A night to remember.

Corrin's Birthday

The last rays of daylight dimmed outside as Corrin sat in her room surrounded by HInoka, Sakura, Elise, and Camilla. In the past four hours she'd endured a dress fitting that left her covered in stab wounds and a hair styling that they were woefully unprepared for as they had severely underestimated the rigidity of her curls. They had been ready for hours now and their composure was slowly chipping away as the minutes ticked by.

Now, as she sat through Camilla and Elise painting her eyelids and darkening her cheekbones, her exhaustion was settling in her bones. Even as Elise applied eye shadow with a skillful hand, her eyes were feeling so heavy and maybe if she closed them for a second she could just-

"Gods Corrin!" Camilla cursed, throwing her palette down in frustration. Elise only sighed and licked her thumb before swiping it across the colorful streak that had blossomed over her temple, rubbing it into nothingness.

"Did you sleep at all Corrin?" Hinoka asked with a bemused glint in her eye. Her head hung off the edge of Corrin's bed, red hair hanging in tiny spikes around the crown of her scalp. Sakura sat on the floor before her, staring listlessly out the window. Every once in awhile, her honey eyes would flicker towards them, hovering but never staying.

"No," Corrin answered and that was the truth. She had been twenty-one for exactly three hours and twenty minutes when she was roused from her slumber to the news that Arete was dead. Hopefully for good this time.

Her group of the undead had attacked an outpost under the cover of night and probably would have razed it to the ground had Arete not been killed first. When she was out of commission, the corpses fell apart into a mess of bone and rot.

It was Kaze who delivered the report and so it was him that she had asked, "Who managed to kill Arete?"

"No one. She disemboweled herself."

Moonlight cast awkward angles over his face, twisting the stoic expression into something monstrous. Corrin hadn't been able to get back to sleep.

Camilla had regained her composure and now moved closer to line Corrin's eyes with black. As she steadied her hand, she announced, "Once we get to the party, your adrenaline will kick in and you won't be so sleepy anymore."

Corrin didn't answer. Her sleep addled mind fixated on the black rings Camilla etched across her eyelid. She couldn't tear her attention from the way it swallowed the smoky brown they'd dusted her eyes with. The color was absolute and left nothing behind.

"Oh, there was one other thing," Kaze had said before leaving her for the night. "When they found Arete, she had written 'run' with her blood. It was black."

Even now, Corrin could picture the scene in her mind's eye; gaunt Arete in a pool of ebony blood, run written in a shaky hand the 'n' pitched down as the life was rent from her fingers. Then the blood shifting, swirling into the monster she'd seen in the abandoned village, rearing out of the ground to devour her whole.

When Anthony died, he had bled black too. There was a deeper connection but she didn't know what it was. Azura would know but she was staying cooped up in her room for the time being. Corrin didn't blame her.

"Well, what do you think?" Camilla asked. She had lowered her hand moments ago but Corrin had been too entrapped within her thoughts to notice. She didn't recognize the person staring back at her.

They'd covered her face with powder that hid the circles under her eyes and done something to strengthen her round jaw. Her cheekbones were no longer hidden beneath chubby cheeks and her lips had been lined with brown and filled in with red so that they were more defined, more befitting of a woman.

She'd never worn makeup beyond lipstick before. There had never been a need during her upbringing in the Northern Fortress and there was never time now.

It was thick on her face, weighing down her eyelashes and making her face five pounds heavier, and it was hot but these were minor annoyances. For the first time in years, she felt beautiful.

The extravagant makeup coupled with the elegant updo they'd managed to wrestle her hair into made her look like a heroine princess from a storybook not the scraggly, sleep deprived freshly twenty-one year old that she was.

She stumbled over words and iterations of "I" and "um" spilled from her mouth until Camilla interrupted, "A simple 'thank you' is enough."

"Thank you?" Corrin responded, mesmerized. Her fingers (which had Camilla had insisted upon coloring a dazzling silver earlier) crept towards her face and Elise swatted them away.

"Don't touch it! You'll end up rubbing it off!" she chided and Corrin let her hand drop.

"You look great Corrin," Hinoka chimed in from the corner. She ran a hairbrush through Sakura's strawberry hair and clipped her bangs back with an ornate pin. Sakura's face was impassive but she nodded her agreement.

Elise stood and Sakura's eyes shot away, burrowing into the floor. Corrin frowned. There was clearly bad blood between the two but neither wanted to talk about it. She was worried; Sakura had always been soft spoken but now it required a significant amount of prodding to get the girl to say anything.

Quiet sniffling pulled Corrin's attention elsewhere and she turned to find Camilla with tears streaming down her face. Her mascara ran with the tears and squiggly black lines hung like spiders' legs beneath her eyes.

Before Corrin could say anything, Camilla threw her arms around her and dragged her into a bone crushing hug. The air burst from her lungs and Camilla squeezed tighter, nearly smothering Corrin with her bust.

"I can't believe you're twenty-one!" she gushed, rocking Corrin from side to side. "It seems like just yesterday that I was holding you for the first time!"

Her grip loosened and Corrin wedged herself free. She stumbled backwards and Elise steadied her before she could run into anything.

Corrin nodded her thanks and Elise returned the nod. Then they both turned to see that Camilla was staring at them with glowing, wet eyes.

"Oh you've both gotten so big!" Camilla wailed and she came towards them with outstretched arms. Elise and Corrin both moved at the same time but in conflicting direction so that they slammed into each other. Stunned, they were too slow to maneuver out of Camilla's reach.

