***Seven months into the war***

Dear Lucina,

Surprise! I present to you the fruits of my hard-earned labor; a proper coat and food! There's a lot I want to say so I'm going to start by apologizing for not finding out about our letters getting intercepted and all your presents being stolen. My father sent me a letter letting me know of your current condition, so I'm righting my wrongs by bypassing the royal palace, and James, completely with Trent. As I'm sure Joseph will have told you, I managed to convince the king to let me sponsor the Hellhounds with supplies in exchange for acting as your order's 'leash', though I don't plan on doing much other than helping you out. I've also told Joseph about how Timothy Braxton isn't to be trusted so give Joseph any letters going forward.

As for th-

Forget everything else, are you okay? I just got a second letter from my father about you returning to camp covered in blood. His letter was hasty and didn't delve into details but Timothy tried something, right? Please send me a reply as soon as you get this letter. Please tell me you're alright.

-Olivia

***

To Her Highness Olivia Ordrin,

First, allow me to introduce myself; I am Jeremy of Mornhold, and am acting as the aide for Lady Lucina Felswore. To alleviate your concerns immediately, Lady Felswore is alive and 'alright' though I am writing the reply to your previous correspondence as Lady Felswore is on the verge of passing out next to me as I pen this letter. She isn't injured, but she has been very busy after taking over as commander of the Hellhounds knight order.

Roughly one month ago, Timothy Braxton and his followers admitted to committing treason against Urldrusk by staging the ambush and orchestrating the deaths of our knights that your father wrote about with us returning covered in blood. This admission was revealed after he also tried to assassinate Lady Felswore for reasons I dare not write down for fear of the consequence, no matter how securely this letter is delivered to you. After Timothy's execution, Lady Felswore was declared our acting commander as only an active noble may lead a knight order, and I'm sure you're aware of the status of our order's average knights.

Because of these new duties, Lady Felswore has been exerting herself far more than usual and is thus unable to properly reply to your letter. If you have any concerns or questions then please reach out to me and I will do my best to convey Lady Felswore's words with my utmost urgency. She wishes you to know she is okay.

-Jeremy

P.S. I am adding this additional letter into the reply now that Lady Felswore has finally passed out and I would dare ask for your discrepancy in keeping this addition a secret. There were topics I wished to disclose to you that Lady Felswore ordered me to omit, so I will be adding them here without her knowledge.

Lady Felswore will be unable to reply to any letter you send from here on not just due to her increased duties but also because of her growing inability to use her hands. It started when winter hit, and her worn-out gloves couldn't protect her small hands from the cold which caused her to lose some of the feeling in her fingers. I've witnessed her drop things as she seems to randomly lose her grip strength and she's complained to Daughter Elise, our priestess of Lady Alm, about pain in her finger joints and the palms of her hands that healing magic doesn't relieve. Originally, she wanted to write the response to your letter but was unable to hold the quill properly which is why I took over.

There is also the matter of her deteriorating mental state. Ever since taking command, Lady Felswore barely gets two hours of meaningful bed rest each day. I've witnessed her mumbling to herself and spacing out during her duties only to snap back to reality with a dazed look in her eyes she thinks no one notices. Her constant exhausting of her magic has brought her closer to the gods, though I do not believe that to be a good thing for an active military commander. This is where I, a civil servant and Hellhound knight, will cross a line by making a request of you; please keep sending her letters even if you don't get a reply.

When Joseph revealed your letter I saw Lady Felswore's face brighten with genuine joy for the first time in over a month. While reading the letter she smiled like an eleven-year-old child and not the placating smile she's grown accustomed to forcing. Your Highness is a special existence for Lady Felswore and judging by your letters I feel as if she's the same for you. I will send you reports on our movements and anything relating to Lady Felswore to ease your mind to know how she's doing. If you need something then please let me know, but I ask that you please keep writing to Lady Felswore even knowing you won't get a reply from her.

