Lady in Waiting
By psychored1911
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening or Fire Emblem Fates
Chapter 8: Camaraderie
It all started when her sister, Azura, wanted to take on more responsibility.
Azura, despite being ostracized by most of the Hoshidan royal court, had grown to become one of the brightest minds in Hoshido. Tactics, arts, music, politics, she kept learning new skills to keep her ahead of anyone who challenged her. It was one of things Sakura has idolized about her sister.
Sakura was well aware of Azura's true origins. However, it did not stop them from getting close when they were growing up together. She could perfectly recall every night when she scampered into the elder girl's room whenever she had a nightmare, and how the latter always soothed her back to sleep with a lullaby. Sakura would even dare she was closer to her adoptive sister than to Hinoka, who grew a bit distant in order to train for the frontlines.
So when she heard Azura was volunteering to lead a mission into Nohr, Sakura knew she had to step up her own training. She spent the next month honing her skills as a priestess of the Dawn Dragon, learning more of the healing arts, even how to use a yumi just like her mother did, so she could get ready to join Azura at the next opportunity.
So, when she heard Azura was coming back, Sakura practically raced back from the Temple of the Dawn Dragon and headed back to Shirasagi Castle to greet her.
But…
"What's going on?"
Sakura feared she had missed something in her absence.
She certainly did not expect Castle Shirasagi to be in such an uproar when she arrived. It looked like all the bureaucrats were actually busy instead of just lounging around the tea rooms and ogling the noblewomen who frequented the castle.
She wasn't even gone for that long. What happened?
"You must be Princess Sakura."
The pink-haired princess turned her head, finding a petite, foreign-dressed woman with pointed ears approaching her.
"Pink hair, dresses in white, soft-spoken and shy, yet courageous. You're the one I've been waiting for, aren't you? Shall I take you to Princess Azura?" The woman asked.
"Sure?" Sakura stepped back cautiously. "Um, how do you know my sister?"
"I'm one of her new retainers." The woman told her, bowing slightly. "You may call me Nagi, Princess. It's an honor to meet you."
"O-Okay, it's nice to meet you too, Nagi." Sakura said with a brief bow. "I didn't know my mother appointed her retainers."
It wasn't for lack of trying in the years prior. Most of the retainers Queen Mikoto appointed to serve Azura ended up discriminating against her the moment their mother's back was turned and were let go just as quickly for their acts. Mother had simply kept Azura at arm's length ever since, knowing that nobody would dare try to offend the queen without immediate reprisal.
Nagi shrugged, walking away slowly, prompting Sakura to follow. "Can't imagine why. My friends and I really like her. She actually reminds me of a friend of mine."
"Really?"
"Blue hair, calm and collected (well, she used to be…), noble in spirit. Checks a lot of the boxes." Nagi noted. "Do you have any other questions, princess?"
Sakura paused, then braced herself for the worst and asked. "Nagi, are you… Nohrian?"
Nagi sighed. "I've been asked that question too many times today. No, I am not Nohrian and I have absolutely no intention of harming you or any of the people of this country."
Sakura shamefully lowered her head. "I'm sorry…"
Nagi shook hers. "Don't be. I'm very aware of why you and your people are so apprehensive about Nohrians."
"You know the history of countless generations of war between our kingdoms?"
"...I was actually talking about the monsters they were going to send over the border to kill everybody." Nagi corrected.
"Oh, that makes-" Sakura paled as her eyes went wide, "W-Wait, what do you mean by monsters?!"
"Why do you think we're all so busy?" Nagi said as she opened the door to the war room. "Lady Azura, your younger sister is here to see-"
"Azura!" Sakura rushed to her sister's side and embraced her adoptive elder sister, nearly knocking her over. "I haven't seen you in a long time! What happened? What's everyone saying about monsters? What's-"
"Easy, Sakura," Azura gently patted her adoptive younger sister's head. "Calm down and take a deep breath…"
The youngest child of Hoshido did as she was told, sucking in lungfuls of air, holding her breath for a few seconds, and then letting the air slip through her lips. Immediately, she felt her worries subside, if only for a little.
"Feel better?" Azura smiled gently.
"Y-Yes," Sakura nodded. "So… what's all this? I've never seen the castle in such an uproar before."
"It's a bit complicated." Azura waved over a subordinate to help her explain the current situation: the armory, the stolen plans, the Faceless monsters in development-
"WHAT?!"
…And needless to say, Sakura was understandably worried about it all.
"Look at me, Sakura. Look at me." Azura reassuringly put both her hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. I won't let them come anywhere near you. And if not, Ryoma is already setting up our backup plan, just in case."
"What are you going to do?"
Azura paused for a moment, contemplating what she's going to tell her. "I'm to go into Nohr for a month, blow up something very important, and probably draw the ire of the Dusk Dragon in the process."
"WHAT?!"
"I won't be alone." Azura reaffirmed. "I have Ryoma's retainers, Rinkah from the Flame Tribe wants to join again-"
"This is crazy! You're going into the heart of Nohrian territory!" Sakura exclaimed. "They might kill you on sight!"
"Sakura, if someone doesn't stop them, then a lot of people are going to die. I can't let that happen." Azura stated, "Besides, I haven't been seen on Nohrian soil for over a decade. I doubt they'll give me a second glance for anything other than another look at my charming face."
Azura positively beamed with a certain confidence that Sakura rarely saw before, but still, the young Princess couldn't help but feel worried for her.
"T-Then… I'll come too!" Sakura declared, clutching onto her adoptive sister's hands, "I-I can help you! And I can even bring Hana and Subaki if we get in a fight."
