AN: Sorry about the late uploads, I have been sick with the flu. I am trying to get chapters out as quickly as I can depending on how I feel.

Xander

The food in front of us was sumptuous, and it was filled with steaks and greens. My wife eyed the food suspiciously, she had never had Nohrian delicacies and she was used to fish and beans. Hoshidan food was nothing like ours and it didn't have the spices that ours had either. I took up my knife and fork and cut some of the meat and chewed it. She stared at the slab of meat in front of her, unsure of what to do. I almost laughed, her naivety was cute, and it would be funny if my family wasn't watching. Azura was taking pity on her and teaching her what to do after my wife tried to take a bite right out of the steak by lifting it up full and biting. I heard a snicker and my eyes found Xion chuckling at Corrin.

For some reason, it irked me that she was laughing at Corrin's embarrassment. Corrin did hear the chuckle and I saw a blush go up her neck. Her blush was endearing almost, and she had her eyes cast down at her food. I leaned towards her and whispered to her.

"It's okay, just try your best," I said congenially. I had to remember that this wasn't her home, this wasn't her area of comfort. She looked up at me, her red eyes huge and nodded. She picked up her fork and took a bite of what Azura had cut for her. Her eyes went even wider and she reached for her glass almost immediately. The spices. Of course, she wasn't used to spices being on her food in that way.

That brought out a laugh from Xion, and I glared in her direction. First the snickers, now the laughing, she was getting on my nerves. She caught my eye and winked at me before staring pointedly at Corrin again. Corrin's blush expanded to her cheeks and I thought I saw her back straighten up even more. She looked at Xion and I felt something change in her.

"Do you find something funny, ambassador?" She asked in a voice I had never heard her use before. It sounded like she was a princess, rather than the normal tone she took.

"No, milady, just the situation," Xion said with a smile. It was obvious that Xion didn't take much seriously, and I couldn't believe Izumo put her in an ambassador position. I felt Corrin stiffen more and she took a tinier bite of her steak, also taking some greens with it, I assumed to mix the flavors so it wouldn't be as hot.

"Well, keep your comments to yourself. You are a guest here," I said with narrowed eyes in her direction. Her smile almost slipped from her face, almost. She then turned her attention to me and nodded.

"As you wish, your highness," came her sarcastic response. I felt father gazing at her curiously and I saw Corrin's hand tighten on her utensils.

Corrin went through the rest of the meal without any consequence, or any more comments from the ambassador. Once we had finished our meal, I took my wife's hand and I bowed to my father. He nodded in my direction and I led Corrin from the room. I took her to the adjourning hallway, and once we were a fair distance from the dining hall, she ripped her hand from mine and put her back against the wall. Her eyes were on the ceiling and I got a good look at her.

The gown did wonders for her, it was hugging the right parts of her body to make her look… almost sexy. In her distress, her breasts were heaving up and down and her hand was on her bare throat. My eyes rested there, where the spot her neck and chest met. It had an elegant and graceful curve and I wanted to put my li- No. I wouldn't think that.

"Corrin?" I asked, desperate to think of anything else.

"Give me a minute," Came her soft reply. I waited as she gathered herself. Even though it was only a few moments, those moments were torturous. When she turned her face to look at mine, my heart pulled. "It's quite evident that even to an outsider, I don't belong here."

"It's your first day here, well, night technically. Don't let that bother you," I said.

"Her laughs made it apparent I don't know what I'm doing. Camilla's teachings were helpful, yes, but I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of this."

"You will, we will help you," I told her. I saw her eyes close and I could feel her anxiety just seeping through her. She was stressed out. Wouldn't you be? My thoughts came to me unbidden and I pushed them aside.

"Thank-you, Xander," She spoke finally. I stared. She was thanking me?

"You're welcome," I answered. She gave me a smile and I offered my hand to her and she took it, I didn't feel any hesitation this time around.

I led her to where my chambers were at. They were on the fourth floor and it was the largest room other than my father's. My room was all deep purples, blacks, and reds. The tapestries that hung on the walls were beautiful works that I had commissioned back when I was a teenager. The curtains were thick and velvet in color to protect against the cold nights. It was already cool here, and it wasn't even winter yet. We had more cold nights than warm, so my carpets were all furs as well as the blankets. My bed was huge, a large four poster and I had a desk by the fire that was blazing in the fire place.

