a civil war didn’t ya?” Hideto reminded

“I heard about that when the old King died all his children fought for supremacy right?”

“Yeah and nobody intervened because it was an internal conflict and thus Dresden’s mess to clean up?”

Lilith slouched her shoulders and started to look more apprehensive by the moment, Mari needed to think of a way to change the topic of the situation without it seeming obvious.

“I didn’t survive anything I was just lucky to be my mother's daughter.”

“Anna Octavia known far and wide as the indomitable Steel Queen”

“There are some who’d call her that I suppose, to me she’s just a deadbeat mother.” Lilith derided her mood changing like the flip of a light switch.

This really isn’t going well at this rate there might be an actual argument I really need to think of a quick way to break this tension before Lili bites.

“Master! Listen I have an urgent message for you.”

A crackling sound erupted and Hina appeared from thin air exasperated and dripping with sweat, her complexion had turned extremely pale too.

“Calm down Hina! Deep breaths and speak slowly.” Hideto comforted

“It’s...just….awful, Master, Mari….Princess… I…..”

“Edelgard is under attack!”

“What the hell?” Mari gasp

“We still have five days till D Day,” Lilith added

“Absolute scum’ Mari grimaced

“I figured they’d pull something, the bastards.”

“Explain what you know Hina.”

After calming her rattled nerves Hina explained that she was waiting for us to return and was watching over the city as usual when a chorus of screams caught her attention and dozens and dozens of Hyogo soldiers were crawling for the streets attacking the city guard and working their way towards the palace.

“Did you see any of my family among them?”

“Not that I glanced your family is likely not in the city yet.”

“Yeah but it won’t take long, Mari, Lilith we’re heading back now, it’ll be hell so be prepared to engage hostile and don’t hesitate to kill.”

Just thinking about the same people who took everything from her running rampant through the streets of her new home boiled her blood, this might be a losing war and they might have caught them unawares again but Mari would wet her skin in the blood and guts of her enemy.

“Let’s do this Bestie,” Mari smiled extending her hand  towards Lilith

“Hmm, I’ve got your back no matter what Riri.”

I’ll be needing you, Velvet.