Azura was almost taken aback, exchanging glances with her subordinates, who shrugged at the gesture. "Sakura…"
"W-We already failed Kamui…" Sakura begged, almost to the point of tears. "I… I don't want to fail you too… p-please, let me help you… b-big sister…"
…Oh, that is cheating.
Azura sighed, both in exasperation and pride, and motioned to Nagi and her other subordinate. "You two, inform Queen Mikoto of this development. Our caravan might've gotten just a bit bigger."
The future has been hard to witness as of late.
That had been the unfortunate truth Nyx had been noticing. While individual fates up to short periods into the future can still be foretold, the far future has become far blurrier, as if fate itself has become uncertain of its predestined path.
Great, now she was no better than the charlatans that litter Windmire's streets and those pretentious diviners in the Dawn Kingdom.
While such premonitions were alarming to a long-lived sorceress such as herself, it wasn't as if there was anyone she could consult this with.
What could be the cause of this?
"...Excuse me."
Oh, well.
Nyx put away such thoughts for the moment so she could attend to her newest customer, a troubled-looking soul clearly in need of her guidance.
"Greetings, stranger. How may I be of service?"
Nothing she can do now but do what she can.
"I'm looking for someone… Can you help me…?"
*knock, knock*
"Marth?"
"Enter."
It wasn't too late into the night, yet Effie did not expect Marth to have turned in at this hour. The latter took the later shifts in the guard, so it was expected that she would be out on patrol, training or sobbing incoherently to herself.
Instead, upon opening the door, Effie found Marth sitting on the floor, cross-legged, seemingly making what looked like some haphazardly crafted stuffed… something. She wanted to say it was a bear, but it had rabbit ears, one wyvern wing and one pegasus wing, and a wolf's snout. It had two mismatched red buttons for eyes, and it looked like it was wearing a patchy, purple cloak of sorts.
And she was doing this alone.
In the middle of the night.
With only the moon above providing any illumination for her little project.
Honestly, Effie found this significantly more unsettling than what she originally thought of her.
"How may I help you, Effie?" Marth asked politely, setting the 'toy' aside.
Effie blinked. "How long were you just sitting there?"
"No more than an hour," Marth answered as she stood up, not losing eye contact. "I have been trying to sleep, but I fear the land of dreams and nightmares still elude me. So, I'm just… practicing something my mother taught me when I was a little girl." She raised the 'toy' up proudly before setting it up again. "I think I did a pretty good job."
"In the middle of the dark?"
"I thought all of Nohr's residents can see in the dark…"
"...Fair point…" Effie did her best not to simply close the door and run away screaming from her new comrade's… eccentric behavior and steeled her resolve. "So, uh… why did you make it?"
"It was meant to be a gift."
Effie winced at the thought. "No offense, Marth, but I doubt any of the little ones around the Fortress will appreciate the gift."
"It's not for them… really," Marth admitted, leaving Effie to wonder who… or what that thing was meant for… and hopefully it was not in the room with them.
Noticing Effie was just standing there nervously, Marth cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, but what brings you to my room tonight?"
"Marth, I would like to apologize for my behavior."
Marth cocked her head slightly. "I beg your pardon?"
"I… I've been quite suspicious of you ever since you've begun your tenure here as a knight of Nohr, and you did not deserve such undue judgment," Effie admitted. "As a knight of Nohr, your past doesn't matter. Your honor, your valor, your courage, and your loyalty to Nohr; that's what matters most to all knights."
"I see." Marth nodded along. "I apologize if I made a poor impression. Effie."
"You know what, life happens." Effie shrugged. "How about we go to the new tavern and I treat you to some food, on me."
Marth blinked. "What tavern?"
"Catria, where did the other two go?" Azura asked.
"You told them to go to Princess Hinoka for further instruction; you said, and I quote 'she could do well with some competent retainers for once', remember?" The pegasus knight said, peeking her head into a doorway carrying a box of supplies for their journey.
"Ah, right." Azura nodded, then turned her attention to her other retainer present. "Nagi, where are we on those Nestran passports for getting into the country?"
"They are already in the process of being made, Princess Azura." Nagi replied.
"You don't need to add 'Princess' when we are alone." Azura told her.
Nagi smiled, nodding. "Azura then."
The two women, who were strangers, friendly strangers, but still strangers to Sakura at this point, went about their business into the next room. Azura, smiling to herself, harmoniously humming despite the dire circumstances they find themselves in. This was an odd scene to Sakura; her sister was not known to like the presence of others, was now finding herself with four new retainers.
"Something on your mind, Sakura?" The elder sibling asked, wrapping her arms around her little stepsister and pulling her down to her lap.
Sakura let out a startled gasp. "N-Nothing! I-I just thought you hated meeting new people."
Azura pursed her lips, pouting a bit, "It's not that I hate new people. It's more like I hate when others think that I'm without a brain behind this pretty face of mine."
"You mean like those five-"
"Yes, like those five suitors." Azura harrumphed, "Seriously, what was mother thinking even letting those stooges even breathe the same air to me-"
"Are you talking about those five suitors again?"
Catria and Nagi immediately dropped what they were doing and dashed over to the two princesses, with Nagi skidding to a halt on her feet and Catria-
"W-Whoa?!"
*thud*
Sliding and falling upon her face, before scrambling into a sitting position, acting like nothing even happened. "Proceed." She said coolly.
Sakura blinked, "Uh, I thought you didn't like talking about them."
"I don't." Azura resisted the urge to facepalm, "It slipped out on the way back, and they've been dying to hear the rest ever since."
"It's part of the reason why we're still here." Nagi joked, "So are you going to continue or what?"
"No." She said bluntly.