I saw Corrin looking around the room, I could sense her curiosity. I watched as she walked around the room, her fingers running over the tapestries and then smoothing over the soft velvet curtains. She sat on the bed and removed her black shoes and her feet sank into the fur carpets that were on the floor. I saw her smile and she sighed.

"This feels great. I have never seen so much fur in my life," She said with a grin at me. I couldn't help but smile back at her. Her face just lit up when she was happy. "It feels so soft."

"Yeah, we get a lot of our furs from bears around here. It's how many of us stay warm," I replied. Her grin got even bigger.

"Bear hunting… I can picture you going bear hunting," She said with a laugh. I chuckled with her.

"Well, one day I will have to tell you about the time when I took down an eight-foot bear alone," I bragged. Bragging, now? I never bragged about my accomplishments, so why am I bragging to her?

"Maybe you should," She said happily. She laid back on the bed and her eyes closed again. The furs almost enveloped her small frame and she sighed again. I knew just how soft and plush the fur felt and it did feel amazing.

"Some other time, I'm sure you're exhausted," I said. "Shall I call a maid to help you bathe?" I asked. She opened her eyes and looked at me, and I felt I was drowning in the blood red depths.

"That would be lovely, thank-you," She answered with a smile. I nodded at her and left to find a maid, I had to get away from her.

Every time I looked at her, I felt like I was losing something, like a piece of myself. She was an enigma, she was strong but sweet and intelligent but naïve. It was an odd combination of personality traits and I couldn't figure her out. I had to keep my wall up to her. I couldn't let her in. She was not the woman I loved. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

Corrin

The day of the Nohrian wedding had arrived. I was being fitted for last minute touches in the wedding dress that Nohr had provided for me. It was extremely low cut and a beautiful bright white color. There were no straps on the dress, and it dipped low on my back, almost to my behind. I was confused as to why they made it so revealing considering how cold it was. I felt a chill creep up my spine. This was not a dress that was meant for keeping us warm. The dress flared out around the knees. Camilla had forced me into some high heeled shoes that were diamond crusted. Nohr had wasted no expense on this wedding, and it showed. I had a diamond necklace around my neck and pink diamonds in my ears. They even had a pink diamond bracelet on my wrist. I was dolled up.

Azura and Elise were working on my hair, pulling it up and twisting it into a tight curled style. They even laced diamond pieces through my hair. Camilla whined about my face, saying she didn't have anything that matched the tone of my face. She fiddled with me for hours and finally, I was deemed appropriate. I looked in a mirror and was completely stunned. I didn't even look like myself. Someone glamorous stood there with dark smoky eyes and bright red lips. My cheek bones were highlighted more, something Camilla did with the paint on my face… She called it make up, I called it paint. She was still fiddling with the dress. Normally, I would wear something to support my breasts, but this dress managed to hold them up more, though I didn't know how.

I didn't look like myself. I was a Nohrian Princess now… I found out from the Sisters of Nohr that there was to be a coronation for me in about a month, to show case that we were a unified couple… Shouldn't a wedding do that though? Nohrian customs confused me, the outlandish costumes and over the top jewelry just left me dumb founded. This stuff should all be given to the people of Nohr, not wasted on nobility. I shook it off, this wasn't Hoshido anymore.

"I think you'll do," Camilla said, her hand under her chin as if she was in thought. I blushed slightly. "Ah, there you go. That blush just set it off. Now you're drop dead beautiful. Xander will faint from seeing you." She laughed.

"I don't know about that," I replied lowly. Xander had barely touched me the last few days, choosing to busy himself with the ambassadors that came to visit Nohr. I was told he had other duties and couldn't always attend to me. He would come to bed after I slept and was up before I was. The only reason I knew he was still sleeping in the bed was because I woke to go to the bathroom and found him asleep.

"Takumi just arrived, he will be happy to see you," Azura said in her gentle voice.

Takumi, my younger brother, was sent here. I was surprised as normally they would have sent Ryoma as he was the Crowned Prince, but considering it was Nohr, they might have wanted to keep him home. Though the treaty had just started, and our peace was fragile, they still should have sent some sign of good hope. This worried me, what were my parents thinking? Takumi hated the Nohrians, almost as much as my older sister Hinoka did. I wondered if he volunteered.

"I'm sure we will be happy to see each other," I said blandly. I didn't know what to say at this point. Then Camilla gasped.

"I almost forgot!"

Forgot what? She went to a small box sitting on a table in my room. She opened it and pulled out a rose gold colored circlet, made in the same shape as Xander's. She set it upon my head and grinned at me.

