Chapter Text
War was upon the realm.
Not the political, cold, calculated exchange of snipes and secrets Nohr knew they would win with no struggle. No this was the bloody, exhausting, overwhelmingly dark depressive world of battlefields and battered bodies that would require more resources than available.
Niles was fine with both possibilities, though he knew his strength was in wandering the seedy underground in the two nations gathering intel. He thrived on being of both worlds; an outlaw with friends in low places and a retainer rubbing elbows with the elite.
Being spared his life had been more than he could have hoped for. Being allowed to continue his shady activities in the name of protecting their proud nation was the icing on the delectably devious cake he called life.
Much like any other day, Niles was called to the war council room by his liege after the other royal family members and nobles had been dismissed. Many of the higher class members in the castle found his company…uncomfortably intriguing to say it in the kindest way possible. The former thief was used to disdain and discomfort in his life, and thrived on both pleasure and pain as they came.
Unlike any other day, another presence joined his master in strategizing for future advancements from Hoshidian forces. Leo’s older brother, Prince Corr, brough to them from the Northern Fortress several years back to begin the grooming process of living a noble life. Innocent, naive, and just a bit too trusting for this single-eyed outlaw’s tastes, the prince always had a way of getting people to follow his lead without good reason. Even the calculating and cynical prince in dark black armor that gave him orders on the regular.
“Niles,” Leo nodded in acknowledgment of his entrance to the room.
“Milord Leo,” an abbreviated bow was the retainer’s response, “Prince Corr. I hear potential congratulations are in order if it’s to be believed you’ll be in an arranged marriage with Princess Azura of Hoshido”
“Niles! Leo says the job I have in mind could only be accomplished by a man of your...talents,” the young man smiled tepidly. Something unheard of from the usually explosively emotionally expressive individual.
“Why you flatter me, sir. What information did you need me extract from our friends on the outside this time? Perhaps something about your potential future bride-to-be?” Niles suavely wandered behind the two men, getting dangerously close to their personal space. Leo groaned in agitation, and Corr shifted the weight of his feet in discomfort. The change in the air of the room seemed apparent. Niles wasn’t sure if the cause was the assignment or the invasion of their bubble.
“It’s about our sister…” Corr rubbed his hands together anxiously.
“Lady Camilla or Lady Elise?” Niles eyebrow crooked at the odd statement.
“Neither. Niles you know the rule of missions I assign you. It applies to this as well,” the normal facial expression of a rueful frown graced the blonde prince.
A somber nod was given, “Of course Milord. With the utmost discretion and secrecy. But the last time I checked you had two…”
“Three sisters. We have three sisters. Corr has a twin sister that was kept in the Northern Fortress with him. He was brought to us after a raid on the fortress left the place void of the valuables, Princess Rin included,” Leo clasped his sibling’s shoulder in comfort as the young man avoided eye contact.
“We figured they were going to use her as a bargaining chip to extort the royal family, but nothing was ever heard from them about her whereabouts after the invasion...” Corr trailed off and left the rest to be implied by his watery emotions, “None the less, we need to locate her to ensure she doesn’t become a political captive if she is still…”
Niles inferred what he needed to from the statement. He remembered his own invasion job on the main castle that landed him on the executioner’s block.
He also recalled an additional job around that same timeframe, “Before you so graciously saved my head from being cleaved off my shoulders for the castle heist of the century, I recall another small clique from our group being sent to infiltrate the Northern Fortress in the event our main mission fell through.”
Corr’s pointed ears twitched at the introduction of this new information, “So you may have a lead on where she could be?” Leo eyed his faithful retainer with curiosity common to the studious prince.
“Oh sweet boy. So trusting of a man who could have been a part of the very heist that snagged your precious sister. If I wasn’t so loyal to the sibling standing next to you, I would avoid this at all costs. Going back to the guild could very well be the end of my life this time around,” Niles laughed at the thought of facing death a second time.
“Niles” Leo snapped impatiently at the borderline insubordination, “Is this something you can take on, yes or no?”
“Milord Leo, it will be taken care of,” Niles tipped his head subtly as he exited the room to prepare for his covert operation.
Leo and Corr sat in silence while cleaning up the various maps scattered around the council table after the ex-thief’s departure. Corr’s mind swirled with distant memories of his identical sister, and the isolated life they shared before all of the chaos war and rebellion brought to the citizens of Nohr.
“Are you sure he’s the right one for the job?” Corr ran his hand through his jet black hair, starkly contrasting his pale skin and crimson eyes.
“If there was anyone I would trust with this mission, it would be him. Loath as I am to admit it. We’ll have to make sure to give him a decent description of Rin if he’s going to find her,” Leo began writing down features that Corr could remember of his twin before their abrupt separation.
“Well unlike me, she has that ice blue hair color that Elise was always jealous of. However her eyes are the same deep red color, and pale skin. She has the same wing shaped birthmark on both cheeks that I do. No shoes, ever. She would kick off any pair the maids tried to put on her. She loved to sing and play piano, unlike my talent for being tone deaf. She was learning to use a bow and arrow at the same time I started learning swordsmanship. That’s about all I can remember at this point,” Corr growled in frustration as he tried to recall more details to help the recovery effort.
“Peace, big brother. Niles knows what he’s doing. Even if he acts unbecoming of his stature at times,” Leo sealed the description in an envelope for his reckless royal pain in the ass of a retainer.