[Fire Emblem Fates Novelization.]
Nohrian twins Princess Kassandra and Prince Norton have been estranged for six years: separated by stone, distance and hearts. When they're kidnapped by Hoshido and told of their true lineage, they're suddenly drawn...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Prince Nayoko of Hoshido
We searched high and low for Azura in and around Izumo, but she was nowhere to be found. Neither was our missing platoon. If they had executed her, they clearly weren't intending to come back.
I went to hell with the rest of our army's formation and hand-picked two groups of soldiers who'd shown sympathy towards the princess, then sent them north and west to find her. With Ryoma and Takumi still missing as well, the rest of us had no choice but to continue on south, towards the sea and Notre Sagesse.
We travelled from before dawn until after dusk, and I found myself abruptly isolated from my family. Three of my siblings were missing. Sakura was never far from me during our marches, but she was mute, and she seemed to live in the medical tent whenever we set up camp. Hinoka spent every day scouting ahead with her pegasus knights, and during the evenings, she had many duties as a general and a princess.
It took two days for us to reach the nearest port. We set sail on a few hundred warships at sunrise, riding out to sea like we were on wooden horses of the gods. I stood alone at the railings for a while, watching Hoshido melt into the skyline.
When Hinoka approached me, I realised it was the first time we'd really seen each other since we'd left Izumo. There was something about her manner that was more hesitant than usual as she crossed the deck. She spared a glance at the waves, then looked at me, cocking her head slightly. It was a quirk that I was more likely to see in Sakura than her, and I realised that was the difference -- there was soft, wary feminity creeping through her tomboy exterior.
"How's your first time on a ship?" she asked quietly.
"It's not my first time." I looked back at the waves. "I've been on ships a few times as...Captain Norton."
"Scouting our territory. Taking us by surprise. Sometimes taking your own by surprise." Her stare burned into the side of my face. "I've been waiting for days to talk to you, Nayoko."
I turned away from the sea and met her gaze.
"I have heard the stories," she said. "I knew of Captain Norton a long time before you returned, but I put it all aside when we reunited. I thought coming back to Hoshido would strip away everything you'd endured in Nohr -- make you Nayoko again."
"I am Nayoko." The words caught in my throat and came out quietly. To tell the truth, I wasn't sure if I was Prince Nayoko or Captain Norton anymore. The real me was caught somewhere between, lost like a ship in the middle of an empty ocean.
"I'm sorry," Hinoka said. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I only wanted you to understand that I'm afraid."
Prince Nayoko, the caring brother, took the reins again. "Why are you afraid?"
"I don't know how much longer I can wait for our brothers and believe they're still alive. And now Azura's gone." She looked away. "Sometimes I wonder if I've lost you, too. You're not always the person I remember."