***Ten months into the war***

Dear Lucina,

No longer are you older as we're now both eleven and this will be the first letter since my birthday which should have passed by the time you get this! I don't care if that's not how age works since if we're going to get technical then I'm sixteen years older than you. With the certainty of Trent's security I know no one else will read this but you so I can say everything I want to! It's honestly kind of freeing being able to openly discuss my previous life with you again as it makes it feel like you're not as far away, even if I'm just one-sidedly throwing letters at you. I do apologize for that but I won't be stopping any time soon.

It's raining a lot over here and the worst part is that it's cold rain. If it's going to be cold and wet then at least be cold enough to snow so the landscape looks pretty instead of everything being grey and brown with mud everywhere. Preferably, I'd like it to be summer so we can have some nice weather for a change. That being said, don't you dare think that you're allowed to stop wearing those special gloves I sent you! I knew people from my previous life that wore coats even during the height of summer, so if you're cold then bundle up no matter the time of year. Don't think for a second I won't know, either, since I've bribed your whole order to be on my side. I might even have a spy in your closest circle reporting to me on if my little Lucina's keeping her promise to take care of herself.

Also, R'eldrun announced you as The Harbinger of Zulm. I tried looking into what that means but it's practically impossible to find information on what a Harbinger even does and there was no mention of it in my prophecies. Does Zulm talk to you? Could you directly lodge a complaint for me about him throwing me into this world as the villain? Those were jokes, please don't complain to the gods about me!

I overheard that a renewed offensive will begin once summer hits. I hope this war ends soon and you can come home.

Praying for your safety,

Olivia

***One year & three months into the war***

Dear Lucina,

The social season's finally ending and I still have no idea how Cassandra does it. No matter how many parties she goes to she's still full of energy and wants to go to another, meanwhile, I'm worn out and want to go to sleep after maybe three. I know it's the queen's responsibility to be a pillar of the social world, and that I'll need to become that pillar when James ascends the throne, but it's exhausting wearing the mask of a 'perfect princess' so much. I miss the times when it was just us hanging out without a care in the world and without having to worry about who saw if we placed down our tea cups without making a sound. Seriously, who made that part of the social norms? It's made of porcelain so of course it's going to make a clink sound when we set it down on the little plate!

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

On a better note, I've caught up on enough of my studies that I'm able to start fitting in swordsmanship training! After my little trip around the kingdom, I had a lot of catching up to do on my studies so I had to cut out my exercise routine, and the social season didn't help, but now I'm finally able to get back into shape. The maids in the palace started lamenting since I apparently lost enough muscle to start fitting into tighter dresses that they said James liked and they tried to stop me but Mary had my back and now I'm once again wielding my sword. I got a report from Jeremy that you're also keeping up with your sword training so when you get back let's have a spar to see who's better!

I heard from my father that Peltaira is holding firm, and with fall starting then it won't be long before things grind to a halt for winter, again.

Stay strong,

Olivia

***One year & six months into the war***

Happy twelfth birthday, Lucina!

Another birthday means another meal voucher for me to treat you out when you come back! This time, however, I've made sure to get you a present and that it actually reaches you. I heard you've been growing so I got your new measurements and had a set of winter gear customized for you! I know it's not much in the grand scheme of things but I hope it helps keep the cold at bay even just a little bit.

This letter will be a bit shorter than my others since I wanted to give you time to read the other letter I'm passing along from your family.

Stay warm,

Olivia

***

To Lucina,

Your mother, Adam, and I wish you a happy birthday from all of us waiting for you here at home. Even though he's only halfway through the current school year it looks like Adam will once again be at the top of his class at the academy. He's leaving quite the shoes for you to fill once you come back and eventually start attending the academy yourself, but always remember that your mother and I hold you only to yourself; Adam just wants to show off for his sister. Your mother's been frequenting Ertrum and Lady Alm's temple even more these days as the war keeps dragging on. Even if you're officially recognized as The Harbinger of Zulm, Elizabeth will always worry for you. As for me…

I still find trouble expressing my words to you as I know how much they've hurt you even when I believe I'm being careful. There's still a long way for me to go as your father, but I wanted to give you a gift for your birthday that I've asked Her Highness to pass on to you; a pair of reading glasses. While you are still young, I know how tiring it is to be buried in documents so I always keep a pair of reading glasses handy and these have a small chain so you can wear them around your neck until needed. They took longer to make than expected due to the delicate nature of the glass blowing and the crafting of the frames, but I hope they can ease at least a little of your burdens. Stay safe, Lucina.

