Revised: I'm sweeping over the fic to close up any plotholes and inconsistencies made from later and contradicting information, either brought in by the main fic itself, or additional details stated in the side stories 'Confined: Contained'. There will also be added details and scenes. If those added details end up being several paragraphs, I will list them here. Otherwise, if it's a few changed or added lines, I won't point it out.

Large Changes: A conversation between Laslow and Corrin, primarily to emphasize Corrin's comfort around Laslow. This happens after Xander arrives, but before the Maids are introduced.

A/N: I'm still inching along with ideas, so I might have to end up increasing the time between chapter updates, on this and A(n) (Un)Wanted Reunion.

Temporal King: Yep, here's the second chapter. I didn't get to work on Peri much, hopefully I can get to her again before Corrin gets snagged to Hoshido. Of course, with bringing a retainer means that their liege will be there, and I hope that this interpretation of Xander came off well enough.

In addition, I brought in some elements for having each Tribe associated with a Dragon, so I hope that that certain battle animation came out clearly enough. Don't let the rain cloud your vision *hint hint*.

Agua: Glad to hear that. While I've every intention of seeing this through, know that ideas aren't exactly flowing my way. I got the general idea and key points down, but it's just a matter of connecting them.

Another night of sub-par sleep, another day to endure whatever Gunter is going to throw Corrin's way. Stretching his arms out, then rubbing the leftover sleep from his eyes, Corrin gets out of bed. "Ah, you are already awake, Lord Corrin." Jakob lets himself in, a towel on hand.

"I didn't sleep well." The Prince admits, "I couldn't get a good position, not with that gash from yesterday." Corrin slipped up during training, and Gunter made absolutely sure he won't ever forget it. Jakob's eyes dart to the room, yet before he can move, Corrin shakes his head, "He said no staves, I don't want you to get in trouble." He knows how much it hurts Jakob that he can't tend to Corrin properly, "I don't want to lose you, all I have for friends are you, Elise, and Laslow."

"...Of course, Lord Corrin." Jakob ultimately complies with Corrin's request. "Now, shall we get your bath out of the way?" A short pause, "And... speaking of Laslow."

For a moment, he wasn't sure why Jakob brought the dancer's name, but as Corrin's eyes fall to his Butler's arms, he noticed that they hold something that he rarely has on standby. Normally, Jakob would bring a recently set of polished armor, but today? "Formal clothes? ...Xander's coming, isn't he?" While the clothes themselves are of high quality, and are extremely comfortable, Corrin can't help but feel suffocated when wearing them.

A grim nod follows, "Crown Prince Xander will be here by lunch at the earliest, so your morning training session has been delayed."

For a moment, fear enters his expression. His eyes slightly widen, his heart rate shoots up, a layer of sweat starts to roll over his body, and he feels like getting as far away from Xander and him as possible, but... "R-right." Flinching from the mere thought of Xander, Corrin quickly goes to the washroom, letting Jakob wash him down as the Prince's nerves gets to him. "I-I've improved, right? I can do this." He turns to Jakob for reassurance. How can Corrin have confidence against one of the strongest men in Nohr? The man who wields the Divine Weapon, Siegfried? The one next in line for the throne?

"Lord Corrin, you alone have given me the confidence that I can be a successful Butler. At the very least, let me return the same confidence. So yes, I believe you can meet the Crown Prince's standards." Is it a lie? Probably, but Jakob truly means that without Corrin, he would have been fired months ago. A lone and abused Prince, who turns for a fresh and inexperienced Butler, each relying on the other to get through the day. Untrained and beaten, there's a reason why Jakob is so close to Corrin. He is one of the two men Corrin ever wants to be with, to have by his side.

Losing Jakob probably instills more fear into Corrin than Xander ever could. Jakob is always by his side, or at least, in the same room. If Corrin lost him, he would be completely relying on Elise for emotional support… but she can't visit often, he's lucky to see her more than four times a year. Corrin's nerves shoot up at the thought, if he lost Jakob, Corrin doubt he'd make it. Laslow does help, but to have him here would mean to have Xander here... and he'd rather avoid his big brother as much as possible, "You're right, I can do this." He tells himself, even as his eyes sting with tears, "I can do this. I can meet Xander's standards."

Jakob offers Corrin his best smile, "That's the spirit!"

The horns sounded out mere minutes before lunch started, and every person in the castle was there to greet the Crown Prince as he walked through the doors. He had his two retainers by his side. Corrin vaguely remembers them, as when Xander is in the castle, Corrin's attention is to solely be on his big brother. The woman on Xander's left, whose hair is light-blue and the last few inches of the ends on her ponytails are a distinct and vivid red, send chills down his spine. She looked bored, and even not knowing her personally, there are few nobles in Nohr who haven't at least heard of what she's done. Why would his big brother recruit a murderer? It is no secret that Peri kills just to kill.

