Lady in Waiting

By psychored1911

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening or Fire Emblem Fates

Chapter 11: Light in a Dark Sky

The carriage quickly rolled through the winding, hidden pathways that connected Windmire to the Northern Fortress. Well, it wasn't like the Northern Fortress was all that far from the Nohrian capital. In fact, the journey between them could be completed within a day using a reasonably fast horse. However, given the Northern Fortress' remote location and the many measures the escorts take to prevent being followed, the trip always seemed to be longer than it actually was. Heck, apparently Marth was under the impression that it took three days at the very least.

If the kingdom wasn't 'blessed' with an eternal night, there was a chance the passage of time would've been more apparent.

"Corrin, before we reach the Royal Villa, there are some ground rules we need to discuss." Xander stated.

"...Does it involve wearing ugly shirts?" Corrin teased.

Xander made a split-second glance at his shirt, a very different and better-looking one from the horrific piece of garbage he was wearing earlier. Upon confirming that yes, he did change out of that shirt, he glared at his little brother, coaxing a snort out of the latter. "Haha, very funny. But that's not what I'm talking about. Corrin, just because father permitted you to come to Windmire for the first time in forever, doesn't mean you can waltz around anywhere you want. Just to make sure you are safe, you will only be permitted outside when you have a suitable escort."

Corrin groaned. "Is that necessary, Xander? I am just as much of an adult as everyone else here."
"Yes, an adult that has never even been to Windmire since you were born." Xander noted, "You don't understand how things work there and, with all due respect to Lilith and Felicia, their knowledge on keeping a low profile at the capital is limited as well. I'll assign one of our retainers to do the job." He looked out the window, "Silas."

The cowlicked knight reared his horse to meet with his prince, "Yes, milord?"

"You will be Corrin's escort for the duration of his trip to Windmire." Xander ordered.

"Yes, milord."

"Silas, a question for you." Corrin chimed in, peeking his head out the window. "What is your opinion on Xander's ugly shir- mgwah?!"

Xander internally groaned as he grabbed Corrin's face and pushed him back in. Why did his family like to tease him? Make one change in an effort to look nicer for reasons… and he still hasn't heard the end of it.

"Did everyone think it was ugly? I kind of liked it."

Xander sighed in validation. Finally, someone actually liked the shirt. "Thank you, Marth. Now-" Xander paused and furrowed his brows, as if noticing an individual's presence for the first time. He peeked his head outside the carriage window and saw feet dangling from the roof of the carriage. He moved to the other side of the carriage and poked his head out of the window, staring Marth in the eyes as she laid on her stomach. Xander could only look on in baffled confusion as he took mental stock of the situation he found himself in.

Marth raised a brow. "Is something wrong, milord?"

Xander was dumbfounded, "Were you… were you up there the whole time?"
Marth cocked her head, "Yes. Lilith and Felicia were driving the other carriage so they told me to take a rest."

"I can confirm that, milord." Silas chimed in. "I just assumed it was normal for her to do so since she did it so casually."

"Wait, so if you just jumped on top of the carriage for a rest, then why didn't you just take a rest at the other-" Xander shook his head, "On second thought, never mind. Just… go over to the other carriage."

Marth silently nodded as she stood up and vaulted over to the carriage behind them, startling the two maids driving as she managed to flip forward and disappear into the opening behind them, her landing shaking the carriage upon impact.

"Huh. So that's Marth." Silas noted with wide eyes. "She seems… colorful."

"You have no idea." Xander chuckled as he returned to his seat.

"Azura?"

The aforementioned Lady of Hoshido stopped at the door, craning her head back as Nagi yawned and walked over to her, rubbing her eyes.

Once Nagi shrugged off her exhaustion, she continued, cocking her brow, "So, where are you-"

"Shh." The Lady of Hoshido shushed her retainer, gently clasping a hand over Nagi's mouth. "I'm just running a little… personal errand."

