"Corrin!" Takumi's voice called through the paper walls of Castle Shirasagi. "There's a letter for you!"

"I'll be down in a minute!"

There was often post for her- as a princess and commander of the army; letters were frequent, especially after the war was over. So this one must be different, for her to be summoned to read it. Corrin crawled out of bed, trying her best to convince herself she wasn't still tired. She washed quickly, and dressed herself in her new Hoshidan armour, courtesy of Oboro and the royal blacksmith. She pulled a brush through her hair, ignoring the tangles, and placed her signature hairband on top of her head, keeping her unruly hair away from her face. Rubbing her eyes, she stared into the mirror, an exhausted general staring back at her. Her red eyes looked more tired than she'd ever seen them before, and she cursed the Hoshidans for not having as much makeup as the Nohrian standards of beauty she was so used to. Camilla would've been able to fix her appearance in a few seconds, masking her exhaustion under layers of foundation and eyeliner. Corrin shook her head angrily, dispelling the thoughts of the family she left behind in Nohr. It was only natural for her to still think about them, right?

She padded through the corridors and into the dining room, where her Hoshidan siblings sat around the table. Sakura waved shyly to her as she entered, and Corrin smiled back, taking up her position beside Hinoka, cross-legged on the floor. A bowl was passed to her, and she lazily scooped its contents into her mouth, still struggling to stay awake. The flavour of the food went unnoticed to her, her mind occupied by the letter she had apparently received. Corrin set her bowl in the middle of the table, and sat back a little, indicating that she had finished eating. There were many Hoshidan customs that she had still to get used to, but fortunately for her, her family were more than forgiving when she messed up and forgot.

"So, where's this letter?" She asked, directing her question to Takumi.

"You said you'd be down in a minute, and it took you over half an hour, so I'm not giving it to you," he huffed, folding his arms in defiance.

"You'd never understand how long it takes a girl to get ready in the morning," Hinoka said, rolling her eyes in her younger brother's direction.

"Y-yeah, give her the l-letter!" Sakura defended, and Takumi relented, handing the letter across the table. Corrin's name was printed on the front, and the handwriting made her heart drop. She turned it over, and the purple wax of the seal, with the signature stamp of the Dusk Dragon, confirmed her suspicions.

"Is… is it okay if I read this alone?" She asked, her voice quieter than it usually was. Takumi looked apprehensive, and Hinoka shifted uncomfortably. It was Ryoma that spoke up, however, nodding stoically.

"You do not need permission to read letters where you please in your own home, Corrin. Though with this one, I feel like the rest of us would like to know what it says."

"Of course! I just… feel like it'll be an emotional letter." She rose from her position, bowing her head before wandering out of the room and into the gardens.

At this time of the morning, there was rarely anyone around. A few gardeners watered plants and trimmed hedges, but they mainly stayed away from the royal family. Corrin was still a questionable being in the eyes of many of the castle's attendants, after the situation in the town square and the subsequent death of Queen Mikoto. Many Hoshidans didn't trust Corrin at all as a former princess of Nohr, but she prayed that in time, they'd come around to her. It's not as if she'd even be on the throne regardless, as the middle child, but she needed the trust of the people to feel comfortable in what was supposedly her home country.

She settled under a magnolia tree in the far corner of the garden. The grass was soft here, she'd discovered, since she'd been sitting there the last few days from the end of the war. Her body was still tired from all the fighting, never mind her brain, and she was still surprised that her siblings managed to remain so chipper. She could practically count the hours since they left Nohr, arriving back in Hoshido with all the pomp and circumstance she could've imagined. Throwing these thoughts out of her head, she sucked in a deep breath, and slid her nail under the wax of the seal, undeniably Camilla's, and opened the envelope.

Dearest Corrin, it read, and Corrin's eyes reflexively filled with tears.

We wanted to wait until you got settled back in Hoshido before writing to you. As much as we want you here with us in Nohr, we respect your decision, and trust that you are happy with what you're doing. Take care in Hoshido, sweet Corrin.

However, we want to invite you and your (there was a black mark next, and Corrin suspects that Camilla had to omit the word 'fake') Hoshidan siblings to Nohr. We plan to bury Xander and Elise in proper Nohrian style, and we'd like to have some sort of commemoration for father as well. And when I say we, I mean Leo and I, of course. It'll be in two days time, the morning after the full moon. We ask that you arrive as soon as possible, and send a reply ahead of you on the carrier pigeon.