The second is almost opposite of Peri. He is a smooth-talking pink hair man named Laslow. Unlike Peri's murderous smile, he wears a genuine and good-willed smile on his face. Corrin has had about one chance per visit from Xander to spend time with him, and he will never forget how kind and generous the man is. Corrin, without hesitation, would consider Laslow a friend.

"Welcome back to the Northern Castle, Crown Prince." Gunter bows.

"Rise." Xander simply commands, "There is a lunch prepared, yes?"

It was no question, "Yes, Crown Prince." He gestures towards Jakob, "He will be our server." Corrin's mouth suddenly felt really dry. Why Jakob? He is supposed to be Corrin's personal Butler… and there are so many other servants to choose from.

"It would be of the highest honor to serve the Crown Prince." Jakob smoothly bows, but with how well Corrin knows him, he is as nervous as he, maybe even worse.

"Lead the way, then. Laslow! Peri! With me." He doesn't even bother sparing a glance at Corrin. It's like Xander doesn't even think Corrin important enough to use his own breath on. Fearing the worst, Corrin follows, his big brother is planning something, but what?

Xander, his retainers, Gunter, and Corrin are all seated at the dining room table. The Crown Prince and the war veteran are in deep discussion, undoubtedly about Corrin's progress. Peri is seating beside Xander, and it's only by the grace of the Dusk Dragon that Laslow was given permission to sit next to Corrin. "Good evening, Lord Corrin." Laslow flashes him that genuine and caring smile, though his eyes are lined with concern. "How are you faring?"

"It's good to see you, Laslow." Corrin replies in a voice smaller than normal. "Terrible." No use lying, he'd rather be honest with Laslow. "And you?"

The smile dips into a straight line, if for a moment, but rises back up like it's being constantly repelled from becoming a frown, "I've been longing to see my home more recently..." He trails off.

Home? Home... "You... dance, like your mother. The port city?"

While his mouth stayed the same, the rest of his face brightened, "Cyrkensia, yes. A vast and large port city. It holds the most water out of any other major settlement, and the water there is also the purest. Mother always told me that it was the work of the Water Dragon that kept any contaminants out of the waters. Some of the more... er, extremists of that idea exalted the waters themselves, using them as a sort of purification ritual." His eyes seemed so bright and his chest swelled with pride, "I believe you would love to see it, Lord Corrin."

His happiness started to rub off on Corrin, who now has a small smile on his face, "I do, I would. I'd also appreciate it if you would be my guide, too." A pause, "Laslow? Could you tell me more about your mother?" Corrin never knew his...

A short chuckle, "Well, I did get more than just my hair color from her, after all." He hums, "Well, I have told you that she is the one to teach me all the dances I know. I also told you that she's the lead dancer for Cyrkensia's dance team. Shy, but very sweet, she wouldn't really be making as much conversation as me right now. Let's see... due to her job, she'd always have access to some of the higher-quality make-up and clothing. I'd rarely see her without any on, but even during the times when I do, she looked nothing less than breath-taking. She holds a grace to her movements."

"You... told me she dyed her hair for performances?"

He nods, "A light blue, akin to the vast ocean. Roughly the same color scheme for the dresses, but frankly, she could make any color look divine. During the times when she was off work and walking around town with me, she'd tend to keep her hair the natural pink and would have a pink, white, and gold outfit. White would dominate the majority, gold for the jewelry and linings, and pink would be primarily for her make-up, though there was some patches of pink silk on several spots on her clothes."

"Your smile...?"

"Mother always told me to keep my head held high, and a smile that would shine the world around me." A single tear works its way out of his eye, "No matter how tough things get, always stay positive." He clears his throat, "'Just promise me, whatever happens, don't change. Please stay my beautiful and cheerful young boy that you always were.' I still hold onto that, it'd take more than what the world can throw at me before I break that promise. I love her smile and her laughs. She had this way where her whole body would shake when her giggles were turn into a full-blown laughter. Tears of joy would make their way across her face, taking some of her make-up with it. She'd try and cover her mouth, but it did little... so, perhaps call me selfish, but I never want to see her sad, so I keep her promise close to me."

"I like your smile, Laslow... and I'm sure I'd love her smile, too."

Another chuckle, "My smile is but a small disturbance in a pond compared to the waves she makes." He looks directly at Corrin with a fond smile, "I suppose my only wish would be that I could share our smiles with you and the ones you hold dear. I truly wish I could do more..."

The ones Corrin holds dear... "Little sister and you already constantly smiles, so that only really leaves Jakob and me."

