A/N: Hello! Before we get into the story, I'd like to get some things cleared up. I decided to write this after reading a few stories on the fandom that are very well-written; in particular, I'd like to shoutout MissKiku and her story "Fire Emblem Fates: Rebirth" as the biggest inspiration for me starting this. If you haven't checked hers out, please do so! It's not yet finished but far along enough to really tell you a good tale on the story. Why I'm giving them a shoutout is mainly due to the fear I may accidentally use an event from their story and some of you may recognize that and assume I am copying them. Please know that I will never intentionally take an event from another's fic without giving them credit where it's due, so if as I am writing I come across a point where I feel that it is a bit too similar to another I'm aware of, I'll try to rewrite the scene or simply give another shoutout in that chapter's Author's Notes. I am sorry if it offends you or the author of said fic, and if it does I have no problem deleting the passage. But, given that this will follow the path of one of / a mix of the routes you can take, they might end up being similar due to the game. I am trying to give my own twist on it (where Corrin is hopefully not as naive) so hopefully it'll be a refreshing read for you all. I have never written a Fire Emblem story before so I hope it isn't too awful :^) Rating may change but for now I will stick with T and try to keep the violent descriptions to a minimum if possible. There will be pairings, but for who Corrin ends up with is still unknown. I'd love to hear who you guys think will be right for her in the reviews as time goes on! Who knows, maybe it'll happen if I'm convinced enough ;)
TL;DR: First time writing a FE game. Hopefully it doesn't just straight-out sound like a retelling of the game. Check out MissKiku's story for a better FE story if this turns out to be garbage. Pairings are TBD.
Now that the wall-of-text-A/N is out of the way, please enjoy Trials & Tribulations! :)
Chapter One: The First Trial
Corrin shot upright in her bed with a startled yelp, clutching her heart in an attempt to steady her quickened pace and ease the discomfort she felt there. Her crimson eyes analyzed the borderline-dungeon of a bedroom to the best of her abilities for any signs of danger. Sensing none, she exhaled slowly to calm her nerves.
"Must've been a nightmare…" She thought aloud, turning in bed so her bare feet hung off the side of her bed. She had no idea what time it was given the darkness that always clouded Nohr, but judging by the fact she couldn't hear the clash of steel from Xander in the training yard, she assumed it was rather early in the morning. Which meant one of her retainers would be here at any moment to help prepare her for the day.
A soft knock on the door confirmed her assumptions, and before she could respond the door was opening slowly.
"This is a surprise," a familiar voice mused. "You're almost never awake on your own this early." It was Jakob, her silver-haired butler that had a quick-wit but an undying devotion to his liege.
Corrin huffed but couldn't stop the edges of her lips from turning upwards. He offered his famous genteel smile in return before noticing Corrin was clutching her chest. He was at her side in an instant, all traces of amusement in his voice gone when he questioned, "Is something wrong, milady?"
Corrin blinked before realizing that she was still grasping her heart. "Oh, I'm fine, Jakob," she waved him off and eased her grip, "Just woke up from a weird dream, is all." She stood and moved to sit at her vanity to allow Jakob to start his morning duties.
Jakob merely hummed in response, quickly making her bed before joining her at the vanity to begin combing through her long, platinum-blonde hair. He separated her locks into sections before gently running the brush through when he heard a barely audible sigh from Corrin. A quick glance at the mirror allowed Jakob see the furrow in her thin eyebrows.
"Am I being too rough, milady?"
"Hm?" Her head jerked upward to see his concerned eyes on hers, his lips in a thin line. "Oh, not at all!" She hoped her smile was convincing enough. Regardless of her words, he continued his work with a bit more caution.
As his fingers raked through her hair to untangle her wavy hair, Corrin still couldn't get the morning's events out of her head. She almost never had nightmares — especially ones that could jolt her awake — and when she did, she at least remembered them. It felt very odd to her.
Something else also struck her as odd…
"Jakob?" Corrin's voice came out much more dainty than usual, surprising her slightly. If Jakob noticed he showed no indication on his features.
"Yes, milady?"
"Where's Felicia and Flora?" Corrin felt his hands still in her hair. "N-Not that I mind you being here or anything!" She heard him chuckle behind her as he continued his work.
