Kagero took hold of the ladder to the private quarters, and made her way up. The gentle breeze tickled at her sides as she hoisted herself up the last rung.
"Lord Corrin, you requested my presence?"
She knocked twice on the door and waited for a response. She pondered knocking again when the latch sprung and the door was opened. Princess Camilla looked at her, a bewitching smile playing at her lips.
"If it isn't Hoshido's finest ninja... Do come in!" Camilla's voice lightly rasped and faded into the evening. "Don't worry, my little Corrin will be right with you, Kagero..." And so the door was closed.
"Might I know why I am here? It is my duty to ensure the safety of my liege, as well as everyone in this camp. It is not a task that can be left alone." Kagero's eyes darted around the room, searching every shadow for suspect agents—
Camilla pressed her bust into Kagero's face, obstructing any view of the room.
"Relax! Now's not the time to worry about such things. Dear Corrin called you here because you've been working so hard lately and thought you deserved a break. Isn't he generous?" Camilla's arms tightly wrapped around her, Kagero struggled to loosen herself from Camilla's clutches.
Breaking free, Kagero stood up and sighed. "If this is all, then I must be going. One cannot afford to take breaks in my line of work." She turned to the door and opened it; as soon as she did, a slight gasp escaped her. Standing posed to knock on the other side was Orochi, Kagero's childhood friend. "Orochi? You have been called here as well?"
"Oho, I didn't expect to see you here, Kagero!" Orochi gave her a quick hug and entered the room. "Lord Corrin invited me here for some tea! I guess that means you're in charge?" Orochi beamed widely, then caught sight of Camilla. "Ah, and even the princess of Nohr is here! How fortuitous!"
Camilla's smile widened noticeably. "Now that we're all here... Corrin is waiting." Camilla closed the door once again, and the three headed to the bedroom.
Kagero sighed deeply, letting her thoughts swirl. Preparing tea was enjoyable for her, almost as if it were an artform; it allowed her to cleanse herself of troubling thoughts. It was true that now was not the time to be resting, but it wasn't as if she had never taken breaks before. Lady Mikoto herself would often invite Kagero for long afternoons of rest, and even now Ryoma would order her and Saizo to relax on special occasions.
And so, since she was not allowed to always be in her role of guardian of the nobility, Kagero found ways to pass the time over her years. A hobby of hers since childhood was painting; though, truth be told, not many could appreciate her particular style. Some would call it odd; others would see it to be disturbing and grotesque. So, when she had met Orochi all of those years ago, Kagero was surprised when Orochi giggled with delight at her sketchpad, and finally felt as if she had met someone who could understand her. It wasn't too long before they considered each other to be close friends, and indeed their bond still shone in dark times.
"Where would I be today..."
Kagero's musings were cut close by the piping of the teapot; she removed it from the heat and gently stirred the contents, watching as the liquid swirled. She collected a few cups and plates, drew some sweets from the cupboards, and returned to the bedroom. Her especially bitter tea was best served with candies to contrast the differing tastes; it was almost poetic to her.
She strolled into the bedroom and saw Orochi sitting across from Camilla, the two clearly enjoying each other's company, while Corrin was in between, not getting much chance to speak. Kagero sat opposite, setting the tea tray on the small table, and poured the tea.
The night was lit by a rather bright moon; not quite full yet, it illuminated the grounds of the castle with its beautiful gleam. Kagero had managed to excuse herself before Orochi was given the chance to pass around rice wine from her personal store. Perhaps when times were better Kagero could permit herself a drink, but certainly not now. Instead, she opted to rest well for the next day's patrol, and removed herself from Corrin's private quarters.
Before long, she found herself strolling through the castle's rather empty courtyard; beyond the few buildings in each corner, the rest of the large space was flat and open, with the occasional monument to soldiers fallen dotting the landscape. How she longed to return to Hoshido, her home!
Kagero came to stop at a quartz spring, admiring the moon's rays playing across the still water. She looked at her reflection and felt her face in her hands. I'm still here... somehow. She dipped her hands in the water, shattering the surface into thousands of splinters, and brought the cool water to her face. Eyes closed, she let it wash over her mouth, careful not to drench the fabric of her uniform. Finally feeling the pangs of sleep hit, Kagero left for her quarters in the women's barracks.