"Now you're perfect, darling."

It wasn't long before I was ushered to the double doors of the ballroom our wedding would take place in. In Hoshido it was customary to be given away, in Nohr, you gave yourself away. They said that marriages were about passions and about the couple's choice, not anyone else. I figured it had something to do with the Dusk Dragon being the reason. They prayed to the Dusk Dragon and all it symbolized. Their vows were more about love and passion here, and I had to learn them in two days. Azura and Camilla both took precious time to teach me while I was in dress fittings and being rushed around the castle. Elise tried to help but she would always get side tracked by some wedding detail.

I took a deep breath and nodded at the two butlers that were standing by the doors. They opened the doors and I stepped through. The ball room was immaculate. It was adorned with roses and bright flowers all around. Silks hung everywhere, and there were pieces of marble that were carved into human like structures. Just like in Hoshido, there were two sides to the aisle and on my left stood most of the ambassadors and a few Nohrian Nobility. On the right stood many of Xander's family, his sisters and brother, and King Garon was seated at the very front.

As I began my walk to the front where Xander stood with a priest, I caught sight of Takumi at the front of the left side. He had his hair down instead of pulled back, and he was wearing formal Hoshidan wear. His silver blond hair hung down in front of his brown eyes and he smiled at me as I passed. Takumi and I weren't particularly close, he was always off training and on the border fighting skirmishes. I was surprised to see him smiling, maybe because I was someone familiar?

It felt like I just walked through the doors when I was up by my husband. He held out his hand to me and I took it as gracefully as I could manage. I was shaking, did he notice? This was more nerve wracking than when I was getting married in Hoshido. I didn't know why, maybe the change of venue and country. Had Xander felt this way when he was in our country?

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to join in matrimony, Xander, Crown Prince of Nohr and Corrin, Princess of Hoshido," the priest said. I turned to face Xander and I looked up in his eyes. He was looking at me and I could see a mask on his face, he was hiding his emotions.

"The Dusk Dragon says that marriage between a man and a woman is the purest form of love, passion, and power. We bring Xander and Corrin together because they exemplify these ideas and show that these ideals are true even for royalty. Xander, Corrin, I know that you will have a wonderful and happy union built upon love, and I know that you will show it in all forms," The priest continued. I gulped, we weren't brought together through love. Would the Dusk Dragon not like that? Was that blasphemy? "Xander, Corrin, it is time for you to voice your vows to one another." It was customary for the bride to go first, but Xander started before me.

"I vow to the Dusk Dragon to love, honor, and support my bride. I vow that I will always be there for her and be strong for her in all things. I will never waver in my love for her and will always show her that I care and love for her. I vow that I will never leave, and I will stay strong from this day forward," He said in an even voice. "I also vow to protect her from anyone and anything." That last part wasn't a part of the vows that we were supposed to say… It threw me off.

"I vow to the Dusk Dragon to love, honor, and obey my husband. I vow to always be his support and his partner to lean on in times of struggle. I vow to build myself up to be there in all things. I vow to always give him what he needs and to be there for him through all things. I vow to love him over any one else," I said, my voice clear but my hand was still shaking in his. I felt his fingers toy with the rings on my left hand, the ones he gave me in Hoshido during that reception. I smiled a little and continued. "I vow to never waver, and to grow with my husband." I added that to the end of my vows, it wasn't written or anything that I needed to say.

The priest eyed us a little, I could tell he was shocked by our deviations from the vows. I heard murmurs through the crowd, this was unprecedented. No one had deviated as it wasn't allowed. The Dusk Dragon had specific vows for the husband and the wife, and deviating wasn't good decorum. The priest then placed both of his hands on top of ours joined together and his voice was booming when he spoke.

"These two have vowed before the Dusk Dragon to always love one another, and their vow will be taken before the Dusk Dragon. This couple is now unified in matrimony. I now pronounce you, husband and wife," He spoke.

Xander pulled me forward with his hands and crushed his lips on mine. I was surprised, I had never had a kiss like this, and much less think he would do this with me. His mouth was urgent on mine and my hands were splayed across his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. I felt his mouth open hotly against mine and he nipped at my lower lip. I gasped, this wasn't good decorum. When he released me, he kept his mouth close to mine and whispered in my ear.