Nagi shrugged, "Alright. Lemme grab my coat, I'll come with."

"No, there's no need for that. I'll be fine on my own." Azura insisted.

"I'm pretty sure Saizo and the others will sorely disagree." Nagi countered, "I mean, a pretty girl all alone in the big city? In the dark, no less?"

Azura puffed her cheeks, "I can hold my own in these streets."

"So can I." Nagi flexed and polished her bicep. "I may look like skin and bone, but I got the heart of a dragon. Besides, two heads are definitely better than one."

Azura sighed, before ultimately relenting. "Fine, come along. We shouldn't take too long anyway."

"Where's our destination?"

"Oh, just the Royal Crypt… on the other side of town."

"...Wait, what?"

Earlier that same night.

After a few hours, the Royal Family arrived at the Villa, in the heart of Windmire.

"And this is your room." Camilla said as she eagerly ushered Corrin into the room where Lilith and Felicia brought up his luggage and began to unpack.

"Wow." Corrin said in awe as he took in the room. "It's been so long since I've been back here. I don't even remember the last time I was here."

Camilla giggled, "You were little when father brought you to the Northern Fortress. Ooh, we are going to have so much fun at this festival." she slung an arm over his shoulder and pulled him in close. "You and your favorite elder sister are going to tear this city up!"

Corrin chuckled, "You're my only elder sister, Camilla. But I do appreciate the thought."

Neither sibling noticed Lilith rolling her eyes.

"I'll let you settle in. Come find me once you've got everything in order, darling." Camilla gave her little brother an affectionate hug before leaving the room, with Lilith following suit once she was done unpacking, leaving Corrin and Felicia alone in privacy.

"..."

Corrin just spent a moment just to sit on the bed, staring at his loyal maid while taking a moment to collect himself.

"...What? Is there something on my face?" Felicia asked quizzically.

"No… No… I was just… zoning out." Corrin lied. He still felt a bit uncomfortable around her after overhearing her state her feelings toward him. Still, they were still friends, no matter what happened.

"You shouldn't be all mopey like that! Look!" She waved her arms all over the place. "You're finally here!"

Corrin chuckled. "You're right. Thank you, Felicia."

'Still friends. I can still always rely on her.' He thought.

"Look on the bright side, at least you have an amazing new view!" Felicia said, as she opened up a nearby curtain. Unfortunately for her, that window was facing a brick wall and a patch of dirt that Leo had yet to turn into tomato plants, thus she slammed the curtains shut just as quickly as she opened them. "That was… umm… the wrong window. Hehe…"

"So, what do you intend to do at the graveyard?" Nagi asked as the two walked down the dark and shady alleyways that comprised Windmire's streets.

"I… have to see something through." Azura admitted, holding a small bouquet of lilies she bought, only slightly hopeful she would be right.

Nagi stopped in her tracks, "...You don't intend on… defiling anything, do you?"

Azura was taken aback. "I- No! Of course not! I was just trying to… I have to see if she's there."

"Who?"

"My… My mother." Azura said, slowing her stride to a crawl. "My mother… wasn't the most popular woman in the Nohrian courts. I just… I want to make sure they gave her a proper burial… and not just thrown her body out on the street."

"Were you two close?"

"I'm not sure… I remember her teaching me how to sing, but the older I get, the harder it is for me to picture her face or recall who she was."

"I see…"

Eventually, they reached their destination, a gated graveyard with nary a soul in sight. Once they entered the Windmire Graveyard, the two walked through its surprisingly well-kept gates, passing by rows and rows of tombstones, until they reached the grand mausoleum at the very end.

Nagi leaned against the gate of the crypt. "Go on. This is probably one of those things you'd want to be alone for. I'll be right here if you need me."

"Thank you, Nagi." Azura briefly hugged her before walking into the Royal Crypt all by herself.

A few hours later.

Felicia peeked into the room, "Lord Corrin? Are you awake- Aah?!"

