First fic, so please be kind. Enjoy~
Hinoka was impressed Corrin had lived this long.
Nohr was famous for being... less than kind to it's inhabitants, and she was sure her sister had received no love from her abductors. Aside from the horrific conditions the princess was likely forced to live under, she was tiny. Even shorter than Sakura; maybe even scrawnier than her younger sister. But, Hinoka had to admit, for such a small thing, she was hard muscled. During that first battle after she'd found her sister, it'd taken all her will power not to throw herself in front of the princess at every sign of attack. Corrin was surprisingly capable, remaining unscathed despite her obvious lack of experience. Those first few months after they'd reclaimed her had been difficult, but not because of the battles. Corrin hadn't eaten much, tormented by the grief of losing her mother and abandoning her... "adopted" family. She was already a pale, fragile looking thing, but during those months Hinoka had feared for her health. Despite the obvious toll on her mental state, she thrived in battle. The dragonstone served her well, and she became one of the most capable warriors Hoshido possessed.
But Hinoka still worried. They'd gone through so much to find Corrin and bring her back home. To lose her again would be unimaginably painful. The redhead had dedicated herself since childhood to reclaiming the princess, now she spent her nights sleeplessly worrying over losing her again. So she devised a scheme- something for Corrin's own good. She'd make sure no ill befell her precious sister, either on the battlefield or off of it.
Making her way through camp, Hinoka dodged most of her comrades that tried to catch her eye. She was looking for one person in particular, but this person was notorious for being hard to find. Perhaps she should loop back to the stables and ride her pegasus around until she found him...
Just as she was about to do just that, the eldest Hoshido princess spotted her target. Tall and scowling beneath the trees, Saizo stood with his arms crossed firmly across his chest, staring directly at her. Hinoka squared her shoulders, forcing herself to meet his scarred gaze. She silently reminded herself that she wasn't here to make a request, but to give an order. As much as she hated to admit it, her brother's retainer intimidated her. The ninja had hardly ever spoken to her, but his quiet manner was part of what made her uneasy. He was the total opposite of his brother, who always had a bright smile or a kind word for everyone.
"Princess," Saizo grunted as she approached, his voice slightly muffled beneath the mouth guard he always wore. Hinoka nodded in greeting, pausing nervously to adjust her gauntlets. "I have something I must ask of you," she began coolly. "Corrin is a capable warrior, but I... worry about her safety." Saizo's expression remained blank as she spoke, his narrowed eyes casted upwards towards the sakura trees as he listened. "I'm quite impressed with your abilities," she continued slowly, shifting her weight as she considered how to continue.
"You want me to watch over her," he said bluntly, lowering his eyes from the trees. Hinoka nodded in relief, pleased that he'd understood so quickly. "With my brothers missing, you don't have much else to do at the moment," she pointed out. Saizo's jaw tightened the smallest amount, but he made no comment on that. "No harm will befall your sister in battle," he murmured, bending stiffly at the waist in a half-bow. Hinoka cleared her throat, a dark blush creeping up her neck and into her face.
"I don't want you to only keep watch over her in battle. Make sure no one touches her anywhere." Saizo's carefully controlled expression fell the slightest bit. "You want me to accompany her... everywhere? How am I supposed to explain to the princess my sudden interest in her?"
Hinoka looked down guiltily, pursing her lips before she replied. "She doesn't... have to know."
A heavy silence followed. "You want me to keep watch over her without her knowing?"
She nodded. Hearing her own request aloud made her realize exactly how paranoid she was being, but she wasn't going to retract it now. She met the ninja's disbelieving look with new confidence now, certain that she was making the right decision.
"Okay," was Saizo's informal reply. He gave his superior another stiff bow, turning on his heel and disappearing skillfully into the trees behind him. He'd planned to go out and search for Lord Ryoma and Takumi again before the week was out, but now it seemed there'd be a change of plans. He couldn't ignore a direct order from the royal family. The ninja was quite irritated with his task- didn't Lady Hinoka say herself that the rescued princess was capable of defending herself? And he assumed that she was surrounded by allies both in and out of battle. What possible further protection could he offer the girl?
Still, it filled him with pride that Hinoka had sought him out to make her request. He knew he was skilled, but she'd specifically chosen him even over his far more approachable brother. She'd entrusted specific protection of her sister to him, she must truly believe in his abilities. And that alone was motivation enough to ensure that he did not fail her.
