Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!
Chapter 11: Heads in the Clouds, Hearts on the Ground
"So why exactly are you bringing me with you, Silas?"
The silver-haired knight was leading the way to the pegasi roost located close to the center of Cyrkensia. Following close behind him was Corrin, who had been asked to accompany his friend to see Hinoka and Gatsuchi. The prince didn't know what this would accomplish, but Silas had his reasons for bringing Corrin along with him.
"What? A friend can't ask a friend to accompany him to see the woman he is courting?" Silas asked, still not revealing his true intent behind having Corrin come with him. "And she's your sister. Don't you want to see if I'm right for her?"
Corrin rolled his eyes as the pair continued traversing the desolate, snow-covered streets. "I've already given you my blessing, Silas. The one you should really be asking is Ryoma."
An image of Ryoma's Raijinto flashing dangerously with electricity came to Silas' mind. The knight shook his head, ridding himself of the image. "I-I think I'll wait on that. After all, I don't want to disturb him and Azura on their honey moon."
Corrin shrugged. "Suit yourself. But seriously, why are you taking me with you? You don't have to be nervous or anything, Hinoka already said she would let you court her."
"She didn't say anything about it, remember? It was more in her… actions," Silas corrected hesitantly, once again dodging Corrin's question.
The real reason why Silas was having his childhood friend come with him was due to a multitude of things. Primarily, Silas wanted to have someone there who could help him with Gatsuchi. Though he didn't doubt that Hinoka would be able to calm the beast down, the silver-haired knight wagered that since pegasi were relatively social creatures, they'd be more attuned if there were more friendly faces around. After hearing the horrors of Gatsuchi from Corrin, Hinata, and Subaki, Silas also figured he'd need all of the help he could get with the stubborn animal.
Another reason he wanted Corrin to come along was due to his knightly beliefs. That is to say, he still believed that, in order to protect his and Hinoka's honor, there had to be a chaperone to watch over their dates. This was as much to keep Silas in check as well as Hinoka. Azura and Ryoma's wedding night, which was considered a date, was a prime example of what could happen without a chaperone. Although he enjoyed it, the fact that he and Hinoka kissed on the first date made the knight a bit uncomfortable. Silas wouldn't change a thing that happened that night; he would just be better prepared in the future now.
Yet why would Corrin stay to chaperone Hinoka and Silas? That was the final reason why the knight had brought his friend with him.
After hearing Corrin's story of his night with Scarlet – which was practically forced out of the prince by Hinata – Silas had an idea. He knew Hinoka and Scarlet were becoming close friends, so he was hoping that the wyvern rider would be with Hinoka when they came to the pegasi roost. It was a bet, but a fair bet if Silas was being honest. Besides, it was an opportunity to see how Corrin and Scarlet interacted. The knight wanted to see if the wyvern rider was as good of a match for Corrin as he made her out to be. As a second thought, Silas also noted that he'd be able to chaperone for his friend as well. In that way, it was sort of a double date.
It was a surprising scheme concocted by the Nohrian knight. Though he didn't like tricking his friend, or lying to him for that matter, Silas figured this would be best for all parties involved. He smirked, thinking how tricky he could actually be when he put his mind to it.
"You're not answering my question, again…" Corrin said matter-of-factly. The prince sighed, realizing he wouldn't get an answer from the knight. "Whatever you're planning, just be lucky I'm bad at reading people. And you owe me."
"Don't worry, Corrin!" Silas responded. "It's not like I'm doing anything that would only benefit me and harm you. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
"True, but Hinata is also a friend and he hasn't been acting in my best interest either, you know?"
"Nor mine," the knight added. "He just can't stop talking."
"Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a way to get back at him," Corrin assured Silas with a wicked grin. "After all, how do you think Oboro would take the news that her husband started these rumors about us?"
The knight thought on the question for a minute, before answering, "Well I'm sure she would reprimand him some way. After all, she doesn't like it when her husband… Oh…" When Silas realized what his friend was hinting at, he also smiled mischievously. "Then I think it's best that she knows as soon as possible, wouldn't want Oboro's reputation to be ruined or anything."
"My thoughts exactly," Corrin replied.