"Do not fret, milady, I am not offended. Nothing you say could ever offend me." His brow creased as he tried to loosen a stubborn knot without harming her. "Felicia made a mess of your breakfast this morning and Flora is assisting in cleaning up after her." He sighed in exasperation at the memory. So many broken plates…
Corrin giggled. She could picture the bickering between the two sisters as they cleaned another mess of Felicia's.
The sound of her bedroom door creaking caused Corrin to whip her head around, almost making Jakob pull on her hair.
It was Gunter, a seasoned war veteran that assisted in Corrin's combat training. "Apologies for the intrusion, Princess Corrin. I was sent to inform you that Prince Xander is waiting for you at the training grounds." He spoke in a gruff voice but with a fond smile. Jakob huffed at the older man.
"Lady Corrin is not yet ready for-"
"Thanks, Gunter! Tell him I'll be down soon." Corrin interrupted, standing from her stool and practically skipping towards her closet to change. Gunter bowed before shutting the door behind him.
"But, milady! I wasn't finished with your hair!" Jakob's protest fell on deaf ears as she slipped out of her nightgown and into her armor.
She was always happy when her siblings came to visit her in the Northern Fortress. Father insisted that keeping her locked up was to ensure her safety and, given her faulty memory, she wasn't one to question him.
If it weren't for her retainers, Corrin was sure she would have succumbed to depression.
Jakob approached her with a headband in hand as she gave herself a once-over in the mirror. "Lady Corrin, at least allow me to finish your hair."
Corrin rolled her eyes but grabbed the headband and haphazardly stuck it in her hair. It kept most of her thick mane out the way, but her bangs still managed to fall over her face. She tucked a particularly long one behind her ear before offering Jakob a sly smile.
"Better?" she teased.
Jakob returned the smile. "By leaps and bounds, milady."
Corrin laughed before heading out the door.
"About time you showed up, sleepyhead." Leo called with a cheeky smirk, his arms folded across his chest. Any retort Corrin had dissipated from the sheer happiness she felt hearing his pompous voice again.
"I know, I know, sorry I'm late!" Corrin apologized.
Xander stood next to Leo, his light blonde curls swaying slightly as he shook his head in good-humor at the siblings.
He smiled as she approached the duo. "Ready to go?"
Corrin nodded a bit too quickly, her hair finding its way onto her face again. "You bet!" She couldn't hide the excitement in her voice if she tried.
"Good," Xander extended a practice sword her way, "because today's session will be different."
Corrin accepted the sword but tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" All Xander offered was a nonchalant shrug before walking to the practice field.
"You'll see, sister." Leo strode past her and offered a less-teasing smile than earlier.
With an exaggerated eye roll, she hurried to join her older brother on the training grounds.
"All right, Corrin!" Xander called out to her even though there was no noise that could muffle his booming voice. "Come at me whenever you're ready!"
Corrin nodded before steadying her breath and charging at him. Xander parried it with ease, blocking her follow-up strike before giving a swift kick to the hilt of her blade, throwing her off balance and allowing him to strike his blade on her gauntlet.
"Keep your feet grounded, Corrin!" He instructed over the clash of steel. "If you lose your balance in a sword fight, it's over!" Before she could even respond he was striking her again, Corrin blocking it just in time. "And don't let your guard down!" he added before continuing his relentless attacks.
Corrin's defenses held for a few clashes before she stepped back to allow herself breathing room. She could hear Leo chuckling behind her. "That's our brother, all right!" She could practically hear his smile.
"Giving up already, little princess? I expect more of you!" Xander taunted but with no animosity laced in his voice.
"Xander, I-"
"No excuses!" He interrupted but still wore his brotherly smile. "Pick yourself up and try again. Don't you want to prove to Father that you're worthy to come back with us?"
Corrin's face perked at that. Was that why he was being so tough on her? To make sure she was ready for the outside world?
She tightened her grip and let a smirk grow on her lips. She had been waiting for an opportunity to escape for years, and here it was, in the form of the Crowned Prince Xander.
