The grounds of the castle on the Astral Plane got pretty dark at night. Even with the glow from the moon and billions of twinkling stars, there were a lot of areas still covered in darkness. Rhajat loved it. During the day, she was spotted easily from a distance due to her dark clothes and mouse-brown hair she inherited from her mother, which made avoiding people that much more difficult. But at night, she blended seamlessly into her beloved shadows. It made her nighttime prowls much easier. She was on an important one tonight.
Rhajat crept along the shadows, headed for a rather empty corner of the grounds. It wasn't long before her target came into view-Corrins treehouse. As usual for this time of night, no lights shone from the windows, helping the foundation blend into the great trees branches. A thin spiral of smoke from what was most likely a dying fire trailed up from the chimney. Rhajat smiled to herself. This was her favorite place in the entire plane. She glanced around the base of the tree and the surrounding area. There was no one around. This was good news for her. It meant Corrin was safe at the moment, and it would make her mission a lot easier without having to answer anyones questions.
Swiftly, Rhajat crossed the fence that circled the roots of the tree and started her way up the spiraled stairs. She slowed herself halfway up, making sure to step around the couple creaky boards and steady the light jingle of the beads around her arms. When she finally made it up to the top, she crossed the small balcony and made a beeline for the front door. She smiled a little when she found it locked. Her soulmate was smart to lock her door at night. This, however, wasn't an obstacle or hindrance for the diviner. This was far from her first time breaking into the treehouse, after all. Rhajat placed one hand over the lock and mumbled a short chant. There was a small click and the door to Corrins private quarters opened. Rhajat chuckled to herself. That had to have been one of her best spells yet. She entered the house, shutting and locking the door behind her.
The inside was almost pitch black, save for the small amount of the moons rays that shone through the windows. Not that Rhajat would have needed the extra light anyway. When Corrin was away, Rhajat had taken it upon herself to learn more about her leader and savior by exploring her home and personal belongings. How else was she supposed to learn about the love of her life?
She found the door to Corrins bedroom and opened it slowly, being cautious of the small squeak its hinges made at a certain degree. The diviner tiptoed into the room and slowly shut the door again. She resisted the urge to head right for the bedside and instead glared around the corners of the room. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. She did a quick walk around the room, examining every corner. She got the same results. Still not completely satisfied, Rhajat held her hands up in front of her and mumbled a different chant. A pale blue glow emanated from her palms. She moved the light along the windowsill, doorframe, and every other possible point of entry in the room. No magical traps or curses either. Finally satisfied, Rhajat straightened up and turned her head towards the large bed against the wall. There was Corrin, sleeping soundly. Even though the room was clear, it wouldn't hurt anyone to stay. Just in case.
Rhajat then made her way over to Corrins bedside. The princess was facing her wall and snoring softly. Her blankets were tossed and covered her only from the waist down, revealing her dark blue nightgown with a small Nohrian crest embroidered on the chest. Rhajat held her arms and smiled as she watched her. It was a sight she had seen for countless nights now, but it never got old. Rhajat approached the sleeping Corrin and knelt down by the edge of the mattress, staying close, but keeping a few inches distance. She wouldn't want to disturb her, after all. A few minutes had passed, and Corrin began to shift in her sleep. She mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, her body now much closer to her stalker. Rhajat felt her face warm up from the new close proximity. She had already thought Corrin was attractive in every sense of the word, but she had never been this close to her before. Her sleeping face made her look cuter than usual. Cuter...and helpless. Rhajat suppressed a giggle from that passing thought.
A lock of Corrins long silver-white hair had slipped in front of her face, interrupting the peaceful view Rhajat had. She frowned and reached out, gently tucking the lock behind Corrins pointed ear. Rhajat let her fingertips linger on Corrins cheek. It wasn't very often she got to have physical contact with the woman she fell for, after all. She let herself get caught up a little too long in her own thoughts and didn't notice Corrin start to stir. The dragon made a small noise and reached up to brush away Rhajats hand from her face. She opened her eyes halfway and stared forward at the diviner at her bedside. Once she realized someone was there, Corrin shot upright with a yell.
"Oh, I woke you up. Uhh...sorry. I guess." Rhajat mumbled, averting her eyes to the side.
"R-Rhajat?! What are you doing here?" Corrin asked, placing a hand over her heart.
Rhajat turned her gaze back to the now slightly less panicked dragon. She smirked as she watched Corrins face. She really was cute when she pretended to be terrified like this. "I'm here to watch over you while you sleep. Is that a problem?"
