Everything.
He knew the answers to everything, and he took so much pride in that. He had to work endless nights to prove his worth to be the sole user of Brynhildr and as the second son in line for the throne, though he would never imagine anyone other than Xander to rule Nohr. On the rare accounts he was unsure, he always had a pragmatic, occasionally sarcastic, response.
He knew of all the tomes that existed and the history that was written in between the lines of each spell.
He knew of the legend of Nohr and Hoshido's origins and how the death of Sumeragi further exacerbated the tension between the two nations.
He knew and accepted that Corrin was not his biological sister, but rather a member of Hoshido's royal family who was orphaned when Sumeragi came to offer her in return for peace. Regardless of her background, she was his beloved older sister, and this became an absolute truth.
Actually, scratch that. Not everything.
He couldn't fathom how Corrin became the individual she is today, so vibrant and pure, despite being held in a fortress where the sun seldom touches. The kingdom of Nohr is shrouded in a veil of dark bruised clouds, with few faint rays of sun streaking through.
Whenever he traveled to the fortress to see her, he knew that Corrin would be waiting on the window ledge of the zenith of Northern Fortress, waiting to see two horses and a wyvren emerge from the forest of bare charcoal trees.
On the days she wasn't oversleeping, she would be waiting at the drawbridge, ready to bombard her siblings with questions about their recent adventures and how life at Castle Krakenburg was and if Father had asked for her. Even when the siblings had to scale the castle to her bedroom, she would greet them with a lazy yet goofy grin, bashful that her siblings had to see her in a disheveled state before groggily getting out of bed before pulling them in individually for a tight warm embrace.
Above all, he knew of his unwavering tender emotions of respect and love he held so dearly for her and how he would never, ever let her know.
The lively sounds of banter and music grew in a crescendo as Corrin and her team tread out of the forest and towards the entrance of Cyrkensia. The air around them was silent, except for their feet meeting the dry earth and their slow exhausted breathing. It was a stark contrast, the ambience beyond the stonewall encasing the city and that of the solemn band.
The deaths of the Hoshidans and Chevois from just a few hours back were still looming over their minds. No one felt the weight of the world more than their leader and couldn't grasp how broken she was.
For Corrin, the gruesome execution and the hollow thud of Scarlet's body hitting the scorched grass kept playing over and over, mocking her and making her relive in her failure.
No one was supposed to die, not while fighting against Corrin and her team.
She was striving to break tradition and stray from the old. She wanted to carve a new path of mercy for Nohr and ultimately lead to harmony between Hoshido and Nohr.
She was so sure that would be possible, she even saw the change of hearts from her enemies once they dropped their weapons and listened.
She had such a good feeling that Scarlet would see, she would understand that Nohr is changing for the good and that further violence would not be necessary.
But…
The music grew louder as they entered the city and made their way towards the heart of the city and the famed Opera House.
"Camilla, are you sure we shouldn't head home?" Corrin asked, her voice heavy and tired. Her shoulders felt heavier from the burden. All she wanted was to rest in her bed back in the castle, though she didn't deserve it at all.
Camilla, who was leading the group on her wyvern, turned around and gave her beloved sister an assuring smile. "Yes, sister. Father wishes to meet us here in Cyrkensia. It's his favorite town in all of Nestra. We have come at a good time too, I believe it is their annual festival, so the ambience is very nice."
Corrin returned with a weak smile. "But isn't it dangerous for Father to travel to a place like this? With all of these festivities going on, a sneak attack would not be that difficult to plan and execute." Corrin winced at her own wording.
"It's fine. Father comes here often, and nothing bad has ever happened. Nuestra is neutral territory so you need not to fear unless you try to start a fight."
Her words gave Corrin a brief sense of relief. "Oh, I see. So we should all be safe here. Thank the Gods."
"It's always best to remain on guard. Stay on your toes, Corrin." A familiar voice commented. She jumped, and her hand almost reaching for the Yato. Every tense muscle in her body relaxed when she saw Leo, standing tall with his ever-present frown.
