This is just a little something I've been working on to celebrate one of the most beloved Fire Emblem pairings (in my humble opinion). This takes place in a slightly different Nohr, one in which there are abundant forests and rivers in place of (what I like to call) the Hell Pit. This kind of scenery makes for a more romantic setting, anyway.

Enjoy!

-K

She stood waist-deep in the murky water, unable to move.

Every cell in her body was screaming at her to flee - but it was as if her limbs were nothing more than dead weights. Despite her best efforts, she could do nothing but stand still, feeling the icy water seep into her skin and chill her bones.

She stared straight ahead into the eerily-still lake surrounding her. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but she knew with every fiber of her being that something was incredibly amiss. Not just amiss - something was coming for her, hunting her down. And if she didn't move her accursed legs soon, that "something" would catch up to her and -

Too late. Her heart leapt into her throat once she felt something slimy and cold - somehow even colder than the water - latch itself onto her legs and start slithering around her calves. Get away! Get away! her mind screamed, but her body still refused to budge even one inch. The entity continued to slither across her bare skin, slowly expanding in size until it felt like her legs were being constricted by thick pieces of rope. And then… it continued upwards. Across her exposed stomach, chest, and neck. Here, it momentarily stalled in its movements and lingered around her jawline, causing her breathing to become more shallow. She mentally begged for it all to end, but then she heard a deep, sinister voice seemingly resonate from all directions - but undeniably directed towards her.

"You have always been mine… my child."

She jolted awake with a start, her eyes quickly adjusting to the familiar sight of her darkened bedroom. She looked down at herself and saw that she had somehow yanked the comforter out from under the mattress and modeled it into a tight cocoon in her sleep. As she moved to unpeel herself from the covers, she realized that her fingers were clammy and trembling. Not from the cold, but from fear.

These dreams were beginning to grow progressively more gruesome. Ever since she chose to return to Nohr with her beloved siblings, the sinister entity she so desperately wished she could name began to appear in her dreams. Although she had never physically laid eyes on the creature, she was certain for reasons unknown that it was the same as the others she had previously encountered. And she was also certain that it wished to do harm upon her.

No… what was she thinking? She sat up and quickly shook her head in an attempt to dispel the sleepy fog from her mind. Nothing could possibly harm her in her dreams. The entity she so feared? Most definitely just a figment of her imagination, triggered into existence by a distressing event of the real world.

It had to be Mikoto's words… the very words that shattered her long-maintained perception of family. As she slid off the edge of the bed and allowed her bare feet to make contact with the cold, wooden floorboards below, Mikoto's voice played out in her head.

"Those siblings of yours, whom you love so much… you are not related to them through blood. Because King Garon… is not your biological father."

What a revelation that had been! She had spent the rest of her time in Hoshido completely baffled, constantly bringing up excuses to retire to her room alone and sort out her various emotions. Among them, she could certainly single out distress, but also confusion, a hint of betrayal, and - dare she say it - relief. As a matter of fact, relief had been at the forefront of her feelings since that day. And if that was the case, could Mikoto's words really be the reason for these horrible, recurring dreams?

But more importantly, why was she relieved to find out that the people she so lovingly referred to as Brother and Sister were… not? She certainly loved them like real siblings, or she wouldn't have returned to Nohr despite her ever-increasing resentment toward King Garon. Or… did she? She never had the opportunity to make friends as a child, so perhaps she mentally equated the terms "Brother" and "Sister" with "Friend", simply because she did not know the distinction.

No… Jakob was her friend. Felicia and Lilith were her friends. Deep down, she knew that her love for them was different than the love she held for her siblings-in-name. But even within her siblings… she loved them differently. She regarded Elise with a fondness she would have for a small child, Camilla with a tenderness she would have for a mother, Xander with a trust she would have for a father, and Leo with a fiery warmth that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

That warmth had been puzzling her, just like so many other things. Why did it feel so familiar, yet so foreign? Why was it specific to Leo, and not any of her other siblings? And why did that feeling render it so difficult for her to address him as "Brother" nowadays?

Her mind swam with these endless stream of questions as she made her way down the winding staircase, lit candle in hand. Judging from the pitch-black windows, it was probably still the middle of the night. It would be extremely stupid to wake up said siblings lest she carelessly knock over something while lost in thoughts. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, she quietly tiptoed through the main hall and through a series of hallways before coming across the empty kitchen. She released a breath she didn't even realize she was holding - King Garon had only given her access to the main castle around a month ago, and as such, she had often encountered difficulties in navigating through what seemed like a maze. She could have easily been wandering around in the dark for Gods know how long.