The maid suddenly felt herself get dragged into the room by the hand, with Corrin pinning her against the wall.

"Felicia…" Corrin said in a hushed voice. "I need you… right now…"

Felicia gulped, her face reddening as her lord's face was dangerously close to hers.

"Umm… are you sure about this? You want me?" She asked meekly. Her heart was racing and her legs were shaking.

"There's no one else. Only you."

She read her sister's trashy romance novels about servant girls getting into affairs with charismatic, good-looking nobles, but she never thought Corrin would be like those kinds of characters. Despite her more questionable fantasies.

"Right now?" She squeaked. She couldn't think straight, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. 'He smells so nice.' She thought.

"Immediately."

'This is just like the one where the lord seduces his maid in his bedroom and then he leaves his wife for her! AHHHHHHHHH! No, wait! Was that the one with the second woman on the bed or the one where they all die at the end!? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'

"Get on the bed." Corrin ordered.

Felicia wordlessly nodded and sat down at the edge of the bed and, anticipating his next order, began slipping her dress off-

*KER-Chunk*

Felicia's mind snapped out of her panic when she witnessed Corrin attach a grappling hook at the side of the bed and traced the rope to the open window.

Dumbfounded by the turn of events, Felicia asked: "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, I've been swiping these from our storehouse and giving them to Elise. First time I've actually used them for myself though."

"That was you?"

"Yeah. She keeps losing them though, not sure why. I keep sneaking her more." He turned his attention back to the rope-

"Wait, what are you doing?!"

-only for Corrin to stop her at the last minute, staring back at her bewilderedly with equally red cheeks. His eyes arguing whether to look away politely or burn the scene into the back of his mind.

"Eh?" Felicia squeaked, quickly fixing her clothes and trying to hide her embarrassed face. "I-I thought you wanted me to… uhh, y'know…"

"Oh." Somehow Corrin's cheeks became even redder than before upon realizing the implications of what he just said. "Oh, Gods! No, I didn't mean that! I just wanted someone to cover for me while I sneak out. Quit reading Flora's cheesy romance novels!"

"Sneak out?" Felicia asked, "Why would you want to sneak out?"

"I… have to see someone…" Corrin admitted. "I want to see my mother and sister."

Felicia understood almost immediately. "...You're planning on going to the Royal Crypt, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Corrin said somberly. "I know that this is one of those times I should probably just ask Xander or Camilla to bring me there, but they probably planned every second that I'm here, from now until the end of the Dusk Festival. If I go and meet my mother and sister, and come back by the end of the night, I figure that I could spend the rest of my time here without bringing down the mood."

"I can understand that but…" Felicia stood up, "Do you even know where you're going? This is the first time you've been back in Windmire in a long time!"

"I have that figured out already." Corrin pulled out a map. "The Royal Crypt isn't too far from here. I can probably just walk there within thirty minutes and then head back with nobody realizing I was here."

"Okay... but what about Silas? Didn't Lord Xander tell him to follow you the whole time you're here?"

"I have that covered too."

A few rooms over.

Silas moved his rook forward, surrounding Marth's king. "Checkmate."

"..." Marth frowned, looking down and defeated.

Silas blinked, "Erm, Marth are you okay?"

"Best two out of three."

"Huh?"

"Or would you like me to school you in the art of the sword?" Marth glowered.

Silas gulped, "Y-Yes, ma'am! Another round…"

While the two knights were having another round of chess, in the peanut gallery sat Elise, Effie, and Arthur, watching the upcoming round with varying levels of interest.

"Should we tell him that she's a bit of a sore loser?" Elise asked with a humorous smirk.

"He will learn soon enough." Effie replied.

"Better him than me." Arthur commented with a shudder.

"Isn't it too dangerous for you to go by yourself?"

"I mean, I have this." He sheepishly held up the sword he had at his waist. "And to be fair, I was the one who beat Marth in a duel."

