Revised: I'm sweeping over the fic to close up any plotholes and inconsistencies made from later and contradicting information, either brought in by the main fic itself, or additional details stated in the side stories 'Confined: Contained'. There will also be added details and scenes. If those added details end up being several paragraphs, I will list them here. Otherwise, if it's a few changed or added lines, I won't point it out.

Large Changes: Added in more information about Corrin's views on males. It's after Gunter's training, but before Jakob and Corrin goes to the infirmary.

A/N: This starts before the in-game events, most notably are before Corrin meets Lilith, before Felicia and Flora are brought into the Northern Castle, and before Jakob became the well-trained Butler he is in-game. Among the biggest changes are the attitudes of: Gunter, Xander, Leo, and Flora. Felicia has had a few tweaks while Elise and Camilla pretty much stay the same. Hoshidan units remain unchanged.

The Tribes, Fire, Ice, Wind, and Water will also have much larger roles, as well as retainers getting a more consistent spotlight.

Warning: This fic will contain subjects that might not agree with you, or that might offend you: Abuse and trauma.

Shout out: Once more, a concept brought to you all by Temporal King. All I simply did was bring it into existence. I do hope this meets your expectations.

I will mention, as with the other, I don't exactly have much planned ahead of time. I got the general idea of what'll be here, I'm just going need time to get it out properly. I mean, I already scrapped this one chapter a few times.

Summary: What if Corrin did not receive near unconditional love and care from those in the Northern Castle? What if Gunter was an extremely strict teacher? If Xander and Leo only trained Corrin because King Garon ordered them to? If the doting Camilla was constantly sent out on missions, while Elise was restricted to about four visits a year?

A Birthright route where the majority of the Nohrian cast are almost as tyrannical as the very King who rules over Nohr. A life where Corrin is scarred from his time in Nohr, where the Hoshidans were right in their suspicions on how their brother was treated.

There were several hours until sunrise, but there were already two men sparring in the training grounds. One was a war veteran, who has served in King Garon's army for years. This man matched the old, grizzled type, his methods of teaching were strict. After all, he didn't make it this long from performing half-assed techniques. The other is a much younger man, a freshly grown adult, however, due to the older man's harsh training regimen, the younger one was already quite strong. "I said, strike me!" The older one yelled.

Well, he's strong, but he isn't skilled. "I-I'm trying, Gunter." The silver-hair man replied, far too weary to make full use of any attack. It's like this everyday, the veteran demands so much from him physically, like his stamina matches his.

Gunter countered the following slash, before striking back with enough force to send the other reeling, "If this were an actual fight, Corrin, you would be dead! Again!" Corrin shakily stood up, his body far too beaten to even manage a weak block as yet another attack sent him to the ground. "Stand up! What sort of Nohrian are you? Will you beg and grovel in the hopes that the enemy will 'go easy' on you? Perhaps I should hand you a real sword so you can end your own life!" Corrin grunted, but ultimately couldn't find the energy to meet the admittedly ridiculous standards being forced on him. "You're a disgrace. Jakob!"

Another man, this one, while youthful like Corrin, had white hair done into a simple ponytail, his Butler garb expertly cleaned to the highest degree, "Come, Lord Corrin." He assisted the man up, before pulling out his…

"No staves today, Jakob." The Butler hesitates, "You rely too much on them and Nohr can't keep supplying them for simple injuries."

There is nothing 'simple' about Corrin's condition he had scars plastered over his body, the worst offenders being on his back. Some of his scars even crossed over to other scars, but that's just the physical side of things. The beatings and abuse he has received has altered his perception on others... Gunter instills fear and he is at the least even wary of the common person...

No, not the common person, the common male.

Thanks to the treatment Corrin has had gotten from others, which have only been men, Corrin has formed an innate distrust of them. Only Jakob and Laslow have Corrin's trust when it comes to males. They are literally the only two males that has even shown him any kindness at all. Jakob was the first, being the only servant who was untrained and inexperienced as he. There friendship formed from a shared uncertainty. Corrin doubted his skills to ever meet the high standards men like Gunter and Xander force on him, while Jakob never found the self-trust to believe he'll ever make a proper Butler.