With a light thud, she set the candle holder on the dining table and began searching the cupboards for anything resembling a drinking cup. She accomplished her objective only a moment later, bringing the glass cup over to a barrel that she knew contained fresh drinking water. Just as she began pouring, a voice behind her startled her into nearly dropping the cup.

"Lady Corrin. Are you in need of my assistance?"

She quickly whirled around and laid her eyes on her butler, who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere and was now standing in the doorway, wearing his usual accommodating smile. "Jakob!" she exclaimed, lifting a hand to her heart in an attempt to quell its racing. "You scared me. What on earth are you doing at this hour?"

"I would be a sad excuse of a butler if I wasn't at your every beck and call," he cryptically replied. "But I truly am sorry to have startled you, milady. Would you like me to brew you an apologetic cup of tea?"

Corrin opened her mouth to politely refuse, but the eagerness in Jakob's tone was, as usual, irresistible. Instead, she sighed and gave him a meek smile. "That sounds great, actually. I do think I'm a bit dehydrated."

"Wonderful - I'll get the kettle started right away. Please do have a seat." He pulled back a chair from the table before stepping back and bustling about the kitchen - albeit in the quietest way possible. Corrin gladly occupied the seat, gulping down the small portion of cold water she had been able to transfer to her cup. Doing so thankfully seemed to calm her nerves and repress her slight shakiness, although it did nothing to abate the whirlwind of thoughts inside her head.

"Hey… Jakob?" she piped up, tracing small circles into the tablecloth with her pointer finger. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Well, I thought you'd never ask," he replied, opening up a nearly-empty jar of crushed tea leaves. "It isn't very often that you leave your room at night. There must be something eating at your mind. Please - I'm all ears."

"That's certainly what it feels like," she responded with a soft sigh. "I've been having these horrid dreams lately… and I think they might have something to do with what my mother told me before she passed away. You know… about how my siblings aren't actually my blood siblings."

"Ah. That is most definitely a sore subject. Are your mind and heart at conflict with each other?"
"Yes, exactly!" She could never go a day without mentally expressing her appreciation for Jakob. How she managed to end up with such a compassionate and understanding butler, she didn't know. "When it comes to most of them, at least. I couldn't ever treat them any differently because of this, even though everyone knows we aren't related by blood. Is that so wrong?"

"Not in the slightest, milady. Kindness has always been a virtue of yours." Jakob turned back around and set down a steaming-hot cup of freshly brewed tea in front of Corrin before lowering himself into the empty chair next to her. She smiled at him and lifted the cup to her lips, taking small, careful sips so as not to scald her tongue.

"It's delicious as usual, Jakob. Thank you very much."

He bowed his head slightly in appreciation. "I am forever undeserving of your praise."

As the two of them sat together in comfortable silence, Corrin's mind wandered to what she had confessed to her butler. She may have been stretching the truth a bit. Sure, she hadn't changed the way she interacted with anyone since she had returned to Nohr… except when it came to one person. The very same person who stirred up confusing, intense, and unfamiliar emotions within her whenever she thought about him.

Just the other day, he had accompanied Xander to assist with her training in the main courtyard. Before they arrived, her session with Gunter (in her humble opinion) was running extremely smoothly. She had been able to consistently focus on utilizing the dragonstone as a channel for her latent dragon powers, successfully transforming her limbs into those of her dragon counterpart. While there still seemed to be some lingering delay between transformations, her agility and efficiency had undeniably improved. At least… until her two brothers arrived.

Corrin had been in the middle of sparring Gunter when Xander had greeted her from behind. After reverting back to her completely human form, she had turned around and intended to return the greeting, only for her voice to come out in a barely-audible croak once she saw Leo standing beside him. Which made no sense, since he often accompanied Xander to her training sessions. Why had his presence that day flustered her so? Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice, and had given her his usual nod before letting Xander take control of the session.

Much to her dismay, Leo hadn't remained on the sidelines for long. Xander had apparently taken Corrin's flaws into consideration and deemed it necessary to pit her against Leo for the purpose of strengthening her dodges. But once they began sparring with each other, Corrin knew that she had completely lost focus. The mere sight of Leo had tightened her stomach into a knot, and she had become acutely aware of only two things: his eyes on her, and the entrancing fluidity with which he cast his spells. His movements were so mesmerizing, in fact, that she had caught herself staring at him in multiple instances and clumsily faltered in her movements, allowing his magic to knock her to the ground. After she sprawled across the pavement a third time, Xander had stepped forward and suggested that they should all perhaps retire for the afternoon. Leo had remained eerily silent. Ashamed beyond belief, she had apologized profusely to the both of them before quickly retreating to her private quarters.

"Forgive me if I'm being a tad intrusive, milady - but there seems to be something still on your mind." Jakob's voice pulled Corrin out of her thoughts, and her eyes focused on his mildly concerned expression.

