Author's note : A new chapter ! (What can I say, I have a hard time finishing chapters !)

Chapter 7 : Veil and Ribbon

It had always been obvious to Prince Kamui of Valla that he would devote his life to the well-being of others. That's what knights do – and he strived to become the very image of knighthood. Growing up amongst so many young ladies had perhaps shaped this ideal, as part of him recognised knights as more than mere warriors. One thing he had taken up from childhood fairytales was that princesses only ever married princes or knights, and since his blood wasn't that of a true prince of Valla... well, he had to be worthy of all the attention he got from the princesses around him somehow.

His sisters – no more royal than he was, but definitely more polished into the courtly arts – could use a knight, as well. While he was younger than Lilith and nobody would reveal which of the twins was older than the other, he had taken it upon himself to protect them in any way he could. The royal princesses of Nohr and Hoshido had also given him plenty of opportunities to practice whatever knightly duty he felt responsible of. Be it having tea with one of them when they were in a sour mood, teaching another a waltz before a royal event – Kamui wasn't one to leave any task to whatever suitors they could have encountered in Gyges.

Corrin used to say that he could be quite possessive – that this aspect of his personnality was a result of their dragonblood, no matter how faint it was in his veins. He couldn't deny it; yet he didn't find it appealing either, and, as any knight ought to do, he had given himself the goal to get rid of such flaw.

However, on the morning of their departure from Shisaragi Castle, he discovered that perhaps, he wasn't so good at it as he'd thought. He was getting his final preparations done with the help of Kaze, as the ninja had appointed himself to the well-being of both Vallite royals, when he heard a sweet, familiar melody. It only took him a second to recognise the tune of Azura's song – the one generations of her family had used to seal his own father's powers. He found himself relaxing, his aching muscles forgetting the pain of his last trainings.

His blood grew cold, however, when his ear noticed the faint clap of hands when his cousin reached the last note. Freezing, much to Kaze's surprise, the Vallite knight tried to pick up words from her quiet audience. His pupils grew wide as he identified it as Prince Takumi.

"...very talented, Princess Azura. I can't remember the last time I listened to this song, but..." There was a silence – but Kamui couldn't tell if the Hoshidan prince had purposefully lowered his voice or actually stopped talking. In any case, Azura's voice answered to something he hadn't picked up upon.

"I don't feel so confident about my singing skills yet, but your comments make me sincerely proud. And I wanted to repay you for letting me watch you train last time. I'm aware that you probably wanted to remain alone."

"It's fine. If anything, I wouldn't mind... training with you again... I mean, you... you're peaceful to be around."

Azura's laugh distracted Kamui further from his preparations, until Kaze called his name.

"Lord Kamui, you look rather pale. Is something wrong ?"

The young man shook his head, slowly ; his mouth was dry and the muscles of his jaw were tense, which only made him more furious. He closed his eyes slowly, trying to still the nervous beating of his heart and get his mind off of his cousin's conversation.

"Pay it no mind", Kamui answered – to his chagrin, he sounded as if his anger was directed towards the ninja. "I'm just... eager to leave." Gods, get yourself together... "Our first destination is the Wind Tribe, hum ?"

"Yes, milord."

"Where King Sumeragi hopes to get the support of his old friend – Fuga, right ?" The young prince sighed, and, for the first time, Kaze actually saw him vulnerable. Not furious, not cheerful, not confident – the man who stood before him had a haunted look on his face, as if his mind was miles away from the Hoshidan capital. "Let's go, then."

"Something is wrong, isn't it ?"

"You're perceptive, I see. I can't deny it, but you can't do anything about what's on my mind. Please don't trouble yourself over me, I'm fine."

And yet Kaze couldn't help but notice how tense Lord Kamui became as soon as his cousin and Hoshidan counterparts waved at him as a good morning gesture.


"This is starting to get really bothersome."