"But how can you leave out something so juicy?!" Catria complained. "Five dashing, handsome, young men from far and wide come in a desperate attempt to sweep our beautiful Lady Azura off her feet and whisk her away in marriage… only for her to callously murder one of them in cold blood!"
This time, Azura's expression changed, this time to one of blustering denial. "T-That's not what happened!"
"Then tell us!" Nagi begged, "This is the only thing we've heard that actually riles you up!"
"Don't you two have something important you have to do?" Azura frowned.
"We do... and we can get back to it so much sooner once the story is over."
"Yeah!"
Nagi and Catria high-fived eagerly.
Azura rolled her eyes. "Later."
Catria clicked her tongue playfully and stood up, "Aww. You're no fun."
The two retainers returned to their duties with a noticeable, if petty, sulk.
With the two gone, Azura tightened her grip on her little sister, "The last thing I need is another suitor to get in my way. Besides, I doubt I'll feel any love for another man in the future."
"That's what my sister said a few months before she met my brother-in-law." Catria cheekily called out.
"Shuuuuut uuuuuup, Catria."
Marth was starting to hate her little blackouts… is what she would've said; she always hated such lapses in consciousness, from the very beginning.
She genuinely thought that such phenomena would have lessened to some degree upon her newfound attempted-abstinence, but apparently not.
These little blackouts have been occurring ever since she arrived at Windmire.
Some last a few seconds, more a few minutes, but some last even longer.
This, however… This was a new record for her.
Because how in the hell did she make it from the Northern Fortress all the way back to Windmire?
Or rather, how did she end up in Cassita's tavern again?
If it wasn't for Cassita herself behind the counter, smiling at her, she would think something is completely wrong. Lilith helping out beside her just added to the… Wait, why was Lilith here?
Even stranger was Flora and Felicia, who happened to be outside of their normal servant attire and now dressed quite fancily, if exotic and foreign to Nohr's usual fashion trends, far above their stations as Marth had always assumed. Felicia's amiable smile and enthusiastic wave along with Flora's polite nod were a bit reassuring, though they didn't seem to be on duty. In fact, none of the patrons seem to be on duty. She recognized nearly everyone here, guards, servants, serfs… all of them were enjoying themselves, but they weren't the normal patrons that she expected in Cassita's watering hole.
Not that she gave any of the other patrons more than a passing glance (or a scowl and a punch from some of the more unsavory characters), but still.
Upon further inspection, there was something incredibly off with this place. Structurally, it was a 1:1 recreation of Cassita's tavern, but it looked too… new. No stains of spilled food, drink, or questionable body fluids, no stenches of the patrons or other messes, no signs of any damage or destruction from that night… nothing.
Marth uncomfortably backed up and looked over her shoulders, finding the walls of the Northern Fortress rather than the merciless streets of Windmire. So, either she has been hexed, or they somehow moved the tavern from Windmire into the fortress in the span of a single evening.
Now thoroughly befuddled, Marth walked over the counter and plopped herself in front of Lilith.
"Greetings, Marth." Lilith smiled sunnily, "I'd ask what you'd get, but Cassita told me not to let you drink too much alcohol."
Marth wordlessly nodded as Lilith dropped a comically miniscule glass in front of her and filled it with some random lager that Marth wasn't exactly paying attention to. She was still trying to comprehend how she got here, and how-
"Remember? Effie brought you here!"
Marth flinched, snapping her neck to her left, finding the little girl playfully dangling her legs from a barstool too high for her to sit on properly.
"She came to your room and invited you to the party." The girl said cheekily. "She just left to get some food or whatever."
It took a moment to clear her head, but Marth did end up recalling the events of the past few moments. Yes, if memory serves her right, she invited her to this tavern, this 'present' from the staff of the Northern Fortress to Lord Corrin. Her eyes wandered to the patrons around her, the soldiers and miscellaneous staff that worked around the Fortress. Her eyes then went back to the little girl.
She smiled brightly at the confused woman. "Still not happy to see me?"
"You're still not old enough to speak. Even younger to know how to talk with sass."
Unamused, the little girl narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "Count again."
Trying her advice, Marth closed her eyes and counted the days since she left everything that mattered to her.
The days turned to weeks,
The weeks turned into months.
And the months…
"...Damn me…" Marth plopped her head on the bar counter. "I didn't think I was gone for that long."
"You knew. You were counting." The child leaned in knowingly.
Marth attempted to lift her head, only to sink it back into her hands. "I didn't want to think about that."
"Don't act as if you have no purpose there." The little girl teased. "A visit every now and then wouldn't hurt. Might even do you some good."
"Maybe, but it would only be a detriment..."
"Those were accidents."
"It doesn't feel that way."
The little girl sighed deeply. "How do you like Elise?"
"She's nice I guess. She's a bit idealistic." Marth answered curtly.
The little girl paused, before tugging at her sleeve. "You used to be idealistic too… don't you remember?"
"And where did that get me?" Marth scoffed, "A dead husband and a broken home…"
"A brand new future for those you love, a well-paying job, reconnecting with old friends, warm beds, roofs over their heads, full stomachs, no fear for their futures for the first time in their lives…" The little girl put her face uncomfortably close to her, that playful smirk reverting back to a calming, loving smile. "And you didn't lose everything…"
Lilith leaned uncomfortably over to Cassita, "Who is she talking to…?"
Cassita shrugged, "Eh, she does this ev'ry now 'nd again, don't let it bother ya'. She'll pull 'erself together in a bit."
As if on cue, Marth shut her eyes closed, massaging her temples, before returning her attention to the two tending the bar and taking a sip out of her cup, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"N-Not at all, Marth." Lilith hastily stammered.