Some days Kagero woke up feeling refreshed and energetic. Others she would awaken feeling as if a mountain had decided to rest on top of her while asleep. More often than not, the mountain paid a visit, and today was no exception. She roused herself from bed, holding her head in her hands as she made way to her uniform rack. All were stitched and woven the same, but they each bore slightly different shades of pink and purple; though few would actually notice this, it was a small comfort for Kagero to not have to wear the exact same outfit from day to day. Selecting a slightly darker fuchsia, she let the smallest of smiles show and changed with haste.
Her morning routine was simple to follow, and yet many would have trouble doing the same. Each morning she awoke before dawn broke and did a cursory check of the castle's perimeter, with a little more care taken near the private quarters, the royals' chambers, and the personnel barracks. When satisfied with the results, Kagero would allow herself a quick meal in the mess hall just as the first rays of sun colored the sky. Typically, she ate of anything left over from the previous night so as to not waste food, but on the odd occasion that everything had been tossed to clear the stores for more ingredients, Kagero was more than capable of making rice gruel and simple hot tea to fill her stomach.
While the other members of camp would stir from their night's rest, Kagero, along with Saizo, Kaze, Lazlow, and Benny, would all take their posts along the castle's walls; Saizo watching the east, Kaze watching the west, Lazlow watching the north, and Benny guarding the south, the main gate to the castle. Meanwhile, Kagero would patrol along the outer side of the walls, cloaking herself in shadow and foliage as she watched for intruders.
The most common offenders that she would put to death were the native wildlife, with bears being oddly interested in the trees near the castle. Less common, though far more frightening, were the stray Faceless that were wont to wander the lands. Those took more care to remove than the bears, though both were rather large bumbling creatures; the bears fought from fear in their hearts, while the Faceless fought from anger and rage that poisoned their being. Such creatures fought with ferocity unmatched, not worried about their own life. Against the Faceless, Kagero took no chances and dared not to let herself get close.
Until the entirety of the standing army was readied and armed, this was the work she had to do. Once she was relieved of her post, it was then her duty (along with Peri) to guard over Corrin and the Hoshidan and Nohrian royalty in the war room as the day's military movements and actions were considered. Sometimes this took minutes, sometimes this took hours. Peri, though easily bored and always restless, was at least capable of standing guard directly outside of the war room, and was very visible against the dull tones of the hallway; Kagero, once again, hid in the darkness, concealing her existence from the world. Peri so far had taken joy in extinguishing the sparks of life of more than a half-dozen souls who attempted to raze the war room; Kagero took the lives of many more while keeping herself removed from the light.
The war council adjourned, it was then Kagero's sole purpose to shadow Corrin until evening. Corrin, ever the free spirit, despised staying in the castle all day long, and so seemingly made it a point to visit a different place every day of the week; from going into the surrounding forest to hunt with Takumi, to strolling with Keaton in a cave in the mountains, to visiting his mother's grave in the Hoshidan capital alone, Corrin never did the same thing twice in a row, and so Kagero had to be prepared for any possibility. Though the scenery was ever-changing, Kagero's duties remained the same: protect Corrin.
As with the rest of her day's work, she was alone.
And so Kagero's day had progressed as outlined until the adjournment of the council without incident; nothing had been amiss outside of the castle, and she had no need to bloody her blade while keeping watch of the war room. She was very grateful that nothing out of the ordinary had happened; it was best that things remained quiet. The royals exited the room, heading towards the mess hall to get lunch and prepare for combat training. Kagero was ready to follow when Corrin stopped just outside of the door. He waited until all were gone, then began to look around. Kagero sighed, and brought herself from the darkness.
"Yes, Lord Corrin?"
Startled, Corrin caught sight of her and gave a smile. "Even when I know you're here, you still surprise me." He laughed, and continued. "Anyways, I was thinking about the other night when you were over with Camilla and Orochi, and I realized that you never really spoke. Why?"
"It is only proper to speak when spoken to. Am I wrong in believing that?"
"Well, I guess not. It's just been bothering me, that's all. Are you prepared for today? Would you like to have lunch?" Corrin looked to her face, eager for an answer.
"That will not be necessary. I am ready when you are, milord." Kagero readied herself for Corrin's next faraway destination—
"I want to have tea with you, then!" He said this in his usual happy-go-lucky manner.
"E-Excuse me? You'd like to have tea with me?" Kagero searched for an answer, wondering what he could be playing at.