-Charles

***One year & nine months into the war***

Dear Lucina,

Are you intentionally trying to make things harder for me by being a hero? While not officially started, some Ladies are already hosting tea parties for the season and I'm getting bombarded with questions about you and the Hellhounds! Your victory at Yangzho Crossing is particularly hot since it's said that the Yangzho Dam burst and washed Peltaira's forces away, and everyone's claiming you did that Mrs. Harbinger. It's kind of scary hearing about all the achievements you're getting.

I mostly kid, but you are all most people talk about; I just wish everything they said was good. There was a particularly nasty rumor going around that you regularly bathe in blood to fuel your magic and that you're some kind of monster. Augustus, Cassandra, and I silence those people whenever we can but they're annoyingly persistent. You remember Augustus, right? He's Baron Rolf's son who's two years older than us whom I befriended last month. We've sparred a few times and he's a nice guy, though Margaret seems to dislike him from some past dealing, I think. But I can already hear your thoughts! Olivia, this is the third guy you've shown interest in; why can't you learn? And to that, I say that I don't even like his muscles! He's actually weaker than me which means my vision isn't being blinded by my bias. There are so many cases where kings have mistresses so I should be allowed to look for love too, even if I'll be a queen, since James seems like he's going to keep being a jerk! I at least want options, damn it!

Either way, I look forward to finally seeing you again, soon. I got a report that our forces are converging on Peltaira's capital after you and the Hellhounds broke Count Cloudwatcher's forces which should finally end this war! Don't steal the show too much and remember to come back to me alive and well.

Always believing in you,

Olivia

***

"…" Lucina put down Olivia's latest letter while a tense smile forced its way across her face. She was glad Olivia was doing well, but she hated it when she talked about Augustus. Her hand clenched into a fist and she unconsciously grit her teeth in annoyance. Picking up a quill and parchment, Lucina attempted to finally write a reply to one of Olivia's letters. "…Damn it." Without even finishing the first sentence, her hand began cramping up and a sharp pain stabbed through her palm until Lucina finally dropped the quill and gave up.

"Don't worry~," the fake Olivia soothed as she appeared next to Lucina and cupped her cheeks in her hands sending a biting cold down Lucina's spine. "I'm just lonely since you're not here~. He's someone I've known for just over a month and will be a passing fling~. Once you return to me, everything will sort itself out~."

"…Right." Lucina managed to stop stuttering when talking to the fake with months of practice and was less freaked out about the fake than she knew she should be. "I'll come back. Everything will be fine." With a shaky hand, Lucina took off her reading glasses and set them down on the table so she could run her hand through her hair. "Everything…will be fine."

"Don't you trust me~?"

"…You're just borrowing her face." Lucina's eyes were cold as she stared at the fake and her voice went low, "You're also a temporary existence. Once I go home everything will sort itself out."

"Hmm~," the fake hummed to herself before materializing in the blink of an eye directly in front of Lucina's face. Her cold, dead blue eyes were like suffocating pits of darkness as she stared into Lucina's soul. A devil's smile warped across her face as she laughed, "Of course it will, my little Lucina~."

"Be quiet!" Lucina shouted and tried to push the fake away but her hands hit only air, and the fake was gone. Lucina swallowed a lump in her throat and leaned on the table with her hands grabbing her hair. "Just be quiet! It will pass! Just be quiet!"

"Commander?" Peter called as he entered the tent. He was wearing his full suit of plate armor and chainmail that was accented with crimson red cloth which the order adopted as its official color. "Is everything alright?"

"…Are they ready?" Lucina ignored Peter's question as she didn't want to talk about the fake and she let go of her hair.

"They gathered all the leaders in His Highness' tent." Peter didn't push to know what Lucina was yelling at since it had become a common occurrence for Lucina and Elise to be found talking to themselves. "It seems the messenger who was supposed to get you got lost."