Cassita patted Marth on the back, "You're all good, hon. Just enjoy yourself 'till the birthday boy arrives."
"Oh, right. It's Lord Corrin's birthday tomorrow." Marth noted,
"Tonight," Lilith corrected, beaming positively. "Our Lord of the Fortress will officially be one year older as of tonight."
"How long have you been serving under him?" Marth asked. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."
"For about as long as I can remember." Lilith told her.
Cassita snorted, "And before that, you were sinkin' your teeth into virtually anyone who came close. 'Cept for Lord Corrin, where you-"
Lilith promptly put a hand over the former head maid's mouth, her cheeks slightly reddened. "Please don't, Miss Cassita."
"I see. Lord Corrin is quite lucky to have such faithful…" Marth suddenly paused and stared at Lilith, squinting her eyes and glancing all over her, focusing on her ears, before leaning uncomfortably close to her face.
"Um… Can I help you?"
"Are you… Never mind."
"Sorry that took so long!" Effie came with a plate of food in one hand and a mountain of food in the other. "The kitchen was understaffed so I just grabbed whatever food we could spare."
"..." Marth leaned back to her seat, eyeing the mountain of food Effie was holding.
Lilith raised a brow, somewhat annoyed. "You know, you could have just told us you were hungry. We could've whipped up whatever you wanted from over here."
"I didn't think the kitchen here was even stocked." Effie shrugged before handing the smaller plate over to Marth while clearly taking the larger one for herself.
"Actually, I have been meaning to ask about that." Marth mentioned, "So about this tavern…"
"It's nice, right?" Effie grinned, taking a forkful of food from her plate and chomping down on it before continuing, "I almost thought that they wouldn't get it done in time for Lord Corrin's birthday."
"...I was actually referring to the part about it being a mirror image of Miss Cassita's tavern back in Windmire." Marth said, looking down at her plate. "I almost thought I was back in the capital for a moment."
"I guess that means we're doing something right." Lilith smiled. "Corrin hasn't been to a tavern before, who better but us?"
"They seem to be going all out for him."
Effie smiled. "Take a good look around you. You see that couple over there." She pointed towards a man fixing a bonnet on a woman who, in turn, is fixing his collar. "That's a maid and one of the soldiers stationed here. Happily married; Corrin introduced them when he discovered them pining for each other; had Gunter conduct the ceremony and everything, right in the main hall."
Marth was taken aback, "Really?"
"Yep, and that's not all. See those middle-aged couples over there?" Effie then pointed to the group of six sitting in a corner booth, enjoying one another's company, "They all have children here; there's a lot of them living in the fortress. Corrin had them educated, taught to read, write, and fight in our prestigious military, and they still have more than enough time to spare to pursue whatever prospects they wish to follow."
That… that nearly put Marth at a loss for words. "Really now? That's impressive."
"Yeah, and originally the Northern Fortress has once considered a death sentence for anyone's careers." Cassita chimed in, "Heard a ton of soldiers and staff who messed up but didn't warrant expulsion or execution were thrown 'ere to be forgotten about without any hope of promotion."
"Fortunately for them, Lord Corrin grew up to be the best Lord anyone could hope to serve under." Lilith beamed, "So many individuals who were thrown away by the rest of the kingdom were given new purpose by Lord Corrin. It's why everyone here would gladly do everything they can to make him happy."
"...Too bad he can't even set foot outside the fortress. He'd probably love the outside world," Cassita frowned, her face turning downtrodden rather suddenly, a sentiment and motion shared with most people, sans Marth, within earshot.
Marth hadn't heard about that detail before, and was understandably taken aback by this little revelation. "He's not allowed to leave? Why not?"
"Two words: Queens' Massacre." Cassita answered bluntly, "The Hoshidans broke into Castle Krakenburg one day and massacred the royal consorts and nearly every child of King Garon, save for Crown Prince Xander and the other five. And that's only because King Garon managed to rally the Royal Knights after all the confusion to drive them off."
"You seem to be personally affected by this, Cassita."
Cassita's face turned unreadable, "I love those kids, hon. They deserved better than what the Hoshidans did to them."
"Now, Corrin is both honored and burdened with the task of being designated survivor in case of another succession crisis." Lilith sighed, "It gets even muddier considering that the line of succession is technically split between him and Lady Camilla; Lord Corrin may be the second child of Queen Katerina, but Lady Camilla is currently the second eldest child of King Garon. They're fortunately close enough to one another that one of them will concede the throne out of the other's well-being, but there's bound to be a long list of nobles who'd love to install Lord Corrin as their naive puppet king if given half a chance. That's another reason why he's kept here."
"Only chance he gets at seeing the world outside these walls is if he beats Xander, in a duel, one on one. Proving himself strong enough that he doesn't need protecting anymore."
The air between them got noticeably tense in the few seconds that followed, before Cassita patted Lilith on the back, "Bah! Enough of the doom and gloom. We're here to celebrate, not bemoan the past."
The women chuckled. "It's not like there will be another war anytime soon."
"Speaking of which, where is Lady Elise?" Marth asked, "I thought for sure she'd be here, where all the celebrations would be."
"She's getting the birthday boy himself." Effie said before putting another forkful in her mouth. "She should be here any minute now!"
*KNOCK*
"Ask me again in the morning…"
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"It's the middle of the night. Go away…"
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
"UGHHHH…"
A half-asleep Corrin stumbled out of bed, before limping over to the door, opening it, and rubbing his eyes, finding his little sister smiling cheekily at him.
"Heya-"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot."
Corrin slammed the door in her face before picking up an ornate box from his closet and opening the door all over again. "Don't lose this again."