She encased them in an iron hug and squeezed until Corrin was certain she heard bones snap. Elise sputtered for freedom and Corrin could only sputter for air; Elise's elbow was firmly anchored in her ribs. Finally, Camilla let them go and Corrin heard Hinoka mutter, "See Sakura? I could be worse."

Camilla didn't notice the jab as she cooed at the other crown princess, "Don't you feel so old, Hinoka?"

"Only when I go to bed at eight," Hinoka drawled and Camilla pursed her lips in annoyance. She glanced over them all and Corrin readied herself to run if she came looking for another hug. Instead, Camilla only dabbed at her eyes and sniffed, "Oh but enough of my blubbering! Let's get you dressed! Laslow will be here any moment!"

"I'd prefer another hug," Corrin muttered as Camilla dragged her towards her dress and her doom.

Hours Later

The strumming off beats from the bass struck up a discordant rhythm in her blood. As she forced herself to dance and laugh and turn, she kept a constant eye on the crowd.

Why is he avoiding me?

It was a bitter question, positioned at the forefront of her mind and dripping venom into her thoughts. Xander had been around her long enough to wish her happy birthday like everyone else but had disappeared since.

Laslow dipped her in time with the music and asked, "Do you want to take a break?"

"No, I'm fine," she responded hastily as he drew her back up.

"You seem awfully interested in something other than the dance floor," he commented as they spun and she scowled at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Laslow was only a few inches taller than she but in her heels they stood at eye level so she felt the full force of his ensuing eye roll.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he responded, "And he's currently glaring at me."

"No he's not," she answered too quickly. Laslow fixed her with a pointed stare and she groaned.

"Okay fine but I'm not talking about it," she snapped. Laslow grinned.

"Of course, I shan't speak another word about it."

"Good, especially since I'm doing you a huge favor," she responded. He pulled an affronted face and gasped, "You mean to say you're not doing this solely out of the goodness of your heart?"

"I was," she drawled, "but not anymore."

He smirked and whipped her around so fast that her head spun.

"Well I appreciate you tolerating me to keep Lady Camilla from sullying my reputation and driving Lady Azura away," he said and she frowned.

"Speaking of Azura-"

The song ended and they moved apart to clap in respect. When the musicians started up again with a slower piece, they drew back together and she continued, "When are you going to tell her how you feel?"

Laslow had been rather open with his feelings towards her friend from the moment he'd approached her the day before.

"I am in love with Azura," he'd said. Immediately following it up with, "Will you allow me to by escort you to your party tomorrow?"

"I was hoping to tonight but obviously that's changed."

He shot a glare to Camilla and she curled her fingers at him with a sly smile. Corrin still had yet to find out what Camilla's angle was in forcing Laslow to be her date. Nothing was going to come of it but Camilla had threatened to ruin his relationship with Azura to ensure that he'd attend the party with Corrin. It was bizarre.

"Yeah, Camilla's like that," she said simply. His hands pressed firmly into the curve of her back, keeping her in rhythm with him. Though he wasn't her favorite person, she supposed she could have been stuck with a worse date; at least he was an excellent dancer.

They moved in silence for several measures until Laslow asked, "When are you going to tell Lord Xander how you feel?"

"I said I wasn't going to speak of that," she answered aridly, allowing him to lead her through a more complex series of steps. She stepped on his toes but he didn't seem to mind. He hummed low in his throat and said, "Best do it sooner rather than later before he convinces himself fully that he's not allowed to be happy."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. He frowned and explained, "You're like me, Lady Corrin. All we want is to love and be loved. That's not to say that nothing else is important but, in the end, love is all that matters."

She said nothing only waited for him to continue. He spoke slowly, searching for the right words, "Xander's not like us. He thinks his emotions are nothing more than a distraction. He's not giving, he's not kind. All that matters to him is Nohr."

"You act as though he's the coldest man on earth," she commented drily. Laslow's expression was tempered steel.

"He is. But not with you."

Her fingers tensed on his shoulders and she asked, "Is this supposed to inspire me to make some great confession of love? You've just told me he's not capable of love."

"You mistake me, Lady Corrin. I never said he was incapable," Laslow stated, "He finds himself undeserving of love. He is not heartless."

"I suppose," she mused, staring over Laslow's shoulder at the tables where her combined family and their retainers sat. Everyone but Elise and Ryoma (Corrin had spied him sneaking through the back door with Kagero earlier) were present and, with their huge numbers, they took up nearly all the tables along the back wall. Hinoka said something and they all laughed. It warmed her heart to see them getting along so well that she forgot to conceal her stare.

"Do you want to speak to him?" Laslow inquired as her blush threatened to melt her skin.

"No."

Kana knew full well that he wasn't allowed to be at the party. He had explicitly been told by Siegbert that under no circumstances was he to go.

"People don't know what to think of you," he'd said, "going would be dangerous."

But something was very wrong and it needed to be fixed.

It wasn't that Kana didn't like Soleil and Shigure's dad but it was that Kana did like his papa. He liked his papa so much that he didn't want a different one and was very upset by the news that mama was going on a date with someone else.

Didn't she know she was supposed to be with papa!? What was she doing dating Soleil and Shigure's dad!?

Even Siegbert was upset and that was how Kana knew things were really bad! If Siegbert wasn't worried than Kana wouldn't be worried either. But Siegbert was worried so Kana was worried too; really worried.

He was even more worried because Siegbert and Soleil had gotten into a really big fight about it and Siegbert was more worried because of their fight and that made Kana even more worried too.

They were walking back from the mess hall and Soleil asked, "So how are you handling our parents hooking up?"

This was the first Kana had heard of this so he yelled, "Huh?" and stared wide eyed at her. He had a weak grasp on what "hooking up" meant but he knew it was only what people that loved each other did.