The duo laughed heartily as they continued walking down the winding streets that wove through Cyrkensia like blood vessels in a human body. If the Opera House in Cyrkensia was the heart of this body, then the Royal Palace would be its head and the Central Fortress would be its muscle. That was what Silas thought as he and Corrin approached the massive military headquarters.
It was surrounded by a wall made from bricks of white stone that appeared to be almost impenetrable from the outside. They passed under a raised gate that was large enough for two wyverns to fly through, one above the other. As they entered the fortress, they saw the numerous towers rising from the ground into the sky; these towers pierced the sky with pointed, shingled roofs and outcroppings made for archers and catapults alike. While the fortress was a military installation, the Cyrkensians made sure it still carried the style of the city that it called home. It combined the aesthetics of Cyrkensia with the might of Nestra brilliantly, Silas had to admit.
Rising from the middle of the Central Fortress was the local pegasi roost. It was the tallest tower in the fortress, and had pegasi and wyvern alike flying in and out. Corrin and Silas made their way to the tower, following the directions of the guards as they traversed the layout of the fortress. As they came to the foot of the roost, one thing went through the duo's mind that made their muscles already ache: how many stairs would they have to climb to reach the top?
"So that's what happened during the wedding?" Scarlet questioned with little intensity. When she received Hinoka's tentative nod as a response, the wyvern rider continued. "Thank the Dusk Dragon! I honestly thought you two had snuck off and…" Scarlet halted herself before continuing and coughed, acting as if she had an itch in her throat. "Well, let's just say I'm glad that's all you two did."
Her friend stared at her with a naïve and innocent look, sprinkled with a hint of confusion. Hinoka truly had no idea where Scarlet was going with her train of thought, so the pegasus rider shrugged it off.
Before speaking again, she turned back to grooming Gatsuchi. "Yeah, that's it. Then at Hearth's-Eve – Happy Hearth's-Day by the way, Scarlet," the warrior princess cut herself off, receiving the same from her friend. Hinoka continued, "he asked if he could court me and all I could do was… well, I kissed him. Again. This time it lasted longer and it felt… right. I thought I made my intentions clear with that kiss, but now that I've thought about it, I'm not entirely sure. I feel like I should have said yes, or said anything instead of just leaving him there. But then I thought that it would be more mysterious that way, and I remember Orochi once telling me how men like a mystery, and it just happened! And-"
"Hinoka!"
Scarlet had turned her focus away from taking care of Crimson to stop Hinoka's rambling, which was quickly becoming worse by the second.
"Yes, Scarlet?" Hinoka asked, once again giving her friend that clueless stare.
"First, you need to calm down. I know that this is confusing, being your first love and all, but you don't need to overthink it. Second, it's clear that from how Silas has been acting around you that he feels the same, okay? Don't worry so much." Scarlet patted her friend's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. Before returning to Crimson, the wyvern rider added in with wink, "And third, I think you did good. Guys do like a little mystery after all."
"Th-thanks, Scarlet," Hinoka stammered, a light shade of red appearing on her face. "Actually, Silas should be here pretty soon. I promised him a ride on Gatsuchi today as a Hearth's-Day gift."
"Ah, so that's why his coat's shinier than usual. Good thinkin'! Where are you two going?"
Hinoka shrugged. "Not entirely sure. I thought I would figure that out when we're in the sky and besides you said it yourself," the warrior paused before turning back to Scarlet with a smile and saying, "guys like a little mystery."
"That they do. You're a quick learner, Hinoka!"
"I try. Speaking of mystery, what's going on between you and my brother?" Hinoka intoned, genuinely curious as to what had happened between Corrin and Scarlet. "I heard from Hinata that he went to your room last night. Is that true?"
Immediately, Scarlet's face went completely red. She quickly turned away from Hinoka to dodge the question. As she did every time the warrior princess brought up her brother, Scarlet became quiet. Though it was unfair to Hinoka, the wyvern rider was never good at expressing her feelings or talking about relationships with others. This occasion, however, was just a bit different: Scarlet realized that if she stayed quiet and didn't answer Hinoka's question, then she would appear all the guiltier. Yet if she answered the question, she would have to speak about her and Corrin's relationship just as her friend had.
"Scarlet? Come on, you haven't said much about my brother," Hinoka pleaded, hoping her friend would actually talk this time.