So the ninja wove his way carelessly through the trees, towards the inner circle of camp where Lady Corrin spent most of her free time.
Corrin laughed jovially, wiping salt water away from her tired eyes. Sakura had taken her and Hana to a nearby spring to spend the day, considering it was hot enough outside to blister their faces. Already her sister's delicate nose was peeling skin, her cheeks as pink as her damp hair. But staying inside was far worse than any sunburn; the stone buildings were unbearably warm and humid on days like these. So the girls had spent the past several hours wading around in the clear water, telling stories and exchanging whispered secrets all while sweating profusely beneath the unforgiving sun.
"Lady Corrin," Hana chimed, swimming gracelessly over to her. Corrin felt a pang of envy at how beautiful her long, curly hair looked streamed out behind her in the water. Her own hair was just as long, but straighter than even Sakura's and twice as boring. White was such a lifeless color. She recalled with a great deal of sadness how beautiful Camilla's hair was, and how nice it had always smelled.
"Just 'Corrin,'" she reminded Hana, forcing herself from her memories. Her sister's retainer smiled hugely, waiting until Sakura had joined them until she spoke again. "Corrin, I was wondering. Anyone in camp caught your fancy?" Hana wiggled her eyebrows playfully, shh-ing Sakura impatiently when the younger princess began giggling. Immediately Corrin felt her face heat up and she turned away, biting her lip as she deliberated her answer.
"Well..." she teased, smirking lightly as both girls leaned forward to hear her reply. "I think Kaze is handsome," she admitted quickly, lowering herself further into the water until she was up to her chin. Hana's face fell slightly and she sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "Everyone thinks he's handsome, Lad- Corrin. I thought you'd be more original than that." Corrin laughed at that, turning to face her sister as Sakura gripped her arm. "He's so kind as well," she said sweetly, her eyes bright with excitement. "I think you should tell him you like him. You're so beautiful, Corrin. He wouldn't say no to you."
Corrin flushed with pleasure at her sister's compliment. It was one thing to think the green-haired ninja was cute, but another thing entirely to tell him she thought so. Corrin wasn't sure she wanted him to know that. It'd be hard to pursue Kaze while nearly every other woman was after him as well. Not that she'd given it much thought. These past few months had been spent mostly getting to know her new family and having experiences she could never have in Nohr.
Just as she was opening her mouth to tell her sister as much, someone cleared their throat by the mouth of the pool. Sakura shrieked and rushed to duck behind Hana, who turned to Corrin with a look of horror on her face.
It was Kaze and Saizo who'd joined them, both standing by the edge of the water with their eyes squinted against the sun. The girls had peeled off their clothes and swam in just their smallclothes, and Kaze had gathered all their clothing from the grass and held them neatly in his arms. Saizo held three plush towels, his face carefully adverted from the half-naked girls in front of him. From the look on his face, Corrin didn't guess Kaze had heard anything they'd been saying.
He only smiled down on them pleasantly as if nothing was amiss. "Princesses, Hana, it's nearly time for dinner. Lady Hinoka was getting worried."
Raising her chin cockily at Hana, Corrin swam to the edge of the water and pulled herself out gracefully. Sakura and her retainer stared at her in disbelief as she stood there dripping in just her smallclothes, and now Kaze turned a delicate shade of red and turned his eyes swiftly from her.
"Thank you," she said to Saizo as he handed her a towel. He met her gaze just long enough to give her a nod before returning to staring upwards at the lazy clouds. Corrin wrapped herself in the towel, stifling a laugh at everyone's expressions. Modesty was not her strongest suit; there wasn't a lot of it in Nohr. Camilla had always taught her to be proud of her body. It must've been easy for her, with how beautiful and well-shaped she was. While Corrin wasn't ashamed of how she looked, she certainly was not as proud as Camilla.
Saizo, beneath his mask that hid the lower half of his face, was blushing furiously. He'd imagined the little princess from Nohr to be as docile and timid as Sakura, certainly not the daring thing she'd just proven herself to be. He watched as she beckoned her sister and friend to join her out of the water, laughing gleefully as they refused. Maybe this job would prove to be more interesting than he thought.
Let me know what ya think. Chapter 2 should be up soon. ^-^