Soleil said, "Your mom and my dad are dating."

"Shut up Soleil," Siegbert had snapped and Kana grabbed his brother's hand instinctively. He hadn't done such a thing since he was littler than he was now. Anytime he was overwhelmed or scared, he'd hold Siegbert's hand because his big brother always made sure everything turned out okay.

"What about papa?" Kana cried and Siegbert told him, "Don't worry. Everything's okay."

But his eyes were hidden and his jaw was tight so Kana knew his brother was lying. Still, Kana knew his brother wanted him to be strong so Kana bit his lip and pretended like he wasn't about to cry. If Siegbert wasn't scared then Kana could pretend he wasn't either!

"You and Kana would be better brothers than the shithead I'm stuck with," Soleil announced, walking ahead of them. Siegbert scowled and called, "You aren't the least bit concerned that our parents are dating?"

"Why would I be concerned? My dad deserves better than my mom and your mom deserves-"

"No!" Kana cried as his lip trembled. Siegbert squeezed his hand and Kana tried to steady himself. He wouldn't cry! At least, not right now.

Soleil ignored Kana and continued, "I'm going to tell dad that I think it's wonderful he's seeing Corrin. After all, she's much better than my mom and-"

"Shut up!" Siegbert exploded. "Just because your family's falling apart doesn't mean you get to fuck up mine!"

Kana had never heard his brother curse and he had never heard him yell at Soleil but he had also never heard Soleil say such mean things before.

Soleil's mouth trembled and then she turned on her heel shouting, "Fuck you Siegbert!"

Kana felt bad for thinking that she deserved to cry.

But Kana had come to the party to make sure that everything would be alright and that nobody would have to cry anymore.

It was easy to get into the party because he was small enough to sneak past the man keeping watch in the doorway and once he was inside, he disappeared easily into the massive crowd. He stood at most people's elbows and so they paid him little attention, slipping by in noisy groups towards the bar or the dance floor.

For a moment, he stared in wide mouthed awe at the swirling mass on the dance floor. People in everything from rags to ball gowns spun and danced in time to the music. He'd never seen anything quite like it.

The only parties he'd ever been to were fancy, high class events and everyone wore their most expensive outfits and danced like they couldn't move their arms very much. Only mama danced like she had any sort of life in her but that was only when she danced with him. She used to dance the same with Siegbert but that had stopped awhile ago. Kana didn't really know why.

He wandered aimlessly through the crowd, looking for hair silver enough to match his. Everyone else seemed really sad about his new hair but he liked it! He looked like mama and why wouldn't he like something that made him look more like mama?

"Wow! Watch out little man!" a slow voice shouted as a man barely avoided running into him. Kana swerved and squeaked, "Sorry!"

He headed for the back of the room, hoping to get out of the crowd to avoid being trampled and have a chance to think. He bumped into a couple more people but they didn't seem to mind.

None of their faces were familiar and he felt heart beating rapidly. The crowd becoming overwhelming and he wished Siegbert were there. Or Shiro. Shiro had become like a second big brother to him and he really liked to spend time with him. He was fun in a way that Siegbert wasn't and taught him how to do all sorts of cool things like spear fishing and rock climbing.

He didn't have a preference for either one right now, only wished that one of them was here to stop people from running into him and keep him from being scared by all the strangers.

I have to do this by myself, Kana thought and he pressed forward, stiffening his upper lip and holding his head high even though his heart continued to thunder in his chest.

The back of the tavern wasn't any less crowded but his instincts were good to send him that away. The crowd at the back of the room brought him relief. Across the entirety of the back wall, his family stretched across ten tables.

He didn't recognize everybody but he knew they must be his Hoshidian family's retainers and friends. Still, they didn't make him nervous because he knew that they must be good people.

He bounced towards them and made a beeline towards Aunt Camilla's table. She sat with Uncle Leo, Aunt Hinoka, Nina's dad, and Sakura. He didn't think of her as Aunt Sakura because she was his friend but maybe he should? He didn't really know but he hoped she wouldn't mind if he left off the honorific.

As he drew closer, he realized that he didn't see mama or papa anywhere! They weren't with the rest of his family and he couldn't see them anywhere else. Did that mean they were together?

He hoped so. Then he wouldn't have to worry about getting rid of Laslow and could just enjoy spending time with his family.

"Hi Sakura!" Kana chirped when he was close enough. He knew Sakura would be his way in; she was the only one that knew who he was. He'd been forbidden from approaching the rest.

"Kana? What are you doing here?" she responded. Her voice sounded sleepy.

"I was playing with Elise and the others but they started playing a game that I didn't understand so I came in here!"

He winced when he said it because it was kind of a lie. He had been playing with the others but he loved the game they were playing when he left. Ophelia's dad had taught it to them and it was so much fun! But he couldn't stick around to finish it. He had a job to do!

Sakura frowned while the rest stared at him. He knew they were summing him up but he didn't really mind; it was just nice to be around them!

"It's so loud in here!" Kana announced and he hopped up into the empty chair beside Uncle Leo. His uncle looked at him sideways but didn't make him leave.

Kana swung his legs and stared out at the dance floor, smiling a little as he watched everybody spin around and have a good time.

"So pipsqueak," Nina's dad said, leaning over Uncle Leo, "You Corrin's kid?"

"No," Kana answered with a shake of his head. Nina's dad tsked and announced, "She probably told him to say that."

"Shut up Niles," Uncle Leo sighed but he didn't seem that cross.

"Oh I can understand why everyone thinks he's Corrin's, he's so cute!" Aunt Camilla gushed suddenly to Aunt Hinoka. She tried to keep her voice low but Kana heard her anyway. She wasn't very good at being quiet.