While he was by no means an affectionate sibling, Leo took great pride in his ability to understand his relatives and close friends' thoughts. As such, when a defeated Corrin fell onto his favourite couch, in the quiet library of Krakenburg Castle, he chose not to insist, and instead held out a glass of water to the Vallite princess from his own place, by her side : she drank all of it with no hesitation, sighed a malcontented sigh, and rested her head on his shoulder.

The Nohrian prince also took great pride in their height difference : with her being slightly older – and probably because of her dragon blood – he had been shorter than her for most of their lives ; he had only surpassed her in that regards a few years before. Part of him wanted to know if she had paid this detail any attention, but he wouldn't ask. He was all too focused on the runes she was trying to decypher.

"I'm beginning to think it's impossible !", the tactitian at his side snapped begrudgingly. "We've been working on this damn hex for hours today, and that's not even mentionning how many times we've discussed it before. We have to be missing something."

"You know, if you want to take a break, or even give up, I won't mind."

There was a sudden movement – a sudden chill up Leo's spine – as Corrin raised from her position, holding the tome firmly against her chest. A grin parted her lips, and she assured him of her support. She simply wouldn't leave all the fun to him, as she'd already stated before. He followed with a smirk and joined in her latest research.

The spell they were working on was intended to counter curses. Discovering it among the hidden chapters of an old manuscript had been a blessing to the young mage, but after spending weeks on a useful translation, he had resorted to the knowledge of his foreign friend, who, at the very least, could decypher parts of the hex. It was still hard to pinpoint the effects of the counter curse, and even harder was the way to perform it. Their hard work had, so far, been fruitless.

Still, most of the runes they worked on shared a meaning with ancient dialects that Corrin just happened to know of.

"I'll try again. You said the spell was written by mages from the border between Nohr and the Bottomless Canyon. So, I tried to study dialects that would have been used there, to see if anything matched with these runes. Let's see now – once again."

She cleared her throat and, extending a pale hand over a greyish seed :

"Kiree kagira saibastia iire ia miamenta..."

Magic heated her fingertips and the gentleness of her tired gaze. A gust of wind suddenly ran through the room, throwing papers off the table and dishevelling Corrin's hair. For less than a second, a smile graced her lips ; for less than a second, Leo stopped breathing.

His breath caught in his throat as the Vallite princess's finger tensed. There was a loud gasp on her part, and while he reached for her stumbling self, the cursed stone she had been practicing on cracked open.

"Are you okay ?" She didn't answer, and didn't even look him in the eye. Raising her finger with a shiver, she breathed out, letting out a sigh he hadn't seen her hold. "You've done enough, you should rest."

"The...", she coughed. "Something happened..."

Corrin looked up. Bright crimson met a deep earthly hue. Then she closed her eyes and he had the time to catch her to prevent her from collapsing. He called her name – one, two, three times, each more desperate than the last – before checking her pulse. A thin coat of sweat covered the skin of her face, neck and hands, and while she looked weak and pale, her heart was still beating, albeit a little too slowly for his taste. By the time, she was opening her eyes again, the Nohrian prince had laid her on the couch, bare feet and hair undone ; his hand froze over her cheek, and he looked away with a flush.

"When did I... ? Oh." Trying to raise her head from the pillows, Corrin was yet again pushed down. Leo might have been a mage, but he had never abandonned his physical training, and she, the dragon's daughter, was at the moment too tired to oppose him. "I'm fine, I swear."

"Says the woman who's just fainted. Rest – I'll call for a healer."

"No need for that." He wasn't paying attention to her anymore – probably choosing to ignore her so as not to be swayed by her reassuring smile. But her sudden grip on his wrist stopped him on his tracks. "I'll rest ! Just... don't call for anyone."

He turned around ; she wasn't smiling now, and the worry in her gaze was genuine. Following her whims, he stayed at her side, sitting close to his old friend, with her legs over his knees and his hand on her ankle. She thanked him, lowering her head back on the pillow.

"Lilith doesn't need to know..."

"Let's call it a day. When you're better, I'll lead you back to your chambers. It's my fault... you can't have slept a lot last night, with me coming over. I apologize, Corrin."