Her eyes narrowed, she didn't even care at this point that she was still somewhat undressed, his statement annoyed her that much. "That was by technicality; she can easily kill you, and that's not even mentioning all the other cutthroats here in Windmire!"

Corrin clasped his hands over Felicia's, clearly ignoring the veiled insult. "Please, Felicia. I promise I'll be back before anyone notices I'm gone. Lilith would kill me for even trying to ask her. Just cover for me until I get back."

Felicia just stared into his crimson eyes, almost entranced by them as she had been time and time again, until she sighed. "Of course, Corrin. I live to serve."

"Thank you." Corrin embraced his lifelong friend and then went out the window. Rappelling down with a grappling hook Corrin then descended down the villa wall and disappeared into the distance.

With Corrin gone, Felicia, red faced, promptly closed the window before plopping her back on the bed and covering her eyes with her hands. "That boy… I almost thought he was going to kiss me, or more." she giggled, grabbing a pillow and hugged it tightly with a sigh. "Maybe one day… but not today…"

The Royal Crypt.

Here lie the blessed deceased members of the Nohrian Royal Family.

Naturally, its inner workings were forbidden from entry by all but the Royal Family themselves, but that doesn't mean that its exterior was off-limits to the public. In fact, due to its position within the Windmire Graveyard, its main halls and exterior were open to the populace, with only its innermost workings sealed off from the world.

This was a place that Corrin had been looking forward to for a long time. At long last, he could finally see the final resting place of his mother, Queen Katerina, and his deceased twin sister Kana, the sister he would never know.

With two bouquets of lilies in hand, he slowly entered the Crypt, walking past the many statues of grand kings and queens past, until he stopped at one in particular. It was a statue of Queen Katerina, mother to both himself, Kana, and Xander, gently holding a stone statue of his deceased sister in one hand while proudly holding a Royal scepter in the other.

Here Lies Queen Katerina and Princess Kana.

May the lost Princess of Nohr no longer be alone in eternal slumber.

"Forgive me for taking so long, mother, sister." Corrin wept tearfully, gently laying the bouquets at the statue's feet, among the other flowers and tributes left for the late queen. "When you perished, father had me sent to the Northern Fortress to protect me until he was certain I could protect myself. If only I could have visited you sooner."

His tearful gaze glanced upon the wrapped infant form that lay protectively within the statue's arms. "And you, sister. We should have had a lifetime together. Do you think we would have been close? I'd think so…"

He bowed his head reverently. "I've been well. I've been taught the finest swordsmanship from Xander. He's grown to be a fine prince, and will become a worthy king and successor to Father. Father, I can tell he still feels melancholy from the incident. Perhaps things would have been better if you were still at his side…"

The tears fell from his cheeks and onto the stone-cold floors. Minutes passed, with the slight sounds of his tears the only sounds that penetrated the silence. He clasped his hands in a silent prayer.

The Royal Crypt.

Here lie the blessed deceased members of the Nohrian Royal Family.

Truth be told, Azura did not think she should even come to this place at all. Considering her position as an adopted Princess of Hoshido, just her stepping within these walls would be outrageous, sacrilegious even. She could only imagine what would befall her if it was known she was wandering these halls.

But she had to know. She had to at least check. She had to at least see for herself.

What did they do with her mother?

Would she even be there at all?

With a bouquet of lilies in her hands, she braced for the worst, her eyes wandering the statues with dread and anxiety, the eyes of the queens and kings of times long past watching her, judging her, tormenting her for her presence alone, until her eyes laid upon one statue in particular. It was a statue of Queen Arete, her mother, and in her arms surprised her.

"Is… that… me?"

Within her mother's arms was a statue of herself, at least herself in her younger years, before she was captured by the Hoshidans. She was held gently in Queen Arete's arms, her younger self holding on so comfortably in her mother's embrace as her mother stared forward, lance in hand, defying the kings and queens past with her warmth, her strength, her stalwart gaze.

