Among the Ashes

I don’t want to lose you
I don’t want to use you
Just to have somebody by my side
And I don’t want to hate you
I don’t want to take you
But I don’t want to be the one to cry

That don’t really matter to anyone, anymore
But like a fool I keep losing my place
And I keep seeing you walk through that door

Now I could never change you
I don’t want to blame you
You don’t have to take the fall
Yes I may have hurt you
But I did not desert you
Maybe I just want to have it all

And like a fool who will never see the truth
I keep thinking something’s going to change

And there’s a danger in loving somebody too much
And it’s sad when you know its your heart they can’t touch
There’s a reason why people don’t stay who they are
‘Cause baby sometimes love just ain’t enough

~Patty Smyth and Don Henley “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”


Chapter 2
Ambush in the Night


Elice looked out over the parapets, waiting for a sign of her brother on the horizon. A curl of dust in the distance, a reflection off of his armor, any hint of movement at all. The sun had nearly vanished beneath the horizon, leaving a pale, grayish light over Anria. She had thought for sure that Marth would have returned from Hyrule by now. She sighed, leaning back against the newly erected pillar, looking down at her beloved kingdom.

So much had changed in such a short time. Only six years before, her ancient and decaying castle had been surrounded by a vast stretch of barren, bleak and war-torn plains.

Now, however, when she looked out into the dusk she could see hundreds of cozy homes, neatly plotted farms and shops with glowing windows glazed in frost. The large, dusty road that led from the castle gates and down through the city was bustling with people coming and going. The land seemed to have been reborn, as had her people. They were alive again, as she had never seen them in her lifetime.

After the devastation of the War of the Triforce Aritia had been left in a state of near destruction. Beaten, demoralized, homes destroyed, cities annihilated and their castle burned to the ground, the people of Aritia had faced the challenge of rebuilding an entire civilization. Although their bodies had been wounded their spirits had not been broken. They had emerged from the rubble more united and stronger than ever.

Elice looked down with pride at the castle she now called home - a testament to her people’s strength. They had built it together, clearing away the scarred remains of their former stronghold and rebuilding it brick by brick, stone by stone, completely anew. It now stood as the crowning jewel, tall and strong, in the midst of their ever flourishing city of Anria. The towers rose up into the sky with elegance and pride. As Elice ran her hand over the polished parapet she was seated upon she couldn’t help but be moved.

It still astonished the Princess that her people could have recovered from such devastating circumstances with such fervor and high spirits. She was amazed at their resilience, but she also knew what had kept them going, even when life was at its bleakest.

Marth had led his people with strength and fortitude, always looked forward to the future. He had pushed them, encouraged them, given them courage when they didn’t think they could hold on any longer. He had given them hope when they had none left.

The new castle stood as a symbol of Marth’s leadership, an emblem of unity and determination. No longer were her people scattered abroad, solitary and isolated. They now stood together as one, ready to fight as one should misfortune befall them once more. Looking out into the peaceful twilight, however, Elice couldn’t believe that such danger could ever touch them again. She felt as though she were on top the world – everything in its rightful place, peaceful and calm. All was right with the world, and she and her people were untouchable. They wouldn’t fall again.

An icy breeze blew by, sending a chill up her spine. She shivered violently and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her, pulling her hood down further over her face.

Clouds on the horizon threatened an oncoming snowstorm. A bad one by the looks of it. She hoped that Marth would return home soon and not get stuck out on the plains in a blizzard. She really couldn’t see what could be keeping him so long.

She shifted again, craning her neck to search as far out to the horizon as possible. Part of her was dying to see the gates open wide with the call of his return. Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny that she was worried. Despite herself, deep down, she knew that she was hoping he would return alone.

All at once the world went black and Elice felt a pair of hands slip over her eyes. She gasped in shock as they pulled her closer, then a familiar voice broke through her fear.

“Guess who.”

Elice whirled around and wrapped her arms around her assailant, kissing him deeply. When she opened her eyes she gasped even louder. “You’re not Jeigan!”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Roy rolled his eyes, then smiled.

“I guess you’ll have to do.” Elice laughed, kissing him softly once more. “Mm, I’m glad you’re home.” She snuggled into the warmth of his arms and sighed.

“Me too.” Roy smiled, breathing her in and feeling content for the first time in weeks. Holding her close, the cold winter air seemed to have lost its bite.

“I was worried about you,” she replied softly. “You’ve been gone longer than you had planned.”

“Well, things are a lot worse than we first imagined when Marth sent us out there.”

Elice lifted her cheek from shoulder. “What did you find?”

“Nothing good,” Roy sighed. “Akanea’s lost control of everything. You know after Zelda clobbered their army, they started losing control of their whole empire. They spread themselves to wide and stretched too thin.” He shrugged. “They’ve pulled out almost all of their troops from the countries they occupied, and the people are standing up against them. Talis booted them out, Gra is free and Orleans, Bares, Garudia, Dolua, Macedonia, even as far north as Kadain, Narga and Grunia.”