His face shows a tinge of... something negative when Corrin said 'little sister'. In fact, Laslow always seemed to be sensitive whenever Corrin spoke of his family. He open his mouth, snaps it shut, then opens it again, "Should we have the time, would you care for a personal dance? Maybe we could even get Jakob in on it?"

Something tells Corrin that isn't what Laslow was originally going to say, but still the abused Prince nods and the small smile from earlier turns slightly brighter, "I... doubt I'll have that time, but if we do? I'd love to." Corrin pauses, before he decides to bring the conversation back to his big brother, "I don't suppose you know what he has planned?"

Laslow spares a look at Xander, as if to make sure he won't be heard, "It's nothing more than the usual, but…" He trails off for a moment, "Two more maids are being sent here."

A fear grips Corrin, "We… there's enough servants, why do we need more?" Barely anyone even lives in this castle!

The retainer has a disgusted look on his face, "Because these two are 'gifts' from the Ice Tribe."

"The Ice Tribe…" Corrin has heard little about the various 'Tribes'. There are supposedly only three, and those are: Ice, Fire, and Wind.

"They looked to rebel, Lord Corrin. So King Garon had the chief's twin daughters taken away." Corrin could only sigh in frustration. "But enough of this, you do have good news to share, right?"

"...I wish I did." Even Laslow's current goodwill isn't enough to raise Corrin's mood. "I miss Elise."

"I realize I'm not her, but is there anything I can do?" At least he offers.

"…Don't stop smiling, okay?" For most, that would probably be a strange request.

"As if there is any other expression I can do!" But for Corrin, it means so much. He's tired of all the depressing and damp atmosphere, why can't there be more people like Jakob, Elise, and Laslow? Kind, caring, and happy? Laslow takes a breath, "Lord Corrin? I realize you aren't particularly fond over Peri, but trust me, she isn't evil, if you were to spend some time with her, you might end up enjoying yourself."

"Well, if you…" A single crash echoes through the hallways and Corrin's eyes dart around the room, that wasn't Jakob, right? He breathes a sigh of relief as he sees his Butler currently serving tea to Gunter, noticeably nowhere near the sound of the crash.

"S-Sorry, uh, sir!" A new voice sounds out.

"Focus!" Another one hisses, much more cold than the first. Two maids enter the room, one has light-pink hair, she is carrying nothing in her hands. She looks to be far more nervous than the other. The second has ice-blue hair, she has a tray that is almost overflowing with food. The ice-blue hair maid places the tray on the table with ease, before the two bow. "Greetings, Crown Prince Xander, Lord Corrin. My name is Flora, a Maid from the Ice Tribe."

A pause follows, then the other Maid squeaks as Flora kicks her ankle, "M-My name is Felicia, and I'm also a Maid… from the Ice Tribe!" As the two perform their duties, Corrin realizes that Felicia is in the same boat as Jakob when he just started off. As, when compared to Flora, her movements are slow and clumsy.

"Felicia..." She freezes on the spot as Xander's voice booms, "is going to be your personal Maid, Corrin," ...but, he only needs one personal servant, right? Jakob, too, seems to also fear the implications. "Flora will be attending to your cleaning and cooking, Felicia will handle all other matters."

Then Gunter speaks, "I told you to improve by the end of the week."

No… "W-wait!" Corrin exclaims, which causes Xander's eyes to bore into him.

"This is not your decision. This Butler cannot meet the requirements, he failed to improve."

"That's not true! He does more for me than…"

"Than who?" Corrin hesitates as he realizes what he was about to say. More than you all. "Well?"

"Please, give him more time."

But his pleas fall on deaf ears, "No. Jakob, you are dismissed, gather your things and leave."

The Butler and the Prince share one more look, before Jakob performs his final bow. "My apologies, Lord Corrin." Corrin could only watch as he leaves. He doesn't want someone different, he wants Jakob.

Corrin's eyes dart to his new Maids, Felicia is slightly fidgeting in place, and for some reason her face flushes when the two lock eyes. Why split the duty between both of them? Corrin has Jakob do the bare minimum. His eyes then go over to Flora, who looks to be trying to hold back a look of… disgust? What did he do? He has no control over this situation to begin with. Shrinking from her glare, his eyes go back to Felicia, who is now giving him a gentle smile, though her cheeks are still tinged pink. "I, uh…"

That's when Xander rises, "Come, show me your progress, brother." Corrin doesn't like the way he referred to him as family, it sounds wrong. The scarred prince wouldn't hesitate to consider Elise family, maybe even Camilla if he had a chance to meet her, but as for Xander and Leo?

"Of course." He replies, steeling himself for the impending duel. The two head out of the room, with Xander leading the way into the training grounds, a place he honestly goes too often.

"Again!" Corrin is, once more, knocked flat on the ground, he should've have known it wouldn't have been much better than last time. Maybe if he actually had proper time to recover. Corrin grits his teeth, growing rather tired of… being tired. He picks himself off of the ground, before taking his stance once more.