"There's the fight in your eyes!" He bellowed with a laugh before reading his stance once more. "Get ready-"
Corrin was on him before he could finish his lecture, eager to prove her strength. She swiped and slashed him, keeping him on the defense but still not landing a hit. She growled in frustration. Raising her sword to deliver another blow, he surprised her with a deft strike to her stomach.
"Augh!" she cried out, holding the wound and staggering, but keeping her defensive position. Xander relaxed his stance slightly but remained firm.
"Are you alright?" He asked, worry prominent in his voice. He had to be tough on her, but that didn't mean he liked seeing her injured.
She nodded but he could see the sweat glistening on her forehead. Nevertheless, she still looked ready for battle.
"Try tapping into a dragon vein to heal your wound," he grinned before continuing, "you cannot forget that dragon blood runs through you."
Corrin cursed herself inwardly. How could she not have sensed the vein before?
Despite her inner scolding, she nodded before closing her eyes and attempting to locate the familiar feeling underneath her bare feet that indicated the dragon vein's location. The ground beneath her glowed faintly before a green light surrounded her. She could feel the pain slipping away and smiled when she could stand straight without strain.
She wiggled her toes and couldn't help the giddy feeling that overcame her. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that feeling." She looked up from her feet to see Xander smiling at her.
Corrin regained her bearings before readying another attack on her older brother. He was, of course, prepared for the strike and parried appropriately. Just like she hoped. Corrin couldn't help the smirk that followed as she ducked underneath the blow and attempted to strike his shin and-
Just as she was about to connect the blow and throw him off balance, Xander lifted the leg she wasn't focused on and kicked her in the shoulder, throwing her off balance and onto her back. He rose his sword to her chest.
"Nice try, little princess, but next time try not to have your next move show on your face." Xander was the one smirking now.
Leo once again chuckled, his soft laugh barely reaching her ears. "I could see that suspicious smirk on your face all the way from here, sister."
Damn. Am I that obvious?
Corrin groaned in frustration before Xander replaced his extended sword with a hand, smiling at her with a patience she wish she had. "Come on, let's try again."
About an hour of training passed before Corrin was feeling utterly exhausted — even Xander was showing early signs of fatigue.
"Well done, Corrin." Xander praised before turning his back to her. "Let's call it a day."
He didn't have to be looking at her to know the surprised and defiant expression she was wearing.
"Wait, what? We just started! We can keep going!" Corrin exclaimed with a confidence that was betrayed by the sound of her growling stomach.
Xander put away his practice sword and chuckled at the embarrassment colored on her cheeks. "We trained enough for now. Let's find you something to eat."
Corrin grumbled as she set her training sword down next to his. "You were just afraid 'cause I was starting to win…"
"Oh, really? That's not what it looked like to me." Leo jested, a taunting smirk on his face.
Corrin laughed without humor, turning to him with a sickeningly sweet smile. "By the way, your collar is inside out."
All traces of humor left Leo's face and was replaced with a red that could challenge a tomato. "No way-" A quick self-scan of his attire confirmed Leo's fears. "Ugh! Wh-why didn't you say something earlier?!" he demanded but his voice cracked. He ran a hand through is dark blonde hair as he fled from the scene to prevent further embarrassment — and fix his collar.
Corrin giggled before noticing Xander staring down at her. With the way his arms were crossed and how he towered over her in height, she expected to be scolded if it weren't for the small smile gracing his thin lips.
"Sorry," Corrin said sheepishly. "I can't help but tease him sometimes. He's such an easy target, you know?"
Xander couldn't help but chuckle at that. "It's just another thing that makes him so lovable."
Corrin nodded in agreement. Leo managing to be a scatter-brain despite his amazing intellect never ceased to amuse her. She looked up at Xander staring fondly at their brother's retreating form.
She admired them both so much.
"Now then," Xander started, Corrin quickly averting her gaze to not be caught staring, "how about some breakfast?"
A/N: Chapter One in the books! It turned out much longer than expected, so I figured that was a good cut-off before introducing the Nohrian sisters. But I'm happy with the results! Sorry if it seemed a bit too introductory, I tried my best to keep it interesting and in-character but still on-track with the prologue. And who could resist teasing Leo a bit? He's just too precious.
Next chapter will probably be out soon because my creative juices are flowing right now. Until next time!