Corrin nodded. "You've been guarding me for so long now, but I've never really gotten to know you. I think now is better than never, wouldn't you agree?" He beamed at her.
"Very well, then. Let us go." The pair then made their way to the private quarters, Corrin curious to learn what he could about Kagero, and Kagero somewhat hesitant to speak of herself.
"This is so bitter! Do you always make tea like this?" Corrin looked at the cup in amazement; once again, Kagero's tea tasted unlike anything Jakob (or even Felicia!) had ever made for him. To say it was 'different' wouldn't convey the vast abyss of possibilities between the two types of tea. He took another sip and his lips drew from the cup again with even greater speed.
Kagero closed her eyes and shook her head slightly before responding. "Yes. Orochi likes her tea a bit sweeter than what we are having now, but when I prepare for myself this is how I usually make it; I believe it contrasts well with the customary sweets. If you would like, though, a new batch could be made with different leaves..?"
Corrin grinned sheepishly. "No, it's fine; really! Jakob has always prepared my tea, and he strives for perfection when he does things for me..." He stopped and thought for a bit. "Huh. I guess my tastes have also been sheltered, now that I think about it." Corrin drank from the cup again, still recoiling, but perhaps a little less noticeably. Kagero found it slightly amusing to see.
She decided to shift the subject from his less than perfect past. "Hmm... So, what do you wish to know about me, milord?"
"Well... Umm, you're always wearing that yellow scarf. Where did you get it?"
"This scarf... It was a gift from Lady Mikoto when I was a child."
"My mother gave that to you?" Corrin's eyes were wide with awe. "Did you know her well? What was she like?"
Kagero took a sip from her tea before answering. "In truth, lord Corrin, I was one of Lady Mikoto's personal retainers for many years. Ever since I had finished training, she always had me by her side. It was not until... about a year, before you arrived that she requested I guard master Ryoma. In all the time that Orochi and I knew her, she was kind and generous beyond compare. That is not to say that she would never be troubled, but she would always find a way to enjoy what she had."
"So both you and Orochi knew her..." Corrin smiled wide. "That's good. I'm glad she was able to meet so many wonderful people here." A sad light seemed to cast itself over his face; it vanished in seconds. "Sorry... You can continue."
"Anyway. On that particular day, I had been training under the tutelage of the castle guards in close combat. Back then, I was not as strong as I am now, and so it was always a difficult task to best the armed guards with nothing save my hands and cunning. It seemed with each fight that they would read more and more of my movements with great ease while I could only guess at how they would strike. Hours passed and I had yet to score even a draw before the soldiers called it a day; 'Look at this child,' they said. 'She flails her arms so, and can't even protect herself from the simplest of attacks! How could her family think to insult the royalty by offering such a weak girl in place of their rightful son! Sick or not, even he could defeat her!'" Kagero stopped and caught her breath, the memories bleeding to the forefront of her thoughts. She could feel tears welling in her eyes, but with a deep breath she drew them back in.
Corrin noticed her slight change in composure and looked at Kagero with some confusion on his face. "'Rightful son…' You have a brother?"
Kagero finished the last of her tea, the dregs of the matcha powder gathering at the bottom of the cup. "Indeed. He is older than me, so it was only natural that he would inherit the family's position within the castle guard. However, it was not meant to be. Shortly before he was to begin training, he became violently ill. He recovered in time, but he was left frail from the disease. Our parents could tell that he would not be able to live through sparring without grave injury, let alone genuine combat. So, though I was hardly more than a toddler, it became my duty to bring honor to the family's name."
"I'm so sorry, Kagero. The burden that was placed on you—it sounds awful that you had such high expectations as a child." Corrin cast his gaze at the floor. "My brother Xander was held to such a different standard when he was growing up, like you. He tried his best to hide it from us, but we all could see the toll it took on him... So many nights he'd be outside, swinging his sword on the practice grounds, the air cutting with his movements." He sighed. "It pained me to see him like that. It must have been so hard on you."
Kagero sighed herself before responding. "It was what had to be done. For a time, I felt anger towards my brother for it; I did not think it fair that because he had gotten sick once I had to take the brunt of becoming a ninja." Kagero couldn't help but laugh to herself. "But looking back now, I cannot help but wonder what would have changed had he been in the castle's employ. After all, I only met Orochi because I was living in Castle Shirasagi... Ah, but I digress." Kagero caught herself before she completed her thought. "I will first finish the story of my scarf." She poured herself some more matcha and took a bite from one of the sweets.