Laslow, on the other hand, showed up after Corrin had already began becoming wary of males. However, perhaps it was due to Laslow's constant smiling and smooth nature, but the man had somehow easily slipped by Corrin's concerns and became a fast friend. Though, if Corrin thought about it, that trust and feeling of safety came from the day that Laslow told him he was going to show Corrin a 'special' dance, one that was passed down his family. Corrin can still remember the steps and rhythm as if he's done it his whole life. Laslow told him it was one of several that his mother taught him, and that this specific one was slow and calming. That dance eased his Corrin's and the next thing he knew, he was building a now treasured relationship with the dancer.

Still, one thing gets to him... Laslow is so proud of his dancing, he holds it on such a high standard. His mother is also apparently one of the best dancers ever, Corrin even remembers Laslow telling him that he was happy living with his mother...

Then, what forced him to become one of Xander's retainers? Surely he already saw the Crown Prince's aggressive behavior?

"I shall assist Lord Corrin to the infirmary, then." Jakob's voice brought Corrin out of his inner thoughts, reminding him that Jakob had no choice but to comply, since King Garon, Corrin's father, gave Gunter full authority of the Northern Castle.

"Don't mess this up again, butler." The old man warns, "Your inexperience is grating on my nerves. If you don't improve by the end of this week, you'll be replaced."

Jakob could only offer a bow, "I will not disappoint." With that, the butler aids the battle-weary Corrin across the training yard and back into the castle. "Is there anywhere particular that truly hurts you, Lord Corrin?" He asks once they are both out of earshot and eyesight. Always kind, always caring... a friend, even if he has to refer to himself as a servant.

"My right wrist." He admits, "Gunter struck it when I wasn't able to properly block his attacks." Which forced him to fight left-handed. Corrin enters the infirmary, and helps him lie down. Looking the man over, Jakob felt extremely tempted to use his staff, but Gunter ordered him not to…

And despite telling him he won't disappoint, Jakob lacked the self-confidence to assure himself. A large selection of medicinal herbs lie atop the shelves, some of which looked so similar to each other. He hesitates as he tries to distinguish the one for cuts. Why weren't they labeled? Surely Nohr has enough paper to tell which one is which? But no, each and every servant is expected to learn all herbs by simply looking at them. When Corrin ends up groaning in pain, Jakob can suddenly feel an immense pressure on him. He reaches for the one he hopes, he desperately hopes is the right one. "Please, hold still, Lord Corrin." The Butler crushes the herb into a paste, before smearing it over the worst of the wounds.

Corrin jerks, but it ultimately proves to be the right one. "Thank you, Jakob." The Nohrian prince sighs in relief. Though, he would prefer a staff, since Jakob is the most skilled one here with them. The white-hair Butler is the most efficient one with staves, as he can make them last at least twice as long. But still the man is forced to use herbs, and Corrin won't ever forget the night he used the wrong one…

Corrin doubts that particular lashing has yet to heal. Gunter is no kind soul by any means.

After finishing off the Prince's wounds, Jakob escorted him to his first set of classes. The sun has just reached its peak, behind the clouds of course, so now it's time for Corrin's academics. In a cruel twist of fate, however, the 'tutors' were no better. Their tempers short and their punishments quick, it's a wonder that they even hold their job, and maybe they would lose them, if Gunter bothered to fire them. The war veteran cared only for Corrin's combat skills, so when it came to finding a tutor, he simply threw some gold at the first licensed one.

"Wrong! Again!" A crack echoed through the room as the woman slapped Corrin's right wrist with her ruler. The still-healing wound burned with pain, but she didn't care.

Corrin obediently re-did the work, forced to use his left hand once more. His preference for his right hand showed immediately, as he had to re-re-do the same problem when he ended up writing the wrong answer. It was a blessing he saw his own error before she did. "Here you go, ma'am."

"Hmph, acceptable." She simply glanced over it. Corrin had half a mind to think her license was fake, not that he would speak of such things. "You're done for the day."

