Sitting on her chair awkwardly, Liz eyed the woman who sat across from her.
Liz would be the first to admit that she was beautiful; Corrin was still prettier in her opinion, but Alex had done well for himself, striking so far out of his league. Long red hair and red eyes, coupled with her pale skin and high cheekbones, she looked like a noble knight, which, according to what she knew, was actually the case. She wore a fine red tunic, and she fidgeted in her chair as Liz stared at her.
Turning to her side, Liz saw Corrin urge her to say something.
"Er," the woman began, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you-"
"So you're the girl who fucked my brother."
Corrin slammed her palm against her face as Cordelia's face scrunched up.
"…a crude way of putting it, but I suppose it's not untrue," Cordelia said, almost hissed, "My husband- your brother hasn't spoken much of you. I was hoping to get to know you better before he comes back."
Liz rubbed the back of her neck, her face blooming red. "Well, there's not a lot to say. I already talked a lot to Severa, so I know a lot about you. You're a knight, a pretty big deal, and you also fucked my brother-"
"I apologize for her crassness, Lady Cordelia!" Corrin quickly said, covering Liz's mouth as she leaned forward with a sheepish smile. "We have been through a lot coming here, you see. She's not speaking in her right mind!"
Cordelia shook her head, smiling. "It's alright, Corrin. I'm used to talk like that; you would not believe what foul language my husband uses. If we had used that swear jar that he suggested, I am sure we would have enough gold saved up to add another wing to our house."
"Uh, yes!" Corrin giggled. "It is, ah, good to know that I'm not the only one."
Ripping Corrin's hand from her mouth, Liz growled. "I can talk just fine!"
"We're guests here," Corrin said pleadingly, "I'm begging you: do not make them hate us."
"They won't. Besides, she's my brother's wife. We're basically sisters. Sisters-in-law, but same difference."
Cordelia giggled. "I think I'm starting to like her."
The door to the room opened and Alex made his way in, a square metal plate holding teacups and a teapot in his hands. He looked between Liz, whose face was as red as a tomato, Corrin who looked embarrassed beyond belief, and Cordelia quietly giggling to herself.
"I was gone for five minutes," Alex said, "and already, I can tell something's happened in this room that I'll never understand."
Cordelia waved a hand. "It's nothing serious, love. Just getting to know my new sisters-in-law."
Alex sighed, moving forward before placing the plate on the table between them, before sitting down next to Cordelia.
"Who the hell taught you to make tea?" Liz questioned.
Alex snorted. "Spend enough time in Ylisse, and someone, somewhere, will force you to make tea. Ylisseans love their tea and pie."
Cordelia grasped his hand. "I didn't realize how strange it was until he brought it up. I knew how to make tea before I even knew how to wield a spear."
Liz snorted, looking to Corrin who simply shrugged. "Well, hopefully it tastes good. Besides, I gotta tell you what's happened. Well, what happened to me, I mean."
Alex raised a brow. "I assume the same thing that happened to me, right?"
Liz nodded sadly as Corrin grasped her hand as well. "Yeah, something like that."
Once Liz was done explaining everything, she suddenly felt very exhausted. She was glad Severa and Kaze had fucked off somewhere else in the mansion; she knew her niece would be merciless.
When she looked at Alex and Cordelia, she saw Cordelia's jaw clenched, and her skin paler than before. Meanwhile, Alex looked as if he was about to hit something.
"If that fucker wasn't already dead…" he mumbled to himself.
"Well, she is," Liz said, shrugging. "And now, we only have one more thing to do."
"Get married?" Cordelia asked, "I-I mean, I apologize if I am being presumptuous, but I assumed-"
"That comes later," Liz answered, much to Corrin's embarrassment.
"It does?" Corrin asked.
"Well, yeah, I love you, Candy Corn," Liz replied, as if it was the easiest thing to say in the world. "Why the hell wouldn't I marry you?"
