"The weather is simply perfect for a hunt," a noblewoman exclaimed as she fanned herself while sitting at a table filled with tea and snacks. Despite being late July, the weather wasn't too hot and held a pleasant warmth for the day's activities. Every year around this time, a grand hunt was held by the imperial family to bring the nobility together for the height of the social season. Those who wished to prove themselves would join the hunt to compete for the biggest game which they would dedicate to either their family or, more romantically, a future spouse they were interested in. A perfect time for young loves to start blooming.

"Truly," another agreed as she stole glances over her shoulder. "This year's should be an exciting one since so many new faces are joining the game. I wonder what Her Highness will bring back?" One of the festival's rules was that hunting competitors had to be at least thirteen years old which prevented Olivia from joining the previous years. While this meant she would be competing against James, it was viewed as nothing more than the future rulers having a bit of fun at a social event and wouldn't be taken too seriously no matter who won.

"I'm more curious about the second prince." Another new face was the second prince Terence who normally stayed out of the limelight, but for some reason decided to join this year's hunt. "Surly he wouldn't go after something to try and beat His Highness, right?" The Emperor's favor rested solely with James, so if Terence beat James then the nobles feared what might happen. "What do you think, Lady Vivian?"

"…" Vivian was silently sipping tea with a neutral expression on her face while looking over the competitors. Her large-brimmed hat cast a gentle shadow over her face as she did her best to enjoy the day's festive atmosphere despite her dour mood. She was now officially the wife of the future Duke of Holst which put a new weight on her shoulders as she sat with the older women of the empire. There was no room for the bitterness in her heart to show, so she gave a simple answer, "Some competitiveness is good since it will push both princes to rise above each other."

"Lady Vivian's right," the first noblewoman agreed. "Even if His Highness has the throne secured, having a rival will only do to help His Highness rise further." The other ladies started agreeing with one another as if they were all already thinking the same thing.

"…" Vivian's eyes once more wandered over to the competitors as Derik emerged from his tent. Thankfully, he tied the blue ribbon Vivian gave him to his sword's hilt. The ribbon was used both by couples to show their support for one another, as well as by single hunters to show who they would dedicate their game to. Derik seemed to still hold some sense for such an occasion, but Vivian knew the real reason he remembered to tie it on was because his mother reminded him just a few minutes ago. Vivian's eyes continued to scan the hunters until they rested on Adam who also emerged from his tent.

"The Felswore's son has a ribbon!?" one of the noblewomen exclaimed and drew all of the gathered women's eyes to Adam's sword which had a yellow ribbon tied to the hilt. "I thought he wasn't interested in marrying since he'd never shown any interest in finding a partner!"

"It's a yellow ribbon, but I can't see any distinguishing feature to tell who it's from." The sight of Adam's ribbon sent the noblewomen into a spiral of gossip.

"…" A spiral that Vivian kept out of since she already knew who gave Adam the ribbon; it took her quite some time to make, after all. It was nothing more than a whim while she was making Derik's and she didn't expect Adam to actually accept it; at least that's what she told herself. Duke Richard and Duchess Alice were one of the few nobles who didn't have concubines or known secret relationships, and Vivian knew Olivia also valued that kind of dedication so she wanted to live up to their expectations by staying true to Derik. But the coldness Derik showed her and seeing Adam wear her ribbon… She needed to distract herself and started looking for Olivia. "Has anyone seen Her Highness?" But Olivia was nowhere to be seen.

"I saw her earlier going off to the hills," a noblewoman answered while gesturing to some forested hills that were nearby.

"Hmm." Olivia had been acting strange for a while now, but Vivian chalked it up to her trying to deal with the shock of the kidnapping. A harsh breeze blew through the hunting grounds as if to counter Vivian's thoughts and she felt an unease in her chest as the hunt was about to begin.