“Really?” Elice drudged up a smile. “Well, that’s even better than we’d hoped.”

“Yeah.” Roy leaned up against the pillar, rubbing his hands along her arms. “Akanea’s really nothing more than a scattered army with no leadership, no loyalties and no purpose. Hardin’s son is a waste of skin, and an even poorer excuse for a king.”

“Yes.” Elice’s eyes darkened at the mention of Hardin’s name.

“Zagaro’s troops don’t seem to feel any sense of loyalty to him,” Roy snorted. “He couldn’t give orders to a tavern maid, let alone an entire army. They’re just falling to pieces in every direction.”

“Well, that’s good isn’t it?” Elice tried again, though she could see in Roy’s eyes that this news was not uplifting.

“It would be if everyone would just pick up the pieces and go on with their lives in peace.”

“What do you mean?” Elice frowned with concern.

“Akanea’s basically leaderless, but so is everyone else. A lot of these kingdoms have been under Hardin’s rule for decades. Their old leaders were killed when Hardin came in so that there would be no questioning his power. Now that they are free, the people don’t know what to do with themselves. It is chaos out there.”

“Oh.” Elice sank her shoulder against the wall. “Yeah, Marth was afraid of that.”

“Yeah, like in Macedonia,” Roy went on, his voice tense. “Their King was murdered when Hardin took control and his two sons died in the war that followed. Now that they are on their own they have no heir to the throne. Everyone’s trying to claim it. The kingdom is splintering and dividing into small groups, each fighting for the throne. Civil war is breaking out.

“I mean, they’re finally free from Hardin after all these years, and now they’re actually turning on their own people and killing themselves!” Roy threw up his hands in frustration. “Then they turn to their neighbors and start arguing over borders and land and property rights. It never ends!”

He sighed and leaned back over the wall. Elice moved closer, watching his face as he spoke, staring off into the distant streets of Anria.

“They’ve been oppressed for so long that they don’t know how to deal with freedom. Macedonia isn’t alone. The same thing is happening in countries all over the continent. It’s total anarchy out there.” He turned slowly, meeting Elice’s eyes. “It won’t be long before it hits us here.”

“That’s not true.” Elice nudged her shoulder against his. “We have a leader.”

“Yeah,” Roy muttered.

Elice scowled slightly. “Marth’s doing his best. He’s the only thing that’s kept this Kingdom together through all of this.”

“I know you trust him, and I want to trust him too,” he said quickly, “but, come on, Elice. I mean, when was the last time he sent a group out on an important mission like this out without even bothering to go along? We can’t pretend that everything is peachy while the world around us is going up in flames. And that includes Marth.”

“Well, of course we shouldn’t bury our heads in the sand,” Elice answered, “but I don’t think we should give up, either. We’ll get through this. We’ve been through worse.”

Roy smiled at her, once again just happy to be back. “Spoken like a true leader, Little Princess,” he said affectionately.

“How long do you plan on calling me that?” Elice asked with a twitch of a smile.

“Until I think of something better,” he grinned impishly. “Hey, that are we doing just standing out here? It’s freezing! Let’s go find Marth so I can report what we found.”

“He’s not here.” Elice shifted.

Roy paused. “Well, where is he?”

She lifted her head a little. “He’s in Hyrule.”

“Oh,” Roy sighed. “I should have known. He’s finally going to do it, then? Well, that’s just great. He sends us out on an expedition out to the furthest corner of the world while he parades off to Hyrule looking for love.”

“This is important, though,” Elice assured him, putting her hands on his arms. “He’s feeling a lot of pressure from the people.”

“What business is it of theirs?”

“We belong to them, Roy. In a way, everything is their business.” She found herself reluctantly resigned to this reality.

“Well, what about Marth?” Roy asked with raised eyebrows. “Is this what he wants?”

Elice didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. The line between Marth’s desires for himself and his desire to serve his people had been blurred beyond recognition long ago.

“I think he wants to want it,” she replied quietly.

“Well,” Roy said after a moment of silence, “either way, the next time Marth organizes a party to go tromping off to outer Lycia, he’s going to have to ask someone else to lead them. I’m beat!”

He yawned loudly and stretched his arms out around her shoulder, pulling her in closer.

“But he trusts you.” Elice snuggled under his arm.

“I still can’t figure that one out.” He shook his head.

“Me neither,” she quipped.

Roy laughed, giving her a squeeze as they started across the parapets.

“Seriously, though, Elice,” he said, suddenly tense.

“What?” She cocked her head.

“Jeigan?” he replied flatly, pulling a pained face.

“Don’t you worry about that.” Elice patted him on the cheek, smiled sweetly and then turned to go down the stairwell.

“That’s not even funny!” he called after her.

The princess simply laughed in reply, her voice echoing down the hall behind her.