Kana grinned at her but he was missing one of his canines so his smile was rather lopsided. She didn't seem to mind.

She brought her hand to her heart and cooed, "Too cute!"

"Gods Camilla," Uncle Leo groaned, rubbing at his temples. Kana smiled at him too and he didn't really smile back but he didn't scowl either.

They started to talk about something he didn't really care about so he swung his feet and watched the dance floor. From his perch he could see an angry woman throw a man into a table and saw her scream something so hard that spittle flew from her mouth but he couldn't hear her. He wondered why she was so upset.

"Should you be here, Kana?" Sakura asked him quietly and he turned to her. She jutted her head towards the others and he grinned, "My brother told me not to but I have to be here!"

"You have to?" she repeated. Kana nodded and his silver waves bounced on his head. He didn't want her to ask any more questions because he didn't want to lie anymore so he questioned, "Why don't you play with us anymore? I miss you!"

Sakura's eyes darkened.

"Elise and I aren't friends anymore," she said quietly.

"What!?" Kana shouted, slamming his hands on the table. The others stared for a moment but Kana didn't care. Sakura did; she turned as red as her hair!

"What happened!?" Kana demanded and Sakura wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I don't really know," she admitted and he frowned. Sakura and Elise were the perfect friends! If they weren't friends anymore then every other friendship was doomed! He was determined to get to the bottom of this but he was distracted before he could ask anything more.

"Just toss him off!" Nina's dad shouted, "Assert your dominance!"

"I'm not going to do that," a familiar deep voice responded. It had been so long since he'd heard it but he'd never forget it! It was the voice that read him bedtimes stories when he couldn't sleep and every time said, "You're getting too old for bedtime stories" but would still read them anyway and it was the same voice that called him Kana, not Kana-bean or Kannie or any other nickname, and made him feel really grown up.

Papa! Kana thought fervidly as his head whipped around. Sure enough, Xander stood beside him, hovering just out of reach.

He turned to Kana and it was only then that he realized how wildly he must have been staring. He hastily turned away and his thoughts began to race.

If mama's not with him then she must be with Soleil's dad and that means she's probably on the dance floor and that means I have to find her, get rid of Soleil's dad, keep Soleil's dad away, get mama and papa to stay together-

The chatter increased around him and he found his plan disintegrating in his thoughts. He felt like yelling for quiet but knew better than to cause a scene.

"You must have said something that really pissed Charlotte off," Uncle Leo drawled, holding his head up with his right hand. Papa frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Uncle Leo lazily extended his index finger towards the bar and they all looked to see the angry blonde woman yelling at the bartender. Kana couldn't see her face but her name sounded familiar. He was sure it was one of his friends' mothers but he couldn't remember whether she was Sophie's or Ignatius' mother.

It's not important! Kana thought. Focus on mama!

He turned his head and scanned the dance floor, looking for a hint of silver or a pointed ear. He studied each passing dancer, waiting for mama to break through the crowd.

He was so focused on the crowd that he leapt into the air in shock when she said from behind him, "What's going on here?"

His heart shot into his throat and he spun in place on his chair so that his knees propped him up and his hands clung to the back. He grinned excitedly at her and he could almost hear Siegbert saying "Control yourself Kana! Gods!"

He didn't act any different than he did back home but it was different here. His excitedness could cause trouble and usually he was pretty good about behaving but not always! Especially now!

She looked like she'd fallen off of a shooting star. Her hair was wrapped on top of her head, a few curls tickling her face, and her eyes glittered. She wore a red dress which he found only a little odd because mama hated the color red but maybe she hadn't learned to hate it yet.

She cocked her head when she stared at him and the shadows that moved across her face made her look like a painting. He had always thought his mama was beautiful but she seemed even more so now. Maybe it was because she was so young.

"You look so pretty!" Kana chirped. Her eyes darted quickly away but they returned just as quick.

"Thank you, Kana," she said. Her words were unsure but he knew it was because she wasn't expecting to see him. He beamed at her and she returned the smile hesitantly.

"I'll get us some drinks," Soleil's dad said and Kana's eyes narrowed. He hadn't even noticed he was there. Corrin nodded and Laslow headed into the crowd. Without a word, Kana leapt from his chair and trailed after him. He knew the others were probably staring but he'd deal with that later.

Soleil's dad leaned against the bar and held up his fingers in a v. The bartender nodded and retreated to make the drinks, warily eyeing Charlotte at the end of the bar. She was talking loudly to someone but Kana didn't pay attention. Instead, he walked up behind Soleil's dad and tugged on his shirt.

The man turned and peered down at Kana.

"I can't get you a drink," he said and Kana shook his head so fast his features blurred.

"A pretty lady with blue hair was looking for Laslow," Kana fibbed, not really feeling bad about this one. "That's you, right?"

Soleil's dad nodded with a blank expression. Behind him, the bartender placed the drinks he'd ordered on the bar.

"What did she want?"

Kana shrugged and said, "I dunno but she sounded really upset."

Soleil's dad's eyes shot wide open and he shoved past Kana with an unceremonious shout of "Oh no!"

Kana grinned but sobered quickly. He couldn't celebrate just yet.

He clambered onto a nearby stool and swiped the drinks off the bar. Darting away back into the crowd, he ignored the angry shout from the bartender and made a beeline for Corrin. In his hurry, he spilled most of the drinks but he couldn't worry about that.

"Kana?" Corrin asked in surprise as he set the two nearly empty glasses on the table. "Where's Laslow?"

"He had to go talk to somebody," Kana announced and Corrin frowned.

