Corrin hung onto the ropes at the side of the bridge as it shook. Felicia screamed out from the other end as the horse bolted into the night, but the pink haired maid couldn't have cared less about the horse. Her attention was completely focused on Corrin, clinging onto one side of the bridge. It looked like it was about to over balance and tip Corrin into the Bottomless Canyon, but Corrin steadied herself and the bridge, making sure her two feet were firmly on the planks.

"Lady Corrin! Are you okay?" Felicia called. Corrin could barely answer- her mouth made dry from the fear that had temporarily over taken her. She held a shaky thumb up, still holding onto the sides of the bridge. It wasn't that she couldn't move. It was that she didn't want to move. "I'll come and get you. Just stay still, okay?" Felicia offered, taking a step towards the bridge.

"I'll go," a voice called from behind her, and the maid whipped round to see Leo standing, arms folded, flanked by his two retainers.

"King Leo! I would advise you stay here. The bridge could prove dangerous!"

"I think Corrin has already proved it dangerous, don't you think? I'll go fetch her, since she's clearly traumatised."

Felicia opened her mouth to protest, but no argument came, since it was true that Corrin was still shaking like a leaf. The bridge creaked as Leo stepped foot on it, his armour making him weigh more than usual. He took a few steps towards her, slowly, as to make sure she didn't make any sudden movements.

"My lord, please be careful!" Felicia cried out, but he ignored her, instead moving towards Corrin slightly faster.

Her breathing had slowed considerably, and by the time he reached her, she was once more functioning. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and placed her hand on his waist. He helped her walk to the end of the bridge, where Felicia immediately stepped in to check if her liege was okay. Leo glared at her, though, and she stepped back, almost bumping into Niles, who was regarding Leo with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are you out here? You know this is a dangerous place!"

"I thought you were here, and Camilla told me to talk to you. So I came looking for you. And there's… there's some other things on my mind as well."

"You could've died if that bridge overbalanced any more than it did!" Leo scolded, and Corrin held a hand to her forehead, her head still spinning from her ordeal.

"I could've died! And you're yelling at me for something that wasn't my fault! The horse bolted and made me jump, we've lost a horse and I slightly lost my balance and you're out here acting all high and mighty like… like some knight in shining armour! Implying I couldn't have walked back across on my own!" Corrin yelled back, her teeth set in line and her eyebrows lowered. She opened her mouth again to argue, but Leo grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close to his chest in a tight embrace.

"Be careful, princess. Don't scare me like that."

"I'm not a princess," she mumbled, too shocked at his sudden show of affection to respond properly.

"Okay, okay." He let go of her and turned back to Odin and Niles, the latter of who was regarding him with a raised eyebrow. Felicia too looked on with shock, her face almost elated despite her best efforts to keep calm. "Let us head back to the palace."

"Right, my lord," Niles said, winking at his liege who sent a glare back in his direction.

"Corrin, we will talk about the matter you wished to talk about when we return," he said, quiet enough for only to hear.

"Alright," she nodded, and made her way back to Felicia, who offered her a space on the back of her horse, as it was Corrin's that had previously disappeared into the night. An uncomfortable silence fell among the party, with only Odin's unfunny jokes heard in the darkness of the night.

Camilla was waiting in the entrance hall of the castle as Leo and Corrin returned, painting her nails a dark purple. She smiled sweetly as they walked through the door, followed by their retainers. Her eyes followed her younger siblings as they walked into the throne room, Corrin following closely behind Leo. Felicia stood guard outside, while Niles sidled over to her, taking a seat on the bench beside her. She put her nail polish to one side with the cap securely screwed on, and turned to him with a sweet smile.

"Well?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean, yes?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at the outlaw.

"I mean, yes. I think it's going somewhere."

"Excellent! I can finally get the advisors off our backs."

"Hold on, hold on. Is this just about the advisors?"

"Niles, sweetheart, I think you forget: I care about Corrin and Leo more than anything in this world. I would do anything to make them happy, and clearly, they would be happy together."

"I think we'd be happy together," Niles said, shimmying closer to the crown princess.

"I think you're delusional."

"I think we have a lot of things to discuss."

"I think I know what they are."

"Please, take a seat."

"What, on the floor, while you preach to me from the throne? I don't think so."

"I'll be getting up in a moment anyway."

"What are you even talking about?" Corrin sighed, exasperated by the king's confusing behaviour.

"It doesn't matter. What was it you wanted to talk about? You said Camilla sent you to talk to me."