He plopped the box into a dumbfounded Elise's hands before slamming the door on his sister again.
Elise… well, she didn't even bother opening the box, and instead put her arms akimbo to her hips, pouting, "And here I thought Leo was a grouchy-pants in the evening."
"I probably would be in higher spirits if Marth didn't keep stomping on my feet!" Corrin complained through the door.
"First off, that was your own fault for never wearing shoes and you know it!" Elise countered, "And second, what is this thing?"
"That is the Bifrost staff you left here the last time you left. You know, the incredibly rare ceremonial staff that could supposedly revive the dead, that used to belong to the late Queen Arete?"
Elise's eyes widened and hastily opened the box, finding the legendary staff of her stepmother in it. "Ooh… if Lilith or Gunter found it first-"
"And it's a good thing I covered for you." Corrin grumbled. "Let's just say you were very fortunate I found it first and leave it at that. Good on you for coming to me and taking it privately."
Elise shivered at the thought. Losing a national treasure like her stepmother's prized staff would have landed her in serious trouble, and losing it at the Fortress would've made it Corrin's responsibility. Sure, their loyalty to Corrin is second to none, and they definitely like her well enough, but even they would have to report to their father if a missing national treasure somehow turned up within their walls, regardless of whatever excuses Corrin can come up with… And then father would've torn her a new one for
her trouble, at least…
Cowed, Elise stashed the staff away and wordlessly started heading back to her room-
"Hey, wait a minute!"
-And then she came galloping back just seconds later, knocking on the door as if her life depended on it.
*KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!*
"Oh, come on! Elise, I just saved you from getting the grounding of a lifetime from father! Whatever it is, just save it for tomorrow!"
"I can't! It's your birthday!"
"Yeah, and I'll be sure to celebrate it with you and the rest of the Fortress tomorrow. Now go to sleep."
"C'mon, Corrin!"
"Don't make me use my royal authority, Elise! I'm still the second prince, your warden, and your elder brother! You are too old to have a bedtime, but I will enact it as a royal decree if it makes you leave me alone until morning!"
"Gasp! Royal abuse of power! Tyranny!"
"Okay, that time you said the word 'gasp'!"
Okay, Elise was getting nowhere. She had to get him out of his bedroom somehow…
"If you don't get dressed and come out now, I'll…" Elise pondered for a moment, then, with a devilish grin, stated. "I'll tell Marth to stop going easy on you!"
"..." suddenly the door swung open, and Corrin stared at his little sister with wide, morbid eyes. "...She was going easy on me?"
"Odin says that she trained the three of them by throwing rocks at them until they could run faster." Elise mischievously giggled, "And to teach them how to anticipate attacks, she did the same thing to them… BLINDFOLDED…"
She was lying through her teeth, but considering the scant details of Marth raising the trio, it sounded plausible, if not probable.
Corrin just stared at her, visibly wanting to call her bluff, but ultimately deflating with a sigh of defeat. "...Wait there."
Right now, Camilla was helping the rest of the Capital staff prepare for the Festival of the Dusk Dragon. It was an incredibly important time for every Nohrian, to honor and revere their patron Dragon God that blessed their kingdom and gave them their strength. It was coming up very, very soon, and it had the unfortunate timing of occurring only a month after her beloved little brother's birthday, leaving them to spend only a week with him before needing to depart back to Windmire. They could simply pace themselves properly; not all of this had to be done in advance, but if they did so, they would miss out on their beloved little brother's birthday. It tore at her heart the one year they missed it, how he had secluded himself from virtually everybody in the Fortress, crying by himself, all alone. That one year tore at their heartstrings.
So now, she and Xander did their best to get everything prepared for the inevitable festivities before they departed for the Northern Fortress.
As for why she was at the front lines, coordinating her subjects as actively as she was? Well… it was leagues better than the seemingly endless mountains of paperwork that her brother had to sign over the course of the next few days. Paperwork that he originally let Laslow do after one too many cases of flirting with the wrong women.
"Camilla,"
Speak of the devil…
Camilla turned around and greeted her brother, "Xander, how are you? How's the paperwork?"
"I think I'm starting to see in black and white, but otherwise I should be done by tonight, provided that Peri doesn't dump another stack of papers on my desk the moment I return to my office," Xander massaged his weary eyes. "This is an odd question, but have you seen father lately?"
Camilla raised a brow. "He's not at the castle?"
Xander shook his head. "Apparently, he left on business. No one has seen Iago either."
"How curious…" Camilla stated before ultimately brushing it off. "Leave him be, whatever it is, he will come back soon enough."
Xander smiled. "I guess that's true. How are things on your end?"
"I'm almost done with my work. On the bright side, we'll be done within the hour and we can finally depart to the fortress as we do every year." Camilla smiled, turning her head to the side, eyeing all of the eager festival workers setting everything up. "I believe this year's festivities will top all others before it."
"I sure hope so." Xander sighed. "And maybe this year Corrin will be able to attend with us for once."
"Oh? You're planning on going easy on him this year?" Camilla joked.
Xander shook his head again. "No, of course not. But he should have a better chance this year if Marth is training him."
"Ah, her…" Camilla chuckled to herself. "Tell me more of what you think of her."
"Corrin's letters tell me she is an even tougher instructor than myself or even Gunter…" Xander praised before chuckling, "He also says that she keeps stomping on his feet during their training sessions. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing…" She teased. "It's just that… you seem to be putting a lot of your… What's the word I'm looking for? 'Attention' on her."
Xander's eyes narrowed. "Where are you going with this?"
"I'm not going anywhere with anything!" She lied, perking up with her voice. "I just never seen you so enthusiastic about a woman before."
"She's a royal retainer, sister."