"Heh heh, it's no big deal. I should apologize too : with Lilith's nightmare, we couldn't work as much as I'd wanted. Plus, you must have been surprised..."

"It's no big deal."

They remained silent, unmoving, for some time afterwards. The air of the library was filled with the smell of magic – like a forrest after the rain, so full of life and noise to the hunters who could recognize its inhatbitants – and the wheezing sound of the Vallite's princess troubled breathing. Then, Leo took her feverish hands to pull her on her feet, and she regained her chambers thanks to the support of his arm.

Less than a minute after their leaving, another woman – a maid, according to her outfit – entered the library, and found nothing left, except from the smell of heavy rain. She opened a window, and left, mumbling to herself.


King Sumeragi bowed lightly at Azura, who took her leave after repeating that gesture. He was smiling, kind and bold as ever, but for the first time in a very long time – perhaps even the first time in her whole life – she didn't have the heart to smile back. He was the reason she was in such a mess, after all. In her mother's last letter, the heiress of Valla had been officially tasked to ease the situation ; according to Arete, Hoshido making an alliance with Cheve would threaten the peace with Nohr – and all prospects of marriage between her daughter and whichever prince she would deem worthy of being her consort.

In other words, Azura had to stand her ground more than ever. But Hoshido wasn't Gyges – what right did she have to work against another ruler's policy ? That duty of hers was weighing heavily on her shoulder. Surely someone else – but no, she was the only one. The only child – the lonely child – of the late king Kadros.

That kind of thoughts always invaded her mind when away from her mother. While she was never alone, she never really felt surrounded by family. As a child, she had loved Kamui and Corrin as siblings, yet that feeling faded away as the understanding of their real bond grew : both would become her advisers, her elite bodyguards – but should foreign dignitaries visit her, they wouldn't be able to stand at her side. Lilith was an even stranger case, one she wasn't comfortable studying within earshot of any of these Hoshidan allies.

In times like these, she envied Kamui's more easy-going nature. She could spy him from where she sat, enjoying the shade of a late-blooming sakura tree with a young princess whose hair reasembled that of the tree's petals ; he was having a chat with a blond-haired wyvern rider. Azura had first taken an interest in her when she noticed she wore some ribbon in her short hair. Was that a fashion trend she wasn't aware of ? Surely it would suit her better with longer locks.

Only when she noticed the oddity that was a wyvern rider standing within the walls of Shisaragi Castle did she recognize said woman.

What was the rebel even doing there ? And what was Kamui thinking – talking to her like this, as a Vallite noble ? It wasn't right – it felt wrong on so many levels.

Her steps led her to the unlikely woman almost unconsciously. The glance Kamui shot her was filled with so much surprise, so much uncertainty, that she wished she hadn't moved – but it was too late now, and the Chevois leader was already looking her way. She could no longer pretend they weren't there : as Queen Arete would say, no Vallite princess should ever turn her back to an ennemy.

Kamui was the first to talk, albeit with a certain nervousness that she didn't like.

"My lady" – it had been a long time since he had last called her that, and she didn't know quite what to make of it – "This is Scarlet, leader of the Chevois rebels. Scarlet, meet Crown Princess Azura of Valla, my lady and cousin."

Scarlet's gaze betrayed nothing, remaining unfazed and even unimpressed. She had the decency to bow her head though, and a ribbon hung from where she had tied it in her short locks. Kamui had told Azura that the wyvern lady hadn't shown much respect in their first encounter – not that he blamed her – and the Vallite princess could only hope she had changed her bevahiour because she was, at the very least, aware of the difference of status between them.

"It's an honour, m'lady."

"I have heard much about you and your troops", Azura replied. "I... didn't know, however, that wyvern riders wore such... colourful armor." This probably was not the best way to start a conversation, but Azura wasn't nearly as confident a speaker as her cousins, and the crimson armor was indeed striking.

Red was Hoshido's colour, and Azura couldn't help but see it as a sign of allegiance she would have to deal with.

"Oh ! Yeah, I guess not, I just like to give a bit of personality to my things. Your style is a lot sober than that of the nobles I know."