"We were having a conversation about your arranged marriage, and then she got excited when I mentioned that you laughed at me for putting my name on your stupid list to spite your stupid advisors."

"Oh."

"So, yeah. She told me to ask you about that."

"Yes. Um. How do I put this, princess Corrin."

"I'm not a princess. So stop with the formalities."

"My apologies. I was annoyed by your suggestions of who I should consider marrying because I don't have feelings for either Selena or Beruka, although both of them are exceptional women in their own right."

"Okay, and?" Corrin prompted, hoping for more of an explanation into his strange behaviour.

"Not only that, but I'm stressed about… everything," he admitted, causing Corrin's eyes to widen in shock. Leo looked almost ashamed to admit this, and Corrin did find it strange that he was being open with his emotions for once. As long as she'd known him, she had never once heard him talk about how he was feeling without major prompting.

"I… didn't know," she replied pathetically.

"The weight of this crown is too much for me to bear. It should've been Xander's- he was the one trained in leading the country. Even Camilla knows more than me. But she gave up her royal duty, so I'm the one stuck with this role that I have no idea what I'm doing in." He paused to take a breath, trying not to let the tears Corrin could see welling up in his eyes spill over.

"Our countries are still fighting," he continued, "although unofficially, and the army isn't involved. Tensions are still high. I have no idea how I'm supposed to do this job."

He failed in his task of remaining composed, and the tears he was fighting to so hard to keep back spilled over, leaving Corrin utterly confused as to how to respond. He shut his eyes tight, holding his hand to his mouth, hoping the armour would protect him from letting out any sobs. Corrin, in her confusion, went up to him, taking the few steps that she was supposed to stay below, and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her forehead against his.

"Leo. It's okay. We're here for you. Camilla and I, Niles and Odin… you've got your advisors, and everyone else who works here…"

"My apologies, Princess Corrin," he said, taking a deep breath to compose himself and leaning away from her.

"I'm not a princess."

"No, you're not. But how would you like to become a queen?" Leo asked, looking straight into her eyes through his own tear filled ones.

"What… what do you mean?"

"Be my consort. The one that I picked from the list. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else."

"I…" Corrin responded, barely a response at all. Her legs were shaking again, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"I'm asking you to marry me. Do you want me to do it properly?" He got up from his seat, wiping the remnants of tears from his eyes, and fished out a box from his pocket, black velvet with a silver hinge. He dropped down onto one knee, and opened the box to Corrin, whose hands automatically flew to her mouth in shock. The ring inside was beautiful- a silver band with a large diamond surrounded by tiny diamonds. Corrin had never seen something that looked so expensive in her whole life.

"Just Corrin, from who knows where, raised in Nohr, living in Hoshido, bringer of peace to all nations on the continent, decorated war hero. Will you marry me and become queen of Nohr?"

His eyes were sincere as he reeled off this speech. He held the box up to her, and she glanced from the ring to him and back to the ring before nodding mutely. His face broke into a smile, albeit shy, as he stood up, taking the ring out of the box. She took one of her armoured gloves off, and he slid the ring onto the fourth finger on her left hand. She admired it for a second, leaving her hand bare for the moment, glove held in her other hand.

"We can… uh, we can take this slow. I don't expect anything of you at all. There will be a courtship period before we get married if you do indeed decide to go through with this. Which I would like you to, of course, but I won't force you into anything." He glanced at the ground, unwilling to meet his new fiancée's eyes.

"Leo," she said, finally finding her words. "It's okay. I… thank you. For being so… well. For being so you about this. It is kind of weird, I'll admit. For so many years I did consider you to be my brother. But both you and Camilla have become more like best friends to me in recent times. I know I feel more of a connection to Hoshido than Nohr, but… since I have no idea where I belong, I might as well do my best to serve Nohr now as it's queen."

"Your words mean a lot to me, Corrin." He moved towards her, as if to kiss her, but changed his mind, merely shaking his head and smiling. Instead, he planted a soft kiss on her hand. "You should go back to Hoshido and explain this to your family."

"That is one conversation I don't look forward to."

"I can come with you, if that would make it easier?"

"No. You'll only get into a fight with Takumi. I'll… do it alone."

"Then I'll see you. We can arrange times to meet up for…"

"Dates?" Corrin suggested, a blush appearing on her cheeks for the first time.

"Dates," he agreed. "I'll be in contact."

"I'll look out for your letter."

Corrin left Nohr the next morning without speaking to anyone else. After agreeing to Leo's proposal that came completely out of the blue, he had explained that he would tell his advisors when they came in the morning to meet with him. His deadline wasn't for another few weeks, but to have picked a future wife on his own without further prompting would put him back in their good books.

