"My love, your accursed brother is arriving today, isn't he?" The king asked his wife.
"Innes, please," Eirika replied. "He's your brother now too, remember?"
"Don't remind me." Innes looked over the balcony leading out of his bedroom. He sighed heavily.
"Is something the matter?" Eirika asked. She stepped onto the balcony with her husband and placed her hand on his.
"Ever since I- we took over Frelia, it seems like all of my time has been dedicated to ruling the country. When father was in charge, I definitely helped him. I applied all sorts of tactics and trained with my bow. But I still had free time. I can't even give my wife a proper time." Innes's head dropped down, facing the ground below him. His hair fell around either part of his face, creating a curtain.
"Innes, you know that I'm happy when you're around. But what's this really about? This seems out of nowhere," Eirika stated. She turned his face towards hers and parted his hair to make eye contact. "Something tells me this isn't about Ephraim either."
"When's the last time you saw Tana?" The king asked. "I haven't seen her since her wedding. That was two years ago."
The War of the Stones had been resolved two-and-a-half years ago. Five months after the war, Eirika and Innes wed. The month after that, their siblings followed suit.
"Tana's not going to forget about us." Eirika chuckled a bit. "That's ridiculous."
"I know that, of course. But what if she's changed? As a person?" Innes turned away from Eirika. She dragged his head back to look at her.
"She's still your sister, right?" Innes nodded. "You share the same blood? You love her unconditionally?" Innes nodded once again. "Then I don't wanna hear it. Come, let's prepare to receive guests in the castle."
"Of course. I shall send a letter to the farmer requesting that he make room for Ephraim in his barn." Innes smirked.
"Innes!" Eirika lightly slapped his shoulder.
"I was joking, my dear. Let us prepare for the royals of Renais." Innes gave Eirika a small kiss and led her back into the castle. Ephraim and Tana would be arriving soon. They deserved the best possible welcome. Little did Frelia's royals know what was in store for them.