“Hey, Elice!” he shouted, laughing as he caught up to her and took her hand. “You think you’re real hilarious, don’t you?”

“Why not?” she raised an eyebrow. “So do – ”

She cut off, her eyes catching a dim light down the corridor.

“What?” Roy turned, seeing no one.

“Marth’s home?” Elice said half in question, pulling Roy down the darkened hallway.

“How can you tell?”

Elice inclined her head towards the door to Marth’s chamber. The faint light of a candle danced in the small crack between the door and the tile.

“Uh, oh….” Roy rocked back on his feet, hiding a smirk.

Elice shot Roy a look, then headed for the door, knocking gently. When no answer came she opened it slowly and peeked inside.

“Marth?” Elice said called, entering the room warily.

Marth barely lifted his head in response to her voice, then dropped his brow back into his hands.

Elice bit her lip, and shut the door behind her, hesitating.

“I didn’t see you come back,” she kept her voice gentle and calm.

Marth slowly raised his head again. “Yes, well, I opted not to announce my arrival.”

Elice stood in the doorway for a moment, her hand still tightly clenched around the knob, not knowing whether to leave or stay.

“She said no.” Marth sat back in his chair again, rubbing his brow with his hand.

“Oh,” Elice replied, fighting back sense of relief that his confirmation brought to her. But it only took a moment of watching his broken expression and hearing the pain in his voice to make it go away.

“Oh, Marth,” she sighed and took a seat on the couch beside him. “I’m so sorry.” She put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed his back. “What happened?”

Marth paused a long moment, his jaw line pulsing with tension.

“She said no!” He burst, lifting his hand to look at his sister. “She couldn’t leave Hyrule, her home, her father, everything, just for me. She couldn’t give it all up to come here,” he sighed. “I can’t even compete with a horse… not that I blame her.”

Elice bit her lips again, trying not to smile when she knew how much he was hurting.

“Malon is… a simple girl.” Elice chose her words carefully. “She might have been enticed by the excitement you offered at first, but I’m sure this is all for the best.”

“What does that mean?” Marth turned on her. “I’m nothing more than an exciting fling? That I can’t settle down and have a family?”

“Marth.” Elice’s eyes tightened, but he went on.

“She’s not one of those giggling courtiers, trying to snag a moment with me so they can laugh it up with their friends,” he growled, glaring down at his lap. “I know what they want!”

“You think I don’t go through the same thing?” Elice turned up a skeptical brow. “You’re royalty, Marth! That’s what they do! And if you haven’t noticed, you’re actually quite handsome.”

“Well, thank you.” He rolled his eyes and sat back, glaring.

Elice sat for a moment, fighting back her tongue again before she could speak.

“Some of them aren’t so bad, you know?” She leaned forward. “Some of the Healing girls – I know them all, I can tell you which ones are the twits and which ones are worth it.”

“I’ve just been rejected, Elice! I don’t want to be set up - again!”

Elice’s brow furrowed. “I’m just trying to help, Marth. We both know Malon wasn’t the right girl. What’s the use in pretending? She wouldn’t be happy here. It has nothing to do with how much of a catch you are. She just has simple needs, wants a simple life.”

“This life is anything but simple,” Marth sighed bitterly once more.

“Then you know she made the right decision for both of you. It was a brave thing she did, and strong too, to keep her head with you trying to sweep her off her feet.”

“It doesn’t seem too difficult a feat to refuse me,” Marth muttered.

“Marth, it was for the best,” she assured him. “She wasn’t right for you.”

“Unless I’m mistaken, you never liked her to begin with. You and Roy!”

“That isn’t true!” Elice denied. “And don’t lump Roy in with me on this. The only reason I didn’t like her was because I want you to be happy and I know she could never do that for you!

“You know why?” She sat up straight, not giving Marth the chance to answer. “Because she isn’t strong enough. I wouldn’t wish our lives on anyone, Marth. Especially not on a farm girl from Hyrule. If she was smart enough to see it, then really… all I can do is respect that. But you didn’t do anything wrong. Please,” she begged. “Don’t sit here and blame yourself.”

Marth stared unblinkingly forward at the wall, glowering. Elice waited in silence until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Did you truly love her?” she asked.

Marth’s shoulders tensed and he glanced sideways. “What?”

Elice kept her eyes locked on his. “Did you love her?”

Marth turned his gaze away. “The people are starting to grow restless,” he mumbled, fingering the wooden arm of the couch. “They want a queen. They need an heir.”

“She would not make a good queen,” Elice replied. “Not for our people or as your wife.”

Marth sat for a moment, his fingers clenching before he turned again.

“Well, that am I supposed to do? I have an obligation!”

“I know you’re trying to fulfill your responsibility but, for Anri’s sake, Marth, you’re only human! You can’t be expected to live your life in misery all in the name of duty. And you certainly shouldn’t feel obligated to drag an unwitting girl along with you. It isn’t fair to either of you. You are entitled to some happiness!”