"Yet whenever Corrin sends us his daily reports, you've been oddly fixated on what our newest knight has been up to." Camilla coyly leaned forward with a cat-like grin.
"I-Uh…" Xander blushed. "I just think she's exceptional, so to speak."
"You can fool a lot of people, Xander, but I am not one of them." Camilla mused. "Don't think I haven't noticed you wearing more expensive cologne, let alone you being more conscious of what you wear."
"I am next in line to the throne, Father's crown will soon lie upon my head, I should be wary of how I present myself." He argued.
"Then why do I have the impression you want to put a crown on her head as well?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Xander claimed as he speedwalked past his sister, doing his best to mask the tint of red dust on his cheeks.
"You can try your best to not say anything, but don't act like I don't know what's going on in that head of yours! I've known you longer than anyone!" She cheekily called out.
"Shuuuuut uuuuuup, Camilla!" He yelled back at her from a considerable distance.
"Here are your passports, I already gave the rest of the team theirs." Nagi handed Kagero and Catria their documents needed to get into the country and, more importantly, the city. Kagero, you are our lady's maid. And Catria, since you're a renownless nobody in these parts, you're one of the hired help, a bodyguard escort."
Catria winced. "Ouch. Kinda harsh, don't 'cha think?"
"Hey, you chose the name, remember?" Nagi raised a brow.
Azura couldn't help but giggle. "You two must be very close."
"Close enough for her to want to ride on my shoulders when charging into battle," Nagi snarked.
Catria folded her arms defensively. "To be fair, it would've been awesome and heroic and nobody would see it coming."
"Yeah, and once they got over their stupefied reactions, they'd take us both out for an easy kill." Nagi snarked.
"But we would've at least nailed one bad guy before we went down heroically." Catria argued.
Nagi raised a finger in protest, only for her words to fail her. "...I can see that happening."
Nagi then hands them each a pair of sets of clothes, a dark-colored leather and plate armor set for Catria, and a black dancer's dress with a matching head veil for Azura. "And these are to make you look less… Hoshidan as possible, to not arouse any suspicion."
Azura checked the new change of attire, admiring them for a bit, before checking the name on her passport. "The clothing I understand, but why is my name being changed as well? I know for sure it's not remotely Hoshidan."
"Apparently your name's taboo in that country for some reason. Plus, in the off-chance we have to deal with the Nohrian Royal family, a simple name change can throw them off." Nagi shrugged. "So now, you're Aqua, daughter of a rising Nestran merchant coming to see the Festival of the Dusk Dragon for the first time."
Azura's expression soured ever so slightly, if only for a minute. "I see…"
Catria patted her on the back. "Eh, don't worry about it. Aqua sounds like a great name! It also matches your hair! And my hair too, for that matter!"
"I guess it's better than some names," Azura giggled. "Thank you for handling this, Nagi."
Kagero cleared her throat, "Actually, will you ever tell us your real names?"
Nagi placed both of her hands on Kagero's shoulders, causing the shinobi to bend her knees a bit in order for their eyes to meet properly, they let their gazes meet, she inhaled her breath, and said with utmost seriousness:
"Nah."
Azura hid a smile. Catria started laughing.
As for Kagero, the shinobi sighed in dejection. "Well, that's okay, I guess. You're entitled to your privacy and all."
"Ah, don't take it so personally, Kagero. She's hard to warm up with everybody." Catria giggled, patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, her real name is so dumb you'd probably keep calling her Nagi anyway."
"Really?"
Nagi flashed another playful smirk, "Nah."
"C'mon, Corrin! Hurry!"
"*yawn* I'm coming!"
Corrin found himself getting dragged out of the main castle and through the courtyard, with his little sister goading him into following her. He knew it was his birthday and all, but it was still late, and he didn't know why it couldn't wait until it was morning. Why was she leading him to the wine cellar-
Wait a minute, why would they put a building over the wine cellar? It's a cellar, It's supposed to be underground. And why was it lit up so brightly?
…He had a feeling he should've been paying a bit more attention to its construction.
Elise stormed through the door first, then the lights went out.
Oh, he had a bad feeling about this.
Corrin went through the door, expecting literally anything. "Elise, what're you doing in there-"
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
"W-Wah?!" Corrin was taken aback as a chord of cheers erupted from all directions, with the lights coming back on, with the visage of his loyal staff happily welcoming him into the wine cellar's interior.
Needless to say, he has a lot of questions.
"Well, don't just stand there, silly!" Felicia and Flora flanked their stunned prince, each of them grabbing onto his arms, "Come on, birthday boy! We're waiting for you!"
The twins pulled him over to a table and sat him down at one of the tables, where they then poured him a pint of ale into a fancy beerstein amidst a chorus of cheers.
At that moment, Corrin finally began to process what was going on through his recently awoken brain, realizing what was happening before taking it all in with a laugh. "Aww, you guys!"
"A toast to the Lord of the Northern Fortress. The best Lord any of us could ever dream of serving!" Lilith raised a beerstein in the air. "You won't have the throne of Nohr, but to us, you'll always be a king! To Lord Corrin!"
"TO LORD CORRIN!" The crowd cheered.
The surprise party rapidly went underway. One by one, the patrons of the Fortress' new tavern, the loyal servants of Corrin, began raising their glass to him, thanking him for giving them a new lease on life, introducing them to their spouses, making the fortress' environment a wonderful place to raise their families, the list goes on.
Afterwards, some began to play music with a wide variety of instruments. Corrin was then brought to his feet and encouraged to dance, first with Lilith, then with Flora, and finally with Felicia, whose lingering gaze and handholding did not go unnoticed by Marth. Afterwards, he was brought alongside several men and started drinking drunken shanties to the amusement of the entire audience.
