If only he had been quicker, Ephraim thought. He could have stopped his sister from drinking that blasted potion. There was no way the threat to her safety was worth some paltry boost to his strength. Sighing, he remembered he was to attend a war council with Seth. Well, his sister too, but it didn't seem like she was coming. He remembered himself, noticing how empty the room was now. No company but the two mice, squeaking quietly as if mocking him. Back in the game, he told himself. There was a war to be won.
"Quickly, Innes!" Tana shouted at her brother, pulling at Eirika's legs. Somehow she had ended up leading the effort to relocate her fainted friend.
"Enough!" Innes shouted back, struggling to keep up as he held Eirika beneath her shoulders, grip slipping. "I can carry her on my own!"
"Ugh, just let me help you for once!" Tana squabbled, tugging at her friend yet harder. Through their argumentative journey the sleeping Eirika was jostled about in many different directions. Teamwork had never been a strong point for the Frelian siblings. It was almost better that Eirika wasn't awake, otherwise it would have been a painful experience.
"Just shut up!" Tana shouted at her brother as she neared the closest bedroom. She thrust the door open with her shoulder, ignoring the pain in her urgency. She shuffled towards the bed.
"You fool!" Innes shouted from the doorway, "You've got her feet on the wrong end! Move down the bed!"
Tana grunted, before obeying her older brother. She threw her friend's boot-clad legs onto the bed, forgetting to be gentle in her frustration. The motion made Innes stumble, and he clumsily hoisted the upper half of the sleeping woman onto the bed. Tana hurried to the top of the bed, opposite her annoying sibling.
"Eirika, wake up!" she shouted at her friend, shaking her shoulders.
"Must you be so loud?" Innes chided her. She looked up, fixing him with a glare as he rubbed his forehead with his hand, the other hand on his hip. "Just let her rest. Look after her." he commanded, before stepping out of the room.
"He's the fool." Tana spluttered. She pulled up a chair and sat at Eirika's bedside. How long would it be until her friend woke up, she wondered...
Innes pushed open the door to the war room, and purposefully strode over to an empty seat. The chair happened to be opposite Ephraim who was staring at the archer, arms folded with a cross look on his face. He was used to being on Ephraim's bad side, but this was at an intensity quite unlike anything that had happened between them before. The others fidgeted nervously, a tense silence descending on the room. Innes sighed loudly.
"She had better be all right." Ephraim said in a calm, flat tone, rage barely concealed.
"Milord?" Seth spoke up, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Ephraim nodded at Innes. All eyes in the room were now trained on the Frelian prince. Seth was now very concerned, worried for his charge.
"You tell them." Ephraim commanded.
Yet another sigh from Innes. "Our alchemists had an idea..."
Though she was not sleeping for long, Eirika had a dream. All she could remember was that she was chasing her brother, yet could not reach him, or even draw closer. He was only getting further and further away.
"Brother... Wait..." she mumbled.
"Eirika?" a familiar voice asked.
Eirika could hardly see, blinking to clear her vision. "T-Tana?"
She spluttered as arms wrapped around her torso. Briefly panicked, she relaxed when she realized it was just her friend. She was released from the hold, Tana's sad face moving into view.
"How are you feeling?" the princess asked.
"I... think I'm fine." Eirika answered. She pushed herself upright. She noticed that she wasn't wearing any of her armor, and her boots had also been taken off. Probably to make her more comfortable, she thought.
"Are you any different?" Tana asked.
Eirika smiled at her friend. "Surely you would be able to tell easier than me?"
"I... I guess so..." Tana answered timidly.
Eirika looked over herself. She seemed to be the same as normal, but was her tunic always this loose? Tana was also carefully studying her form.
"You're... Maybe smaller? Possibly a teensy bit?" Tana observed unhelpfully.
Eirika laughed. "You don't sound very certain!"
"Perhaps you should try standing up?" Tana suggested. "I mean, if you're feeling up to it. It would be easier to tell."
Eirika pondered this for just a moment. "All right." she agreed, slipping off the bed. She briefly felt a bit woozy as she stood. Stepping towards Tana, the two princesses faced each other. From this position, Tana could tell that Eirika was...
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