Deciding on the lesser of two evils, Scarlet sighed.
"Well, you see…" she began, still a little uneasy. "Corrin did come to my room last night, but it isn't what you think! Hinata's just got a huge mouth, is all…"
Hinoka giggled. "So, this is what it's like, huh?"
"What?"
"Nothing, I believe you, keep going," the pegasus rider urged encouragingly.
"Okay, anyway, Corrin gave me a gift to use for my mosaics. So, as a gift to him, I decorated his Yato. We both were sleepy after that, so we… cuddled on my couch and fell asleep. Nothing else happened though, I swear!" Scarlet added in hurriedly to deter any thoughts that may have went through Hinoka's mind.
Nothing of the sort occurred to the warrior princess, who merely smiled in return. "I thought as much, Hinata can be a loud-mouth sometimes. You should have seen how he treated Hana and Subaki when they first began courting. He wouldn't stop with the rumors!"
Both women shared a laugh. Once they had calm down, Hinoka spoke once more. "But thanks for telling me, Scarlet. I'm glad my brother's in such good hands."
Scarlet rubbed the back of her head uneasily. "Y-yeah, I hope it all goes well."
Hinoka made to speak, but before she could, she heard the gentle creak of the roost's door slowly opening. The warrior princess and wyvern rider turned their heads to see who had come up all this way.
Walking – or more like crawling – through the threshold was Corrin and Silas. The prince was leaning against the door, almost ready to collapse from the climb up to the roost. Silas, meanwhile, was doubled over and trying to catch his breath. The two flyers struggled to hold in their laughter as they watched the scene before them.
"H-how… how in the hells can someone make that trek every day!?" questioned Corrin in between gasps for air.
Silas shook his head before finally collapsing onto the cobblestone floor. "Beats… beats me… That's what we… get for… skipping out on training…"
"Who could blame us…? Now, come on… is this any way for… Hinoka to… to see you…?"
Still gasping for breaths, Corrin helped Silas up, placing the knight's arm around his shoulder for support. As the young prince helped his friend up, they finally saw Hinoka and Scarlet. Once they made eye contact with them, the two women burst out in laughter, unable to hide their mirth any longer. Both men watched them in confusion.
"What's so funny?" Corrin asked after finally catching his breath.
Scarlet spoke up. "N-nothin', Corrin. Just you two coming through the door like that…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she kept laughing. While the young prince couldn't help but internally smile at the sound of Scarlet's laughter, he and Silas were still perplexed.
Hinoka added in, "It's just you guys walking in like that seemed…"
"So comical!" Once Scarlet had finished her friend's thought, the duo began a new round of laughter. "I-it's… it's just like in those romantic comedy stories I read when I was younger!" the wyvern rider concluded as her laughs finally calmed to a few chuckles.
All Corrin and Silas could do was look at each other, shrug their shoulders, and make their way to the pair of flyers. Once they had made their way to Hinoka and Scarlet, Silas untangled himself from Corrin and sat down next to the warrior princess.
Hinoka placed her hand on Silas' back and began rubbing it gently, showing they were at least a bit more comfortable with each other now. The knight faced her and smiled in thanks, causing both Corrin and Scarlet – who were now standing together – to roll their eyes in mock disgust.
"Sickenin' ain't it?" Scarlet asked as she went back to caring for Crimson.
"Well, at least they aren't oblivious anymore. That was almost more painful to watch," the prince responded.
"True, didn't know you were joining us today." Scarlet put away her brush and retrieved her saddle for Crimson.
While petting Crimson's head carefully and trying to gain the wyvern's trust, Corrin asked, "'Joining'? What do you mean?"
"Thought Silas told you. We're goin' on a ride today," Scarlet answered.
"'We'?"
The wyvern rider chuckled lightly. Again, Corrin couldn't help but notice how melodious her laughter sounded. "Yes, we. What? You think this bigger saddle is just for me? Not a chance!"
It was then that the prince pieced everything together and turned to glare at Silas, who was trying to feign innocence. Failing, the knight quickly turned away from his friend and tried to pet Gatsuchi.
"You're going to pay for this, Silas," Corrin muttered to himself, unsure how he felt about heights as of yet.
"What was that, Corrin?" Scarlet asked as she finished strapping the saddle to Crimson.
