Corrin had to spend what felt like hours the next day washing the grey tear stains from her face. Her eyes were still red from all the crying- and who could blame her? She'd found out a lot of things that were completely new to her and she still hadn't completely processed them. Coming out of the wash tent she bumped into Takumi, who was passing on his way to the armoury. He stopped abruptly and grabbed her arm, his eyes serious and worried. He looks as tired as she felt, and she sidestepped to clear the entrance of the tent.

"Listen," Takumi said. "Whoever it was we met yesterday in that temple was not our mother. I don't know who she is, but I don't trust her."

"I agree. We saw mother die in front of us. There's no way that's actually her," Corrin mumbled, running her hands through her already tangled hair. "I don't know what to do about her. I was told we are to meet up with her, so I guess I need to think of something by then."

"You know you'll be supported no matter what you choose to do," he comforted. "Ryoma said we were to meet up with her in an hour, so..."

"Thank you, Takumi. I might just go find a cliff to scream off. I feel like that would really help me."

"Whatever you think, Corrin," Takumi laughed.

She bid him farewell and headed back to her tent. Leo had already left for the final war meeting, and she was supposed to be there too. It would likely be the last war meeting they would have before their fight with Anankos, and she really should be there for it. She attacked her hair with a brush then scooped it up into two buns atop her head. She attached her cape to her shoulders and lifted the Yato from beside her bed. She left her room in a hurry and practically ran towards Ryoma's room where Leo was already waiting for her.

"He just left," he explained. "Apparently there was an emergency in the kitchen."

"Of course. Oh well, we can just wait on him."

"Time is running out. We're supposed to meet up with your mother in half an hour." Corrin eyes shifted to the side, resting on the hilt of her sword. "What? What's wrong?"

"I have some concerns about following her. She's not my mother."

"She's right," Ryoma said, appearing behind Corrin. "I don't know who that woman is, or why she looks like the late Queen Mikoto, but she isn't really our mother."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Now that was the challenge.

"Ah, Corrin," Mikoto smiled, waiting at the grate in the smaller temple. "I apologise for yesterday's words. I understand it's a lot for a child to take in."

"I'm no child. No one here is a child, mother."

"Sorry, Corrin. I always forget how much you've grown. Are you ready to leave? It's only a short journey through this tunnel to the main temple of Valla, where I'm sure your father will be overjoyed to meet you."

"Mother," Corrin started, taking a deep breath to calm the sickly feeling in her stomach. "We don't think that'd be a good idea. It'd be easier for us to get the army through outside. We have horses, pegasi, wyverns... there's no way we can fit everyone along a small tunnel. Thank you for offering, however."

"Why don't you and Ryoma and Sakura go ahead then? You can meet him while everyone catches up," Mikoto suggested, her face falling ever so slightly before she put it back in place.

"No, I don't want to split the army up. Especially if we're taking two of the leaders away. I don't want to leave Leo to lead on his own."

"Who is this Leo?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Is he the one that was in here yesterday? The Nohrian?"

"He's my husband," Corrin said, her voice shaking. Ryoma placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Nonsense," Mikoto said. "You're too young. And marrying a Nohrian? The Hoshidans are wholly against that!"

"That's it. I know she's not my mother," Corrin hissed into Ryoma's ear. "Mother wanted nothing else than for Hoshido and Nohr to get along!"

"Are you going to go ahead with the plan?" He whispered back.

"Yes."

Corrin took a step forward as a look of concern passed across Mikoto's fine features. The fingers on her right hand twitched as she made her way towards her mother. Mikoto relaxed, but Corrin was anything but as she advanced. As soon as she was within reach, Corrin reached for her sword. A 'sorry' passed over her lips, barely audible, as she lodged the sword in Mikoto's stomach. Mikoto's face changed, from shock to anger to sadness and finally to a strange happiness as Corrin pulled the sword out of her stomach. Mikoto collapsed to the ground without another word, her body disintegrating into purple, just as the invisible soldiers had in their last fight.

"So it was just a projection after all," Ryoma observed. "Are you okay, Corrin?"

"Let's just go," she said, marching past him and trying her best not to let the tears in her eyes fall.

"Mikoto has fallen."

"Truly? I didn't think she'd go so soon."

"You're next to stop her. She killed her own mother, and she will kill me if she's not stopped."

"Are you sure it's me you want to send?"

"Yes. You'll succeed, won't you?"

"Of course, my lord."

"Then go."

It was quiet that evening, with the shock of Corrin's murder of her mother hanging over the camp. Surprisingly, she was dealing with it well, and was getting on with her tasks assigned to her by Ryoma. He had taken over command of the army while Corrin got her emotions in check. She wandered right to the edge of the astral plane, where Kaze stopped her from going any further. There were no words shared between them. He stood in front of her, arms folded, and she just sighed.

"You'll get hurt if you wander further. You might walk into another deeprealm and get lost in time. And we can't have our general getting lost."

"I wasn't wandering off, don't worry. I just wanted some space."

"And I would happily give it to you if I wasn't so concerned about your wellbeing."

"You sound like Jakob," Corrin commented, causing Kaze to chuckle.

