Thus concludes this miniseries. There were a couple of ideas that did not quite make it past the drawing board. Maybe I'll expand upon those in the future. I hope I provided my peers with some sense of sustenance, at any rate. I may or may not have something next week. Same Nate time, same Nate channel.

Word count: 713 words.

Dulcet Duet

"I used to play for Azura like this all the time."

Corrin breaks the ice that builds up in the wake of their warmup performance, his words like a knife cutting through a thick, billowing fog.

"Really?" Shigure blinks. "I never pinned you for a musician, to be honest. You never brought it up to me when I was learning song and dance from Mother."

"I wouldn't exactly call myself a maestro," the dragon prince chuckles sheepishly, fingers gliding from key to key. "Just someone with a hobby, that's all. Growing up in a tower all by yourself with almost nothing to do has its share of peculiar perks. Picking up an instrument and spending weeks on it just to nail down the basics was but one of many ways I kept myself occupied back then. I hated the silence of my room, the droning ambience, the dead air that persisted when none of my siblings or servants were around, so I brute forced a solution."

"It certainly seems to have worked out," Shigure says with a nod. "Did that interest play a part in drawing you to Mother?"

"Not exactly," Corrin shakes his head with clarity. "Her song may have lured me in at first, but it was the woman behind it that kept me there. From the moment our eyes met that fateful lakeside evening, I knew she was special."

"You started seeing her," the sky knight deduces. "Any excuse to spend a moment with her, no matter how small."

"Mm," the prince affirms. "I knew she was fond of music, so whenever I could, I would invite her to my quarters and play a song or two for her. At first, she would only listen, but it wasn't long before she was enriching my melodies with her enchanting voice. We still play every now and then, just not as often. Not enough hours in the day, unfortunately."

"O-oh," Shigure's eyes widen, realization settling in. "Am... Am I encroaching on that time? Forgive me, Father. H-had I only known beforehand, I never would have requested something so selfish. Honestly, you... you needn't feel as though you need to squander your time to me, especially if it's preventing you from spending that time with Mother. This war has been hard on us all, so I would understand if you wanted to—guh!"

"That's enough of that," Corrin pulls his—gentle—chopping hand back, a brief lull in music accompanying him. "Shigure, you're here because I want you to be. You're my son—my wonderful, awesome son, but our memories together are sadly few and far between. I want—no, will—make up for that if it's the last thing I do. I know these little practice sessions can never make up for all those years I left you alone, but I'm hoping it can be a start. There's no such thing as time wasted when it's with family, so please don't feel bad. If anything, you deserve to be selfish!"

"Father, I..." Shigure breathes, quivering all over. "T-thank you!"

"Ahaha! I thought I was supposed to be the tight hugger?"

"A-ah! F-forgive me! For both that and my earlier presumptions. They seem almost absurd now. I don't know what I was thinking. I suppose sometimes... I just feel as though I'm undeserving of the spotlight, despite a piece of me deep down yearning for it all the same."

"Then let's crush those reservations tonight," Corrin says with a smile. "How's about we switch it up for the next go-around? I'll sing the lyrics, and you can be on keys! You were curious about playing, weren't you?"

"I-I was," Shigure nods. "But only because I'm not a pianist. I wouldn't know where to start, I'm afraid."

"And I'm the worst singer I know! Doesn't mean we can't learn from each other. Come on, the keys are already in front of you. I'll get you brushed up on the basics. You're pretty astute, so I know you'll catch on quick. Then you can teach me how to not sound like nails on a chalkboard!"

"Surely you don't sound that bad, Father..."

"Hoo boy," Corrin rubs the back of his neck. "If I had a gold bar for every time someone said that to me..."