He glanced around the table and saw that papa was gone again. That really messed with his plans but thank gods he was a fast thinker!

"Do you want to dance?" he asked Corrin and she stared at him. The table, mainly Aunt Camilla and Aunt Hinoka, erupted in a chorus of aww and Nina's dad spat, "I am disgusted."

"Sure Kana," Corrin agreed, clearly pressured by her sisters' blatant approval.

"Do you know how to dance Kana?" she asked, leading him by the hand to the dance floor. She didn't take him onto it and stayed on the edges. He grinned and announced, "My mama taught me!"

Corrin smirked and she said, "That doesn't surprise me."

Kana beamed and they shuffled in time to the music until she hesitantly asked, "Did you do something to Laslow?"

"A little," he admitted with a wince, "But I just wanted to spend time with you!"

She smiled sadly and Kana's heart twanged with how familiar that smile seemed.

"Kana, I'm not your mother," she said softly.

"Not yet," Kana responded cheerily. She sighed but didn't argue with him.

They danced for awhile and Kana pretended that he was back home. He wondered if it was mama's birthday today too. Would they celebrate without him? He hoped not!

The song finished and Kana knew it was time to make his move.

"I'm tired," he yawned, stretching as tall as his arms would allow. Before Corrin could say anything, he grabbed her hand and dragged her from the dance floor. The next part of his plan was a little shaky but he received a huge blessing when they returned to the table. Everybody but Aunt Camilla and papa were gone. They spoke to each other in harsh whispers and both their faces were very stormy.

"Oh look!" Aunt Camilla exclaimed, cutting off whatever Xander was about to say. "Corrin's back!"

Kana forced another yawn and Aunt Camilla cooed, "Oh, it looks like its past his bedtime."

"I'm going to take him home," Corrin said, putting her hands on his shoulders. With a shout of protest, Kana whirled away.

"You can't leave your party!" he yelped. She frowned and came towards him.

"Kana, it's alright," she assured. "Besides, this party isn't any fun if I don't have someone to dance with."

Kana wondered if she knew what he was up to because there wasn't anything she could have said that would have played more perfectly into his hands.

Darting forward, Kana tugged on Xander's hand while announcing, "He'll dance with you."

They both stared at him in shock but he kept pulling on his hand, hoping he'd take the hint to stand up. It was tiring work!

"Kana," Corrin said slowly, "I'm sure Xander has better things to do than to dance with me."

"He doesn't!" Kana shouted and, when Xander said nothing, he kicked his foot a little. When that did nothing, he kicked a little harder. Xander stared blankly at him and Kana gestured wildly towards Corrin, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Er, I don't," Xander announced awkwardly, standing. Kana dropped his grip and wiped at his brow with a sigh.

"You don't?" Corrin asked, blinking rapidly.

"I don't," he confirmed and Kana slumped in the now empty chair.

"O-okay," Corrin stammered, heading back onto the dance floor. She completely forgot about Kana but he wasn't hurt by it, just glad it was over.

I wonder if mama and papa were this awkward, he thought, watching them disappear.

"Good job," Aunt Camilla cooed and Kana furrowed his brows as he turned to her. She smiled a close-eyed smile and said, "I've been trying to get them together all night."

"Laslow was meant to force my brother's hand but I should have known better," she explained and the tension left Kana's face as he said, "Ohhhh."

"I don't know how you fit in here," she continued, "But I like you, darling."

She ruffled his hair and he smiled. Surprisingly, he found himself wishing for one of her bone crushing hugs; he kind of missed them.

"Come now, let's get you home."

She extended her hand to him and he took it, letting her lead him towards the exit. On the dance floor, he could just make out the top of papa's head.

They were halfway to the door when a hand locked itself around his forearm with a bewildered shout of "Kana!?"

He yelped in surprise and came to a sudden halt. Aunt Camilla scowled, turning to see what the problem was.

Siegbert had appeared out of nowhere, reaching out from the crowd to grab his arm and scare the daylights out of him.

"I thought that was you!" he announced, glaring at him. Kana's eyes were wide with fear.

"Young man, what is the issue here?" Aunt Camilla inquired; her grip on Kana's hand was ironclad.

"This is my brother," Siegbert said. "He's not supposed to be here."

Aunt Camilla leaned down and whispered, "Is this your brother, Kana?"

Kana nodded mutely, too terrified to speak or to even think Why is Siegbert here?

Aunt Camilla released his hand and turned to Siegbert.

"Keep an eye on him," Aunt Camilla announced as she took her leave, "Your brother is devilishly adorable."

"Will do," Siegbert said drily, fixing Kana with an evil eye. Kana blushed and, as soon as Aunt Camilla was gone, Siegbert yanked him closer.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded and Kana stared at the floor, gathering the courage to speak.

"I wanted to make sure mama and papa are together."

Siegbert released him with a groan.

"What did you do Kana?"

"Nothing bad!" Kana insisted. Siegbert pinched the bridge of his nose and announced, "Tell me in a minute. We need to go to the bar."

"The bar?" Kana repeated but Siegbert gave no other response. He only grabbed Kana's hand and tugged him along through the crowd.

"Ay, Kana-roo! Now it's a party for sure!" Shiro slurred sarcastically. He gestured wildly with his hand and Kana saw that it was wrapped in filthy, bloody bandages. He could do nothing but stare in open mouthed horror.

"He's had a rough night," Siegbert drawled, eyeing the older boy warily.

"What happened?" Kana asked. Siegbert frowned.

"I'll tell you after you explain what you're doing here."

So Kana told him the whole story from the moment he walked through the door to right now. When he was finished, Siegbert's face was tense.