Corrin turned his attention back to the wyvern and her rider. "Oh, nothing. Just looking forward to the ride."
"I think you'll have fun. I'm excited," Scarlet said with a smile.
The prince could actually feel the excitement radiating from the wyvern rider. In turn, he couldn't help but feel equally excited. Once again, Corrin was sharing in one of Scarlet's passions. He knew how he felt about her now, so being able to participate in what the wyvern rider loved was a whole new experience all together. One that Corrin felt more than happy to share.
"Come on!"
Scarlet snapped the prince out of his reverie, extending her hand to pull Corrin up on Crimson's dual saddle. He smiled, and took the wyvern rider's hand, being helped into a comfortable position behind her. After he settled in and gripped onto Scarlet's waist, the pair shared a smile with each other before hearing a yelp from the other side of the roost.
They turned their attention to Gatsuchi, Hinoka, and Silas. The latter of the three was holding his hand in pain, while the rider was scolding her mount for biting. It was pretty easy to piece together what had happened.
Corrin chuckled. "That's payback, Silas."
"What?" Scarlet intoned.
"Nothing," Corrin replied. He chuckled once more before saying, "Let's go! I'm sure they can catch up to us."
The wyvern rider smirked and urged Crimson forward. As they were about to fly off the roost, Scarlet yelled at the top of her lungs, "Hold on!"
What followed was a scream of surprise as Crimson swan dived from the top of the Central Fort roost before unfurling her wings and soaring into the sky.
By the time Corrin and Scarlet had returned to the hotel, the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon. Its orange glow reflected off of the sea, creating a blend of yellows, oranges, and reds that was pleasing to the eye. This combination formed what one would call a 'perfect end to a perfect day.'
Talking as they made their way into the hotel, the prince and wyvern rider recounted the events that had happened during their ride together.
"They all looked like ants!" Corrin exclaimed, still impressed by the change of view one received as they watched the world below from the clouds above. "It was amazing! You could see everyone just milling around and enjoying their day! I couldn't believe how mesmerizing it was."
Scarlet giggled at Corrin's excitement. "It is pretty great. I always feel so calm when I'm up in the clouds and able to look down on the world. Feeling like nothing could harm you and the wonder of knowing how big our world is, there's almost nothing else like it…"
Again, the prince could only watch in wonder as Scarlet continued gushing about her passion for flying. And again, he couldn't help but feel a warmth in him that caused him to smile gently. He had a vague idea of why watching the wyvern rider share this experience with him made him feel this way, but he still couldn't put it into words. There was just something invigorating and intoxicating about sharing Scarlet's love of flying and mosaic that caused Corrin to care all the more deeply for her.
While Corrin continued to explore his feelings internally, Scarlet – though talking – was simultaneously doing the same. She felt happy, more than happy actually, to share herself with the prince. In fact, she couldn't think of a time when she had done this with anyone else. It felt like she was opening herself up to Corrin, without worry of what he would think. Because somewhere deep down, she knew he would accept her for who she was no matter what.
It felt freeing.
At the same time, Scarlet couldn't help but feel that Corrin had shared little about his passions in return. She wanted to see the same spark of excitement that the prince saw in her eyes whenever she was creating a new mosaic or riding Crimson; she wanted him to feel as free as she did. Yet Scarlet knew that would all come in time. For now, she was happy to be able to show Corrin, who had fanned a flame in her heart, what she loved about the world.
"Also, I wonder where Hinoka and Silas went off to," Scarlet thought aloud, bringing both her and Corrin fully to the present.
"Now that I think about it, they barely stuck with us." Corrin pondered on the question of where his sister and friend could have gone. Neither he or Scarlet saw them at the roost, so that could only mean they were still out flying on Gatsuchi. It occurred to the prince then that the pair had veered off at some point. "Although, when we were passing those mountains, they left us."
"Wonder why."
"Don't know. Knowing Silas, I bet he's proposing to her right now."
The pair shared a soft laugh before the reality of the situation dawned on them.
"You don't think…?" Scarlet left the question open, her eyes wide as she thought on the idea.
"No, he couldn't! Or at least I don't think he would…" Corrin answered unsurely. "I'm sure they just wanted to enjoy the view."