Meanwhile, Marth stayed to the side. More than content watching the patrons enjoy themselves to their fullest. Laslow got slapped by Flora and, shortly after, by Lilith, with Odin and Selena laughing on the sidelines. Arthur and Effie were in the middle of an arm-wrestling contest with most of the patrons making bets on the victor.
Fun, food, and the fear of death were far from her mind.
When was the last time she felt like this? It's been a while since she's been a part of such a light-hearted affair.
…
…
…
Right…
She can't remember. Of course she couldn't. It was all muddled away from the months drowned in the bottle, with only a cherished few remaining. However, those were years ago.
Marth reached for her glass and tried to take a drink, only to find it empty. She drank it earlier before the festivities started.
There was another bottle within arm's reach.
Lilith and Cassita were among the crowd, distracted by the fun.
No one would see her. No one would stop her.
Maybe a bit more won't hurt.
She reached for it.
"You know you want to..."
She recognized that voice, pulled back her arm, and tightened her fist. She looked to the corner of the room and saw that thing using her husband's visage again.
"You want it so much… Even though you promised…"
She grit her teeth, trying to ignore that monster.
"Go ahead. Let's see you hurt those you love once more-"
"Leave her alone!"
Marth whipped her head back to her side. The little girl was standing by her side, clinging to her. "She won't." The little girl trembled, her words betraying her doubt and apprehension. She looked at Marth expectantly. "Right?"
"We shall see…"
She can't even enjoy a damned birthday party without her maddening hallucinations bringing her misery.
"You can never run or hide from the inevitable. All you can do is wait for your despair to inevitably consume you… Until you're swallowed whole with all your misery and shame…"
"Screw that despair and nihilistic nonsense! You're not him!" The little girl barked at him before turning back to Marth. "Get it together! You know he was never like that! Take a deep breath and look at him a second time! Go on! Do it!"
She had no reason to listen to that tiny apparition, but at the risk of having a complete breakdown at what should be a joyous event, She listened to the little girl, keeping her eyes shut and taking a deep breath, keeping her mouth after a swift lungful of air before letting it all out a moment later. And in that moment, that monster taking her husband's visage faded, and only Robin remained, smiling at her sadly.
Part of her hoped that it was real, that this Robin was real.
That he was here with her.
But it wasn't.
And she knew it. As much as she wished it were not so, Robin was gone forever. And as bitter as the truth was, she had to accept it. She just had to accept that her husband was gone, and there was nothing she could do to change that.
Her depression was gone, but her anger remained. Frustrated, Marth went for the door, leaving behind the two apparitions and the rest of the celebrating crowds. She went to the courtyard outside, near the drawbridge, its eerie silence heavily contrasting with the levity within the tavern.
"That was unpleasant…" She gasped aloud, slapping herself. "It's okay! Get a grip, Lucina! She is fine, her future is bright! I made sure of that! That monster is never coming back. You made sure of that. That monster will never come back and ruin her future! He's gone, and because he's gone… you'll never see him again…"
"Marth?"
"Are you okay?"
Marth flinched, looking over her shoulder, finding Felicia standing behind her.
Doing her best to recompose herself, Marth turned to face the young maid and cleared her throat. "...Is there something the matter?"
"...You just ran out of there in a hurry." Felicia said, worriedly, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…" Marth lied. "I was… the air in there was getting insufferable "
"Oh, is that it?" Felicia perked up, "Here, I think I can help with that."
The maid walked over to her and put her hand by her ear-
"Gah?! C-Cold?!"
Marth recoiled from the sudden burst of freezing wind that assaulted her face, causing Felicia to let out a tiny yelp panic.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry about that! I should've warned you first!" Felicia apologized quickly. "I was trying to cool you off!"
"With ice magic?" Marth asked, rubbing her now near-frostbitten cheek.
"Eh, sort of?" Felicia uneasily admitted, "I'm from the ice tribe in Freesia. It's what we usually do to wake up slugabeds who oversleep."
"...Freesia?"
"Oh, it's a duchy that serves as a vassal state to Nohr." Felicia explained, "My father was installed as duke by King Garon after they overthrew the previous one for starting a rebellion sometime before Flora and I were born."
"...You're a duchess, then?" Marth asked incredulously, "Then what are you doing here as a maid?"
"Well… it started off as general etiquette training in relative safety so we'd survive the Nohrian Courts if push came to shove, but…" Felicia looked away uneasily, "Let's just say that things happened and now Flora and I have to serve as maids for the foreseeable future."
"Uhh…" Marth uncomfortably patted Felicia on the shoulder, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that."
"Oh, it's no problem! Everything worked out great!" Felicia assured her. "Lord Corrin is just the best! Better him than some creepy old man or something! I just love Lord Corrin!"
"..."
"I-I mean, I just love serving Lord Corrin!" Felicia hastily corrected with a red face, again, feeling like she had this conversation with Marth before. It doesn't help that Marth is just staring at her again like last time.
"...I see."
And just like before, she was really glad Marth was that dense.
"Lord Corrin seems like a good man." Marth complimented. "He reminds me a bit of my husband."
Felicia was taken aback. "Eh?! Really?!"
"It's mostly the red eyes and white hair, but his heart's in the right place, and I can see the limitless potential in his eyes." Marth noted, "He will make a fine man in the future."
"Hmm…" Felicia looked at Marth warily.
"Perhaps you should court him." Marth suggested.
Felicia flushed red. "W-WHAT?!"
"I don't intend on marrying a second time nor do I find it in good taste to take him from someone who clearly adores him, like you." Marth replied with a slight shrug, "Besides, I believe you would be cute together."