"I told you not to worry about that, Kana," he said and Kana scowled.

"Just because you said not to doesn't mean I won't!" he retorted. Siegbert sighed. He opened his mouth but Shiro interrupted him.

"Y'know, the other kids used to call me a royal bastard," Shiro exclaimed suddenly. There was a certain sadness beneath the humor and Kana worried about what had happened to his friend.

Siegbert rolled his eyes.

"I don't doubt that."

"Now tell me what happened to Shiro!" Kana demanded. Siegbert frowned.

"He ran into his parents."

"Uh oh."

Uh oh, was an understatement. Shiro hardly ever said anything about his dad but Kana knew that his dad had left them; Shiro hated him.

Before Siegbert could finish explaining, Soleil's dad stumbled out of the crowd and fell against the bar. He babbled incoherently to the man beside him until the man rolled his eyes and left.

"Did you do this?" Siegbert questioned, watching the train wreck with wide eyes. Kana shook his head wildly. Shiro was completely oblivious, staring darkly into his empty glass.

The bartender refused to serve Soleil's dad and he chased after him, bumping into Charlotte at the other end of the bar. She screamed at him and would have attacked him had Sophie's dad not intercepted her.

Siegbert and Kana exchanged a surprised glance as Sophie's dad dragged Charlotte away and Soleil's dad stumbled forward slurring, "This is my song!"

It was the same song that had been playing for the past five minutes but that didn't faze him.

He wobbled away from the bar but didn't make it far because mama and papa came to the rescue!

Xander caught Soleil's dad by the arm and hauled him backwards, forcing him down onto a stool. Corrin hovered by his side, arms crossed and expression heavy.

Siegbert visibly shrank beside him and Kana thought that was silly.

"This is your fault Corrin! Azura hates me now!" Soleil's dad spat and Siegbert muttered, "You sure this wasn't your doing?"

Kana glared at his brother and returned his attention to their parents.

"I didn't even see him start drinking," Xander sighed.

"Leo said he was going around finishing off cups that people left sitting around," Corrin explained.

"Gods."

Soleil's dad sat up and he waved his hands wildly in Corrin's face, shouting "Helloooo!"

Kana snickered and Siegbert shook his head.

"Laslow, I'm going to take you to your room now."

"No!" he protested, drawing out the o. "How can I protect you from my room?"

Xander sighed and turned to Corrin.

"Are you coming?"

She shook her head and her hair was like liquid silver in the dim light.

"Doesn't she look so pretty?" Kana whispered to Siegbert and his brother sighed again. When Kana glared at him, he begrudgingly admitted, "I guess."

"I'll go talk to Azura," Corrin muttered. Soleil's dad gasped and tipped towards her shouting, "Azura? I love Azura!"

Xander pulled him from the chair with a grunt of "Come on" and then they were gone.

As Corrin turned to leave, Shiro piped up with an announcement of "Azura stormed out ten minutes ago" then he slumped back over his glass.

Corrin cursed loudly and threw up her hands. It was then that Kana noticed the small box she held in her hand. He wondered what it was but didn't want to be nosy. Instead, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"No," she answered, "This party has gone to hell."

Kana wondered if something else had happened to upset her or if Soleil's dad getting drunk was enough.

Is papa not coming back? Kana wondered. Is that why she's so mad?

She rounded on Siegbert suddenly and Kana really didn't know if it was because she was angry about the party or because she was actually angry at him.

"What are you doing letting your little brother stay out this late and your friend drink himself silly?" she snapped at Siegbert. His brother's eyes widened and Kana shot to his rescue.

"Siegbert didn't know I was here!" Kana insisted and Corrin fixed him with a withering stare. He backed down.

When Siegbert didn't answer her, she demanded, "Well?"

"You're not my mother," he spat and her entire body stiffened. Her mouth flattened and her jaw tightened and, for a moment, Kana thought she was really going to let his brother have it.

But she deflated instead conceding, "You're right."

"I think I'm ready for bed," she said, directing a heavy gaze their way. Kana nodded; he was feeling pretty tired too.

The doors opened and Xander came back through. Her eyes locked onto him and then she was wandering away.

"Goodnight boys," she said absentmindedly to them. Shiro waved his hand at her and Siegbert didn't even flinch.

"Happy birthday!" Kana shouted after her and she smiled at him over her shoulder.

Then she was gone.

"Do you think they're going to hook up?" Kana asked innocently as he watched them leave together. Siegbert pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Gods Kana, don't say that," Siegbert groaned and Shiro began to laugh madly.

"What? What'd I say wrong?" Kana demanded but neither one would tell him. He spent the rest of the night pestering them about it until they made him go to bed.

The walk back to her room was rather uneventful in that she couldn't follow the conversation because of the thunderous pounding in her ears.

Her thoughts ricocheted between Laslow's sudden drunken episode to Kana's appearance and meddling to Siegbert's disobedience to the skipping pitter-patter of her heart each time she stole a glance at Xander.

Was Laslow lying to me? she thought, unable to keep the doubt from filtering into her thoughts. As much as she wanted to believe him, it was too easy to accept that he was lying. It was easier that way; she wouldn't find herself jumping at the bit and making a fool of herself.

Her feet were in agony. The heels pinched her toes together and the padding of her feet was surely torn to smithereens. Her eyes itched and she caught herself on several occasions trying to rub at them. It was so tempting but she'd end up with raccoon eyes and glitter all over her fingers. Part of her anxiously awaited the return to her room so that she might free herself of her strangulating party attire. Part of her couldn't bear being left alone by him.

So when they came to her room she found herself saying, "Could you help me get these heels off? I still can't bend my leg well enough to do it myself."

