This interlude takes place sometime between chapters 8 and 13, closer to 13. There's no determinate night, though.
Camilla sat her needlepoint to the side when she heard the sound of fabric rubbing against itself. Her hand went to Kriemhild's concealed form on her collar, but she relaxed a moment later when she saw René standing at the entrance to her tent. Nobody other than he or Luna could pull that on her, but the threat of Hoshidan assassins remained with the two armies travelling together.
The former assassin inclined his head toward her as he dropped to one knee, a hand over his heart. "Forgive me for interrupting your alone time, Princess Camilla, but Prince Xander seems to be having nightmares again. All I could get out of him was something about Siegfried." His one eye narrowed as if trying to figure it out, but he dropped it a moment later as Camilla shook her head.
"Thank you for telling me, René." It wasn't hard to for her to figure out Peri and Isaiah refused to leave their prince's side. Marius and Luna were likely speaking about whatever they could to keep their mind off the Fell Dragon stalking their dreams, so it fell to him to tell her.
She stood and lifted up the hem of her skirt, heading to Xander's tent. The pair of retainers slipped out as Camilla walked in and closed the tent flap before sitting next to her brother. Sweat beaded his forehead, the oil lamp glowing on his pale white skin. His balled hands adhered to the disheveled covers while his whole body rattled.
Camilla laid a hand on her brother's shoulder and he looked over at her before he ragdolled against her. He clung to her as tears rolled down his face, and she rubbed soothing circles on his back. She knew which nightmare plagued him from René's words and Xander's reaction. Plus, war always aggravated the memory. Even with Ryoma's presence offering another layer of safety from him, he was so like his father now that it only made things worse.
"Xander, Xander, it's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you. I'm here now. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you." She had little choice but to speak rapidly to him, given the horrific nightmare and everything attached to it. She still recalled the haunted look on his face when he returned with Arete after Sumeragi had relinquished Siegfried.
Xander gave a tiny nod as his grip tightened and she ran a hand through his hair. A gentle hum rose in her throat and her voice softened the tension in the air. His grip on her lessened and his breathing calmed as she wove the spells to help him sleep without the threat of nightmares. She was beyond thankful the good queen and her mother had been so insistent on teaching her to use that branch of magic. It came in handy when Xander freaked out like this, but it unfortunately had no effect on Leo or Elise. Only their mother's music had worked on them, so it left Camilla with nothing to work with when they had nightmares.
She just sighed as she sat there for several hours until she was certain Xander wouldn't wake until the morning. This was always a crapshoot since war stirred his memories and nightmares so deeply. It left the magic able to do only so much.
Isaiah slipped into the tent and she turned her head toward him as she settled her brother down on the cot. "I can take it from here, Princess Camilla."
"Thank you, Isaiah. I appreciate it more than you know."
The man just gave her a thin smile. "Considering the burdens my friends and I bore under Grima, I think I can understand." Well, she couldn't even deny that point. Regardless, she gave him a faint smile in return before slipping off to the mess tent.
She arched an eyebrow when she saw one of Prince Takumi's retainers—Oboro, she recalled—with her head on the table. A bottle of sake sat in front of her and Camilla sighed.
Oh dear.
She recognised the scene since she'd seen—and experienced—the same thing far too many times.
She slipped into the chair next to the woman whose head snapped up. Her eyes narrowed and focused on Camilla who just rolled her eyes in response. "What the hell do you want, you damned Nohrian?" The lack of slurred words and focus in her gaze hinted that she either hadn't had much to drink or had a high tolerance. Either way, she wasn't drunk, so it seemed she was at least smart when it came to drinking…even when she was supposedly drowning her sorrows away.
"Honestly, the same thing you're doing." Camilla kept her tone quiet and even as she rested her cheek in her hand. Then again, it wasn't hard, given her natural tone defaulted to a gentle monotone.
Oboro just raised an eyebrow and scoffed as she looked away. "And what does a Nohrian princess have to worry about?" Her tone betrayed the fact she already had an idea, no doubt based on her interactions with Cami. Her deep-seated hatred of Nohrians prevented her from actually acknowledging it, though.
Camilla took the free drink dish and poured herself a small portion, taking in the flavor. Sake was a rare treat for her even in the hidden heart of Windmire, so she always savored it when she did.
"You're already quite aware because of your dealings with Cami. Plus having to care for a sickly younger brother whom can't be left alone at any point, an emotionally shattered older brother with the mindset of a child, and a hardened, cunning younger sister that knows far more than she should. All of that on top of said Nohrian princess barely getting more than two hours of sleep every night herself due to crippling nightmares." Camilla looked down at the small portion of alcohol in front of her and swirled it around the shallow dish. She normally wouldn't be this honesty with anybody, but she had her lapses at times. She was the anchor that kept her family together, but she could feel the strain of the tide at the moment.
They were finally going to take down Garon which would be a mixed bag. They'd finally be rid of the mad, sadistic tyrant, but it meant a whole host of other problems for her. She'd be on the throne, the court would contest her claim to the crown due to being a bastard, none of the nobles would be loyal to her, marriage, heirs…
She blinked and glanced over at Oboro who topped her saucer. The other woman just sighed and did the same for herself. "Life sure is a shitshow, isn't it?" Oboro didn't even try to hide the bitterness in her tone.
"...You love him, don't you?" The quiet question made the retainer freeze mid sip, but it passed after a moment as she finished with a nod.
"...Yeah. I have since shortly after I entered his service. I know he seems harsh and cruel, but he's the complete opposite. I've never met somebody more kind and considerate." Oboro put the rest of the portion away and sat her dish on the table, looking off into the night's dark depths.
It wasn't difficult to guess what fear gripped her heart.
"I can tell as much. If he weren't, Leo would have come crying to me by now." Leo was exceedingly flighty and sensitive to even the lightest criticism or sign of conflict. His eyes wouldn't have warmed and he wouldn't have signed so enthusiastically if Takumi weren't kind and gentle. Almost every Nohrian soldier reviled and feared the Hoshidan prince, and she could only imagine the vitriol he faced when going to the Nohrian side of camp every night.
Oboro just sighed again and kept her gaze unfocused on the night." It's only been a few weeks, but at the rate they're going…" Camilla could only agree. When Leo attached to people, he did so hard . It really was only a matter of time until her little brother fell for Takumi.
Camilla emptied her saucer and put it down, looking over at Oboro. "So, I've heard you're quite the seamstress, Akiba-san." She clasped her hands together and gave the other woman a faint smile. Oboro looked over at her with a blink and gave a slow nod. "I'm pretty handy with a needle and thread myself. Think you'd be willing to share some of your knowledge with me?"
Oboro looked genuinely taken aback but smiled and nodded. "Sure! I'd love to learn about Nohrian sewing techniques from a native—"