***

The harsh breeze blew over Olivia's hair which was tied up in a ponytail, and rustled her white and gold hunting uniform which consisted of a sturdy pair of boots, long pants, and a shirt and vest with gold trimmings. A rather gaudy outfit unfit to stalk and hunt game in a green and brown forest. But her outfit was the last thing on Olivia's mind as she was still shaken because of why her Examine Ally skill failed on Lucina. Even after two months of thinking it over, Olivia was still unsure how to view Lucina and it got to the point that she was overthinking every little detail which brought her to worse and worse conclusions. Did Lucina actually hold a deep-seated grudge and hatred toward Olivia for failing to stop her from being sent off to war? Was her current kindness an act? But why was she so shaken when Olivia confronted her about the kidnapping? Was that also fake? Was it real? Was that pass Lucina made at her an attempt to further throw Olivia off of how she really viewed her?

"…" Ever since that day, Olivia mostly avoided Lucina and only interacted with her when other people were present. And every time they met, Olivia would use the Examine Ally skill in the vain hope that something had just gone wrong during the previous attempt. Olivia also used it on other people, like Cassandra and Margaret, but it worked perfectly and successfully displayed their information. The skill was seemingly omniscient since it revealed the inner thoughts and feelings of the target which included information that Olivia couldn't have known otherwise. Information given by Examine Ally was always correct. Olivia bit her bottom lip as her nerves were gnawing away at her without reprieve.

"You look troubled, Princess," a voice came from behind that brought Olivia out of her thoughts.

"…Greetings, Prince Terence." Olivia knew Terence would be participating in the hunt too, but was confused about why he would come see her. Out of reflex, Olivia used her skill on Terence and a semitransparent pink box appeared in front of her vision.

(Examine Ally: Terence Arlexton)

(Success)

(Your Ally appears healthy.)

(Your Ally's affection is Friendly Acquaintance.)

(While unorthodox for his position, your Ally wishes you a better life than living under the thumb of his brother.)

"Was there something you wanted to say?" Olivia asked after making sure Terence wasn't a threat.

"Originally, I wanted to give you some advice as your future in-law for your first hunt," Terence answered with carefully picked words to try and bring down Olivia's guard. "But you seem deeply troubled about something."

"…" Olivia slightly flinched at Terence's comment and tried to get a read on him since Examine Ally wouldn't display much due to his low affection level. Terence's short black hair softly blew in the wind and his golden eyes held a warmth that James' didn't as he looked at her. "It's not something you should trouble yourself with."

"Sometimes, speaking your troubles out loud to someone can help alleviate your mind," Terence reasoned and readjusted his black and gold cloak over his shoulder. "Though I might not be as good of a conversation partner as Countess Sanguine," using a leading phrase, Terence poked Olivia about her currently strained relationship with Lucina even though he already knew all about it from the spies he planted around Lucina. He finally found the Butcher of Toldrin's weakness.

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"…I'm just overthinking things I shouldn't," Olivia tried to deflect Terence's request despite wanting to open up and talk to someone about her thoughts. Lucina was the only one Olivia ever fully opened up to, but with her being unable to trust her, Olivia discovered how lonely it was without Lucina by her side. There was a void in her heart she didn't realize had formed. "Won't your supporters not like seeing you be friendly with me?" Olivia wanted to change the topic.

"While my brother may be my rival for the throne, that doesn't immediately make you my enemy," Terence explained. "You’re a rational person. Plus, even if you have the nobility fooled, I hear what goes on in the palace so I know how you and James really think of each other." He put a finger to his lips and added, "I won't tell anyone, so don't let me knowing trouble you."

"…Even still, why are you being so friendly to me?" These kinds of actions aren't something Olivia believed a 'Friendly Acquaintance' would do without some ulterior motive. "At the end of the day, I'm your brother's fiancé and an obstacle to the throne."

"Because my path to the throne will be one not many would want to travel," Terence admitted while giving a soft smile. "I'll be provoking powerful enemies by doing what I'm planning, so making you at least neutral toward me would help alleviate the pressure; even just slightly." Reaching down, Terence gently lifted Olivia's left hand and softly kissed the back of her middle finger; a common sign of respect toward a woman of higher noble rank. "I'm not asking you to side with me over James. I just hope you don't aim your sword at me, and in turn, I will do my best to not touch your allies."