What other nobles ?, Azura thought. Hoshidan ones ? Nohrian ones ? She repressed the urge to question her, instead focusing on keeping an even expression, as she took the comment, not as a threat, but as a compliment, and thanked the Chevois knight. This proved to be harder than she had hoped, and she caught a few of Kamui's anxious glances as he fidgeted between them. Apparently Scarlet noticed him too, because she soon returned her attention to him :

"Are you uncomfortable ? You don't look so good..."

"Ah – pay it no mind. Must be that I am eager for the travel to begin."

"This has nothing to do with having two women around you, has it ?", Scarlet teased – and Azura saw red. "That would be surprising, with you having sisters and all."

And the Crown Princess almost spat : "Believe me, if you knew them, you wouldn't joke so easily about the princesses of Valla."

Now, with some distance, she would admit that this kind of answer probably wasn't the most diplomatic, and that a more posed tone and less threatening phrasing could have served her better. But at the moment, she simply saw no other way to react. Had she said nothing, Kamui would have taken the joke lightly – would have indulged the other woman with anecdotes and perhaps even asked about her own family ; and Azura simply couldn't have that. She couldn't let his attention be so easily distracted by another, couldn't let Scarlet have her way when both of them agreed that she presented a threat to the peace they worked so diligently for.

And, as expected, Scarlet didn't reply : she did raise an eyebrow, either out of curiosity or confusion. What Azura hadn't considered was her cousin's answer.

"What is that supposed to mean ?"

His words weren't as harsh as she supposed they could have been ; but the way he talked, the way he looked at her – like she had betrayed him, like she had done something so horrible he was ashamed of her behaviour – made her flinch.

And she couldn't simply find any way out of the inextricable situation : apologizing would put her in a weakened position in front of the Chevois rebel, would make her look like a pitiful leader for her own people ; but saying nothing would only further disappoint Kamui, and if word got to his sisters that she had implied anything, how would she avoid Corrin's wrath ?

As fate would have it, timing was of the essence, and Kaze appeared to announce their departure and urge the Vallite royals to follow him.

Scarlet took it upon herself to bid them farewell – looking at Kamui, but not at his cousin, all the while – before getting to her wyvern. Kamui waved at her politely, but wore a hurt frown when his face turned to Azura. Although they walked together towards their mounts, no word was exchanged between them during the first part of the trip, and the Crown Princess couldn't help but curse her own feelings.


After a training session that seemed endless to the daughter of Anankos, Camilla finally sat down and let her heal her wounds. Her retainer – the skittish maid with pink hair and a clumsy nature – had left them alone at Camilla's orders : she was to let them know if Corrin awoke from her latest slumber. Lilith, meanwhile, was happy to help her old friend get rid of some nasty scars that she didn't dare question. Some things, she believed, were better left unsaid.

"You're as reckless as ever, when you use a tome – I mean, look at your arms ! Those burns may be minor, but they were surely avoidable too !" The Nohrian princess chuckled lightly, dismissing her complaints with an apologetic smile. Lilith lowered her voice. "Is there any particular reason you are feeling so tense ? You can tell me, you know."

There was a brief moment of silence – of doubt, too. Their eyes met for a second before Lilith's refocused on Camilla's skin, careful not to break the mending spell. Her friend sighed. As much as Lilith tried to hide it, they were both tense : ever since Leo had come to them, explaining in a rush that the Vallite princess was exhausted by a counter-curse they were (secretly) working on, their minds had been occupied (and preoccupied) by many thoughts. How to hide it from Xander – worse : from the concubines ? How had they not noticed the pair's reunions and exchanges ? Had anyone else noticed them ?

Training had been an easy way to distract them and the others from the issue. To the rest of the inhabitants of Krakenburg, there was nothing strange about Lady Camilla's dangerous spellcasting, or about Lady Lilith's worry. Xander wouldn't bother them for a while, and Elise was having tea with Leo, probably unaware of Corrin's state.

"Those two children... I should have guessed."

"Don't beat yourseelf over it. Besides, Corrin is going to be fine."