"Careful, there are nobles here from all of Nohr, and if we aren't careful and show we love one another, they won't accept you," he said softly. His arms were still around me and were on my waist. I gulped in and nodded. My forehead was against his and he had to lean down to do so. I heard a chuckle from the crowd, and I closed my eyes. This was a spectacle where I was from, something I wasn't used to doing. "Easy, little princess, easy."

He could feel my shaking. He was reassuring me. This coming from a man who couldn't be in a room with me the last two days, to this. I was stunned and a bit confused. He pulled away and had his right arm still around my waist and turned to face the crowd. He gave my back a slight push forward and we walked down the aisle the way I came. The Nohrians also had a reception, but from what Camilla and Azura told me, it was all about the couple and we were at the head of the table alone. We also had many dances to dance, ones I was nervous about. I was taught the dances by Jakob and Camilla, but I still wasn't sure if I could move the way they intended for me to. The dance that we were to lead off with as soon as everyone was seated in the grand dining hall was hard. The steps itself were going to be difficult.

As we walked into the dining hall, it was more lavish than the ballroom. More silks were hung and there were ice statues everywhere. Everything was glittering and sparkling. On the tables were center pieces that were mini ice statues of the Dusk Dragon. The hall was decked to the nines in roses and bright pink flowers. I felt Xander's eyes on me as we stepped up to the dance floor that was in the middle of the room. They had made a make shift stage that was a lot larger than the one in Hoshido. A band was set up in one of the corners of the room, and people from the ceremony started to mill into the room.

Once everyone was guided to their seats and seated, Xander pulled away from me. His hand reached out for mine and the music started to play. It was a soft and slow song, and then I heard a feminine voice sing with it. It was Azura's voice. She had a beautiful voice and as she was singing, I took Xander's hand. We started to move.

I twirled to him and I had to remember the steps and be calm. He caught me with his other hand and moved with me across the floor. We moved fluidly together, and then he dipped me. The dip was so far down, I could have sworn everyone could see my breasts in this dress. He pulled me back up and we kept moving. I was twirled out from him and we started the steps to move back then forward again. I turned back to him and as I did so, I turned too fast and bumped into his chest. He caught me, and gracefully kept us moving.

"Let me lead," He whispered in my ear. I felt a blush creep up my neck. I was trying to lead. "I won't let you fail."

We kept moving. The song was sweet and sensual at the same time. I could feel every guest's eyes on us as we danced. Xander started to lead me this time and his movements were almost as graceful as a cat's. It surprised me to see him dance so well. Once the music started to end, Xander pulled me back to him and he lifted me up to spin me around. He kissed my mouth sweetly as he did so. This left my mouth scorching and I felt dizzy from the kiss and the spin. When he set me on the ground, he had to stabilize my movements with his strong hands. The music ended on a sweet note and he bowed while I curtsied to the crowd.

An applause rang through the hall and I felt a smile creep on my face. I did it. I did the dance. I had a small slip up with hitting him in the chest, but I got through it without much error. As we stepped off the stage, I tripped a little. The shoes were too high and the dress too tight for me to move with ease. As I tripped, Xander caught me and held onto me so I wouldn't fall flat on my face. This moment was met with snickers from the crowd.

I looked up and saw a beautiful woman, that was the loudest of them all, with dark black hair and purple eyes. She was tiny, smaller than Elise, and she had a dark red dress on. If I thought my dress was revealing, hers was down right scandalous. She kept snickering even after the rest of the crowd had quieted and I saw Xander stare at her. His eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled at him in a way that was… sexual? Did I read that gaze correctly? I looked back and forth between my husband and her and saw Xander's gaze soften and have a tenderness in it that I had never seen directed towards me. My heart pulled at the thought and I looked away. I pulled myself from Xander and I saw him jerk in surprise as I stomped up to the table where we were supposed to be seated.

Xander obviously cared for that woman. I didn't know who she was, but it was obvious that she was the object of his affections. I was married to a man that didn't love me, and that apparently cared for someone else. I sent a silent prayer to the Dawn Dragon to help me, to give me the calm and grace I needed to make it through this day.

"Who is she?" I asked him lowly once I was seated in my chair. The servants were serving the food now and the music played softly in the background.

"Nyx. She's a scholar here," He answered, his tone sounded off.

"Just a scholar?" I asked carefully. His gaze turned to mine sharply and he said.

"Just a scholar."

She damn well better be. I wasn't going to be married to man that would cheat on me. And he would see it if it came to be.

Nyx, you better leave my husband alone.