"You know me so well, Jakob," she said with a small laugh. "I could never hide anything from you." For a brief moment, she considered the possibility that unwanted ears may be listening in on their conversation, but quickly dismissed the thought. Jakob was too keen to let something like that go unnoticed. "It's just that I've been such a nuisance around Leo lately, and I'm not entirely sure what to do. Through no fault of his own, he makes me nervous… and the reasons as to why still elude me. Nowadays, I can't even hold a conversation with him without coming down with a fit of the stomach butterflies!"

"Hmmm… that is very strange, indeed," Jakob mused, closing his eyes and folding his arms in thought. "...strange to think that it would be someone in your immediate family. But I suppose you were denied the opportunity of meeting many other people, weren't you?"

She couldn't quite follow his implications and blinked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Jakob opened his eyes and met her gaze with a steady one of his own. "You must be fond of him, Lady Corrin."

"F-Fond? Well, of course I am! After all, he is my… brother."

A small, mysterious smile appeared on his lips, and he paused a moment before speaking again - this time more slowly. "Perhaps you should spend some more time with him. In doing so, you may come to understand your emotions a bit more intimately… and what it means to love someone not as a brother, but as a man."

His words baffled her into silence and remained at the forefront of her mind, even after she retired to her room and slipped into a (thankfully) dreamless sleep. It felt like mere moments before she regained consciousness and gazed up at the suspended dust particles above her bed, illuminated by the rogue rays of sunlight escaping through the gaps in her curtains. Sleep-deprivation left her head feeling slightly fuzzy, but she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to really take notice.

Love… she loved him? As a man? She repeated these questions to herself over and over as she curled up into a ball and bunched up her still-loose blankets around her. The only things she knew about romantic love was what she had read from the storybooks Felicia used to sneak to her as a child. And if she remembered correctly… love began with the physical features. Almost every main protagonist of every romantic novel had commented on the physical attractiveness of their significant other. Did she find Leo attractive?

So very pretty, her thoughts rang out on their own. That's right… that was undoubtedly the very reason she could no longer bear to look at him for more than a few seconds at at time (lest she contract that strange tightening sensation in her chest). It was his eyes. Those bottomless pools of chestnut brown that seemed like they could pierce through her soul at any given moment. His dark lashes, too… they framed his eyes well, and were longer than any she had seen on other males, she knew. With a wave of embarrassment, she realized that she had unknowingly been staring at them during their last trip to the parlor room, after he had offered to play her in a casual game of shogi. She had lost, to no surprise- but not badly. Due to her prior familiarity with the game, she had been able to stall him for an hour or so. And during his turns, while he had been carefully scrutinizing the board, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration… her own gaze had subconsciously migrated to his lashes. Admiring them, she remembered. Wondering if they were as soft as the neatly-combed strands of blonde atop his head…

If that wasn't what it meant to love someone, then she didn't know what did.

Corrin practically shot out of her bed, a newfound energy coursing through her veins. Her long-overdue self-evaluation had thrown open the floodgates to her heart, allowing the full extent of her emotions to pour forth. By the Gods, why had it taken her so long to realize? He drove her insane in more ways than she could count on her fingers - and she liked it! Such a maddening, euphoric feeling could only be love. And it must have been the main reason why she chose to return to Nohr without any hesitation - not because she missed her family, not because she felt indebted to King Garon, but because she knew that deep down, she couldn't bear to separate herself from him.

She knew that she needed to see him, even if doing so would only serve as a final confirmation of her feelings. Pulling out her usual black-and-grey dress from her closet, she quickly slipped it on and stepped in front of her body-length mirror. After hastily running a brush through her long curls, she deemed herself worthy of public appearance (as public as she could be, anyways) and grabbed her headband from the nearby nightstand. Just as she began to position it on her head, however, a few quick raps sounded from her door.

"Lady Corrin?" Lilith's voice called from the other side. "Forgive me for the intrusion, but King Garon has requested an audience with you."

Corrin's heart sank at the news. Any word from Garon in the morning was usually an indication that he was not pleased. She deliberated remaining silent and prompting Lilith to think that she was still asleep, but that consideration dissipated as quickly as a pile of leaves scattered by a gust of wind. That would only make more trouble for her dear friend.

"Tell him I'll be right there," she called back, hoping that none of her apprehension leaked into her voice. "Thank you for the message, Lilith." She supposed that Leo had to wait for the time being.