Of course, if you can't make it, that's okay too. Stay safe, darling

Your sister, Camilla

Corrin hadn't even noticed the tears flowing down her face until she got to the end of the letter. Whether it was Camilla's brief words or the mention of a funeral for her fallen siblings, she didn't know, but it made the situation seem all the more real. She would go, definitely- after all, she had known them for all her life, and wanted to honour them in a way that was right. She would have done the same for her Hoshidan siblings, had it been them, she told herself, and this time, it was true.

She was afraid to admit it, but she did miss them terribly.

Her siblings were still seated around the table when Corrin arrived back. The breakfast dishes had been cleared, and everyone was doing something else. Takumi and Hinoka were engaged in a game of shogi that was turning out to be rather intense. Sakura was curled up the corner, reading a heavy tome that Corrin was surprised to see in such a girl's hand. Ryoma was writing, presumably letters, presumably to announce the ceasefire and end of the war officially. They all looked up when Corrin entered, sliding the door closed behind her.

"Well?" Takumi demanded, but upon seeing her tear stained face, he softened, going as far to get up from the table to place a surprisingly comforting hand on the princess's shoulder. "Sorry," he mumbled, wiping the last of her tears from under her eyes.

"It's okay," she smiled, and he raised an unbelieving eyebrow before returning to his place opposite Hinoka. Corrin took up her position again, and Ryoma set down his quill, folding his arms. "My sib- I mean, Camilla and Leo have invited us to Nohr for… for the funeral of Xander and Elise. And if it's okay-"

"We're going," Ryoma said with an air of finality. He was a very no questions asked kind of person, and Corrin smiled, thanking him for taking the weight of asking the question from her shoulders.

"Can I have some paper so I can write back?" She asked shakily, and Ryoma nodded, tearing off a sizeable amount of paper and handing her the ink quell he had been using previously. Her handwriting was shaky, but she managed a coherent response, scrawling her reply on that scrap of paper.

Dear Camilla,

We hope to attend. I'll have to discuss when we arrive with Ryoma and the others, but hopefully we can leave tomorrow.

I'll see you soon,

Corrin

She sealed the envelope with Ryoma's wax seal- red, with the Dawn Dragon's symbol on it, and set it on the table in front of her, staring at the address for Castle Krakenburg with glassy eyes.

"Do you know where to take it?" Hinoka asked, and Corrin shook her head. "Takumi can take you, since he knows which bird is the Nohrian's." She nodded this time, before rising, Takumi also getting to his feet with a sigh.

"Let's go, then."

They traversed the corridors in silence. There wasn't much to talk about regardless, but Corrin's relationship with Takumi had always been strained. He had never been her biggest fan, although they had begun to grow closer as the war dragged on. He did support her, however, unlike other prominent members of the Hoshidan court. It had only been a few days from their return, but she could already tell that she was still hated among the Hoshidans.

"I've never been to Nohr as a visitor," Takumi said absentmindedly.

"It's not that bad," Corrin replied, her eyes flitting up to meet his. "I spent most of my life there, so I suppose I'm used to it. It's very different to Hoshido, though."

"I know. I'm not particularly in a hurry to go back, but… well, I'll do it for you."

"Your support means a lot to me, Takumi. I'm glad we're getting along better than before."

"Me too. You're a lot nicer than I thought."

"Do I really give off the impression that I'm not?" Corrin queried, her eyebrows furrowing. "You're not the first person to tell me such."

"It's because you're from Nohr. We were brought up being told that anyone from Nohr was bad, and our enemy, so naturally a lot of us thought that Nohr was a scary place," Takumi explained. "And since you're the commander of our army, I suppose that didn't help."

"I guess you're right."

He opened the door at the end of the corridor, holding it open for her. A huge room opened out in front of her, and she was surprised that she had never noticed this place before. It was filled floor to ceiling with birds of every variety, and Corrin's eyes widened at the sight. Takumi shut the door quickly to prevent any birds from escaping, and walked towards the window, where a single hawk sat, uncomfortable in the presence of all the Hoshidan birds. Corrin folded the letter up into it's carrying pouch, and rubbed it's head gently before Takumi sent it on it's way.

"You like this place, don't you?" Corrin asked, and Takumi nodded.

"Although it's pretty loud, it gets me away from the rest of the family. They can be overbearing, but I know they mean well."