Alex sat back. "I ain't gonna judge, but-"
"But what?" Liz shot back. "Yes, I wanna marry a girl who is half dragon. What're you gonna do about it?"
"Call my friends in Ylisstol and say Grima's back in the form of a young woman with platinum-colored hair," Alex mumbled darkly. He winced as Cordelia lightly slapped his shoulder.
"None of that," Cordelia warned.
"You're all making me incredibly nervous," Corrin blurted out.
Liz sighed. "Alright, whatever. Enough about that. Point is, we've been through a lot. And I know you've been through a lot."
"Putting it mildly," Alex commented.
"Anyway," Liz continued, "Me and Corrin, right – we're gonna try and find a way home. Our home, where mom and dad are."
Alex blinked before leaning forward. "And how do you plan to do that? With that orb you said you had? That Lucina and the rest had?"
Liz nodded.
"I believe she can do it," Corrin said, "She's determined."
"I already tried going back once, Liz," Alex said, tapping his iron hand against the wooden table. "It didn't work out."
Cordelia rubbed his shoulder.
"You want me to come with you?" Alex asked, "Is that what you were leading up to?"
"Well," Liz said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was thinking about it, but, well, you have a life here. Apparently you have a little Severa running around."
"And a son," Alex said quietly, "His name is Aidan. And we're trying for one more. I can't just leave. There's too much to do. Ylisstol still isn't even rebuilt yet."
Liz nodded, pursing her lips. "Yeah, I thought that was how it was gonna be. Not that I blame you, Alex, you've got a beautiful wife and everything, a life here, but… well, I guess I'm just not ready to let go yet."
Alex shrugged. "I let go a long time ago."
"Yeah, guess you have," Liz murmured, "I'll come back. We'll come back," she quickly amended, "I can never go back for real, you know. I just want them to know. Know that we're okay, that we didn't just vanish, ya know?"
Alex nodded. "I wouldn't mind that much, at least…"
"I think it's a wonderful idea," Cordelia chimed in, "Love, you haven't talked much about your family back home, even when I asked. Even if it's just to say goodbye, would you really let this chance slip by?"
Alex's lips thinned. "Guess I can't. I still can't go with you right now, but whenever you find a way, Liz, you know where to find me."
Liz nodded. "Yeah. In the meantime, I've heard you figured out how to make pizza…"
"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us, Sev?" Liz asked, leaning on a wall in the foyer, getting ready to leave. "I mean, we're gonna be going out into the great unknown, you know? All kinds of exciting stuff."
Severa shook her head. "I've been through more wars than I care to count, auntie. And knowing you, you'll just get into a bunch of trouble somewhere, somehow. It just kinda follows you."
"I resemble that remark," Liz snorted, rubbing the back of her neck. "Guess I can't blame you for that. Suppose me and Corrin will just need to consider this our honeymoon."
"Gawd, that's an image," Severa grumbled, running a hand down her face. "Yeah, trouble follows you, and I wanna enjoy some peace for a change. I think I've had my fair share of adventure and heartbreak, thank you."
"Aww, that's hardly a reason!" Liz complained, "but fine. Suit yourself. Just make sure to be easy on Kaze, alright? I don't think his pelvis can take too much punishment-"
Liz narrowly avoided being clocked in the jaw, and she laughed all the while.
Liz and Corrin spent a fortnight at Alex and Cordelia's house, and before they left, they made sure to say goodbye. It was better than anything Liz had had up to that point – no matter what happened, she had found peace. She was not alone, and she had let her brother know that he wasn't, either.
Even still, Liz found it difficult to leave. She stood on a hill nearby, looking at the snow-covered building, marveling at what her reclusive brother had turned himself into. She wanted children of her own, someday, but that could wait until she had discovered a way home. She didn't want to bring children into the world until that particular chapter of her life had been put to rest.
Before they left the sight of Alex and Cordelia's mansion, Liz found herself clenching her fists before turning to Corrin.