It was a half truth. She could bend her leg but it ached terribly and would make for an arduous process. But it wasn't impossible. She wanted him to think it was.

"Of course," he said and she smiled demurely, hiding her face and flying up the steps as fast she could in the hellish heels. She threw open the door and hoisted herself onto her desk, placing the present box she'd been holding beside her and listening to his heavy footfalls on the steps.

When he came into view, she blushed and announced, "Sorry, I'm just ready to be out of these things."

She shook her feet to emphasis her point and he smiled gently.

"You're in a better mood," she commented as he pulled her right shoe off.

"Am I?" he responded, nonchalant, and removed her other shoe. Finally free, she wiggled toes and sighed in relief.

"You are!" she insisted, "You seemed so miserable when you first got to the party."

He shrugged and changed the subject, asking, "Is it doing better?"

She frowned.

"Is what doing better?"

"Your leg?"

"Oh."

She hoisted the skirt of her dress up to the base of her hip, concealing her underclothes but displaying the entirety of her leg. The scar was an ugly thing, twisting up to the right side of her thigh from the left side of her kneecap with a ropey consistency that contrasted terribly with her toned cream legs. It had long stopped hurting to touch but there was a constant ache, low and full along the length of it that never left. It brought stiffness and affected her coordination but with proper stretching, she could achieve almost the same level of mobility that she had before. Her flexibility was the only thing that truly suffered.

She tensed as she came to realize that Jakob was probably keeling over from a heart attack due to her breach of etiquette. As blasé as she could, she lowered her skirt, pretending like she had never lifted it above her thigh in the first place.

"It's better," she said as her face warmed and she was thankful for the pounds of makeup hiding the horrid blush.

"Good," Xander responded hastily. His voice was tight and her blush sank into her teeth.

Gods, I can't believe I did that.

She rubbed at her forearm and her mind raced for anything to draw attention away from her flub.

"Why did you keep all those proposals from me?" she asked, the words spilling over her tongue and between her teeth before she could stop them.

"I didn't want to trouble you with them," he said, "I mistakenly believed you had no interest in them."

"I don't," she said hastily and his eyebrows furrowed.

"I mean, I did but I don't now," she explained. "Camilla kind of ruined it."

"Ah," he said and all the tension slid from his face, only to hide in the corners of his eyes.

"But it's okay now," she continued quickly, "Because I think I've found someone."

What am I doing? she thought but she knew exactly what she was doing. She was barreling headfirst towards an answer and potential heartbreak.

"Laslow?" he responded and she scowled.

"Did you forget when he was sobbing because he thought Azura hated him?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Point taken," he said and she added, "Besides, he's too short."

"He's taller than you."

"By two inches!" she protested.

"That's still taller," he insisted, a smile threatening to spread across his face.

"Everybody's taller than me," she pouted.

Then he did smile at her and she averted her eyes, feeling a blush radiate through the cracks in her makeup.

There was a minute silence that followed and she feared he might announce his departure. Instead he cleared his throat and asked, "So who is it?"

"Who is what?" she responded, feigning ignorance.

"This person you've found."

She didn't know whether to take that response as evidence of his legitimate interest or friendly conversation.

"Guess."

She hated herself a little bit for saying it.

You're only prolonging the inevitable disappointment, she chided.

"I'm not going to do that," he said and she frowned, petulantly asking, "Why not?"

His eyes shifted to the corner and he explained, "I'm terrible at guessing."

"Okay, I'll give you hints then."

When he only stared, she prompted, "Okay?"

He sighed and said, "Fine."

"He's tall."

"That's not much of a hint when everyone's taller than you," Xander drawled.

"Oh, shut up," she said, rolling her eyes. She was in too good a humor to put more effort into her sass. Her heart fluttered against her ribcage.

"He's older than me."

"Again, not much of a hint."

"Xander, I swear, if you keep criticizing my hints then I won't give anymore."

He gestured for her to continue with exasperation.

"I've known him for years."

As she drew closer and closer to actually saying it, actually admitting it, she found herself feeling a little lightheaded. So she nearly lost her breath when he said, "Gunter?"

Her face contorted into disgust so quickly that she was worried she must have pulled something.

"Are you trying to make me uncomfortable?" she groaned.

He held her gaze briefly and responded, "Is it working?"

She scoffed and his eyes darted away again.

Is he nervous? she thought. He's barely looking at me.

"He's handsome," she said and he made a small humming noise.

"Good with a sword?"

This came out more like a question because she was steadily losing steam. It had seemed like such a great idea to begin with but she couldn't keep it up for long. Eventually, she would end the game and tell him. Or she would backtrack into a non answer and make things so awkward she would catch fire.

"Is that in contention?" he asked and his voice buzzed with nervous energy. She stared at him for too long and then it came blurting out, slipping out faster than she could even think it.

"Gods, it's you Xander."

Emboldened by the fleetingness of the moment and Laslow's emphatic assurances, she couldn't hold her tongue. She felt giddy and dangerous, putting everything on the line like this. But mostly her thoughts consisted of a steady stream of frenzied screaming that sounded something like "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" injected with quaint shouts of "SHIT SHIT SHIT!"

"Corrin," he said. And then she knew for sure. And then she kissed him.

It wasn't an easy maneuver by any means as she had to hoist herself up far enough to reach him but by the sheer grace of the gods, she managed. For a moment, he did nothing besides stand stiff and rigid against her sudden advance and she had to force her eyes to stay shut fearing, Oh gods, I misread everything. Everything's ruined.

But she hadn't and it wasn't because when he finally kissed her back, it was worth the wait. No amount of fantasizing could have ever prepared her.

