A/N:
Hello everyone! As it happens, I'm still alive, and finally found the motivation to write some more – my grandma has been asking me for updates repeatedly, and I have to oblige her. So here we are! This chapter is another short one, but I can already tell you the next one is gonna be longer.
Hinoka hurried down the corridor, muttering a string of choice curse words under her breath. She had been detained longer than she had liked, and, while it was certainly true that a queen was never late, she was not queen yet, and the last thing she wanted was for the Nohrians to think that she was avoiding them.
Hinoka would never back down from a confrontation. Ever.
When she reached her destination, all the Nohrians plus Sakura were already gathered. Sakura immediately prepared a bowl for her sister, while the others greeted her politely.
Kamui said nothing.
"I swear to all the gods – the next merchant who tries to sell me any jewellery won't survive the attempt", Hinoka growled while accepting her bowl.
"Was it that bad?", Sakura asked.
"He tried to sell me his entire stock! And I wasn't planning on buying anything to begin with."
"Do you dislike jewellery?", Camilla asked, sounding surprised.
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because it's useless. It serves no purpose at all. Why spend money on something so impractical?"
"But you are a princess. You ought to dress the part."
Hinoka instantly bristled at Camilla's reprimanding tone.
"I never saw myself as a princess, at least not in the 'normal' sense. I considered myself a warrior first, then a princess. I would have attended formal gatherings in armour, if Mother would have allowed it."
"There's no harm in being both", Elise piped up. "You can be equal amounts warrior and princess. Camilla manages that perfectly, and I'm trying to emulate her. Of course, wearing a large amount of jewellery going into battle would be stupid, but you can always wear small things. Like a circlet. Or earrings", she added, fingering her own.
Hinoka narrowed her eyes at the jewellery, trying to see better.
"You wear them to battle? Isn't that dangerous? I imagine it would be very painful if something got caught on them."
Elise visibly shuddered at the thought, but quickly came up with a response.
"I'm a healer, foremost, and a mage. So I spend most battles in the rearguard, without having to engage enemies at a close range most of the time. But I get what you're saying. Maybe I should switch to wearing a tiara instead – but I can't imagine not wearing earrings."
"Huh."
"Princess Hinoka", Xander said, instantly drawing her attention.
He had been silent so far, since he probably didn't have much to say in regards to jewellery.
"Yes?"
"You are in a very unique position – a warrior who has to take over the throne with no preparation at all. You will have to find your own way of being queen, and protocol will have to suffer for it – if you try to mould yourself into someone you're not, it will seem artificial to others. Therefore, people will have to accept that you do things differently. If you feel like holding court in full armour, by all means do so. People will have to deal with it."
"You really think that'd be all right? Won't some people be angry with me ignoring tradition an whatnot?"
"Some people will be, no doubt. But I believe that the majority would prefer a ruler who is true to herself. And you couldn't possibly please all of them. If you have to displease some, why not do it in the way that's the most comfortable for you?"
"You told me something similar once", Sakura chimed in, nodding in Xander's direction. "You said that I would have to choose who to offend, and when."
Xander hummed in agreement.
"That's interesting", Hinoka mused. "I've never really had to please anyone. I was pretty good at what I was doing most of the time."
"Why were you so focused on being a warrior, to the extent that you neglected being a princess?", Leo asked.
"Because I wanted to become strong enough to rescue Kamui. Because I wanted to be strong enough to protect my family. Well, we all know how that went."
She gave him a bitter smile for emphasis. The Nohrians had the decency to look ashamed.
"So that was your life's mission", Elise said quietly.
"Yes. And I failed. It was my drive, and now I have nothing left. Only duty."
"Can't you turn your duty into your new drive?"
"I don't see how. At least not at the moment. Maybe, one day, I'll be as passionate about ruling a country as I was about protecting my family. Maybe I'll find a new drive. But right now? Right now, I'm just an empty shell."
"That's awful. But you'll find something, I'm sure!", Elise assured her.
Hinoka wished she could share the younger girl's enthusiasm. However, she did appreciate the sentiment – and Elise seemed to earnestly mean it, too. Hinoka amended to herself that she might be a good person, maybe.
After a moment of somewhat awkward silence, conversation turned to more mundane matters. The Nohrian siblings exchanged news, and Sakura and Hinoka likewise brought each other up-to-date on what they had done today. Once they were done, Hinoka listened to the Nohrians, trying to gain a better understanding of who they were. She was keenly aware of the difference in perception between her and Sakura, and was curious to see if she could come to see the Nohrians in the same light as her sister. Not that she was going to make it easy, though. Showing remorse for their crimes did not absolve them, after all. However, Hinoka was not pre-disposed to dislike them.