“I tried that once.” Marth’s voice lowered, and he dropped his eyes. “I think I’ve proved that when I try to live for my own desires it will only end in disaster. Never again, Elice.”

Elice paused for a moment, then spoke slowly. “You still love her, don’t you?”

“I – ” he stuttered. “I shouldn’t.” He buried his head once more miserably in his hands. “I know I shouldn’t.”

“Oh, Marth…. You don’t have to do this to yourself,” Elice pleaded. “If anyone understands this, it’s me. You know that.”

She reached over and tried to make him lift his head up, though he shrugged away.

Elice sighed and let go, letting her hands fall helplessly back into her lap. “You will never be happy until you can let go of her,” she said quietly. “She’s gone. She’s moved on. And what have you done?”

A moment of thick silence lingered in the air before Elice let out her breath again and forged on.

“You can’t leave a wound to fester and sore, then wrap a bandage around it and pretend it’ll heal as long as you don’t think about it.” She shrugged. “It just… it doesn’t work.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Marth looked up, the same haunted, broken sense of pain flickering in his eyes. “Maybe there’s just no hope for me.”

“Yes there is,” Elice replied. “But it’s up to you to find it.”

Marth jerked to his feet, pacing. “How can you simply let go? I can’t let her go. I can’t let any of it go. I can’t forget what happened- what I did. What I was…”

“That’s just your guilt talking!” Elice stood up beside him. “This isn’t about Malon, or Zelda anymore. This is about you. You have got to forgive yourself!”

Marth turned to look at his sister, pausing for a moment.

“What if I can’t do that?” he asked quietly.

His sister sighed, letting her shoulders fall. “Then you will never be happy.”

***

Elice shut the door behind her and stepped into the dark hallway, leaving her brother alone once more. She let out her breath and leaned her back against his door, feeling exhausted and deflated.

“Boy, you sure know how to cheer someone up.” Roy came up beside her.

Elice glanced up with a skip of her heart.

“You heard all that?” She bit at her lip. She’d forgotten all about him waiting in the hall.

“Of course I did, I was right here.” He shrugged. “I take it that he’s not going to be getting married?”

“No.” Elice shook her head, and leaned forward into Roy’s arms. “You don’t think I was too hard on him, do you?”

“Well, I think you were right about what you said,” he replied slowly.

Elice sighed once more. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, I’m glad you said something. Someone had to.”

“I know,” she mumbled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I’m losing him, Roy.”

Roy paused, then pulled her closer.

“He puts on a front for everyone else, but, sometimes… it’s like he’s not even my brother anymore,” she said quietly, rocking slightly with the motion of his arms. “Ever since the War of the Triforce… I’ve never really got him back.”

The two stood in silence for a long while, Elice staring ahead, lost in her own thoughts while Roy absentmindedly rubbed her back.

“I had a dream about you last night,” he said finally, this arbitrary thought breaking Elice’s concentration. She looked up at Roy, her expression melting.

“What about me?” She couldn’t help but smile, lifting her eyes to look at him.

Roy smiled back, and tipped her chin up to kiss her.

“Princess!” A tall, broad-shouldered man, clad in armor rushed into the hall, jolting them out of the moment.

“What?” Roy snapped.

“Oh, Roy, you’re back!” The man pulled off his helmet, letting his spiked, auburn hair fall down in careful disarray across the brow of his strong-lined face. “There’s been an attack in the city!”

“Jeigan?” Elice pulled herself from Roy’s grasp. “What do you mean? What’s happened?”

“I don’t know for certain, but I was told to inform you and get you somewhere safe,” Jeigan rushed on, but Elice had already turned away.

“Marth!” Elice ran back down the hall, thrusting open his door unceremoniously. “The city’s under attack! Hurry!”

“Marth’s back?” Jeigan’s brow furrowed. “I thought I was in – ”

“Let’s go!” Elice whirled around once more and flew back down the hall.

“Princess, wait!” Jeigan grabbed her arm and held her still. “It’s my job to keep you safe. You’re not going out - ”

“Oh, don’t ‘Princess’ me, Jeigan!” She shirked his arm off and twisted away.

“Elice.” Jeigan stomped after her. “Look, for once would you please listen to me?”

“I don’t have to anymore.” She raised her eyebrows quickly and poked him in the chest. “You made sure of that. Remember?”

Jeigan sighed darkly and looked up at the ceiling. “Elice, you can’t just – ”

“Fine! You just stand here. I’m going to protect my people!” Elice fired back. “Come on, Roy!”

She pushed past Jeigan and running towards the stairwell as Marth appeared in his doorway with his blade, looking disheveled but resolute.

“So, there you are!” Roy glared at Jeigan. “I’m onto you!” he growled threateningly while the Captain of the Guard just stared back in confusion.