"Leo…" She sighed, a smile gracing her face. She continued to smile as she watched him hop off his steed, ever so grateful for his abrupt appearance.
"Long time no see, Sister." His frown relaxed into a gentle smile. and chuckled as she pulled him in for a tight embrace. The hug seemed to last for nearly two minutes when Leo began to peel himself away from her. He noticed her arms locking around him for a second before conceding and loosening her grip.
"I'm so happy to see you! Did you finish Father's mission already?"
He nodded. "For the most part. All that's left is to guard Father during his time here. After that I'm free to do what I please. That means I'll be joining you."
"Thank you Leo. I'll feel much better with you on our team." Her eyes softened and her shoulders dropped.
Leo's brows rose when he noticed the lackluster in her usually bright ruby eyes. They looked so dull, empty. He had seen these eyes only once before, when Corrin first arrived at Castle Krakenburg with Father.
"Gods Sister. You look like a mess. What happened?" He asked under his breath, taken aback.
She gave him a soft giggle and parted her lips, ready to let the dams break.
"Milord!" Odin exclaimed, bolting from the back of the army to the front in a second. "You've finally arrived! I've been so worried…My mind has been spiraling into a dark abyss ever since we parted"
Niles walked up too, he nearly ran at the first sight of his liege but caught himself before anyone saw. "It's nice to have you back. While you were doing the king's bidding we couldn't help but wonder what awful trials he was forcing you to endure. We've been terribly worried."
Leo took another step back as they inched closer to him, Odin's arms extended for a hug. "Whoa! This has gotten too mushy way too fast! I appreciate your concern, both of you, but give me some breathing room!"
Odin gave a childish grin. "Heh, sorry…"
Niles nodded in agreement. "As you wish, milord."
The Nohrian prince inhaled and relaxed his shoulders. "If you are finished, Father should be here shortly. I'm expected to be at the theater before he arrives. If you'll excuse me…" He climbed onto his house and grabbed the reigns.
"The theatre? What theatre?" Corrin mused.
"Ah, that's right. This is your first time in the fair town of Cyrkensia. This place is known for its incredible singers and dancers. They always put on a big performance whenever Father comes to visit."
"That's interesting…Sounds exciting. Camilla also told me there's a festival going on too."
He nodded. "If you're free, you should take the time to watch. It's sure to be breathtaking. Even warriors need rest now and then. Just don't get carried away. I'll catch up with you later."
"See you soon milord." Niles said.
"Corrin, we'll talk later." Leo added before whipping the reigns.
"Huh?" Her eyebrows rose in shock and slowly nodded. "Yeah, Leo."
His horse released an echoing neigh before trotting down the cobble pathway and maneuvering across the crowds of people.
Corrin stared blankly in his direction, still waving her hand. "Of course he would notice." She smiled.
"I think we should go check out the theatre! I think some relaxing would be good for us, personally." Elise chimed.
"Huh?"
"Yeah! I think Azura would like it too!" She pulled Azura and pointed. "She is a dancer!"
"Wait a minute Elise, why am you involving me in this is?" Azura asked, a hint of anxiety in her soothing voice.
"Wait but don't you think that –" Corrin protested.
"I agree with Elise. Yes, we've hit a bump in the road but we should not forget how far we've gotten in succeeding Corrin's vision of a new Nohr." Silas added. "The road isn't going to be easy but we've made it this far, Corrin. You've saved so many lives."
"But –", Corrin halted. "Yes. I agree. It'll give a good boost of morale."
"Alright!" Elise beamed, hopping in place with a giddy grin. She ran and grabbed Corrin's hand. "Come on, let's see if they still have tickets left for all of us!"
"Ah! E-Elise!" Corrin stammered, trying her best to keep up with her little sister.
It was no use, once Elise had her heart set on something, she was like a firework, nothing could stop her.
Besides.
I shouldn't let my burdens hold back everyone else.