"Well… no point thinking about it too hard. We'll know soon… ish…"
"Y-yeah."
As they finished their conversation, the pair both realized that they were standing outside of Scarlet's room. They hesitated, neither wanting the day to end just yet; but neither knew what to do, so they stood there and waited for the other to make a move.
Eventually, Scarlet took the lead and ventured to ask, "Wanna come in for a moment…?"
The question came out slowly and caught Corrin off-guard. Of course, he was hoping that Scarlet would ask him this, but with the previous night's incident so fresh in their minds and the rumors already spreading amongst the Hoshidans, the prince was surprised at the offer. So, words failing him presently, Corrin nodded slowly.
The wyvern rider visibly brightened as she opened the door to her room. "Good! I have something to give you. It's a continuation of my Hearth's-Day gift."
"Another gift? Well, looks like you have me at a disadvantage this time, Scarlet," Corrin admitted bashfully.
Scarlet chuckled. "It's alright, I wasn't expecting anything else. This is just icing on the cake. Plus, I wanted to give you something more than just a design on your sword."
Once again, the pair sat down in front of the room's fireplace. The stones and magic gunk were still laid out on the floor, waiting to be used.
Scarlet patted the floor and smiled earnestly. "Lie down!"
"Sorry?" Corrin asked in confusion, but followed the wyvern rider's directions.
"I've already prettied up your weapon, so now it's time to pretty up your outfit!" Scarlet replied gleefully.
Corrin's head shot up, a worried expression on his face. "What!?"
"Oh, relax. It's not like I'm fastening this stuff to your bare skin. It's just some clothes." Scarlet assured her living canvas. "This won't hurt a bit."
"B-but why me…? Why not Hinoka?"
Scarlet's cheeks turned red. She rubbed the back of head bashfully before responding. "'Cause I like ya, I guess, so I wanna see you sparkle!"
"W-well, when you put it that way…" the prince replied slowly.
"So, hurry up and lie back down. Don't make me knock you flat."
"Alright, alright! Just promise you'll keep it small and tasteful."
Quickly, the prince obeyed. Though he didn't doubt that Scarlet would force him to lie down, he had to admit that the prospect of her doing so sounded almost… nice. After all, it wouldn't have been forceful or anything, but more playful. It was then Corrin's thoughts ran rampant for a minute at what could have happened had he disobeyed the wyvern rider.
The prince quickly regained control, however, as Scarlet asked him, "How small are you thinking?"
"Hm… maybe you can keep it to the wrist of my sleeve?"
Scarlet turned her attention to the long sleeve of Corrin's white undershirt that stretched down his arm from the black vest he wore over the shirt. She hummed to herself thoughtfully before exclaiming, "That'd make it look like a bracelet! Kinda. Not a bad idea, princeling! Let's get started!"
As the wyvern rider went to work on Corrin's shirt, the prince watched in earnest. After seeing the detail and skill Scarlet showcased on his Yato last night, he had to admit he was a little excited to see what sort of design the Cheve woman would create this time. It took almost as long as the last design, but the former Nohrian prince remained still throughout the process and patiently waited for Scarlet to finish.
Once she had completed her mosaic, she looked up from her work and examined it. Pleased with herself, she turned to Corrin and gestured at the 'bracelet.' "How do you like that? I went with a color that I thought would go good with your eyes."
Corrin sat up and examined his wrist. Indeed, the color was quite pleasing. A length of red gem stones ran the diameter of his wrist, with a design resembling the head of Corrin's dragon form in the middle of the 'bracelet.' All in all, the prince was pleased with Scarlet's additional Hearth's-Day gift.
"I thought when I asked you to keep it small that it would be easily hidden," Corrin admitted. "But this is actually very nice!"
"Didn't quite catch that. Care to repeat it?" Scarlet teased with a wink.
A small blush rose to the prince's face. "N-no, it's fine!"
The wyvern rider giggled in response. "Take good care of that, okay? It's got sentimental value."
"That it does," Corrin smiled as he glanced at the bracelet and then back at the wyvern rider. "Thank you, Scarlet."
"There's that smile I love to see!"
