Nohr, the day Corrin sided with Hoshido

Castle Krakenburg felt oddly silent, more so than usual. The royal family siblings, Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise were all but dreading today. It was Corrin's birthday, but the adopted Nohrian Prince was not with them anymore, he took up Yato for Hoshido and just left them.

Elise sat in the room that was meant to be Corrin's, doing her best not to cry, in her hand she held a small carving of the Dusk Dragon. She places the gift on the table, "Why did you leave us?" As with the other siblings, Elise planned his present ahead of time which caused them all the more grief with his departure.

"Don't cry little sister, we'll get him back." Camilla said as she entered the room. She had a sad smile on her.

"I know we'll, they had to have done something to him..." Elise paused, "What did you get him?"

Camilla's smile came in full, "This..." She pulled out a sweater, on the front were five small images, their family. "Gods, the hours it took to make this..." The tiny Xander was on his horse, sword pointed skyward, Leo was sitting on a tree branch, Camilla rode her wyvern, Elise was jumping in joy next to her own horse, and below them all, centered in the middle, was Corrin, a multitude of hearts connecting the siblings.

"Aw, that's so cute!" Elise giggled.

"There's also this..." She said as she turned the sweater around, "But don't tell Leo!"

It was the back-side profile of the same scene, "What am I looking for, sis?" She asked as she tilted her head.

"Leo's collar." Camilla pointed to the mini-Leo.

"Oh... oh!" Elise noticed that Camilla made it to where the Dark Knight's collar was inside out. "Hahaha!" She began laughing out loud.

"It seems like nothing is wrong as long as Elise is happy." Leo spoke up. Camilla quickly turned the sweater around before setting it on her lap. "Which is almost all of the time."

"Whatcha got, big brother?" Elise pointed towards the book in his hand, which was not his iconic tome, Brynhildr.

"This?" He held out the book, "It's Corrin's present."

She rolls her eyes, "Well yea, but what is it?"

"Since the Hoshidans stole him from us, I decided to make a written compilation of fond memories of his time here."

"It's a diary?"

Leo's face brightened red, "It is a manly recollection of cherished events!"

"So a diary?" Camilla began giggling.

"Gods..." He sighs as he pinches the bridge on his nose, "Fine, it's a 'diary', happy?"

"When is Xander coming?" Elise asks.

"I'm sure he is working on his present right now."

"You think?"

"What better present than bringing our Corrin back?"

"Actually, he isn't training right now." Camilla looked surprised, "In fact, he isn't in any of the training areas."

"I hope he's okay..." Elise sighs as her mood finally starts to die down again. "He isn't showing it, but losing Corrin really hurt him."

Leo nods, "Yes, our brother may think he is an unflinching wall, but we've known him long enough to notice the little cracks in his behavior."

"He was so proud of Corrin when he finally managed to hold his own against our Crown Prince." Camilla adds.

Hours pass as the three siblings exchange small talk, most of them concerning Corrin. Elise yawns as the twentieth hour strikes, "Wow…" She sleepily says, "I didn't realize we were talking so long…" She starts dozing off into Camilla's lap.

"We should prepare for tomorrow, we have a brother to rescue." Leo nods as he leaves.

Camilla's smile turns vicious, "And we will make those Hoshidans pay ." She gently picks up the youngest Nohrian princess and walks out.

Xander walks into the room assigned to Corrin, covered in soot, burn marks, a few broken fingers, and nearly exhausted. It was difficult, without a doubt the hardest thing the Crown Prince has ever done.

He was always trained in the way of the sword, specifically on horseback, blacksmithing was a far cry from it. But he pushed himself, and by the gods did his effort show. In his hand was a single sword, the metal blade is as black as night, the hilt is a deep purple with gold inlay…

A sword he crafted. It took him weeks, and the royal blacksmith was at his wit's end about how many resources the Crown Prince all but wasted… but he did it. With uncharacteristic gentleness, he places the sword in a case, which he then wraps in the same paper that his siblings used. Xander places his present next to the others, takes a step back, then quivers as a single tear drop escapes him.

"Happy birthday, brother." Was all he said before he left the room, mere minutes before midnight.
-

Over a Year Later, after Hoshido Wins the War

Corrin stumbles backward as the adrenaline starts to fade and the realization hits him. "We won!" He drops Blazing Yato and throws his arms in the air, tears of joy leaving him, "The war… it's over." Dragon-Garon lies dead. A roaring applause follows.

"Big brother!" Sakura all but throws herself onto him.

"We did it." Hinoka nods as she too, embraces her brother.

"It was only obvious outcome, we are the stronger ones, after all." Takumi nods, but keeps an arm distance away.

"Together we can accomplish anything." Ryoma wraps a single arm around his two sisters and brother.

Suddenly, the Draconic Hoshidan Prince tenses, as another, much more somber fact hits him. "So many died… the only one that even remotely deserved such a fate was Garon. But Elise, Xander…" He trails off.

While the rest of the Hoshidan royal family didn't share the same sentiments for the Nohrian royals, it still hurt them to see Corrin affected by their loss. "I wish we could have prevented it." Ryoma announces.

"My most sincere apologies…" Jakob walks up and the siblings break their embrace, "But… Lord Corrin, there is something you need to see."

Wiping the few tears from his eyes he nods, "Of course." He follows his Butler out of the Throne Room and through the hallways. "Jakob?" He asks.

"I… kept this from you." He admits, "But, I think it is in your best interest you see this now, rather than later." He stops at a door. "This… was to be your room."

"Jakob…" Corrin hesitates, even as his ever-faithful Butler opens it.

"Xander and the others informed me to not speak of this, but considering the circumstances…" He enters and Corrin follows.

The Hoshidan Prince all but falls over when he sees it. "H-Happy Birthday?" He stutters out as a bright colorful banner hangs over the center, a stark contrast to the rest of Nohr. "But if they have this out…"

"This was done before you were taken to Hoshido, yes." He confirms.

"Gods…" Corrin carefully approaches the presents laid out. He grabs the smallest one, the unmistakable flair of Elise's handwriting spells out 'For Big Brother!' His eyesight blurs as tears form, but he pushes through and opens it. It's a small Dusk Dragon figurine. "Little sister…" He gently places it aside, like it is made of fragile glass, rather than the sturdy enchanted wood it is actually made of.

A small book-shaped one is next, "Leo." He guesses before even reading it and sure enough when he opens it, Leo's pristine words are on the front cover. 'For the memories you gave me.' He opens the book and nearly breaks into tears on the spot, so many cherished memories…

A rather soft gift is next, Corrin gently opens it like the rest and is greeted with the warm feel of a sweater, 'For our darling Corrin.' He smiles as he looks at the tiny versions of his Nohrian family, "Camilla." He nods.

Last, but not least, a rectangular present remains, "Xander." He absentmindedly comments as he opens it. A masterfully crafted sword rests in a case, 'A blade made for none other than you, Corrin.'

All of the presents rest in a pile. Jakob has remained silent throughout the entire process, "Get this wrapped up and preserved… place them in the Convoy, I want these saved until the end of time."

He didn't need to look to know that Jakob bowed, "At once, Lord Corrin."

"Thank you…" He whispers, but whether it is to Jakob or his Nohrian siblings… he isn't too sure.