Here Lies Queen Arete.

May her Blessings return her Princess to her Rightful Family. We promise to return her home to you.

"They didn't forget you…" Azura's voice began to crack. "They didn't forget me either…"

Suddenly, the emotions that she had long buried within herself, emotions she thought she had lost to the waves of time, began to overflow within her, and the tears poured uncontrollably from her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry for not coming sooner, mother…"

Azura all but fell to her knees, nearly crushing the bouquet in her grasp as she began weeping for her mother, for the first time in a very long time.

"...Forgive me, mother. It's been too long…"

She knew how unwelcome she and her mother were when they were brought in, but she never expected such respect, such love from a family she barely knew. She thought that she was hated by them, scorned by them. They never came for her. She almost expected them to dump her mother in a pauper's grave to be forgotten for all time.

But they didn't.

They buried her here among her rightful place among the Nohrian Royal Family. And they even made a promise for herself to be returned to her mother. It could only be Xander and Camilla, the only ones within the courts that welcomed her when the others shunned her existence. Did they really love her after all this time? Do they still love her?

In an instant, feelings of doubt and indecision arose within her soul. She was now torn between the Kingdom of Dusk that now wants her back and the Kingdom of Dawn that loved her.

"...I have been well, mother. Queen Mikoto has raised me as her own." Azura managed to voice out once she recovered her bearings. "I am loved there, but part of me fears that I'm only a replacement for her lost son, Prince Kamui. I know it to be absurd, but I intend to find him. I need to know that I am loved and am not merely a replacement for him."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and reverently put the bouquet upon the statue's feet before clasping her hands in prayer.

"But… despite everything, despite all my newfound uncertainties, there are things I must do. Please, mother, guide my hand."

She looked up, and she swore her mother was smiling back at her.

"I will come back one day, mother. I promise."

"...I will see you again soon, mother, sister. May you both watch over me from the heavens above."

Corrin raised his head and turned to leave, only to find a beautiful woman, one with silver-blue hair and dressed in pure white, standing before one of the other statues that graced the halls.

He did not hear nor see anyone enter the Royal Crypt before or after he arrived. Perhaps he was too overcome with emotion to even notice her presence. And, if the redness around those beautiful, golden eyes were of any indication, she was too.

When she turned to him, finally noticing his presence, she gasped and nearly froze in place, standing as still as the statues that surrounded them.

Their eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity. The seconds felt like minutes, those minutes felt like hours, and all he could think about was about how beautiful those golden eyes of hers were, despite the redness and remnants of tears that trailed down her cheeks.

The woman recovered first, clearing her throat. "I… I, uh… hi…?"

"Erm, hello there." Corrin swallowed. "I uh, d-didn't think anyone else was here…"

It suddenly dawned upon Corrin that this was the first time he had ever spoken to a woman that wasn't either family or a part of his family's payroll in some fashion. It was absurd that he would be so awkward around the opposite gender at his age, yet here he was, standing there like an idiot while this beautiful woman stood right in front of him.

His mind scrambled for something, anything for him to say… and it did… It grabbed hold of a passage from a book he received from Laslow about talking to women.

"So, uh… do you come here often?"

He internally cried at the fact he used Laslow's advice for speaking with women in this instance.

"Do I come… here… often?" The woman was taken aback, wide-eyed and incredulous. "Are… are you seriously trying to flirt with me… in the Royal Crypt?"

"N-No, of course not!" Corrin hastily corrected himself, hoping to the Gods that his ancestors weren't looking down at him for his lapse in judgment. "I-I just didn't think I was going to see anyone else here at this hour, that's all."

The woman sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. I wasn't expecting to find anyone here either. Were you paying your respects as well?"

"W-Why yes, of course." Corrin gestured to the statue of his mother and sister. "I was paying respects to Queen Katerina and Princess Kana."