Corrin merely smiled in return, knowing exactly what her younger brother meant. The Hoshidans were a lot more open emotionally than the people of the Nohr she was accustomed to, and her siblings always seemed to speak their mind on how they were feeling. Takumi was the exception to that rule, as he seemed to hide his insecurities behind a grumpy persona, even though the rest of the family knew that it was fake. She thought a lot of Leo when she was with Takumi- despite the two boys hating each other; they had a lot in common.

"C-Corrin?" Sakura asked, as the family sat down to dinner.

"Yes?"

"What h-happens at a Nohrian f-funeral? I know i-it's different from here…" She dropped her head after finishing her sentence, staring down at her food.

"It is a lot different…" Corrin began, not sure where to go from there. It wasn't really a topic she wanted to think about, not when it was two of her siblings that she was burying. She hadn't been to many funerals in either country, but she could pick out the differences easily. "For a start, you wear black, not white. In Nohr, black represents death."

"Is that why they wear black all the time, then?" Takumi snorted, but upon receiving a glare from Hinoka, he fell silent.

"Do you all have something black to wear?" Ryoma asked, and upon nods from the rest of the family, let Corrin continue.

"It usually begins with some kind of church service, which is also different from Hoshido. They have a different religion there, so…"

"Is that why you don't come to the services with us?" Takumi asked, and this time Hinoka shifted her body to kick him under the table.

"After that, the coffin… or coffins, are taken out, and usually you stand around for an hour until the burial, but since it's a royal funeral, it may be different. I imagine the standing around will happen after the burial this time."

"So… you just stand for an hour? I don't understand," Hinoka wondered.

"No, no, there's food usually, and you're supposed to talk to people."

"We're leaving first thing in the morning," Ryoma warned, and Corrin nodded in acknowledgment. "So you better be ready. Especially you, Corrin. I know you like to sleep in."

The sun set early that night, but Corrin was nowhere near ready to succumb to sleep. The next day she would see her Nohrian siblings, that she hadn't laid eyes on since they killed Garon. She still felt guilt for doing so- he had been her father for as many years as she could remember, and she murdered him. And although it was for the greater good, her traitorous ways had caused the deaths of Elise and Xander, and ultimately the fall of Nohr. Although they could rebuild themselves under Camilla's rule, Corrin wasn't sure that her eldest sister's iron fist would be enough to bring Nohr back to it's former glory.

She wasn't only worried about the state of Nohr. Bringing her current family to her former homeland was possibly the stupidest thing Corrin could think of. She was going to volunteer to go alone- Ryoma couldn't deny that request, especially for her sibling's funeral. But the high prince had told her they would all go, and truth be told, she was grateful for the support. Although things would be weird between them, she hoped that maybe finally her two families could get along. She was ashamed to admit it, but she loved them equally, and didn't want to abandon either.

Corrin left the castle, sneaking out the back way where she knew she could leave mostly undetected. Kaze would be the only one to notice her go, and she supposed that was his job as her retainer. She didn't really need retainers, but he had insisted, along with Jakob, who plainly refused to go back to Nohr. He would've fallen asleep long ago, so she was free to spend her time whichever way she wanted. Kaze was more respectful, true to the Hoshidan way, and would watch her from a distance. She could never count out Kagero and Saizo, too, and some of the other retainers, who often took bodyguard duty in turn at night.

With the coast clear, Corrin wandered around the lake. It was a bit of a walk to reach the lake, but the place held dear memories for her. It was where she first encountered Azura, who quickly became her best friend. The two girls had a connection, and Corrin truthfully loved the girl as if she was her own sister. They were opposites, the two, with Azura being a Nohrian princess captured by Hoshido. They had so much in common- the only two to fully believe what they were doing was the right way to do things.

Corrin sat down on the small pier that led into the lake, her feet dangling over the water. Her feet lacked shoes, as usual, and her toes skimmed over the water, creating ripples on the otherwise still water. Yes, this was where she first met Azura, the girl who would come to save her life multiple times. The girl who stopped the war with only her voice. Corrin and the Yato did very little but protect the blue haired songstress. It was Ryoma, Takumi and the others that fought Garon, and the Nohrians, and the invisible army, while Corrin had devoted her entire life to protecting Azura. And she had failed her, letting the girl she loved die, and being honest, she really did love Azura.

Silent tears ran down Corrin's cheeks, landing in the lake, causing ripples that spread out in concentric circles all around her. Her fists clenched automatically, and she had to clamp her mouth closed to stop any noise from coming out. She had failed Azura, she had failed Camilla and Leo, she had failed Xander and Elise, and truthfully, she had failed both Nohr and Hoshido.

