Corrin dreamt of war again, but more specifically of Xander - of his blade cutting down all who stood in his path on a battlefield, soaked in blood. When he turned to her, she screamed, waking herself up. Again, outside, she could hear a blade stroking the air. This time, she dressed herself completely - much more convenient for swordplay.
"Xander," Corrin called out, "are you training again?"
He turned to her and nodded wordlessly.
"Do you mind if I join you again tonight?"
"No, please do." he replied, gesturing to the practice arms. As Corrin grasped her blade, somewhat relieved he let her figure out how to hold it properly on her own this time, he continued in a steady voice, "Corrin, about what you told me before..."
"Hmm?"
He met her eyes. "When you said you heard my blade from your room in the fortress...was I keeping you from sleeping?"
The question startled Corrin. Xander looked as though he felt genuinely guilty, and that in turn, made her uncomfortable. "Of course not! Knowing you were out there made me feel safer."
He snorted. "I see. I suppose it's fine, then."
Tentatively, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Is...is there something else on your mind?"
"What?"
"Whenever Father is in a bad mood, you push yourself way too hard. It feels like that's what you're doing now, too. You're training violently, restlessly." She frowned.
"You don't know what you're saying. I have faith in my father, and I'm walking a path I believe in " His voice was cold and harsh, and this was the first time in her little realm that Corrin felt truly alone. He hadn't yelled, but his words made her cringe - flinching with each syllable.
"I'm sorry." she said flatly, feeling tears well up in her eyes, but not quite knowing why.
Xander's tone softened. "No, it's fine. But let's end this training session here. If we go on any longer, we'll both be exhausted in the morning."
Xander turned and walked away, leaving Corrin standing alone in the cold and dark. Her eyes were downcast, and she was speaking to no one in particular when she murmured, "O-okay..." She bolted back to her treehouse and closed the door behind her tightly before letting the tears flow.