"Ah, I've heard of them." The woman said, closing her eyes wistfully. "It's a shame what happened to them, especially Princess Kana, bless their souls. It's always a tragedy when they perish so young…"

"What about you…?" Corrin's eyes wandered to the statue that she was praying under, barren of offerings, save for the one bouquet that could have only been brought by the woman before him. Yet that defiant, steadfast gaze that adorned her face was almost recognizable. "You were paying respects to Queen Arete…"

"...Indeed I was." The woman said slowly, her eyes seemingly hardening, piercing through his own with almost killer intent. "I had the fortune of knowing her in my younger years. I will never forget her."

"I certainly hope not. Queen Arete was a great queen in her own right, despite her brief tenure." Corrin told her.

"You speak as though you've met her." The woman seemingly accused.

"I haven't, at least I don't think I have." Corrin admitted. "I would've been far too young to have remembered her by then, but I have heard of Princess Azura, her daughter."

The woman froze, immobile.

"It must have been tough, being scorned by the nobility, simply for being Queen Arete's only child with King Garon, and then she was stolen away by Hoshido. My brother told me of the campaigns they've made to take her back, but they all ended in failures."

"Your brother…" She said in disbelief.

Corrin gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Corrin, second prince of Nohr."

"...You…" She gasped in disbelief, clearly sensing something was wrong, side glancing at the statues he stood before. "You… are Ka- Prince Corrin… the supposed lost child of Nohr." Her shock was genuine, but she was desperately trying to make sure her words matched his. 'What the hell did they do to you?' She thought.

"You don't need to add the title, Corrin is more than enough. I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable. I was only visiting my mother and sister." Corrin assured her. "But as I was saying, we never gave up on Azura, that's for sure. My brother, Prince Xander, told me that if we ever got the opportunity, we would bring Azura home where she belongs. She must be all alone over there, surrounded by people that would love nothing more than to string her up in some tree or the like simply because of her heritage. Xander and Camilla hope that they could atone for their past negligence and take her home, where she would no longer be privy to the shadier side of Nohr or Hoshido's conflicts."

"And… and you… what are your intentions with Princess Azura?" The woman hesitantly asked him. 'They were looking for me? I'm not sure I believe that… Why didn't they try then?'

"Me?" Corrin pointed at himself, almost quizzically. "Well, I myself would just embrace her, hold her in my arms and tell her everything is alright, and that she is safe. She deserves to be loved and cared for, and I promise that's what I will do for her."

"I… I don't know what to say…" The woman's face gradually went red, her mouth almost agape, tears were beginning to form as she gazed into his calming, crimson eyes.

"It's called love." Corrin said with a brilliant smile. "I have never met Azura, but I'd love to know who she really is. Someone like her deserves all the love in the world."

The woman embraced Corrin, pressing her face against his chest, holding onto him as though he was the only man in the world. He was startled, assuredly, but he did not reject her affections in the slightest, wrapping his arms around her and providing her the comfort she was desperately seeking.

"Making a woman blush in a crypt of all places." The red-faced woman teased. "Prince Corrin, you are an interesting man."

"As are you…" Corrin's voice trailed off in realization. "Actually, now that I think about it, I didn't quite catch your name, miss-"

The woman planted a tender kiss on his cheek, and his flushed face matched hers.

"Aqua. You may call me Aqua, my dear prince."

Azura returned to the safehouse, her face red as a rose, her heart beating out of her chest, breathing heavily all the while. With her heart racing and her mind going a mile a minute, she was barely able to perceive the presence of her allies in the room, waiting for her and staring at her, concerned.

"Azura? You okay?"

Catria was the first to approach her, hopping off her stool, somehow not stumbling in the process, and putting her palm against her liege's head. "Jeez, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd be running a fever."

"Oh, she's not sick." Nagi said as she walked in, a shit-eating grin encroaching upon her face. "Well, not in the traditional sense, at least."

"I found him…'

"Eh?"