“Roy, come on!” Marth rushed past and grabbed him by the collar, spurring him on his way.

“You too, Jeigan!” Marth called as he rushed down the stairwell after his sister with Roy at his heels.

“Elice! Do you want to get yourself killed?” Marth barked. “Just do what Jeigan says. You don’t even know what’s out there!”

“Then maybe we’d better find out!” Elice shot back, never slowing down as pushed through the front doors, then out across the courtyard to the front gate.

They joined the throng of soldiers swarming out of the castle and onto the streets of Upper Anria. Despite it all, an ominous, eerie silence had fallen over the city. The clouds above had broken, letting loose a steady stream of snowfall, glittering white against the black sky.

“Kain!” Marth called, his breath fogging in the frigid air like smoke.

A nearby soldier turned, his short, black hair flecked with snow.

“Marth?” His dark eyes widened in recognition and he hurried forward. “What are you doing here?”

“What’s happened?” Marth asked, glancing over the troops. “Jeigan said there was an attack.”

“There was, Sir, but it’s over now,” Kain replied, glancing at Elice skeptically. “Someone broke into a home on the outskirts of town. By the time my men got there it was too late. The old man who lived there… he was murdered. His granddaughter too. They caused quite an uproar. I’m sorry this entire situation seems to have been blown out of proportion. We’ve just been on high alert, knowing you were out of the Kingdom.”

“Where?” Marth demanded, already stepping forward with his sword in hand.

“Where what, Sir?” Kain glanced at Jeigan who simply shrugged, keeping a close eye on the Princess.

“The attack,” Marth clarified.

“Oh. It’s too late.” Kain put his hand on the prince’s arm. “It’s over. The attacker vanished before anything could be done. He’s gone.”

“No.” Marth tried to twist around, but Kain steadied him.

“Marth.” Kain’s deep voice boomed. “It’s over,” he said again, quietly. “I’m sorry.”

A stony, cold expression washed over Marth’s face. “Take me to the house.”

Kain hesitated a moment, stealing another glance at Jeigan, then nodded. “Yes, of course.”

He led Marth’s small group through the winding streets, tracking a mass of footprints through the ever-thickening layer of snow. The large manors of Upper Anria shrank into the smaller, more closely packed homes and shops of the Proper. Kain took them out further, to the edge of the city, overlooking the farmlands beyond, and stopped in front of a humble, single-roomed house.

Besides the fact that the front door had been smashed in and knocked off of its hinges, at first glance nothing else seemed particularly wrong. A fire still crackled in the hearth, filling the room with a flickering orange light that might have looked welcoming under different circumstances. Now, however, the dancing light looked menacing and violent, as though they were entering forbidden ground.

The room was disheveled and utterly ransacked. Furniture, wall hangings, dishes and all manner of paraphernalia lay smashed into bits, destroyed, broken and scattered about the floor.

“Elice – ” Jeigan tried once more to pull the Princess away but she pushed past him, followed closely by Roy.

“There could be someone hurt in there – oh!” Elice gasped and froze momentarily, then darted forward.

“Elice, stop.” Kain blocked her.

“But – ” she pointed at the two bodies lying still, under the rubble. “I have to – ”

“It’s too late, Princess.” Kain sheathed his sword. “They’re already gone.”

“Who are they?” Marth asked quietly, stepping into the house.

“The elderly man’s name was Banut.” A nearby soldier, one of the Elite Guard, stepped up. “And his granddaughter- ”

“Chiki,” Marth finished.

“You knew her, Sir?” Deverell asked, pulling off his helmet.

“Yes… both of them,” Marth replied in a hollow voice. “They helped us in the fight against Dolua. They helped me save Elice.” He paused. “She was only a young woman… Who did this?”

“We don’t know, Sir.” Elite Officer Merrick stepped forward. “They obviously struggled, but there’s no sign of the intruder. The whole place has been upturned like they were searching for something, but these were poor people. What could they possibly have that was worth murder?”

“I want this city locked down,” Marth ordered loudly. “Spread out! Search every street, every home, every building, everywhere! I want their murderer brought to justice!”

“Yes, Sir.” Merrick tipped his head and turned, shouting out orders.

In an instant soldiers were flying out the door, taking up a search of the city.

Elice lingered a moment in the now quiet doorway of the home. She took a moment to kneel beside the bodies, gently closing their eyes in final rest.

“Come on.” Roy came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go. There’s nothing we can do, here.”

Elice nodded and stood, fighting back tears as she took one last look around the ruined homed. She let out her breath and turned, right from under Roy’s hand, then tromped outside. Tears streaking down her cheeks, she pulled out her bow and fit it with an arrow before her feet even left the threshold.

“I know you’re out here!” she shouted through the snowy night. “Come out and fight!” she shrieked, growing more frantic by the second.

“Elice,” Roy hurried towards her. “What are you doing? Come on, it isn’t safe out here!”