"It was after I was humiliated by the guards that day that I ran into Lady Mikoto. I was dismissed for dinner, but I couldn't bear to show my face in the dining hall, so I ran outside of the castle grounds to a nearby lake. I cried for so long; why were they so hard on me? Why was perfection demanded when I had never so much as carried vegetables before in my life? ...Why did I have to be here and not my brother?" Corrin noticed a slight tremor in Kagero's hands as she lifted her cup for another drink of tea. She continued.
"Looking at the reflection in the lake helped none. I could wish all I want, but the last few days had been similar: I simply was not good enough. And as I was considering what to do from there, I heard the rustling of the grass and leaves in the distance. I turned and before me was a beautiful woman with long black hair and gentle eyes. She hugged me and asked, 'What's wrong? How can such a pretty child have so many worries?' I told her all about how my life was unfair, and how I wished that I had never been born, lest I tarnish my family's reputation any further than I already had."
"She looked into my eyes and smiled, then hugged me even tighter. 'It must be very difficult for you, being thrusted into a new world. Just know that your family will always love you, no matter what you do or who you become. Now, let's go back to the castle, okay? Dinner's over, but I'm sure I can arrange something for you.' So, we both returned to Castle Shirasagi, and she took me up to her quarters. When I saw them, I was in complete awe: 'Wow! I didn't know that there were rooms this big!' Then the realization set in: No regular person would have so large a room, and this woman was dressed in rather expensive clothes." Kagero smiled as a shadow seemed to set across her. "And that is when she said, 'I am Mikoto. Most call me 'Lady' or 'Queen,' but I'm sure that won't be necessary between the two of us. What's your name, little one?'"
Kagero paused to drink some more tea, and ate another sweet, the tremor in her hands not subsiding in the least. "I talked with Lady Mikoto well into the night and ended up falling asleep on a chair in her chambers. When I woke up, a lovely blanket was draped over me, and I saw her laying in her bed. She looked so serene and peaceful... When she rose, she saw me and smiled. 'Good morning Kagero,' she said as she stifled a yawn. 'I hope you slept well. P-Perhaps later we could have tea together... a-after your training..?'" Here, Kagero choked. She quickly realized that her heart was racing and tears were beginning to fall from her eyes. "F-Forgive me, Lord Corrin... It is not p-proper for a ninja to... to show such... emotion—"
Her voice broke as she remembered Lady Mikoto's kindness towards her when all seemed so bleak in her life, and the sadness washed over her; never again would she talk with Mikoto; never again would they share tea; never again would she have her friend. Corrin stood from his seat and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Kagero... It's all right. There's no one else here to see you." Kagero looked at him, tears in her eyes, and quietly wept.
After a while, Kagero finished letting her years of pent-up sadness out. She had never cried since that day on the lake, and too much had happened since then. Her eyes still red, she faced Corrin once more. "Lady Mikoto... You asked where I got this scarf. I had it made from the blanket that she wrapped around me that night. It is too precious for me to let out of my sight, so it accompanies me wherever I go." Kagero felt the fabric with her fingertips. "It has given me comfort on all of my missions. It is the last keepsake I have from your mother. She... she treated me like her own daughter, even though I had done nothing to deserve it." She sniffed lightly before going on. "Mikoto... You were too kind for this world..."
Corrin embraced Kagero, amazed at the impact in her life that his mother had. The two then sat in silence for what felt like eternity; Kagero still and unmoving, Corrin taking the occasional drink of matcha.
Eventually, Corrin felt he could speak. "Kagero, I'm happy we had this chance to talk. I never got the chance to truly know my mother, but it gladdens me that she was such a positive force to many. And, I think I've learned a lot about you." He paused, considering his next words. "Kagero?"
She lifted her gaze to him. "Yes?"
"You don't need to worry anymore about your family's honor. You have more than proven yourself in your abilities as a ninja, and having heard your story, there is no way that I, nor anyone else, could question your loyalties to Hoshido. You needn't push yourself so hard any longer for these reasons."
"Milord... Thank you. I appreciate it."
Corrin stood and offered Kagero his hand. "It's getting into the evening now, and I'm sure that Camilla has already made a search party to find me. Let's go back to camp. Shall we?"
Kagero smiled as she took it, and together they left the private quarters.