"It's not her current state that worries me..." Camilla's frown deepened. "Us not noticing is alright, but if someone else – I'd rather not think about it."

"Are things really so bad here ? You – you never talk about it in your letters."

Although Lilith considered Camilla her best friend, their letters remained mundane, and their written conversations on a superficial level more often than not. She knew that Camilla didn't want to make her the target of whatever ennemy she had to face, that she preferred dealing with problems her way rather than spreading word of her weakness. But face to face, it was hard for the Nohrian princess to lie about it : the tensions between the concubines, and even between her siblings, had her on edge.

"If it were me", she whispered, "it wouldn't be an issue, you know ? But them ? There are so, so many ways this could turn out wrong."

And she was probably right. Although unofficially, Corrin was considered Xander's betrothed by many nobles – her closeness with his half-brother could only bring the three of them misery. And even if noone knew about this part of their relationship, her sickly nature could be interpreted as a weakness, and turn her into a target for many ambitious nobles.

Lilith could only imagine the horror of anyone who would try to kill her, only to be faced with unrestrained dragon rage.

Felicia's return cut short her musings. The nervous maid informed her lady that King Garon wanted to see her – see them, really. Camilla immediately forced her tired limbs to move, getting up in a hurry ; Lilith followed her back to her chambers, where King Garon waited for them. Felicia escorted them, but was allowed to remain in another room during the meeting. Therefore, Beruka was the one to bring them tea, without a word or a sound as she made her way in the room.

Garon didn't wait for his daughter's retainer to leave to start talking, which Lilith saw as a sign of trust, or perhaps one of impatience.

"Your brother has informed me of young Corrin's... situation."

"I'm not surprised", Camilla sighed. "Leo can be irrationally honest, sometimes. Although, I don't see what that has to do with me – or Lilith."

"Nothing, perhaps. But the poor boy was quite anxious, which is why I came with a... proposition, if you will. One for Lilith, actually."

"For me ?" Camilla tensed even further, but Lilith was mostly curious.

"Yes." He asked Beruka to get someone for him, and, after a moment, a young woman with messy dark hair, wearing a veil and what Lilith recognized to be a dark mage's uniform, came in. "This is Nyx – a most excellent magician and wise advisor, as well as a person I would trust with my life. I want you, Lilith, to make her your retainer."

"Wha- I don't understand, Your Highness. What does me having a retainer have to do with anything ? A-and you", she added, turning to Nyx, "why would you... ? I don't get it."

"Nyx's gift with the dark arts means that, should you need it, she could help Corrin get over the curse. However, my oldest children all have retainers of their own, and the younger ones have no connection with your sister."

"In other words, you just want to use the title of retainer to get Nyx close to Corrin, in the hopes that she will indeed be of help ?" Camilla turned to the dark mage as well. "I've heard of you : you have been cursed yourself, and have lived in isolation ever since. Why would you agree to this ? And how can Lilith know you could actually help her sister ?"

"My convictions and thoughts on this do not matter, child. You are in need of help, although not in a position to ask for it. I can be of assistance. What matters is whether you accept my help, or not."

"Of course we don't..."

"I do !" Lilith cut her friend's answer quickly, and hoped she would not take it personnally. "I am not nearly as talented as my sister, or even you, Camilla, when it comes to magic. But I do know one thing : dragon blood and curses don't go well together. And you, Nyx – you are cursed still, aren't you ? I suppose you understand the threat as well as I do." The young woman nodded quietly. "Then please, become my retainer. I won't ask about your motives, or your past, or – or anything !"

Nyx nodded again, a little more hesitant this time. Garon thanked Lilith for accepting his offer and shot her new retainer an unreadable look before sharing a few words with his daughter, who bowed her head out of respect and submission rather than out of conviction. Lilith only caught a few words, among which she thought she heard : "keep them in check".


In the next chapter : Queen Arete was known to say it's better to keep one's friends close, and one's ennemies even closer. In any case, there are way too many people surrounding the Vallite royals, and her daughter doesn't think that is a good sign.