“Coward!” Elice cried, tears of fury still welling in her eyes. “Let go!” she jerked out of Roy’s hands. “You want me? I’m right here! Fight! I’m not afraid of-“

Elice’s voice cut off as a high whistling sound pierced the air and for a moment the world stood still. She swayed for a moment, half turning towards Roy, her eyes wide and pained. A strangled gasp escaped her throat, just before she fell to the ground, landing with a soft thump in the snow.

“Elice!” Both Roy and Marth screamed, rushing towards her, a slew of soldiers in their wake. In an instant Elice was surrounded by soldiers brandishing weapons and peering murderously out into the night.

“I got it!” Officer Conner’s bow tightened and he stood guard over the fallen body of the Princess, ready to shoot at the first sign of attack.

“Elice!” Marth rolled his sister onto her back, searching her for injuries. His eyes finally spotted a small dart sticking out of her neck. He swore softly and pulled it from her skin, the worry only growing on his face.

“Poisoned!” he cursed again and threw the dart away. “Jeigan, get her back to the – ”

Marth looked up just in time to see a second dart hurtling towards him and he threw himself into the snow, ducking out of the way. Before anyone had time to react, however, a shadowed figure emerged through the darkness, leaping at them with a sword in each hand, poised to strike.

The assailant landed deftly in the snow inches from Elice’s fallen body, reaching for her quicker than lightning.

“Ah ha!” Conner’s bow twanged, but the man spun, splitting the arrow in two with one of his blades.

The Elite Officer took a step back, grabbing for another arrow, but his hand barely reached the quiver when a dart struck him in the arm. He hit the ground before he could make a sound.

“Conner!” For a split second Marth lay in shock, looking up at a figure dressed entirely in black, draped in a heavy cloak with a sash of black cloth masking the bottom half of his face.  They locked eyes for an instant before the man lunged for Elice again.

Marth screamed and dove for her but Roy was faster. With an enraged bellow of a beast Roy rammed the attacker, sending him flying.

The man shot to his feet, blades raised. Roy barely had time to scramble to his feet before he had a blade swiping for his chest. The two men flew at each other, swords whipping through the air and colliding with trembling force. With every strike, the masked attacker tried to make his way back to Elice, though the princess had been completely surrounded with soldiers.

“Take her back to the castle!” Marth scooped her up from the snow and passed her into Kain’s arms. “Go!”

“Got you covered!” Jeigan raised his sword and fell into step behind Kain. “Surround her!” he ordered.

A dozen soldiers fell into place, guarding their princess.

The cloaked swordsman tried to follow but Roy kept up a relentless fight, blocking his path.

“Out of my way,” the man growled, receiving only a obscene suggestion from Roy in reply.

“Suit yourself.” The swordsman leapt to the side, dodging a blow from Roy’s sword.

Roy cursed loudly, and turned, rage burning in his chest. He paused only for a moment, tightening the grip on his sword. He reeled back, then let loose a scream as he swung his sword, releasing a wave of fire.

The attacker turned, forced to dodge out of pure desperation, though the flames singed the tips of his cloak. His eyes narrowed and he glared as Roy broke through the fire, ready to strike again. The man paused, considering for a moment, then took another try at nabbing Elice.

He caught Jeigan’s blade and stood locked for a moment with foes closing in on all sides. Jeigan heaved his weight against his blade, pushing the man back. He stumbled in the snow, his dark eyes narrowing with fury as Jeigan strode forward, blade raised to strike.

“Hey, save some for me!” Roy called, his boots crunching over the last sparks of flame still dancing on the snow.

Roy and Jeigan attacked simultaneously, forcing the man into further retreat. Undaunted, he blocked Jeigan on the right, then Roy on the left and lunged forward, swords spinning madly.

“Get her through the gate!” Marth shouted, trusting his Guard to carry Elice the rest of the way.

Not until the massive gate clanged shut behind him, safely blocking his sister from danger, did Marth turn back to the battle. Unsheathing the Falchion as he turned, he ran back through the snow to join the fray.

“Ha!” Jeigan grunted, slamming his broadsword into the assailant’s right blade, knocking it spinning from his grasp.

“Ha!” Roy laughed, sneering as they closed in.

The man twisted away, single-bladed now, and surrounded on all sides.

“Surrender yourself!” Marth ordered, marching forward with the Falchion pointed forward.

A short, clipped laugh came muffled through the cloth of the man’s mask. His eyes flitted to Marth, but he turned on his opposite heel and caught Jeigan’s sword again.

Roy lunged in to attack, but the man caught him by the wrist, swinging him off of his feet and right into Jeigan. Armor clanged against armor and the two soldiers collapsed in a heap in the snow.

“Get off!” Roy cursed and struggled to disentangle himself from Jeigan.

“Roy!” Jeigan roared, and shoved him off.

“Stop!” Marth shouted, his eyes never leaving Elice’s attacker.

