It was that damn play. The traveling theater company seemed so innocuous at first. They offered to put on a private show for Valla's Royal Court, possibly in the hopes of gaining patronage, and had elected to preform a series of plays over the few weeks they stayed at the palace. Tonight was a famous Chevan drama, "The Tragedy of Countess Penelope," composed about a hundred years ago by the great Chevan playwright Bartemus. With "Tragedy" literally in the title, Corrin was not expecting a happy ending. That was fine. Sometimes he enjoyed plays that ended in tragedy... so long as they happened to fictional people, and no one he cared about.

The play, obviously, was about the eponymous Countess, but more specifically, her downfall. She was a perfectly nice young woman, who came into her mother's titles and lands after her ten older siblings all died from a disease. No sooner had she taken the County throne than she manipulated and deceived by everyone around her, from ministers, to servants, to even her new husband! Eventually, the people she trusted the most turned on her, taking away everything that mattered, and locking her up in a tower, something that hit close to the young king.

The moral was obvious; those in power need to be careful of those who they can or cannot trust.

It had a strange effect on him, one that would stay with him for the rest of the night.

"My training is going well." Azura said as she sat at a luxurious vanity, dressed in a gossamer thin black nightgown, brushing her hair, "Sigurd says that I am a natural with the poleaxe."

"Hmm." Corrin said as he looked out the castle window.

"Indeed. I've placed an order for a special one with a well known blacksmith from northern Nohr. Apparently he made Garon's axe as well... the real Garon mind you, not Anankos' puppet.

"Hmm."

Azura looked at her husband's reflection in her mirror, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm also thinking of taking money out of the treasury, running away to Cyrkensia, founding a dancing guild, only to return here and seduce you while I am in disguise."

"Hm- wait what?" Corrin now looked at her, confusion on his face, "I hope you're joking."

"Just seeing if you were paying attention; you pass."

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not right now." he said as he turned back to the window.

Azura sighed, got up and walked over to Corrin, wrapping her arms around him.

"Corrin, I think you've mixed up the roles in this relationship." she said jokingly, "I'm supposed to be the constant self doubter, and you're the confidant and endearing prince."

He chuckled at that, turning around and bending down to kiss her.

"Feel like telling me now?" she asked after their lips parted.

He sighed but nodded. She took him by the hand and led him to their bed, and they both sat both down on the mattress.

"It was the play." he said, "The content made me think about my life. Penelope was never trained to be a ruler, and neither was I. I'm a soldier Azura. I can swing a sword and lead people into battle, but ruling? It's still a learning experience, and I'm afraid if I don't learn more, I might end up as a cautionary tale."

"That is... that is a serious concern. It's one that I share as well. Corrin, you're a sweet, kind man... but at times, I feel as if you're still that naive prince I met all those years ago. When I feel that, I worry for you... and for Shigure."

Her words felt like arrows into his being. Azura was always blunt in her words, but they were always what he needed to hear.

"Only two men on the continent can hope to match you in war." she continued, "But not ever battle can be fought with swords. We've been putting it off since we were building a kingdom from the ground up, but we both need to learn politics; sooner rather than later."

"You're right." he said, "In the morning, I'll have Jakob scour the library for philosophers who wrote of politics."

"And I will write Xander and Ryoma for advice." Azura said, "They were trained to rule. We probably will not find better teachers than them."

Corrin smiled at that, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forhead.

"What would I do without you?"

"You ask me that question a lot." she said, "But so do I. I do know a way for you to show your gratitude though."

"Oh? How so?"

She slipped off one of her nightgown's straps, exposing her shoulder to him. He felt his blood start to rush.

"You can forget your worries for tonight," Azura said seductively, laying back in bed, "and love me."

"As my Queen commands." Corrin replied with a wry grin.

He then got on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed, attacking her neck with small bites, and being rewarded wit her musical moans of pleasure.

Later that evening, the young couple were under the covers, completely spent, but very satisfied; the worries of earlier forgotten for a time.

Several weeks later

A tapping at his door forced Jakob to look up from the supply reports.

"Yes?" he asked, and a page opened the door.

"Apologies Lord Steward." the young boy said, "But a man has come, insisting on speaking to the King."

"Quite brazen of him." Jakob said, "Who is he?"

"He's a Nestran named Nicola and-"

"And I can speak for myself."

A man in dark robes pushed past the page, walking up to Jakob's desk.

"I apologize for the intrusion Lord Steward." Nicola said, "But I am here to offer my services to the king."

"What services could you possibly offer that King Corrin could use?" Jakob asked, skeptically. He looked the Nestran over, spying the tome he carried in his left hand, "The king has plenty of mages in his service already."

"A mage I may be, but magic is not the talent I offer."

"Than what do you offer?"

"I hear that the king needs lessons in politics." Nicola said, "And I am a career minister from the court of the Prince of Florentia, recently unemployed."

Jakob noted that Nicola added that last part with no small amount of bitterness.

"I served in government for twenty years Lord Steward. Let me speak to the King, and allow him to decide if he can make use of my experience."