"I found him…" Azura declared between abated breaths. "I found Kamui."

The faces of the Hoshidan saboteurs went white with shock.

"...R-Really!" Sakura excitedly exclaimed. "You found Kamui?!"

"...Do not joke about that, Lady Azura." Saizo warned. "That is not funny if it is so."

"Kamui… Milady, are you sure it's Prince Kamui?" Kaze uttered with wide eyes. "Where is he? What happened to him?"

"He was… adopted by the Royal Family of Nohr, and now goes by Prince Corrin, the second son of King Garon and, supposedly, the late Queen Katerina of Nohr."

Stupefied disbelief overcame the faces of the Hoshidans in the room. Even Sakura's excitement turned to dread.

"...You mean to say he's now a Nohrian Prince?! Of all things?!" Hana all but shouted, spooking the others. "King Garon is not Queen Mikoto; it would've been a miracle if he wasn't locked in a cell his entire life or worse!"

"I know who I saw, I know who I met. That man I met was the child I saw all those years ago." Azura asserted.

Saizo threw her arms up, glaring daggers into the Hoshidan Princess' eyes. "This is madness! That could be anyone!"

"Pale skin, silver hair, crimson red eyes, pointed ears." Azura punctuated, glaring right back at him.

Such a description would raise a lot of eyebrows, especially if they compared such an appearance to those of King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto, but Kaze, perhaps the only other one of them that had actually seen Prince Kamui in person, having been assigned to be his ward and guard so long ago, visibly pondered the appearance, before nodding in agreement and turning towards his brother. "Saizo, we should at least check. I was present when he was kidnapped, I know what he looked like, it was my mistake that they killed King Sumeragi, I owe it to the queen to see if this is their son."

"Then you check on your own time." Saizo grunted. "I'm here to destroy their so-called 'Faceless' before they become a threat. You saw a child with a specific hair color, eye color, and ear shape years ago. Do not expect me to easily believe the Nohrians kidnapped our prince just to make him one of theirs!"

"The odds are low and the circumstances are abnormal, to say the least." Kagero chimed in. "Still, if this is the long-lost Prince Kamui, we can't let this opportunity pass without at least investigating it further."

Saizo glanced at his fellow ninja, then at Rinkah, Nagi and Catria, then back at the Princess in question, before sighing. "Fine. Lady Azura, but we will have to divide our limited resources and manpower on investigating this matter; how do we proceed?"

"We will have to move up our timetable, but the plan stays the same." Azura stated, "Kaze, you're with me. Once we confirm his identity, I want you to go back through the border and alert my mother about him and ask for further instruction."

"Understood."

"The rest of you, I want you to stick to the plan. Identify the mages and locate the manufacturing plant. Once we do, we go in and destroy it." Azura assured. "If I'm wrong and this man isn't who I think he is, we carry out the mission as originally planned. However, if I'm right, bringing him back to Hoshido is one of our top priorities."

"Yes, milady." The Hoshidan retainers affirmed in near-perfect unison.

Save for the one raising her hand. "Wait, I have a question."

"Yes, Catria?"

"He's a prince, he's probably going to be heavily guarded. How are you going to get close to him?" Catria pointed out.

Azura… faltered, her face reddening, turning away as she avoided their gazes. "We… erm, have a date planned for tomorrow."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The other nine of them stood in dumbfounded silence, staring at their princess and ringleader in complete and utter disbelief.

Rinkah was a woman of few words. She usually kept to herself, even though she was with the rest of them when the armory burned down. When they discovered the monsters the Nohrians were developing, she hadn't spoken a word. Yet, after everything that happened, she was the one to break the mind-numbingly awkward quietness with one word; the same word that was on everyone else's mind: "What?"

"Well, I had to think of something!" Azura folded her arms defensively, still attempting to hide her rosy cheeks and embarrassed smile. "I needed an opportunity to get close to him… and… that was all that came to mind at the moment…"

"A Nohrian Prince courting our Hoshidan Princess… What a time to be alive…" Kagero mused as she vanished from sight.