The man froze, staring at Marth with a glint in his shadowed eyes.

“Surrender.” Marth took a step forward. “Or die.”

The man cocked his head. “Really?”

Marth’s eyes narrowed and he lunged, but the man heaved to the side catching a guard at the gate. She cried out, sword drawn, but he knocked it away and caught her around the neck, pressing his own blade to her skin.

Marth froze, heart pounding as the man’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

“I surrender,” he sneered, then slashed the blade at her throat.

A woman’s scream broke through the night air, and a second soldier jumped in, attacking the man from behind. He twisted back, his blade grazing along the skin of the back of his captive’s neck. Blood splattered, crimson red on the unblemished snow, followed by a chunk of her long, blonde hair.

“Tasha!” the second soldier shrieked, staring in horror at the body lying bleeding in the snow. She screamed again, raising her glaive in a spinning attack.

“Private Forge, no!” Jeigan shouted, scrambling to his feet.

The masked man’s sword smashed through the staff of her weapon, severing it in two. She stopped in her tracks, eye bulging and her face pale. Her hand went to her side, and she closed her fingers over a gaping wound in her abdomen.

Blood poured down her side, pooling at her feet in the snow. She swayed once, her jaw falling open in a silent cry of pain before she collapsed.

“Hayley!” Jeigan shot forward, falling on his knees next to the bodies of the two fallen and bleeding women.

Marth caught his breath and whirled around, eyes searching for a target for his blade, but the man was gone.

“Where did he go?” Roy growled, his eyes darting about frantically.

“I don’t know,” Marth huffed, his breath coming in short, foggy spurts as he searched the area.

“Where’d he go?” Roy screamed at the surrounding soldiers, to no avail.

“Marth!” Jeigan shouted, still kneeling in the snow beside the wounded soldiers. “Open the gate!” He turned back to the soldiers, screaming so loudly his voice echoed against the sky. “Tie something around her neck!” He directed the soldiers closest to Natasha.

Marth’s fist trembled and he clenched the hilt of his sword tighter, still searching for the man who had done this.

“Marth!” Jeigan barked.

The prince turned his head, whipping the snow from the tips of his hair.

“They’re still alive.” Jeigan glanced down at the woman whose wound he was holding shut with his bare hands.

“Get them inside!” Marth snapped to attention. “Get them to the Hall! Now!”

The soldiers working on Natasha lifted her up and started for the castle.

“Help me!” Jeigan shouted from the ground.

“I’ve got her.” A soldier scooped Hayley into his arms.

“Keep her wound closed, Bryce,” Jeigan directed. “And hurry!”

“Yes, Sir!” He followed led the way and they followed the tracks up through the castle doors.

Marth watched them cross the threshold before he let out his breath, and turned back to his troops.

“I want this tower under triple guard,” the Prince shouted unequivocally. “No one comes near this gate. I want everyone else out on those streets and I want that murderer captured. The life of your Princess has just been compromised and I want retribution! Now, go!”

Jeigan huffed and took off, barking orders and taking immediate charge.

“And someone, bring Conner back in,” Marth added.

“We’re on it, Sir.” Merrick clapped him on the shoulder and followed Jeigan into action.

“Right,” Roy growled, marching forward.

“Roy!” Marth shouted. “What are you – ”

“You go and make sure she’s all right.” Roy turned and said forcefully, fire blazing on the tip of his sword. “I am going to get some of that retribution.”

Marth watched with narrowed eyes as his army fanned out, swarming through the city. Blade still in hand, Marth turned for the castle, watching the movement of every shadow as he hurried to his sister’s side.

***

It was well after midnight when Roy reentered the gates. The storm had been unceasing, leaving over a foot of fresh snow on the ground. He was frozen to the bone, his fingers long ago gone numb, though they still stung with the cold. They had searched everywhere with no sign of the intruder, and at last they had been forced to give up.

Still seething with rage, he stormed back into the castle, itching for vengeance he knew he wouldn’t be getting tonight. But he would. He vowed, now – he would.

Opting out of Jeigan’s pep talk in the entry hall, he made his weary way up to Elice’s room, finding it guarded by two sentinels and Marth inside, asleep in a chair in the corner.

Marth jerked awake at the sound of the door shutting, though Elice remained unmoved, asleep, in her bed.

“How is she?” Roy sounded almost afraid to ask.

“The Healers say she’ll be all right,” Marth replied quietly, rubbing at his eyes. “They’re fairly certain it was only a sedative on the dart. They’re working on the two women,” he sighed darkly. “They think they’ll pull through, but I don’t know for sure. They threw me out of the Hall for hovering!”

“Imagine that,” Roy muttered.

“What kind of monster…” Marth growled, taking a moment to calm himself. “Their families have been informed. They’re being taken care of. That’s all we can do.” He paused. “Oh, and Conner’s fine, too. His wife’s with him now.”

