The tea was finally finished. The kettle was whistling, and with a shaky hand Jakob removed it from the stove. Regardless of the answer, he was sure that Corrin would need some warm tea to drink. He set the kettle on his serving tray and wheeled it out of the kitchen, into the grand hall that lead to Corrin's quarters. He had wished he could pass the throne room, if only to catch a few words to clue him in on the situation, but he knew that he should be ready for Corrin as soon as she arrived. Last he had heard, things sounded very grim for Silas. He had hoped that his friend would be spared from execution, but he couldn't be sure that Silas would have such luck.

Jakob had reached Corrin's room and pushed the heavy double doors open. He proceeded to set up the tea set on her bedside table, making sure everything was exactly as she had liked it. It had not been long since she was in the same throne room, pleading for her father to allow Jakob to stay in the castle. Since that moment, he had poured his heart into becoming a satisfactory butler. He had remembered how terrified he was to be in that situation, albeit for a much lighter crime. He could only imagine being in Silas' shoes right now. Sneaking Corrin out of the castle had been a death wish, and was now being tried as one.

Once everything had been set to perfection, Jakob took a seat on the edge of Corrin's bed. He placed his hands in his lap and waited. He waited and thought about Corrin, and her kind heart that had helped him once before. He thought about how she would act now, tears streaming down her face, her cheeks red and voice hoarse from all of her hollering. He had hoped that her words would move the king, and that they could go back to playing around the fortress, the way things should have been.

Jakob had snapped back to reality when he heard loud footsteps thundering down the grand hall, followed by even louder sobs. He immediately rose to his feet, just in time for Corrin to slam her small body against his, her arms grabbing his shoulders. He held her and stood for a few moments, allowing her to cry and shake against his frame. A few moments had passed, and he guided her to her bed, slowly helping her sit down. His heart sunk seeing her, trembling and shaking and crying.

"Milady, please, do tell me what happened in there." Jakob sat next to her, placing an arm on her shoulder and a hand over hers. She tried to speak, but her words were swallowed by her sobs. Jakob squeezed her hand. "Take care to breathe. There is no need to rush."

Corrin tried to catch her breath a few times before giving up and continuing to cry against Jakob. She buried her face into his vest, and in return he scooped her into his arms, pulling her on to his lap. The two sat there, her crying and him attempting to comfort, for quite some time before she quieted down. When all that she could muster was a few whimpers, she looked up to Jakob. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. It was hard to see her like this, so fragile and broken. When she spoke, her voice cracked, raw from crying. "Silas... he's gone."

After uttering that sentence, the sobs returned at full force. "He's gone! They said he'll never be back. That he's banished from the fortress forever. He didn't deserve it!"

She balled her small hand into a fist, and weakly hit Jakob. "Why? It's not fair!"

"He's banished?" Jakob asked, not expecting an explanation. For the son of a noble family, execution seemed drastic. He had been spared; Jakob was extremely thankful for that. To Corrin, however, banishment was death. He would never be allowed in her small world again.

"They took him away before I could even say goodbye..." Corrin's voice was quiet again, and Jakob placed his hand on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair. How cruel of them, not only to banish a child for a mischievous act, but to whisk him away without a parting word.

"He said he'd marry me, Jakob. I didn't get to say that I loved him back."

Jakob froze. "He promised you that, did he?"

A pang of jealousy hit him, but it was no surprise. He saw how Silas had looked at her, he knew how he had pined for her. The boys did a bad job hiding their feelings for Corrin from each other, yet they had competed for her affections without her knowledge. Small things to prove their devotion, trying to win her affection.

Silas had won.

Corrin didn't cry like this when he was almost thrown to the streets. She had made a fuss, of course, but she hadn't completely broken down. When Jakob returned, he was met with happy tears. Now, Silas had caused her cry harder than he had ever seen before. How dare he break her heart like this? How dare he put Corrin through such sadness, all because he had to sneak her out of the fortress. Were those brief moments worth it? Jakob doubted it.

He shifted Corrin's weight on his lap and continued to stroke her hair. "Lady Corrin, I am sure that Silas was aware that you feel the same way."

"Really, Jakob?" Corrin sniffed, not even bothering to look up at his face. "I just wanted to make sure. I wanted to tell him and hug him."

"Well, Lady Corrin, I believe there is a chance you may see him again some day." Jakob told her. "He will still be in the castle. Perhaps when you are allowed to leave, you can reunite."

Corrin didn't seem to hear him speak. "My chest hurts. My whole body feels tight, and it's hard to breathe."

Jakob held his tongue and didn't tell her it was mostly due to her crying for an hour. "That is how you feel after heartbreak. It is a pain unlike any other."

"This is worse than any wound I've received during a spar," Corrin said. "I would rather have Xander knock me off the fortress than feel this ever again."

She hugged him tighter, and Jakob rested his chin on top of her head. "I understand, milady. It is a pain I would wish on no one."

"Have you ever felt heartbreak, Jakob?"

"Yes, milady. I know how you are feeling now." he sighed. Lady Corrin, it is you who has broken it. He would not let her know that, of course. Her pain was his pain, and he would not allow her to hurt any more. His feelings were not important. He lived to serve her, both in body and mind. She didn't need to worry about his feelings while she was mourning the loss of her dear friend, nearly turned lover.

He strained to reach the tea on the bedside table and offered her a cup. "This will make your throat feel better, milady."

Corrin took a few small sips from the cup and then stared at the dark tea in her hands. "When will the rest of me feel better?"

Jakob didn't have an answer. He wondered when the pain in his own heart would ebb. "I do not know, Lady Corrin. But, I do know that I will be here for you, whenever you need a shoulder to cry on or a warm cup of tea."

She rested her head on his chest once more, silent as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I miss him already, Jakob."

"Shh," he gently whispered in her ear. He needed to keep his own emotions in check, and he wasn't sure he could if she continued talking about Silas. He grabbed the tea from her hands and placed in back on the table. "It is best to let your voice rest."

"Jakob, will you stay with me?" Corrin whispered. "Don't leave me any time soon, please."

"As I said, milady, I will stay by your side forever."

Jakob had fully intended to stay by her side for all of eternity, if that is what she wished. He gently rocked back and forth, and Corrin grabbed his hands. He knew he could stay with her as her butler, but he longed for more. He wanted to stay by her side as her lover, to protect her from harm and to prevent her tears. But for the time being, he needed to let her heal. They both needed to heal.

I love you, Corrin. He thought. He kissed the top of her head, and noticed she had exhausted herself crying and had fallen asleep. Taking care not to wake her, Jakob tucked her into bed. He sat at the edge of the bed, gently stroking the hair from her face.

"I will see to it that you never cry again, milady," Jakob vowed. As she requested, Jakob stayed by her side, and that is where he would remain.

Forever.

-.-.-

AN:

Forgive me if stuff is inaccurate, I've only played up to Chapter 10 on Birthright orz

Anyway, I was going to marry Jakob, but then Silas rode up on his horse and swept me off my feet. Oops. I thought it'd make some good content though ;D

R&R

Icee Suicune