"Milady," a deep voice came, and Corrin sat up straight, wiping her tears away forcefully.

"Kaze?"

"May I sit?"

"Of course."

The ninja was a good head taller than Corrin, and sat beside her on the wooden pier, his feet also off the edge. He didn't ask her why she was crying, having enough sense to just know. It had been a tough time for everyone as of late, but Corrin had taken the brunt of the sorrow, losing many of her close family members, and having to deal with the burden of betraying one half of her family.

"I suggest that you come in soon. You don't want to catch hypothermia. Especially with your feet in the water like that."

"I'll be fine. I'll be going to bed soon. I just want some time to think."

"I understand."

"Are you coming to Nohr with us?"

"All the retainers are, as far as I'm aware."

"Good," Corrin answered, letting her fists relax finally, splaying her hands out on her thighs instead. "Good."

"Corrin, I really suggest you go to bed soon. You'll have to rise early."

"I know, I know. I'll go soon." She managed a smile, and Kaze got to his feet.

"Goodnight, Lady Corrin." Corrin turned to say her goodbyes to the man, but by the time she had he was gone, leaving only the night in his wake.

Corrin faced the lake again, knowing that she should probably take her leave soon as well. She knew that truthfully, Kaze hadn't actually left, but was merely giving her space to breathe. He was most likely hidden amongst the shrubbery behind her, but she couldn't criticize him. He was merely doing his job, and he was good at it, so she had no right to complain.

A scuffle on the gravel path made Corrin whip her head around. Takumi stood there, hands up in front of his body as a sign of peace. Corrin relaxed, mumbling her apologies. He took another few steps along the pier, and sat cross-legged beside her. He tilted his head back to look at the sky, littered with hundreds of thousands of stars. That was one notable difference between Hoshido and Nohr- in Hoshido you could see the stars. The act of stargazing was not one that she had really had any chance to perform before coming to Hoshido, and ended up spending a lot of her evenings outside.

"Can't sleep?"

"I didn't try," Corrin admitted.

"I get it. There's a lot going through your mind."

"It'll be strange, going back to Nohr. I'm sure a lot of people there hate me," Corrin joked, but Takumi laughed.

"A lot of people here hate you. I've heard people saying that you're not truly of the royal family."

"Maybe I should start my own kingdom. Just build myself a castle somewhere and declare myself queen." She was only half joking, and he knew that. Corrin had never really fitted in anywhere, not in Hoshido, not in Nohr. So realistically, forming her own kingdom would be an easy way around all the hatred directed at her from both kingdoms.
"I'm sure a lot of people from Hoshido would follow you," Takumi pointed out, before turning his head to the side with a violent flick of his ponytail. "I mean, like Kaze and Jakob. And Felicia. Sakura would probably go with you, too. You know how devoted she is to you."

"Takumi, I'm not seriously going to do it," Corrin smiled, and the younger prince turned to face her, a smile on his face too.

"I know. I just want you to know that you have a lot more support here in Hoshido than you think you do."

"Thanks. It means a lot that you've gone so out of your way to come and comfort me."

"Any time, Corrin. Any time."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds coming from the bugs hovering over the surface of the lake. Corrin swatted them with her feet, staring past them, eyes focused on the water. This was where she first met Azura, all that time ago, when she didn't know the horrors of war. When she was still on the side of Nohr, before everything had been explained to her. When Azura was still alive, and when she was still happy.

"Azura would've come with me," Corrin whispers, and Takumi looks on, unsure how to respond to her statement. He too knew that it was true. Azura would've done anything for Corrin, and she did, following through on her promises even when it lead to her own death.

"Here," Takumi offered, scooting closer to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and although she initially tensed up, she quickly relaxed, laying her head on his shoulder. He steadied his breathing, forcing himself to breathe in time with her. "I know it's not much, but I would come with you, as well."

"Thank you, Takumi." She allowed her eyes to flutter closed, just for a second, and there she fell asleep, at the edge of the lake, enveloped in Takumi's arms.

A/N: Takumi did nothing wrong (in birthright.) Anyway this takes place a few days after the end of birthright, and obviously will take up a lot of time over the course of maybe a year or so? Leo/Corrin and Takumi/Corrin with past Azura/Corrin because bisexual corrin is canon so I'm throwing it in here c: review if you enjoy! this is my first time writing any of the major fates characters rip