The prince chuckled in response and once again stared at the design permanently fixed on the wrist of his shirt. As he did so, his smile disappeared and he thought on the emotions he was currently feeling. A spark, no, a flame was burning in his heart. As it did, the words he had been searching for all day finally came to the forefront of his mind.
"Scarlet, there's… something I need to tell you," Corrin admitted.
"What is it, Corrin?" She lifted her head up from examining the bracelet so that her eyes were now staring directly into Corrin's.
The prince gulped nervously. The stage was set. Corrin shifted slightly, causing the wooden floor to creak in applause, joining in with the crackling fire in voicing its encouraging approval. Wind whistled outside like an overture, heralding for the lead to say his part, his lines in this play. There was no turning back now. He just hoped that this confession would be better received than the last.
"Lately, I have been having these strange feelings," Corrin began slowly, thinking he was off to a good start. "At first, I thought they were remnants of my frustration with you, specifically. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized they weren't feelings of frustration or annoyance or anything like that. In fact, I still don't know what they are exactly. But…" At this point, Corrin held Scarlet's hand in his own to help drive home the message. "Then we started becoming friends and I started to see the good parts of you. And after seeing your passion for what you do, your beauty and your drive, I think I may be starting to figure out that these emotions are more than just friendship. So, what I'm saying is… while I figure out how I feel about you, will you stay by me? I'm not entirely sure what ones in our position are called, but I want to try it. Do you… feel the same…?"
As Corrin had delivered his confession to Scarlet, an increasingly red blush had risen to her face. They had also noticed that they had moved closer to each other in the process, their faces only a couple inches from the other's. Before either could speak up again, however, instinct took over, causing them to close the remaining distance and allowing their lips to meet.
Their first kiss almost felt rigid as the unfamiliar action took place. Yet as the seconds ticked by it turned soft, becoming familiar as their lips became accustomed to the shape of the other's. It was innocent, it was passionate, and it was intoxicating. Simultaneously, the fire burning in their hearts rose like an inferno, taking control of Corrin and Scarlet, causing them to lose themselves in the kiss, if only for a moment. This unlikely pair, who couldn't stand each other only a few weeks prior, was now taking their first steps together to explore their feelings for the other.
They broke apart only a minute later, though it felt much longer than that, to catch their breaths. They touched their foreheads together in a caring motion, with one of Corrin's hands on Scarlet's waist, and one of Scarlet's hands on the back of Corrin's neck. Meanwhile, their other hands were still intertwined.
Then they broke out in quiet laughter.
When they calmed down, Scarlet bit her lower lip before saying, "I'm pretty sure that answers your question. Don'tcha think?"
Corrin smiled in response and teasingly answered, "I'm not so sure."
The wyvern rider giggled, realizing quickly what the prince was hinting towards. "Then let me say it: yes, I feel that fire too; and yes, I want to figure out what it means with you. So, yes, I want you to be my beau."
"'Beau'?" Corrin repeated as a question.
"Yeah, you said you didn't know what we are, but back in Cheve couples like us would refer to the guy as a beau and the gal as a belle." Scarlet informed Corrin as she continued heavily blushing. "What d'ya say? You're my beau and I'm your belle?"
Corrin's smile could only grow. "I'm your beau and you're my belle," he relayed back to Scarlet before he closed the gap between them with another kiss.
In the morning, Felicia and Jakob would once again come to Corrin's room to wake him up, and they would once again find no one there. They would quickly realize that their lord had fallen asleep in Scarlet's room, just as he had the previous night. Rumors would make their way throughout the army, but neither the prince or his wyvern rider would care this time. For this time, they were beau and belle.
A/N:
"Corrin and Scarlet attained support level A!"
AHHHHH! I've been waiting so long to say those words! It's been a long time coming, but I think this is the chapter everyone has been waiting for, no? Hope it delivered.
Now, I have one more chapter pre-written and ready to go. Gonna go over it, and get it cleaned up, then I'll probably be working on the next chapter after that. Though I might wait on my beta for that one, since I really just wanted to release this chapter. I was too excited to wait any longer.
If y'all like this chapter, or the fic, please drop a review, they are my energy drink and fuel my day. Follows and favorites are my tea and cookies, giving me the fuel I need to get through the mornings! Looking forward to what y'all say and the next few chapters!
Hope you enjoyed the story,
nickdaman6