Flinching from her sudden tone, Corrin performs a short bow before leaving. His stomach growls, he had only a small breakfast, and it's already past lunch. Still he treks on, with Jakob guiding him towards his third and final class, magic. Given the minimal time to recover, he was already spent on stamina. He'll be lucky to come out of this conscious. "It's a simple spell, Corrin." He scolds the prince. "Are you so inept as to not form a light?" It didn't help Corrin is using his left hand, but he silently complies and tries again, even when his vision blurs from extended stress. "A child could make a brighter one, but I did tell you to conjure a light." The man scoffs as Corrin casts the spell, though the sphere is much smaller than it should be. "I best see improvements tomorrow." The teacher walks out without a second thought.

Corrin gives into his exhaustion and slumps into the chair. "Lord Corrin?" Jakob asks as he enters, "You should get prepared for dinner." Unlike literally all the others, Corrin welcomes this man, his voice is so gentle compared to the rest…

But a pit forms in his stomach, if Jakob does not improve, he'll lose the Butler, and Corrin would hate to lose the one of the only three people who ever shows him kindness. "...When is my little sister coming for another visit?" Princess Elise is the second. He is told that Camilla loves doting on her siblings, but King Garon always has her on mission after mission… he hasn't even seen her yet! The third and last is a man named Laslow... he is one of the retainer to his 'big brother', Crown Prince Xander. Akin to Jakob, Laslow does all he can to accommodate for Corrin. The dancer has shared a number of tea-times with him, as for some reason, he is extremely concerned for him... Corrin could even swear the man had recognition in his eyes, but...

Corrin never remembers seeing him before the Northern Castle.

The Butler frowns, "I'm afraid it will be months before she specifically comes. You are to have two meetings with Crown Prince Xander, and one with Prince Leo in that time."

Corrin shivers from the thought of his older brothers. Xander's physical standards are set even higher than Gunter's! And Leo drills Corrin with quizzes and challenges. "R-right." Flinching from his own thoughts, Corrin wearily rises to get to his bath, thankfully Jakob is beside him, assisting the prince with his washing. Corrin feels no shame, he would rather have Jakob wash him, anyway, he is far more gentle than any of the other servants…

"I'm about to clean the largest of your wounds, Lord Corrin." He also actually tells him when he is going to hit a sensitive area. With time to prepare, Corrin takes a breath and grits his teeth, then hisses as the wound is irritated.

"Th-thank you, Jakob." He sighs in relief as the Butler finishes up.

"I live to serve." Jakob helps Corrin into his more formal attire, before guiding him to the dining room. The bath didn't help in making Corrin feel any more energized, he is still exhausted. Taking his seat in the dining room, Corrin is greeted with the subpar food. Don't get him wrong, the food is, without a doubt, highly nutritious, but it tastes horrid. The first time he ever tasted it, he compared it to the dirt that went into his mouth after being slammed to the ground during spars, though the texture felt more like mud. He is told that Nohr lacks the resources to get anything fancy…

So how does that explain the time Gunter had an entire chicken to himself? Why does Xander and Leo get almost an entire feast to him and his retainers? Even Elise gets relatively cheap meals when compared to the others. Were it back to the time where Corrin first was forced into training, he might have questioned the man right there, but not anymore. He lacks the will, it's better just to do as he's told, his body hurts enough as is, he doesn't even think he has yet to have a time where he actually fully recovered, nor a time where Corrin has a real full good night's sleep. Corrin stomachs the food presented, before, once again, letting Jakob lead him to the, thankfully, final area, his room. Corrin undresses and pulls his nightwear onto him, before nearly collapsing onto his bed. He is simply too tired to even get the blankets over him.

He might have had a good night's sleep, if his mind wasn't racing in the fact that his big brother, Xander, would be here soon. Corrin can only hope he'll do well enough this time. He fears what will happen if he causes the Crown Prince disappointment again. He also fears the same for Prince Leo. Come to think of it, the only one he doesn't fear here is Jakob, but he might end up losing him.

He really wishes Elise was here. And hopefully... hopefully Laslow will be there to help him out.