"No! Absolutely not!" Felicia rapidly shook his head, "I refuse any part of that!"
Marth seemed startled by Felicia's near-immediate rejection, "...Why not?"
"...Because there are other women in the world who are better for him than me." Felicia reluctantly admitted,
"You're technically a duchess." Marth pointed out.
"Yes, a klutzy duchess who breaks plates, blows up latrines, and can't act even remotely ladylike for her life!"
"Blow up what-"
"There's no way he'd fall for me when there are better, more competent women out there." Felicia sulked, falling into a squatting position and sinking her face in her palms.
Marth wanted to comfort Felicia, try to pull her out of her funk. Instead, all that came out of her mouth was: "...You mean like Flora and Lilith?"
"MMMMMMMMMMMRGH!" Felicia screamed into her palms.
That… was probably not the best thing she could've said at the moment. Instead, Marth changed tactics and cleared her throat, "Felicia, he's quite fond of you. You don't have to put yourself down like that."
"No, no. I can't. I won't marry him-"
"Where did they go?"
Corrin looked around worriedly. He noticed Marth suddenly stormed out of the tavern earlier, with Felicia following shortly after. He was wondering what could've happened, and snuck out during a lull in the festivities.
It's a good thing most of them were drunk, otherwise, they would've never let him out of their sight.
Fortunately, he wasn't that far behind them. He managed to catch up with them by the courtyard-
"No, no. I can't. I won't marry him. I will never be Corrin's bride."
And then his blood suddenly ran cold, with his desire to find them suddenly turning into this desire to hide where they couldn't find him, leading to him ducking behind a nearby crate.
"I thought you two got along well." Marth said, sounding clearly confused.
"We just get along well. That's all there is to it." Felicia stated, almost solemnly.
He didn't know why, but Felicia's blunt dismissal of their relationship just tore at his heartstrings.
"So you don't want to?"
"Not at all. Sorry for causing a misunderstanding."
He knew he only caught the tail end of their conversation, but what he heard was more than enough.
And what he heard hurt.
"I knew I should have stayed in bed…" The heartbroken prince muttered as he snuck away, wiping away the tears forming in his eyes.
"I thought you two got along well." Marth said, disappointed.
"We just get along well. That's all there is to it." Felicia groaned into her palms, clearly in denial.
"So you don't want to?" Marth pressed.
"Not at all. Sorry for causing a misunderstanding." The maid tearfully shook her head in denial.
Marth wasn't a woman who was known for her insight into one's emotions. She would know, her sister kept calling her as dense as a doornail for not realizing her own feelings towards Robin back when he was courting her. However, she'd like to think she has improved since then, and Felicia's feelings for Lord Corrin's were quite obvious even to someone as her. And watching the latter deny something that could make her happy is clearly eating away at her. She had to say something.
"Do you want to know what I think?" Marth said as she leaned over Felicia.
Felicia peeked out from her hands. "What?"
"All of this self-doubt and putdowns… sounds a lot like my mother before she married my father."
That… wasn't something the young maid was expecting to hear, "Huh?"
"I'm serious." Marth told her, "My mother was just like you: nervous, insecure, so clumsy that one would think she was gravitationally challenged."
"Why would you talk about your mother like that?" Felicia asked incredulously.
"Because it's the truth, and she was still that way even as I grew up." Marth stated, almost proudly, "However, my father loved her anyway, faults and all, and proposed to her above all other suitors." Marth embraced the sulking Felicia, "Don't put yourself in the pit of despair, not when you can still claim his heart."
"...You know what? You're right." Felicia rose to her feet, her vigor renewed. "I won't give up! I still have a chance with Lord Corrin!"
"That's the spirit-"
"And if I don't become his wife, I can still be his mistress!" Felicia declared.
"Ye- wait, what?!"
"...What? I'm kidding! Too much?"
An hour later.
Elise walked out of the tavern. Corrin wouldn't let her drink yet so she was probably one of the few who were only sober. She walked over to the courtyard where she spotted Felicia and Marth who waved her over. Why they were all the way over there and not at the party was anyone's guess.
As she walked over, the drawbridge nearby started to open, startling the three of them.
"Someone's coming? At this hour?" Marth asked.
Felicia shook her head worriedly. "We shouldn't be expecting any guests, especially not at this hour. Who are they letting in?"
A large carriage accompanied by a dozen horseback soldiers. First out came a man in a half-mask, perhaps to hide a face that not even a mother would love. The second man was large and grandiose, exerting an imminent, imposing pressure on all that beheld him.
Felicia froze on the spot.
Elise paled into a sickly white.
Marth, however, had no idea who this person was. Untroubled, she turned to the other two and asked. "Who is that?"
"That… is King Garon, Sovereign ruler of Nohr and all of its vassal states." Felicia answered, clearly terrified.
"My father…" Elise added, clearly off guard.
Marth turned back to him, but Felicia grabbed her and ducked behind a nearby structure.
Elise only had two words to say before Felicia went back and did the same with her.
"We're dead…"
A/N: This chapter may be a bit rougher than my previous chapters since my buddy/beta SK is busy at the moment. I'm probably gonna edit this once I show it to her later,
So here we have Azura's second retainer out of four. Yes, we're giving her four retainers, since Corrin has even more than that at his beck and call. I really hope you guys caught on to who it is (because seriously, the hints were pretty obvious). Two retainers left. Who do you guys think they are?
I also added Sakura into the fray! Yeah her character development wasn't the greatest in the original. My brother played Birthright and he genuinely does not remember what she did in the plot, so she's bound to have more character development in this fic. I hope to do her some justice too.
Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review!