Chapter 12: Dark Revelations
The Shepherds gathered in the command tent, an air of tension filling the space as Roy knelt before Chrom and Sybyrh. Despite his exhaustion, he maintained perfect formal posture.
"Lady Sybyrh," he bowed deeply. "To see you not only alive but as Exalt-Consort... our people would be proud."
Sybyrh's orange eyes softened. "Rise, Prince Roy. We are family here."
"Brother," Odyn stepped forward, Lucina at his side. "What did you learn while under their control? Who was behind the Dragon's Leash?"
Roy's expression darkened as he stood. "Something ancient. Something that makes Grima seem like a mere shadow." He looked around the tent, meeting each pair of eyes before continuing. "The fell dragon isn't the only threat to this world. There's another force stirring, one that remembers the dark elves' oath to the dragons... and seeks to corrupt it."
"What do you mean?" Robin leaned forward, tactical mind already working.
"They're collecting us. Enslaving any surviving dark elves they can find." Roy's fists clenched. "And... they've already captured others. Others we thought were lost."
Odyn went completely still. "Who?"
"Khanna... or as she prefers now, Seraphina. Our cousin lives, brother."
A sharp intake of breath from Odyn. Sybyrh's eyes widened in recognition of the name.
"And..." Roy's voice cracked slightly. "Sarai. Our little sister... she's alive too."
"By the gods," Odyn whispered, staggering slightly. Lucina caught his arm, supporting him. "Sarai? But she was just a child when..."
"She's grown now. Strong. Fighting the control when she can." Roy's orange eyes blazed with remembered pain. "I saw them both while under the Leash. They're being held in an ancient fortress, one built by our ancestors. The enemy... they're using our own sacred places against us."
"This is beyond coincidence," Frederick spoke up. "First the modified Risen using dark elf techniques, then Prince Roy under control, and now this revelation of more survivors being held captive?"
"They're building an army," Robin realized. "But for what purpose?"
"To break the oath," Sybyrh said quietly, her hand finding Chrom's. "The dark elves swore to protect the realms of light. If our power could be corrupted, turned against that very oath..."
"The consequences would be catastrophic," Chrom finished. "But why now? Why align with Grima's forces?"
"They're not aligned with Grima," Roy shook his head. "They're using the chaos Grima creates as cover. While all eyes are on the fell dragon, they gather their true forces. This entity... it's older than Grima. It remembers when dragons ruled, when our people first made their oath. And it hates us for it."
"Then we'll just have to save them!" Nowi piped up from where she'd been uncharacteristically quiet. "We can't let them hurt any more dragon-blessed people!"
"It won't be easy," Roy warned. "The fortress is heavily guarded, and the magic controlling them is strong. It took both Odyn's power and our shared blood-oath to break me free."
"Then we'll find another way," Lucina declared, her grip on Odyn's arm tightening. "We changed fate once. We can do it again."
"Lucina is right," Chrom stood, Falchion gleaming at his side. "The Shepherds don't abandon family – and through Sybyrh and Odyn, your family is our family now."
"Besides," Owain struck a pose, though his eyes were serious despite his dramatic stance, "what kind of epic would this be without a rescue mission to save the lost princess?"
"Sarai..." Odyn's voice was thick with emotion. "All this time... And Khanna too..."
"We'll save them, love," Lucina promised softly. "All of them."
Roy watched his brother and Lucina with a small smile despite the gravity of the situation. "The enemy doesn't know that their control over me has been broken," he offered. "That gives us an advantage. And..." he hesitated before continuing, "there's something else. Something about the future that Sarai managed to tell me during a moment of clarity."
All eyes turned to him, especially those of the future children.
"She said... 'The dragon's blessing becomes the world's curse, unless love proves stronger than fate.'" Roy looked meaningfully at Odyn and Lucina. "I think... I think she saw something. Something about what's coming."
The tent fell silent as the implications sank in. Finally, Sybyrh spoke, her voice carrying the weight of both queen and dark elf elder:
"Then we had best make sure love wins."
Outside the tent, storm clouds gathered on the horizon, as if the very skies sensed the weight of what was to come. The war for the future had just become far more complicated – and far more personal.
Chapter 13: Love before War; Odyn and Lucina's Wedding