"Trust me, he's as worried as I am. You just... killed your mother."

"I would never murder my mother," Corrin spat. "What I killed was not my mother. It was someone in the form of her. Someone Anankos sent to kill me, by the sound of things. Ryoma sent a search team back into the tunnel and there were traps and spies in there, ready to kill us all. What I did was of benefit to the whole army."

"I know. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I think we've known each other long enough."

"Sorry," she mumbled, her words almost pathetic. Her voice, however, was strong, and her eyes, much to her shock, were dry. She didn't feel anything after killing who she thought was her mother, and that thought scared her more than anything. Who else would she be able to kill without any feeling? She had managed to kill Xander, one of closest friends, and Garon, the man she believed to be her father. Leo had already suggested that they kill Camilla if she became a threat, and she twisted her hands in knots, wondering if she would really have the heart to drive her sword through Camilla's stomach too.

"You should get some rest, milady. Ryoma and Leo have confirmed we'll move again in the morning, towards the centre of Valla. I wouldn't be surprised if Anankos sends more people to fight us off."

"It's a wonder no one's been seriously injured so far."

"I wouldn't say that."

"What do I not know about? Who's been hurt?" Corrin asked, feeling her heart speed up.

"You. You're more fragile than I've ever seen you. You look as if you could break in a matter of minutes. So, as your retainer, I insist that you rest."

"Fine. I'll have to rise early though, to prepare to march again."

"As long as you get enough sleep, it is of no concern to me when you wake. I'll have Jakob send you a pot of tea."

"Thank you, Kaze." She hugged him, wrapping her arms around his chest. He was a good bit taller than her and it made it rather awkward to reach properly. He disappeared after that, and Corrin lingered on the spot only a minute longer before returning to her room.

Leo was already there, sitting casually on the bed with a book. He had stripped his armour off, and was sitting comfortably in his more casual wear. Corrin sat the Yato by the bed, leaning against the table Leo had left Brynhildr on. His smile was warm, yet masked the concern he was doing a bad job of concealing in the rest of his face. She smiled in return, taking a deep breath.

"Jakob left a pot of tea over there for us. I was waiting for you to come back to have a cup," he commented, barely lifting his eyes from the book.

"I'll pour one now." She made her way over to the side table, ignoring the pain her armour was causing her. She managed to pour the tea without spilling any, and handed Leo a cup. He sipped it gratefully, and he and Corrin fell into a comfortable silence. He continued to turn the pages of his book, while Corrin wandered around the room. Leo hadn't spoken a word since she got in aside from the comment about the tea, and his teacup was now sitting abandoned on the floor, emptied. Corrin sat beside him, and he still made no move to speak to her.

"Leo," she said, her voice hoarse.

"Yes?" He answered, closing his book and leaving it down beside him.

"Do you... do you really love me?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because you always seem so... so careful around me. You don't talk, you won't kiss me, and..."

"Do I not tell you enough? Do you not believe it?"

"Leo, I-"

"Because I love you more than anything, Corrin. I couldn't live without you. I wouldn't want to."

"But-"

"Has someone being saying something? Because if that's the case, I will not hesitate to-"

"No!"

"Then tell me what to do to fix it." He took her hands in his own, and stared straight into her eyes. She could feel her heart speed up, and her face flush with the heat. It wasn't like Leo to be like this, but as much as Corrin was surprised at his actions, she smiled at him.

"Kiss me. Like you did at Christmas."

"Your wish is my command, little princess."

"No," Corrin said, pressing a finger to his lips. "Stop trying to be like Xander. It's not him I fell in love with. It's you."

"I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you," he said, his voice apologetic and almost husky and something that Corrin found ridiculously attractive.

He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, and Corrin could clearly see how red his face was. His eyes began to flutter closed, his dark eyelashes brushing his cheeks. His mouth parted ever so slightly, and in a move of complete impatience, Corrin moved forward the extra inch or so, crashing her lips against hers. One of his hands held her face in place, while the other kept its grip on her hand. His hand were gentle and soft, his fingers long and slender in comparison to her strong, calloused hands. His lips too were smooth, grazing against her mouth in a mixture of gentle and rough movements that drove her to push herself closer to him, her hands resting on his chest with barely any space between them.

Eventually, he broke off, gasping for breath. He looked at her through half lidded eyes. Corrin's heart was beating faster than she had ever felt it before, and she was sure Leo felt the same way. They stared at each other for a minute, no words being passed between them. This time, it wasn't awkward, and Leo let go of her, peeling himself away from her.

"Was thst enough? Do you realise now?"

"I think you should prove it again," Corrin said, and then gasped at the words that came out of her own mouth.

But he complied, kissing her hungrily. He pushed himself towards her, until one of his knees was resting between her own. Soon, his hands left her face and moved around to her back, fiddling with the buckles on Corrin's breastplate. Her eyebrows raised at the motion, and took her hands from his chest to unstrap her gauntlets and tear her cape off. The breastplate fell to her chest and was quickly cast aside. They split apart for a moment in the joint effort of removing her leg armour, and soon Corrin was sitting just in her underclothes.