"Is something wrong?" Corrin asked, pulling her hood over her head as the frigid wind shrieked over the snow-torn fields and pine forests. "You look like you want to ask something."
"Well," Liz said, playing with her fingers as she looked down. "Corrin, do you think we can actually do this?"
"Find your world, you mean?" Corrin clarified. At Liz's nod, she sighed. "I feel as if I have answered this question a dozen times."
"Sorry that I'm being difficult about it," Liz snorted, "Hard to be confident about something when I just met someone who gave up at it."
"Your brother, he did so for the benefit of his new family, I can tell," Corrin said, crossing her arms. "And if he has faith in you finding a way, then I must as well. If I didn't, then what kind of girlfriend would I be?"
"The shitty kind, so it's a good thing you aren't," Liz laughed, "You're lucky I love you, Candy Corn."
"Mhm, aren't I just?" Corrin giggled, reaching out with both hands and grasping Liz's. "But I am serious, Liz. I believe you can do it. I know you can. And I will be with you every step of the way, just as you were for me."
Liz sniffled. "Damnit, don't make me cry. Not out here in the cold. My tears'll freeze to my face."
"Come on," Corrin said, smiling. "Let's go find Lucina, and get started."
Liz left her brother's house behind, but knew that one day, she would find it again.
It wasn't until months after she recovered the orb from Lucina, the cracked thing that it was, that Liz and Corrin finally made a breakthrough in one of the worst ways possible.
A horrid, hot wind blew against them as the sun beamed down on them from above. Corrin was wearing her hood, as usual, while Liz wished she still had her old tricorne hat. Alas, no such luck. The world around them was nothing but a desert for as far as either of them could see, with only the structures of those they had fought against nearby. As well as the gate they had walked through behind them slowly dissipating.
They had been attacked the instant they stepped through, and it was only by Corrin's fast thinking that either of them had lived. Liz held her side as Corrin tended to her, desperately looking for shade. When they found it in the shadow of an ancient pillar, they rested. At least, until they found a survivor.
"Stop him," Liz wheezed, "keep him from moving!"
Corrin was upon the whimpering, black-robed man in an instant. The second Liz got a good look at his face, she had to bite back a curse. She didn't see the faces of the ones who attacked them, but the second she saw the hooded man's face, she wondered if he was even human.
"W-wretched beasts…" he spat out as Corrin dragged him, Yato in one hand and her other balled into a fist. "Had we not been taken by surprise…!"
"Surprise? You attacked us first, you pale-! What the hell even are you, a vampire?" Liz snapped back, trying to keep her lips from rising in a sneer. "Whatever. You're gonna tell us where we are, right now, or we're gonna throw you out into the desert, and judging how pale you are, you'll burn to a crisp out there."
"Vile bit-!" Whatever the hooded man was about to say was stopped as Corrin dropped him, pulled him to his side, and aimed Yato's tip at his throat.
"If you value your life, you will not finish that sentence," she snarled. "Answer her question. Where are we?"
"Morfis. The deserts surrounding the City of Magic," the pale man finally spat out, glaring up at Corrin defiantly, "A safe haven, even in the dreaded heat. To see the sun, the light again – but you ruined that. Thales will be displeased."
"Morfis," Liz repeated. "That's better than what we knew before. Get him out of here."
The man was allowed to lift himself up, but Corrin kept her eyes and sword firmly trained on him. "Walk away. Walk until your feet bleed, for all I care."
The man grunted and was gone within minutes, the bodies of his fellows still around.
Corrin approached Liz and pulled her to her feet. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Liz looked off into the desert.
"I think we're onto something, Candy Corn," Liz said, "we just gotta find it."
Corrin nodded. "I feel it too. We should get moving."
They waited until night arrived to move out, when the desert wasn't quite as hot. Even though they had no idea where they were, they pressed forward anyway. The end was within sight.
I believe in you.
Last one. Go to the chapter after this one for ANs and a QnA!