"You seem different, Lady Corrin," Felicia commented absentmindedly on their way home, with a new horse borrowed from the Nohrian stables.

"Do I?" She stammered, glancing at the gravel path that lead from the outskirts of the city towards the border.

"You seem happier since your conversation with Leo yesterday. Did something happen between you two?" Felicia gasped, her eyes lighting up in a way that wasn't dissimilar to Camilla's eyes.

"Um… yes."

"Oh, Lady Corrin, you must tell me! I'm your closest female friend, right?" She asked, almost desperate. "If it's something big, as your retainer, I need to know!"

"Well," Corrin started, clearing her throat. "He asked me to marry him.'

"He WHAT?" Felicia exclaimed, almost falling off her horse. "You two are going to get married?"

"Yes," Corrin answered, staring at her hands, clasped tightly around the reigns of her horse. "I find it strange too, but he's being forced into marriage by his advisors, and he asked me because we've known each other forever."

"It's wonderful! Just think, you'll be queen of Nohr!"

"I realised that. It feels strange, though, because I abandoned Nohr all that time ago in favour of Hoshido, and now I'm going back."

"I can't blame you, Lady Corrin. Perhaps your brain knows that Hoshido is the place for you, but your heart resides in Nohr?"

"Perhaps so," Corrin mused, Felicia's words of wisdom floating in her mind.

"How will you explain this to Ryoma and the others?"

"I haven't quite got that far in my head yet," Corrin admitted.

"Then we'll come up with a plan together!" Felicia said, her confidence that everything would end up okay reassuring Corrin.

Camilla sauntered into the great hall the next morning, a few hours after Corrin had departed. She wasn't awake to see the younger girl leave, since she had escaped early so as not to talk to anyone. Selena too was seated at her own bench, idly talking to Odin and Laslow, and all three retainers stood up when the princess walked into the room. She waved dismissively at them, instead heading straight for Niles, who was sitting on his own close to the kitchen door. Leo was nowhere to be seen, and Camilla decided this was her chance to ask his closest friend about what happened last night.

"So?" The crown princess asked, idly twirling her hair around one armoured finger as her breakfast was set down in front of her.

"What do you want?" Niles asked, stuffing food into his mouth.

"I think you know. Leo is with the advisors, so I assume something important has happened."

"My information comes with a price, you know," he answered, swallowing hard and winking at her. She rolled her eyes, sitting back in her seat.

"Dearest Niles, please tell me what transpired between my dearest little brother and my darling Corrin last night."

"Well, wouldn't you like to know," he laughed.

"I would! That's why I'm asking you. Leo is hardly going to tell me himself, is he?" Camilla asked, her patience rapidly running out.

"Alright, alright, don't get wound up about it. Last night, your 'dearest little brother' popped the question."

"He what?"

"Y'know, asked Corrin to marry him."

"I know the definition of popped the question, Niles, thank you," Camilla said sweetly, although her face betrayed her true feelings. "But did he really?"

"I caught him putting on his own engagement ring when I went to check on him last night. I'm sure everyone in the castle knows by now since Odin was there too, and he can't help but talk."

"He had an engagement ring for both himself and Corrin? Well, I never would've thought. Clearly that wasn't a spur of the moment thing. He must've been planning this!"

"Precisely my thoughts, princess. Perhaps I should get engagement rings for us?" He smirked, leaning across the table closer to her.

"Do not even dream about it, Niles."

"I've dreamed about you manys a time."

"What a horrifying thought," Camilla said, rolling her eyes. "If it weren't for my food being here, I'd get up and leave you all on your own. In fact, perhaps I'll sit with Selena." The princess rose from her seat, lifting the ceramic plate with her breakfast on it.

"Delightful conversation, wouldn't you say?" Niles asked, draping himself on the back of his chair as she made her way around the table.

"I wouldn't be in a hurry to repeat it."

"You love me really."

"Hm," Camilla mused in disapproval, leaving Niles on his own at this note.

Seven faces stared up at Corrin as she stood in the front of the tea room. Felicia stood close beside her, the only person to know the news that she was about t deliver. Corrin felt sick to her stomach, but swallowed hard as she regarded her four siblings, two retainers Jakob and Kaze, and the royal advisor for the entire house of Hoshido, Yukimura.

"Well?" Ryoma asked, growing impatient at Corrin's obvious dithering. "What is this news you were so desperate to tell us?" Although his tone was serious, his words were kind and encouraging, and Corrin could breathe slightly easier knowing he was on her side.