"It's the same thing… everyday." Corrin mutters, while tightening his grip on his Bronze Sword…

Oh yes, unlike Gunter, Xander trains with actual weapons. The first duel with the Crown Prince had him wielding a Bronze Sword as well, but as Corrin improved, Xander brought better weapons… for himself. Corrin was always stuck with the Bronze Sword. The imprisoned prince looked at Xander's Silver Sword with disdain, if they had the same weapon, he could stand a better chance. "Don't just stand there!" He shouts, his patience growing short. "If this is all you can muster, then you are a disgrace!"

"That's all I am, anyway, it never changes!" Corrin finally, after enduring this for years, snaps back. "I'm never given time to recover, I've been stuck with people who claim to be experts in their teachings. There's always excuses on what happens, and what do I get for progressing? Even harsher treatment, it's a wonder that your family had…"

Xander struck Corrin to the ground, forcing his face into the stone floor, "You've yet to prove yourself, so keep your complaints to yourself and do as you're told!" The Crown Prince yanks him back on his feet, supporting him only long enough to steady him. "Again!"

"I-I want Jakob back!" He demands, "I want to see Elise more, I want to meet Camilla." Corrin feels, something, "I… I…"

"I said, fight!" Xander lashes out with his Silver Sword, looking to…

The air stills, as a blanket of foreboding covers the training yard. Even those observing can feel it. Felicia, despite being from the Ice Tribe, grips herself, as if she suddenly grew much colder. Flora felt the same, but resisted from doing the same display. Gunter shifted in his armor uncomfortably. Xander managed to keep his cool, despite him being the one about to receive the brunt of what is about to happen. In the immediate area around Corrin, the air now grew heavy, not with tension or anger, but…

Rain. Water formed in mid-air and dropped to the ground, like there is a cloud looming mere feet above Xander's and Corrin's heads. While the effects of being wet would affect someone's performance, making it easier to slip or lose their grip. It seemed to only strengthen the isolated Prince.

"I've had enough!" Corrin's left arm changed shape in that moment, it looked to be a maw of sorts. This maw, whatever it was made of, when it clamped around Xander's Silver Sword, it caused weapon to snap like a twig. "I'm expected to have everything mastered, to be this 'warrior'." The Bronze sword slices into Xander's chest armor, however, the metal that comprises his is far stronger than the Bronze. Amazingly, though, the sword was swung with enough strength to break upon contact. "I'm tired of this, day in and day out!" He drops the sword and his right arm forms into a lance of sorts.

Xander, who now just processed what Corrin just did, moves to dodge this newly formed lance, because if is even a fraction of the strength that the maw had, he would easily be skewered. Yet, the Crown Prince both was too close for an effective dodge, and the water puddling below him seem to counter even the traction of his greaves, causing him to stumble, "G-Gods…" The lance ripped into the Crown Prince's side, cutting through the armor as if it wasn't there to begin with. Corrin, either lost in a rage or just unable to control his own actions, lashes out with his maw once more, looking to clamp down on a chunk of Xander…

And that was what would have happened, had Flora and Felicia not encased the majority of Corrin's body in ice. His form was stuck as such, his right arm a lance, and his left a maw. The sudden rainfall around the two stopped, and all of the remaining water evaporated on the spot, as if it was never there to begin with. If one to look at Corrin's eyes, the red color seemed to be dimmed, but in place of the intense red was a more… watery appearance? His own expression seemed feral, it was likely he truly did not even know what was happening. "Crown Prince!" Gunter is the first to rush to his aid, "Don't just stand there! Heal him!" He shouted at the Ice Tribe maids.

Flora's expression changed from disgust to a malicious smile, "We are Lord Corrin's Maids, by King Garon's orders, I might add. To say you…"

"This is the Crown Prince, fool!" Gunter states the obvious, "He takes priority!"

Flora looks over to Felicia. Of course, Flora didn't mean help Xander, besides being assigned to Corrin, the Crown Prince also had the less threatening wound. A single thrust? That was something an herb should be used for. Corrin's numerous scratches, scars, and bruises? He'll need a staff to get through the worst of it. "I-I'm ready." Felicia smiles for a moment, before ending the spell on Corrin, who unceremoniously crashes onto the ground, both arms returning to normal.

"I ordered you to…" Gunter shouts once more.

"We are assigned to Lord Corrin, sir Gunter." Flora nearly flaunts her position, this would probably be the only time she would be thankful for this position, ever. "These are the orders straight from the mouth of King Garon, to prevent us from performing our duty is to deny the King himself." She gives her twin sister a genuine smile, "Shall we assist Lord Corrin, sister?"

Once more, her face flushes, and she quickly nods, "Y-Yes!"