"Dear Gods, this better be worth it." Rinkah groaned as she turned the other way.

"Kaze, if you're wrong, I'm punching you. Hard." Saizo growled before vanishing.

Kaze sighed and turned towards the princess. "I do hope you're right, Lady Azura." he said before vanishing.

Azura buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her own embarrassment. "Everyone, just rest up, we have an early day tomorrow." She ordered, even though the ninja and Rinkah had already left.

Nagi walked past Azura and worriedly scampered over to Sakura, who seemed to have frozen to her spot the moment Kamui was mentioned to be alive.

"...Uhh…" Nagi waved her hand before Sakura's face. "You okay?"

"Ehh, give her a good nap and she'll be fine." Subaki said calmly.

"Yeah, she's probably just excited that there's actually a plausible lead for Prince Kamui after so long." Hana added, patting a hand over the immobile Sakura's shoulder.

While the others turned away from her and went to their respective rooms, Catria cheekily skipped over to her with a wide grin. "So, is this why you've been as red as roses since you got back?"

"Not. Now." Azura muttered into her palms.

"...Is he handsome?"

"Catria…"

"Ooh, he's very handsome. Unfairly so, in fact…" Nagi answered with a teasing swoon, jokingly fanning herself with her hand. "If Lady Azura doesn't want him, I'd be more than happy to take him for myself-"

"DON'T YOU DARE- I… I mean…" Azura clasped a hand over her mouth as her sudden outburst foretold her true feelings. Those audacious grins from her two retainers weren't helping with her embarrassment.

"Well, the night's still young, milady. Perhaps we can still go out and find you a nice dress so you look your best for your Prince Charming." Catria winked.

"Where are you going with this?" Azura raised a brow, her face still in her palms.

"Well, from what I've been told, he's not your brother in the slightest…"

"He's not. I still don't know where you're going with this…"

"Well, you are trying to whisk him away, where you will live happily ever after~!"

Azura removed her hands from her face, her golden orbs glaring venomously at the pegasus knight. "Choose your next words carefully, Catria."

"I mean, you did ask him out on a date~! Or did he ask you~?" She grinned. "I wonder what flowery words he used to sweep you off your feet."

"He started with a stupid pick-up line, if that's what you're asking." Azura deadpanned, finally recollecting her composure.

"Huh, and here I thought I knew only one classless idiot who would do that." Nagi shrugged.

"The words exchanged between us will stay between us." Azura asserted.

"Eh, we're just messin' with ya~!" Catria playfully slapped Azura's shoulder before grabbing the equally egregious Nagi by the arm and turning Azura around towards the door. "C'mon, let's find you that dress! We're gonna have him fall for you in a fortnight!"

A/N: How are you guys? This semester is already kicking my ass, but I'm up to the challenge. I honestly wasn't expecting to get a chapter done until November, or at least until I can get organized again. Anyways, special thanks again to SK for beta-reading another chapter.

BTW, Arete and Mikoto were just friends, best friends, "like sisters" to each other, and that's the only way I'm writing that. My brother and I went through several routes of the game on different routes and not once did we realize that Corrin and Azura were... y'know.

Speaking of which, here's an interesting story. Back around when we were suffering from a bout of insomnia, my brother and I managed to write the entirety of the scenes leading to Corrin and Azura's meeting in the crypt, their meeting, and the aftermath over the course of seven hours, after which we passed out for the rest of the day. I didn't know what exactly we wrote in our sleep-deprived state, and I certainly didn't remember handing it off to SK to beta read, but apparently they just loved it. And apparently it needed 1 or 2 edits, tops. And this was all the way back when we were writing chapter 5, too.

On a separate note: Did you guys see the trailer for Fire Emblem Engage? Oh, the new game looks so good! I can't wait to play it.

That's all for now. Please review!