"Are you sure about this?" Corrin asked him. "We can stop-"

"I wouldn't have got this far if I didn't want to go all the way. Corrin, I love you, and I want to start a family with you," he answered, glancing away from her in embarrassment.

In response, however, she unbuttoned his cardigan, pressing kisses to his nose and cheeks and forehead and any part of skin she could get her hands on. Leo sat back and let her, admiring the way her eyes glowed with passion and the way her hair swished around her shoulders. Within moments, and without him truly realising, he too was in his underclothes, almost completely exposed to the chill of the room and to her. She tried to look away from him, but he took her by the arms and pinned her to the bed, crawling atop her and staring down into her eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at him, but he continued on, undeterred.

"Have I proved it to you now?"

"You've done more than enough."

"Let's move," Ryoma commanded, and on his mark the army began their march. Corrin rode on the back of Leo's horse, her arms around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. He had apologised to her for keeping her up the night before hundreds of times already today, and she had repeatedly told him to be quiet. Takumi had already suspected something was up between the two of them when they emerged for breakfast, but whatever he thought he kept quiet about it. The temple that was their end goal was now visible over the horizon, but so was the oncoming army of invisible soldiers that Corrin couldn't do anything about.

"There's no way around it. We're going to have to fight!" She called, her voice ringing out loud and clear over her whole army. She hopped off Leo's horse after planting a kiss on his cheek, and unsheathed the Yato, pointing it towards their enemies.

They moved forward carefully, but when the other army reached level ground they paused, holding back. Corrin and Ryoma simultaneously called for their troops to stop, and they did, digging their heels into the grass. The leader of the other army emerged from the masses, elegant and intimidating in heavy mage's robes. Her hair was bright blue, and Corrin's heart stopped. In a hope of a peace, she moved forward like the other woman did.

"Who are you?" She called, and the woman laughed before answering.

"I'm surprised you don't know."

"I have an idea."

"Anankos sent me. My name is Arete."

"Azura's mother."

"I never thought I'd meet the young woman who killed my daughter," she drawled, and Corrin's eyebrows furrowed.

"I didn't kill Azura! I loved her. I wouldn't kill anyone I loved!"

"But you killed the crown prince of Nohr, and the King of Nohr. You're nothing more than a power hungry little girl. You may be next in line to the throne of Valla, but I won't let you past! No murderer can take the throne, especially not one who murdered their own cousin!"

"I didn't murder Azura!" Corrin cried desperately. "She sacrificed herself for the good of Hoshido and Nohr. And if I can help it, Valla too! And it's a little hypocritical to say a murderer can't be a leader, isn't it?"

"Anankos is a good man. He cares about the upkeep of Valla as the greatest of the three kingdoms more than anyone else I've ever met."

"More than your own husband? He was king of Valla too, once, wasn't he? And you were his queen!" Corrin pleaded, trying anything to get Arete to move her army away from them. Their threat was palpable, and out of the corner of her eye, Corrin could see her own army moving away.

"The past is the past, Corrin. You may be my niece, but your mother was weak in her escape from Valla. She left when times were tough, abandoned me and Azura before it got too bad!"

"You left too!" Corrin pointed out. "You and Azura went to Nohr!"

"A foolish mistake. I lost her quickly, and she was replaced by you of all people. But since you couldn't control that horrible power Anankos bestowed upon you when you were birthed, you were locked away. And good riddance! The Nohrians didn't want you as much as the Hoshidans let you be kidnapped."

"Enough!" Corrin cried. She wouldn't cry this time, she wouldn't let her emotions show, she wouldn't-

Arete moved forwards, tome in one hand. She cast it quickly, it flying towards Corrin. The only thing she could do in such a situation was to transform into a dragon, and so she did, absorbing the power of the attack before turning back into a human. Arete rolled her eyes, and turned the pages of her tome with long painted nails for her next spell. But before she could cast the spell, thorny vines grew up from the ground, encapsulating her in their embrace. Then, a tree grew up through the ground, growing through Arete's chest.

"Nohrian law is blunt on the subject of those who try to assassinate the king or queen," Leo said, cantering forward, his hand balled in a fist. "You just attacked the queen of Nohr. I cannot let that slide. The punishment is death!"

The tree grew further through Arete, causing blood to spurt from her mouth and her body to go lifeless before she disappeared into a cloud of purple dust, just like her so called sister had previously. Leo sighed, jumping off his horse and wrapping his arms around Corrin. She relaxed almost immediately, placing her head in the crook between his neck and chin. Ryoma stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away from Leo and turned to him, staring straight ahead.

"It's getting more serious. Unlike Mikoto, she actually tried to attack me. And she brought an army with her."

"I know. What are we going to do about them? There's no way we can fight all of them with our numbers. If it was half, there'd be no problem."

"I've got this," Leo said, stepping forward. "Get out!" He called. "Or you'll suffer the same fate as your leader. I will not hesitate!"

Slowly, the army dissipated, and Corrin could breathe a sigh of relief. They moved forward to the crest of the hill, staring over the edge. The sky was darkening over the temple, a sign that something bad was coming. Corrin latched onto Leo's arm, brushing stray stands of hair out of her face. There was going to be a long battle ahead, and it was time for them to prepare.