"…" Terence was overtly stating he would challenge James for the throne which would normally be a terrible thing to admit to James' fiancé. "Very well." But Olivia wasn't a loving fiancé for James. Since Terence didn't appear in Finding Arlexia's Light, outside of a few blurbs of dialogue and lore texts, Olivia only had the knowledge she attained from her current life to understand the second prince. But even with what little information she had, Olivia already believed Terence would be a better fit for the throne than James. Terence was someone who didn’t let their emotions drive their actions, unlike James, and would look at the whole situation rather than blindly rushing forward. Even if she wouldn't openly support him for fear of James' retribution being aimed at her family and friends, Olivia also wouldn't stop Terence from opposing James. "It would be bad if we were seen talking for too long, Prince Terence, so I hope you enjoy your hunt," Olivia mentioned before realizing that Terence hadn't let go of her hand yet.

"Indeed," Terence chuckled as he saw Olivia glancing at his hand that still held hers. He took a peek over his shoulder as if looking for someone, and when he confirmed they were there he added, "The hunt is also about to start so we should get going on our separate ways. But before I leave, I'd like to give you some new advice."

"What is-!?!" Olivia was quickly pulled toward Terence and, from a very particular angle, an onlooker might mistake it that he was kissing her cheek.

Terence's voice was hushed and completely serious as he whispered, "After I leave, secretly follow me into the woods to learn more about what troubles you." Just as abruptly as he pulled her close, Terence backed away from Olivia and gave a respectful bow before leaving.

"…?" Olivia was momentarily stunned by his rude gesture, but his words wormed their way into her mind and she found herself stealthily following Terence into the forest even after the horn to start the hunt blew.

"How did your conversation go with Her Highness?" Eventually, Terence met up with a few of his followers who would be joining him to hunt.

"I'd say it went well," Terence answered while glancing over his shoulder to where Olivia was hiding. "Are the preparations for our hunt complete?"

"Yes, my Prince," one of his retainers answered. "We found a large bear and tracked it to a cave by the waterfall. If we move quickly, we can-!?!" As he gave his report, an arrow flew out of the trees and narrowly missed Terence's neck. "Assassin!?"

"Who dares attack the second prince!?" The retainers formed a circle around Terence who was standing almost completely unphased by the attack. Some bushes rustled nearby which drew everyone's attention.

"!?!" Olivia's heart stopped when she saw who the would-be assassin was when they stepped out of the bush.

"Oh my, Prince Terence?" Lucina innocently exclaimed as she emerged from the brush. Her dark brown boots and pants worked with her dark green vest to help her camouflage with the underbrush, and she held a bow in her hands.

"You dare try and assassinate a member of the imperial family!?" one of the retainers yelled as they pointed their blades at Lucina.

"Assassinate?" Lucina mockingly tilted her head to the side in thought before explaining, "Oh no! My deepest apologies, Prince Terence! I heard noises and thought there was a beast nearby so I loosed my arrow without thinking since I didn't want to startle it and let it get the chance to flee."

"You expect us to believe that, Countess!?"

"I really was tracking a beast just earlier and it went this way," Lucina said while glaring daggers directly into Terence's eyes. "It was a rather horny beast that was trying to encroach where it shouldn't."

"…Everyone put your blades down," Terence calmly began his play. "The Countess said it was a mistake."

"A mistake!? How could anyone mistake you for-"

"I said to drop it," Terence gave a stern warning to his retainers and they all reluctantly lowered their blades. Turning his attention toward Lucina, Terence said, "Luckily there were no injuries, this time. In the future, I'd advise you to more carefully check your target, Countess." He smiled and added the insult, "Thankfully, you're shot was off its mark."

"Well, one of the rules of the hunt is that magic and aura can't be used," Lucina justified to deflect the insult. "I'm not used to handling a bow, so I thank you for forgiving my blunder. Next time, I'll be sure not to miss."

"Why, if I didn't know any better," Terence began after making sure Olivia was still listening, "I'd think you intentionally tried to hit me, from your harsh words. Have I done something to earn your ire, Countess?"

"Hmm, I don't think so," Lucina lied through a forced smile while her eyes betrayed her anger. "After all, it's not like you're making passes at someone else's fiancé during a hunting festival, right?"