Corrin shifted uncomfortably as she straightened up. "Kind of, yeah. It's really not necessary and to be quite honest, a little...creepy."
Rhajat made a noise and lightly bit her thumbnail. "I thought you'd be grateful."
"Disturbed is more accurate, I think," Corrin commented. She took a deep breath, her long exhale turning into a sigh. "Rhajat, just tell me why you're here. I'm not mad. Promise."
The diviner frowned. "Are you really unaware?" she asked.
"Rhajat, we've been through this before. Just tell me whats on your mind," Corrin sighed.
Rhajat huffed and stood up. She pointedly avoided looking at the other woman as she responded. "...There was a rumor I heard. It said you could be in danger of an attack. So here I am, watching you while you sleep to make sure you're safe."
Corrin frowned. "An attack? Rhajat, what are you talking about?"
"I overheard it in the mess hall from some of the new guys we picked up in that last town. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard your name." Rhajat confessed, putting her gaze back on Corrin, "They said they don't know if they can trust that you won't betray them for your other family." She paused for a moment and shifted her weight. "...I should have cursed them up to their eyeballs for that..."
She watched Corrins face fall and felt her own heart momentarily stop. In all of her careful watching of the dragons every move, this was the first time Rhajat had witnessed this level of sadness and hurt on Corrins face. Her first thought was panic. She had inadvertantly upset Corrin. That was the last thing she wanted to ever do. The feeling was quickly replaced with rage. That was it, those new recruits were toast.
"Rhajat,"
The diviner snapped back to the present, putting all her attention on Corrin.
The princess continued, "Thank you for telling me. I wish it could have been at a more...normal hour in a more formal way... but thank you. I appreciate you looking out for me. It's kind of comforting to know you're there."
The pure, sincere smile she ended her sentence with caught Rhajat off-guard. She felt her face heat up and her heart pound against her ribcage. Somehow, she managed to play it off in her typical fashon, despite knowing her face had to have resembled a ripe tomato. "I told you before. I don't care about anything involving this stupid war. You're the only thing that matters to me."
"Aha, right, I know," Corrin said with a slight nervous tone. She cleared her throat and started in a normal tone, "...You know, Rhajat. You don't have to stay here any more. I think I'm safe for the night."
Rhajat held her arms and let her upper half slump over slightly. Of course she wouldn't want her around anymore. Corrin probably already thought she was gross. But she was right. There were no signs of ambush, no magical traps or curses anywhere in the room. But still, Rhajat opened her mouth to protest leaving. She was interrupted before she could say anything.
"...However, I...I would feel better knowing there was someone here to look out for me. Would you mind staying...for just a little while longer?" Corrin asked.
Rhajat straightened up her torso and locked eyes with Corrin, a smirk growing on her face. "I wasn't going to leave anyway. I can never leave your side, Corrin. Or, any place behind you for that matter. Heheh..."
"Er, right. I appreciate the sentiment. ...I think," Corrin commented. She cleared her throat and gathered up the tops of her covers. "Make yourself at home, Rhajat. If you'd please."
Rhajat grinned wider. "Oh of course."
The diviner made her way to Corrins small dining table and grabbed one of the chairs. She dragged the chair across the rug on the floor to Corrins bedside and plopped down on it. Corrin gave her a confused look.
"...Do you have to be so, umm...close?" she asked nervously.
"How else am I supposed to watch you?" Rhajat asked in return.
Corrin shifted uncomfortably. "I...Fair enough, I suppose." She pulled the blankets up to her chin and settled back down on her mattress. "I'm just not used to being this close to you. Especially when I'm sleeping." She paused for just a second. "...Not that I dislike it. It's, umm...kinda nice. In a way."
It was a little difficult to tell for sure in the dark, but Rhajat could have sworn Corrin was blushing. She was defnitely cute like this, too. "I know how you feel," Rhajat said, looking just past Corrin at the wall.
"Yes, well, umm...G-good night, Rhajat. Umm...don't stay up too late. I wouldn't want you to be tired tomorrow because of me," With that, the princess gave the other woman a smile and rolled over a little too quickly, once again facing the wall.
Rhajat sat back in her chair and did what she did best around Corrin: silently watched her every little move. When she felt confident Corrin was asleep, Rhajat reached out and very lightly touched the top of the princesses head. "...Good night, Corrin."