"How convenient," Lucina joked as she got up from her seat and walked over to put on her wizard's robe. No matter how much time had passed, the robe was still a sickly blood red and the stench of iron clung to it like a murky cloud. Perhaps it had bathed in so much blood and been used by Lucina for so long that her magic had residually rubbed off onto it and inadvertently enchanted the robe; the color and smell never faded. "It's almost like he doesn't want me involved despite wanting me dead and this being the perfect opportunity to make it happen." Lucina exited the tent with Peter following close behind her as they made their way through camp. "Should I thank him?"

"He's not worth a sarcastic thanks," Peter scoffed.

"Careful," Lucina teased and chuckled to herself, "His Highness has seen fit to grace us with his presence directly for the upcoming battle which means his leeches are crawling all over the place. All the major knight orders have gathered here, mind your tongue." Tents stretched into the horizon as Urldrusk's knights gathered in the plains just out of sight of Peltaira's capital city whose walls rose into the sky daring them to attack.

"I'm the last of us you should worry about not knowing the time or place, Commander."

"Is Carl tied up in the share tent?"

"It'll rile him up for the battle," Peter justified.

"Assuming we'll even get to do anything," Lucina mused as they crossed the threshold into the camp of the Golden Lion knight order. As Lucina and Peter continued their walk they received disgusted glances from those around them and belittling whispers stabbed at them from unseen places. Despite the ornately decorated plate armor with golden accents and etchings, the Lions were more like hyenas. "It's kind of funny, don't you think, Peter?"

"What is?"

"The fact that the Golden Lions are acting all superior despite only coming out of the capital after the war's basically been won just to steal the credit," Lucina intentionally goaded the knights around her as a dangerous smile played across her lips.

"What was that!?" one of the Lions took the bait and got in Lucina's way to make her stop. Peter moved to step up but a quick hand from Lucina told him to stand down. It had been far too long since she let off some steam this way. "We of the Golden Lions are His Highness' personal knights! Watch your tongue, Hellhound."

"Really?" Lucina's voice dripped with innocent poison as she continued, "Then why are you making your master look bad?"

"We have done no such thing, so stop spouting your delusional nonsense."

"But you are, Little Lion. Why else were you all hiding in the capital with your tails tucked between your legs while we Hellhounds brought true glory to Her Highness?"

"W-?" the Lion knight's words caught in his throat as he met Lucina's unhinged gaze and felt his nerves leave him. Something in the young girl's eyes made the fully grown man unable to speak as she stared at him with a playful smile on her face.

"What's wrong? Hound got your tongue?" Lucina's words egged on some of the other Golden Lion knights into standing up and they began walking over to her.

Seeing his comrades back him up, the Lion found his flimsy courage and countered, "You Hellhounds seem to think you're something after a few victories! I don't know why Her Highness bothered putting a leash around a mutt, but all you're doing is lowering her into the dirt with your attitude. Though, perhaps that's where she likes to b-!!!" The Lion knight speaking and all twelve of his comrades suddenly found themselves thrown to the ground. "W-What the!?" None of them could get up as their cuirasses refused to leave the ground. "Relea-!"

"Hmm?" Lucina's innocent tone didn't match to look of twisted satisfaction on her face. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you down there in the dirt you all love to eat so much. Could you speak up, Little Lion?" She was reveling in how helpless they looked struggling on the ground trying to get up; like pinning down a bug that knew it was about to be squished.

"…Commander?" Peter intervened when he noticed one of the Golden Lion's back plates start to buckle. "We shouldn't be late."

"…Right." With a flick of her wrist, Lucina dismissed her gravity magic and allowed the Lion knights to get up. The knights gasped for air and scrambled away in a panic. "I swear, I could actually see their tails tucking," Lucina laughed before continuing through the camp.

"Is this your plan to get us sent to the front?" Peter asked.

"No, that was just putting myself in a good mood before I have to meet His Highness," Lucina clarified. "Now then," she said as James' massive tent came into view, "Let's see how James plans to take Toldrin."