Roy didn’t reply- didn’t know how to express his relief. Instead he sat down by her bed and took her hand.

Marth quickly glanced away.

“Any sign of him?” he inquired.

Roy shook his head in frustration and for a moment the two sat in silence.

“She’s not going to want me to tell you this, but I’m going to anyway,” Roy said hastily. “After this, I don’t care what she thinks. You have to know.”

“Know what?” Marth asked, his eyes narrowing.

“This isn’t the first time she’s been attacked,” Roy turned to his friend and spoke bluntly. “Someone tried to break into the castle a few months ago, one of the times you were gone in Hyrule. Whoever it was, they snuck into the castle, knocked her bedroom door down and ransacked the room. Luckily she wasn’t in her room at the time, she was with me on the roof- uh- talking,” Roy’s face went suddenly red and he coughed nervously. Marth gave him a scrupulous look but didn’t say anything. “We were coming back downstairs, walking down the hall and we were attacked.”

“Was it the same man- the one from tonight?” Marth asked.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t see that guy’s face tonight, but the one who broke in before had a weird, metal mask on. It looked like some sort of wild animal. I fought him off, and Elice called the guards. He kept trying to get at her, but Elice fought back and we held them off until the guards came.” Roy paused, watching Marth for a response. When he didn’t get one, he went on.

“Whoever it was, they didn’t like being surrounded in such a tight space and he just gave up. He dashed down the hall, into your room, actually. He leapt out the window and vanished. Elice was pretty shook up.” Roy looked down at her sleeping form. “But other than that she was all right.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me this?” Marth growled.

“She didn’t want you to worry.” Roy shrugged. “She made the guards promise not to tell you anything. Come to think of it, she made me promise too. I don’t care, though. I don’t want anything to happen to her, and she’s obviously in more danger than she first thought.”

“Someone is trying to kill her and because she doesn’t want me to worry, it’s okay to just pretend everything’s fine?” Marth shot to his feet, pacing now.

“Maybe if you weren’t so wrapped up in yet another quest for love in Hyrule she wouldn’t feel such a need to protect you.” Roy shot back. “You’re so stressed out all the time she didn’t want to put anything else on you. If you were here at all, you’d see that!”

Marth was sent into a stunned silence for a moment before replying quietly. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me going to Hyrule anymore. It’s over.”

Roy looked a little uncomfortable and didn’t reply.

“Regardless,” Marth went on, “she shouldn’t have been out there tonight. She could have died. If she didn’t have the sense to see that I had hoped that you would have.”

“I don’t think they were trying to kill her,” Roy replied.

“No,” Marth replied sarcastically. “Everything’s just fine, because Elice says it is. Look at her!”

“Exactly!” Roy letting his frustration boil over once more. “If they’d wanted to kill her tonight it wouldn’t have been that little dart in her neck it would have been an arrow! That night they broke into the castle I said they were trying to get to her, not hurt her. He was trying to kill me. Elice was fighting back and it seemed like he didn’t want to hurt her.”

“What are you saying? Someone wants her abducted?” Marth asked. “Who?”

“All I know is what I know,” Roy replied with a sigh. “She’s the princess and she’s your sister. That puts a pretty big target on her back.”

“You said her room was torn apart?” Marth mused grimly. “They were looking for something?”

“Sure looked that way,” Roy said with a shrug.

“But what?” Marth sat back down looking perplexed. Roy didn’t answer. He’d been over it in his mind a thousand times since the attack and he didn’t have any answers. Elice was a powerful figure and in these times of turmoil Aritia had countless enemies.

“He tried to hit you too, Marth,” Roy said suddenly.

“What?”

“He shot a dart at you too tonight. And whoever broke into the castle went for your chamber too,” Roy said seriously.

“Who would want Elice and I?” Marth asked mostly to himself. “And why?”

“Plenty of people for plenty of reasons. Things aren’t as peaceful as they look.” Roy went on to explain to Marth all he had found on his travels over the countryside. Marth had sent Roy and his company out to gather information about the welfare of the continent since Akanea’s fall. He was prepared for the worst, and Roy gave it to him.

“There’s not much peace to be had anywhere at the moment,” Roy said somberly. “Everyone wants to pretend that everything’s fine here, but it isn’t. Sooner or later it was bound to hit us. You had to know that, Marth.”

“I think it’s safe to say that we have officially been affected,” Marth agreed, looking down at his sister. “Someone is out for blood. If they want a fight, they’ll get one.”

Roy couldn’t help but sigh. Just when life had seemed to settle into the first sense of stability he could ever remember it was all yanked out from under him once more.

He stroked Elice’s hand gently. He would fight. He had to. Just the sight of her lying before him, knowing that her life was in danger made his heart sink and his blood boil. Rage and fear intermingled into a dangerous blend flowing through his veins. Marth was right, if someone wanted to wage war on everything he cared about he had no choice but to fight.


*****