"!!!" Olivia flinched as her heart rate spiked. Lucina saw that? But Olivia didn't even sense Lucina's presence which meant that she was secretly watching her. Why?

"Making a pass?" Terence kept up his calm mask despite the unease and fear he felt. He wanted to push Lucina into a blunder in front of Olivia, but he knew that if he pushed too far then Lucina could easily kill him and his entire retinue. "I didn't realize my brother had you so tightly bound on his leash to the point you dislike anyone even speaking with his fiancé."

"Hellhounds are territorial by nature, Prince Terence," Lucina didn't deflect the insult since she knew James had his shadow knights, knights trained in espionage and stealth, watching her during the hunt. James wasn't taking action against her, with him mostly leaving her alone to govern Solfin as she saw fit, and Lucina didn't want to provoke him into acting. Even if she didn't like James, she also didn't like Terence; none of the princes were in Lucina's good graces. So, to blow off some steam and have some fun, Lucina decided to play along to make Terence think she was James' ally to try and throw Terence off, "A good dog bites when it's supposed to, even when its owner doesn't command it to."

"…" Completely misunderstanding Lucina's actions and words, Olivia was becoming more and more certain that Lucina held a secret grudge against her. Was she willingly helping James? They fought together in the final battle of the war, or at least that's what Olivia was told, so could they have grown closer during that time? Olivia's trust in Lucina was continuing to dwindle.

"Owner? You refer to yourself as his dog…" All according to Terence's plan. "And here I thought Hellhounds disliked being confined by a leash."

"If the leash is comfortable enough, anyone would wear one." Lucina twirled the bow in her hand and gestured to her neck. "I think you'd look good with one, you could start a new fashion trend in high society."

"Why you!?!" Terence's retainers were getting sick of Lucina's arrogance as they were in the dark about Terence's plan since he needed them to act as realistically as possible. "The Crown Prince's dog should mind its bark before it gets muzzled!"

"Woof woof~," Lucina teased before giving a laugh.

"I think I'll ignore the fashion advice, Countess." Terence had done what he wanted and still had a hunt to complete. He motioned to his retainers and started to leave toward the waterfall in the far distance before saying, "I wish you better luck on catching your game, Countess."

"And to you as well, Prince," Lucina gave a slight bow of respect and saw him off with a smile. Once Terence left, however, Lucina's face took on a look of disgust. Not only did he not show any discomfort to her words, Terence seemed rather pleased with himself. Angrily, she spat, "Cheeky prick." Lucina made a gesture with her hand as she activated her wind magic.

"Agh!?" A man in a black cloak was thrown out of a nearby tree as the wind slammed him down to the ground.

"I don't recognize you," Lucina idly stated as she slowly approached the man. "You're one of the second prince's shadows, right?" She needed to let off more steam. Since she didn't want to go after James' shadows, she decided to settle with Terence's.

"…" The shadow didn't speak and tried to get to his feet, but another strong gust of wind slammed him back down to the ground.

"He's smart to make sure you're only wearing cloth armor; no hard surfaces for my gravity magic to use." She had once tried to use her gravity magic on cloth, but it didn't work well since the cloth ripped before it could be used to hurt her target and took a much larger amount of magic than if used on a hard surface like metal. Lucina stood over the shadow and looked down on him like a bug. "But gravity magic isn't all I'm good at."

"GAH!!!" A spike of stone shot up out of the earth and pierced the shadow's shoulder.

"Since you're a shadow you don't officially exist; which means no one will look for you if you disappear." Lucina grabbed the man's face and forced him to look up at her. Lucina's broken eyes stared into the man's soul as she ordered, "This is the only warning I'm willing to offer: the next time I find one of you skulking around Olivia, I'm just gonna kill them. Got it?"

"…"

"Got. It?" Lucina forced the stone spike to dig deeper into the man.

"Y-Yes!" the man was forced to speak.

"Good." Lucina straightened herself upright and started to leave before she dismissed the spike and allowed the stone to retreat back into the earth.

"…" Olivia softly trembled from her hiding place as Lucina left and Terence's shadow went off to relay Lucina's warning. There was a lump in her throat that refused to leave and Olivia felt like she was suffocating as her world started crumbling.