"Well. Uh. Well. While I was in Nohr… the thing is, I was only supposed to fix a dispute, but I ended up staying because of Camilla…"

"What happened? Did the dispute go wrong or something? And what has Camilla got to do with it?" Takumi interrupted, earning a disapproving look from all of his sisters.

"Don't interrupt her, idiot," Hinoka chastised, and the younger man just rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Hinoka," Corrin smiled, and the redhead gave her a thumbs up in encouragement. "No, Camilla had sorted the dispute by the time I'd got there. She invited me for dinner, just. And then… this is so difficult to explain." Corrin glanced to Felicia, who cleared her throat and stepped forward to speak.

"I'm sure you're all aware of King Leo's need to marry. It's an old Nohrian tradition that whoever is on the throne is married- very different in Hoshido!" Felicia explained, reiterating the countries' traditions more for herself than for the benefit of the others. "Given the circumstances, Leo was allowed to ascend to the throne without being married, but the advisors are now insisting on his marriage. And yesterday he chose a spouse…" She drifted off, leaving the rest to the family's imagination. After a few seconds, Takumi's eyebrows rose, and his eyes flickered between Corrin and Felicia, who was shyly retracting into herself.

"So you're saying Leo picked Corrin?"

"Yes, Takumi. And I said yes to his proposal."

"You're not even dating, and now you're getting married? This is ridiculous!"

"Takumi," Ryoma warned, but his brother ignored him, continuing on his rant.

"That's so backwards! You can't just marry without knowing if you're in love with the person! When's the wedding, tomorrow?"

"It won't be for another number of months," Corrin explained, visibly upset by Takumi's reaction. She held back tears- she had no idea that he would be so negative about the whole event.

"I for one think this is wonderful news. It will be a great way to unite both our countries. So I wish you well, although of course you will be missed," Ryoma said, and Takumi huffed, folding his arms to show his disapproval.

"Besides, you two will be good for each other. You get along well!" Hinoka pointed out, causing Takumi to roll his eyes again.

"Congratulations, big sister," Sakura whispered, earning a smile from the elder sister who she looked up to so much.

With some more comments of congratulations from her retainers, and a grumble of more paperwork from Yukimura, who truthfully didn't have anything bad to say, Corrin's mood was lifted, until she noticed the disappearance of her youngest brother. She caught Hinoka's eye, who noticing her worried face, slipped out the paper doors to search out the family member who refused to be present.

The eldest sister found the archer by the lake, sitting on the edge of the boardwalk that led a little way into the water. His legs were tucked under him, and Hinoka sat beside him, plopping down with little effort. He turned his head to look at her, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't Corrin.

"So. What's the big deal with her marrying Leo?"

"She goes away one day and comes back the ext engaged to a guy she hasn't been courting at all," he sighed. "Don't you find that at all strange?"

"It is a weird way to go about it, but like Felicia said, it's all about the circumstances. This isn't the way we go about marriage here in Hoshido, but it's not also what it's like in Nohr." Hinoka sat back, staring into the sky, the sun only just threatening to set.

"So he just picks her out of the blue? Just goes to her, hey, you want to get married? It's like her life is a joke, Hinoka."

"Her life definitely isn't a joke to him. He cares about her- he must. They've known each other forever, you can't forget. Would you have the same problem if it was me or Sakura? Our names were both put forward for his consideration too."

"It's not the same. That would've been like an arranged marriage, which neither party can help. But from the sounds of things, he asked her to marry him. Like, personally. Himself." Takumi sighed again, resting his head on his arms.

"And she said yes. It's not like she doesn't want to do it. Takumi," Hinoka started, then paused, choosing her words carefully so as not to offended him. "Corrin's been unhappy for so long. Since the end of the war, I barely see her smile. She lost two people she considered to be her siblings, and her best friend, within the course of twenty four hours. Maybe this is what she needs? Maybe she does love Leo, and maybe he loves her too. It would explain a lot," she shrugged.

"You don't get it," Takumi said dramatically.

"Then explain."

"He doesn't love her! It's just a power move! Marry someone you know so you don't have to bother getting to know them. Marry someone from a country you've been at war with for the last fifteen years to 'strengthen bonds'. It's ridiculous!"

"I get this could be seen as kinda… morally weird, but I don't know why you've got yourself so worked up about this."

"Because I love her, Hinoka! Because I love her, and I can't bear to see her over there, with him! I love her!"

A/N: