A heavy scent of boiling soup, mint tea and fresh bread filled the mess hall.
A certain pink haired maid scurried around the kitchen to make sure everything was just right.
After all she was on mess hall duty- and her reputation...wasn't the best per say.
The reason everything had been going so swimmingly was because Prince Xander had been helping her.
In fact she hadn't broken or spilt anything in the last hour!
"Felicia? I think the tea is seeped."
"O-oh! Uhm let me check!" The maid hurried over to the crown prince of Nohr and looked at the tea he had made.
It smelt like mint, the tea didn't look under or over seeped, so she took a wild guess and hoped no one would find it bitter, "Uhm that's precisely right! You're pretty good at this maid stuff Prince Xander. "
"Felicia, you can call me Xander you know." The Prince reminded.
"Sorry...Xander." Felicia giggled, "It's just I've always called you by your title. I am just a simple maid after all- I'll try not to do it again."
Xander sighed, "You're too humble."
"Heh..."
"After duty, would you mind keeping me company on patrol tonight?"
Felicia's stomach twisted, why did he want to spend so much time with her?
It couldn't be because...no. She wouldn't get her hopes up.
But she smiled nonetheless, "Sure!"
"I'll think I'll go slice the bread ready for lunch." Xander decided smugly.
The prince was dressed down today- for maid training. It was kind of weird for Felicia to see him in a white dress shirt (slightly unbuttoned), with a matching thin waist coat. His trousers were without the armor and overall you could see a lot more muscle.
Felicia blushed at her wandering thoughts- she mentally slapped herself.
"O-Oh, uhm, let me help you." Felicia went over to him.
"If I can handle a sword I can handle a knife." Xander told the maid with a determined smirk.
"Yes, we all know you're more than capable on the battlefield...but the kitchen is a different ball game entirely. I'm still trying to master it, and I've been a maid longer than you! Sooo...let me show you how to hold the knife correctly- that way you won't get hurt."
"You're worried I'll get hurt? But it's a kitchen knife."
Felicia scowled, "Show me how to hold the knife correctly when cutting a loaf and I'll leave you be."
"Okay." He agreed.
She walked over to the table he was using and stood next to him. She watched carefully at his every move.
"No! You'll chop all of your fingers off like this. Here."
She placed her cool hands on top of his and helped him slice the bread using the correct technique.
Felicia noticed the way he inched closer to her so that their shoulders were brushing.
She feigned ignorance and continued until the bread was evenly sliced.
"See, all you need is practice! Or if you're like me...you'll need a lot of practice."
"I think I'm good now...you go back to the soup."
"Okay."
So Felicia checked on the soup and decided to add in a few more tasteless herbs because she was pretty sure it didn't need anything more- she hoped everyone would like it.
"Ooh something smells nice."
Felicia whipped her head around to find her master, Lady Corrin.
"Oh, hi m'lady." Felicia performed her best curtsey. Corrin bowed too- but it was rather un-lady like. This made Felicia giggle.
"Hey Felicia, woah! Wait, wait! Nothing smells burnt, are there any broken plates?"
"Nope." Felicia smiled.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you! Oh- Xander. Hello!"
"Hi Corrin."
"What are you doing on mess hall duty? You should've been at the war meeting an hour ago, but don't worry I covered for you." Corrin informed him with a shake of her head and a tut.
"I, uhm, completely forgot." Xander admitted sheepishly, "You have my thanks sister."
"Yeah yeah, you owe me one. Say...you two have been spending an awful lot of time together..." Corrin smirked.
Felicia's eyes went wide, she didn't know people had noticed- in fact most of their time spent together had been spent supposedly away from everyone else. For example, now. No one knew Xander was actually training to be a maid. And no one knew he was at the mess hall today. In fact, usually when Felica was on mess hall duty only Corrin would pop up to say hello.
"Well, Felicia has been mentoring me...uhm on how to become a better cook." Xander blundered.
"Yes, precisely." Felicia agreed- it was still half true. Well you know...she wasn't exactly a good cook- so maybe it was just completely false.
"Oh. I was just stating a fact...you needn't get so defensive." Corrin smiled again and winked at the Prince. Xander rolled his eyes, clearly used to his sister's games. He then decided to continue slicing more bread.
Corrin decided to talk some more about how Xander never says 'uhm', and after she embarrased them both some more- she changed the topic. Felicia and herself fell into a more comfortable sisterly conversation then. So Xander decided instead of joining in with their conversation that he would actually master the art of slicing bread instead because it seemed much more productive than idle chatter.
"So, when's the grub ready?" Corrin asked.
"Hmmm...I'd say...give us ten minutes and then-"
A loud curse was suddenly heard. Both women in the room looked to the source of the sound.
"Xander? What's wr-?" The red eyed girl began.
"He cut himself!" Felicia exclaimed and ran to his aid.
"Lady Corrin I know I'm the servant in our relationship, but could you please keep an eye on the food for me? I'll grab some herb remedies and be back in a tick after I heal him-"
"I get it Felicia, it's no problem." Corrin smiled warmly and then turned to her brother, "Honestly Xander, if you can handle a sword and not cut yourself then a knife should be child's play." Corrin teased.
"Yes...well the kitchen is a different ball game entirely."
Felicia giggled at that and Corrin rose her eyebrows.
"But don't worry Felicia," Xander started, and it was in that moment that Felicia decided he had too much male ego, "I'm fine I'll just rinse the blood-"
"No! I don't wanna hear another word- these cuts may be small but infection can soon occur- trust me! I'll take you to my tent and I'll fix you up straight away." Felicia instructed- concern was laced within her words.
And that's when it truely hit Corrin. She saw the way her brother looked at the innocent maid. He seemed happy that she cared so much- she hadn't seen a genuine smile like that since the war truely started.
Corrin sent Felicia a suggestive wink and watched the maid blush- she was like a worm on her hook. Felicia then hurridly grabbed Xander's uninjured hand. The pink haired girl practically dragged the prince out of the mess hall to avoid further embarrassment.
Corrin smiled, she was glad her brother had found someone as special as Felicia and she was also happy that her maid actually suppressed an intrest towards the Prince.
Yeah, they were totally perfect for each other- Corrin just hoped Felicia's status wouldn't get in the way of things.
Once Xander was seated on Felicia's small bed, she hurried around the room. She emptied boxes and small storage cupboards looking for some herbs she could turn into ointment. A cloth would also be useful.
Xander watched the maid trip a few times and within only five minutes her once immaculate sleeping quarters had turned into a room full of mess.
And by that time Xander's hand was also covered in blood. The wound honestly didn't even look that deep to him and was about an inch long! How is that even possible?!- Xander wondered.
"Felicia, I think you're over reacting." Xander told her, trying to prevent his blood from dripping all over the maid's bed.
"Hush!"
Xander fell silent...she was kinda scary when angry.
She came back to him with a bucket of water. He watched as she used an ice tribe technique within the water. The water became icy, you could tell from the small glacier cubes bobbing within the bucket, "Place your hand in here."
He did as instructed, watching the clear water turn slightly red from the blood.
The maid watched carefully, and whispered, "Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Not yet at least..." Felicia muttered.
She padded back to one of her larger storage cupboards and grabbed some herbs and...a substance that was a pale white. Some type of antiseptic, Xander assumed.
He watched as she set down a bowl and crushed the herbs into a fine powder.
"Who taught you this?"
"Huh? Oh uhm you mean the ointment making?" Felicia asked. Xander nodded and she continued to ground the small leaves, he heard a small chuckle directed at herself,
"Well I was always a clumsy child- I used to fall and trip all the time! Nothing has really changed. So one day my father taught me how to make a special substance for my injuries. The herbs are native to the ice tribe and are better than any vulenary you get around here."
Xander's smile dropped. He knew that two of Corrin's retainers were technically hostages- he felt personally responsible for his father's actions.
"What is your father like?" Xander asked quietly.
Felicia stopped adding the antiseptic substance, "I- I haven't seen him for years now..."
"But...if he is still the same father I remember as a child...he's kind and gentle. He could be harsh, but that was because his tribe needed disipline. He did spoil my sister and I though. He taught Flora and I all about the historic wars and warned us that we'd have to train hard to survive the era we were born in. I hadn't realised how right he was until recently."
"I'm sorry. I know being in Nohr isn't your ideal home." Xander apologised.
"Oh, but it is. I've grown to love it here Prin- uhm Xander. I've loved my life here growing close to your sister and spending every single day serving someone else. That is the most rewarding thing for me."
"But, do you miss home?"
"Well yes...but I get by. What about your father? Uhm...was he the same when you were a child?" Felicia asked shyly.
"The King. No. Most people believe he's always been cold. But I can remember when it was just me and him and mother. He'd cancel a meeting in a second to spend time with his family. He'd take us to places like Izumo and we'd have picnics basking in the sun... he taught me how to fight. He trained me whenever I asked and...everything was perfect. But then mother died...and he changed. Suddenly I had all of these other siblings and life in the castle was hard with all of his mistresses.
But he's still my father and I have to accept the way he now chooses to live."
They slipped into silence as both mulled over what the other had said.
Their heart to heart seemed to only deepen their friendship and trust. Felicia had never told anyone that much about the ice tribe and her father, even Corrin was left in the dark.
And Xander never opened up to anyone. Period.
Felicia returned with the solvent, "Uhm, this may sting."
Xander's response came as a nod. So Felicia dipped her cloth in the solvent and applied it to the open wound after she removed his hand from the icy water.
He winced because of the new contact.
"Sorry." She whispered. Xander could tell she was apologising for more than just making his wound sting- she'd pried at an emotional wound too- but he'd done the same first.
"I'm sorry too." Xander told her.
"Please don't apologise. Besides- we all have a little emotional pain; and with this war we can only expect that to increase."
Xander smiled, "You know, you're actually wiser than you let on."
"And you're more of a softy than you let on." Felicia teased.
The young maid then smiled wistfully; dabbing at his wound all the while Xander wincing, "I wonder what father would make of this. This friendship between a maid and a prince."
"Friendship?" Xander asked.
"I uhm...I thought we were friends." Felicia blushed and frowned, "Aren't we?"
"Yes. But...would you like to be more?" It's was Xander's turn to blush after his bold approach.
"...I uhm..." Felicia bit her lip, what could any girl say to that?
"Just a thought for the fuel." Xander smirked, to spare them both from further awkwardness.
"Oh! Haha you're just teasing...hehe."
"Felicia...well being honest I-I actually-"
A loud boom suddenly pierced the sky.
...
"Hm. Sounds like the mess hall." Xander commented.
"M-Mess hall, what mess hall?" Felicia was so flustered by the few words exchanged a few moments ago she couldn't speak sense.
"You know, the one we left Corrin in charge of."
"Corrin?" Felicia frowned. And then she slowly gasped, "Lady Corrin?! The soup! NO!"
Felicia stumbled out of her cluttered room and ran like she was about to be murdered.
Xander was blushing himself and a smile tugged at his lips.
Then a small rare laugh came from the prince, "She has to be mine."
Just a little idea I had while bored, if you enjoyed- feel free to leave a review ^-^