His mouth was soft on hers and he kissed like he meant it.

She meant it too, of course, but it was just that he was so much better than she was. She had read about kisses that could liquefy bone and boil blood but she'd always thought that was nothing more than compelling storytelling. Now she knew it was real.

His hand buried itself in her hair and the ribbon holding the intricate styling together came loose. His pinky finger pulled it free and her silver tresses spilled out over her shoulders and across her back.

Xander made a noise low in his throat and she kissed him deeper. He didn't object and shifted his hand to roam the curve of her back.

Corrin's entire body was aflame. She'd never kissed anyone like this, had never really wanted to, but now she never wanted to do anything else. It was too good, too raw and pure. It was everything she always dreamed of and more.

Still, she was woefully under prepared and she was terrified of letting it show. Was it obvious that she'd only ever kissed before and not even in a way that was close to this?

She knew he had more experience than her in these matters and she tried not to let that daunt her. She wanted to learn everything he could teach her.

Her nervous energy manifested into frenzied movements and she began to feel like this wasn't enough. There had to be more.

As if reading her thoughts, his fingers brushed the bare skin on her back and it was a struggle to keep her spine from rocketing straight. She wanted to moan aloud but didn't know that she should. The result was a strangled moaning in the back of her throat that reverberated in her teeth.

He didn't seem to mind. In fact, it seemed to entice him further.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her up and she bent her legs beneath her so that she now knelt on the desk and they no longer had to bend awkwardly anymore. He did this without breaking the kiss once and it took her breath away.

Not that her breath wasn't already gone but now she was practically hyperventilating to keep up with him.

The palm of his hand dug into her hip and pulled her forward so that her body was flush against his. This time she did allow herself to moan and his fingers threatened to rip her dress to shreds.

Without warning, or maybe there had been a warning and she'd been too preoccupied to notice it, the door flew open with a bang and Felicia burst through with a shout of, "Lady Corrin? Are you in here?"

Xander shot backwards like he'd been burned, stumbling over the rug and just barely managing to right himself on the discarded chair. Corrin flinched so severely that she slammed her head off the wall behind her.

To her credit, Felicia picked up on the situation immediately and flew back out the door without another word. Her fleeing footfalls thundered on the steps and Corrin shook her head in bewilderment.

"Of course," she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her hair tickled her nose and she groaned, realizing she had gone from the height of fashion to looking like she had just crawled out of bed.

She twisted her head and swept her hair into one hand, grabbing the discard ribbon with the other. Chewing on her bottom lip in concentration, she worked on twisting her curls tight enough to wrap with the ribbon. She glanced up and caught sight of Xander staring at her.

"What?" she demanded, freezing in her motions, and he came towards her.

He kissed her again, less soft this time, and electricity crackled in her veins. She dropped her hair, bringing her hands to loop around his neck. She craned upwards to lessen his strain and his hand came to cup her face. Her tongue twitched in anticipation and she tasted blood.

"Er, wait," she said, breaking away, "When I hit my head I kind of bit my tongue."

"Oh."

He leaned back and his eyes darted away.

Corrin wanted to ask What does this mean? but couldn't find the courage to. That question seemed harder than even admitting she had feelings. To define and quantify what they meant, that was where things got tricky. For now, she was exhilarated just knowing they were reciprocated.

Xander shifted and he seemed on the verge of saying something until there was a distinctive thump against the door. They shared a glance and he moved to the door.

He pulled the handle and Felicia, Jakob and Kaze fell through. They landed on top of each other in a tangled heap.

"Can't I have a moment of privacy!?" she shouted, leaping down from her desk, tugging the hem of her skirt down so that she maintained some semblance of decency. They had the good graces to look ashamed as she accosted them. As they set to untangling themselves, Xander turned to her.

"I should go."

"You could stay," she said hastily.

Gods, two kisses and I'm addicted, she thought as her face grew hot.

He seemed to seriously consider it until Jakob uttered a cry of pain from being stabbed in the gut by Felicia's elbow. Xander eyed them warily.

"Goodnight Corrin," he said, touching her arm gently. He left the room but before he could get too far away she chased after him shouting, "Wait!"

He stopped, turning, and she flung her arms around him. A small oof escaped him but he hugged her back despite the initial surprise.

Kiss me again, she wished but he didn't.

"I hope you had a good birthday," he said in lieu of goodbye and she nodded, finding his hand and squeezing his hand.

"I did."

A small smile graced his features and she pulled her hand free. She stood at the top of the steps even after he was gone. She would enjoy the moment for a bit longer.

Then she would kill her retainers. But only after her heart quieted first.

A/N: PHEW. Well, I don't know how I did it but I managed to pull it off. Sorry for the middle of the night update, but I genuinely would not be able to post it at any other time. It's a long story. I'll spare you the details
So Corrin's party has been the bane of my existence since I conceived it because I knew I would have to go big or go home in this chapter. So I did my best to go big and for having written this chapter in under 36 hours, I think I did a pretty doggone a-okay job lol
So um yeah. This is my first attempt at writing actual physical romance and it was significantly harder than I thought. Any constructive criticism is appreciated!
ALSO the curse of the height difference strikes again and I was dying figuring out the logistics for certain scenes.
I hope you guys enjoy! :)

Guest: It's great to hear that! I hope you continue to enjoy! Thanks for the review!

MadameHyde: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying!

I realize that my note in the past chapter made my opinion on the subject seem a little shallow and nothing more than mere interest but it comes from a pretty personal place. I've had a long term relationship fall apart for the same thing so it's coming from a place of sincerity.

They finally do :)