Corrin stole one last glance at herself in the mirror, frowning when she noticed the creases between her etched eyebrows. I cannot allow myself to be this transparent in Garon's presence, she chastised herself, forcibly smoothing out the wrinkles with the back of her hand. If I'm not utterly pleasant with him, he'll most surely assume that I'm not completely loyal to Nohr, or to him. He might threaten me, or even restrain me to the Northern Fortress permanently…

The thought of possibly forfeiting her right to roam the castle provided her with the strength she needed to fix a neutral expression on her face and make the journey to the throne room. Upon her arrival, the tall doors at the entrance had already been propped wide open. King Garon was situated in his throne at the end of the hall, physically fifty feet away but menacing all the same.

Corrin hesitated at the hall's entrance, choosing against her will to greet her father-in-name. "Greetings, King Garon. I arrive here upon your humble request."

His low voice resounded across the hall. "You're late."

Corrin did all she could to prevent herself from physically flinching at the sound of his seething tone. Instead, she took a slow, deep breath through her nose. "I deeply apologize, Father," she began. "I was not aware that we had an appoint-"

"Silence." She abruptly shut her mouth.

"Do not take my orders lightly, child. When you are summoned, you are to appear before me at once. Yet that is not what you did."

Corrin ignored her raging thoughts and continued to remain silent.

"Make this transgression once more and I will see to it that you never again breathe outside air. Do I make myself clear?"

This is completely ridiculous! The spirit inside her wailed. He has never been this harsh before - what has gotten into him? "Yes, Father," Corrin steadily replied.

"Hmph." Garon made no movement, except in his beady eyes as he squinted at Corrin. "There is also the matter of your training. Iago has informed me about your... issues as of late."

Corrin suddenly found it a lot more difficult to breathe. Iago, that snake... she should have known that he would be monitoring her every move, waiting for a chance to strike.

"Should you fail to surpass Xander, you fail to prove your use to me as a valuable asset to Nohr," Garon practically growled. "And failure will not be tolerated."

Corrin bleakly nodded.

Garon stared her down for another long, excruciating moment, sending chills down her spine. In his eyes, she saw nothing but contempt. Finally, he spoke. "...Enough. Your presence is no longer needed."

Corrin immediately swiveled around and left the room as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. As soon as she considered herself safely out of earshot, she slumped against the wall and clutched at her chest in an attempt to quell her shallow, rapid breathing. Although she and Garon had been separated by a distance of fifty steps, she had sensed the unmistakable vibe of bloodlust emanating from the throne. And every time he had spoken, she could have sworn she felt the sharp claws of an unknown creature closing around her throat, threatening to end her life right then and there…

It was a feeling she had only experienced in her nightmares.

Garon is no longer my father, her thoughts rang, And I've known for a long time. Even just acknowledging such a fact helped to slightly calm her nerves. But as she stood there and collected her thoughts, two questions surfaced in her mind: who really was the man impersonating Garon, and was she going to do anything about it?

I need to do something, she knew. If not for the sake of my own future, then for the sake of Nohr. She wouldn't allow the kingdom she so loved to fall into ruin at the hands of an evil tyrant.

But she also knew that she couldn't talk to her siblings, lest unwanted ears listen in on their conversation. As much as she trusted them and longed to approach them, a small voice in her head reminded her of the dangers of Iago. And if word ever reached Garon that Corrin intended on interfering with any of his plans… she would surely be locked up, or worse.

Distraught and at conflict with herself, Corrin spent the remainder of the afternoon listlessly roaming about the garden. She hoped that perhaps the sunlight would lift her mood or even inspire some sort of solution to her current predicament - but her efforts to achieve both goals proved fruitless. Before she knew it, the sun had already started to dip under the horizon, bathing the surrounding flowers in a warm light. Just as she elected to return to her room, a familiar figure appeared at the other end of the garden.

"Azura," her name passed through Corrin's lips, seemingly of its own accord.

Said princess immediately turned her head towards her sister, although Corrin couldn't have been speaking above a soft murmur. "Hello, Corrin," she greeted in kind, walking over to where Corrin stood. "I was told I would find you out here. The flowers are beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are," Corrin replied, briefly glancing at the patch of tulips to her side. "It's almost as if they've been trying to speak to me."

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Azura's eyes. "Truly. Although, to speak the truth, I was just passing by." Her gaze darted toward the surrounding forest, and then back to Corrin. "Would you care to join me on my stroll?"

A bud of warmth blossomed across Corrin's chest, and a small smile formed on her lips. "That would be great."

Side by side, the two princesses walked in comfortable silence until Castle Krakenburg was but a small structure in the distance. By this time, the sun had been long gone, and a full moon had taken its place in the sky. A gentle breeze flowed through the surrounding trees, stirring up a few stray leaves on the ground and sending them into the air.

"We are completely alone here," Azura softly spoke. "You have no need to worry about anyone eavesdropping."

"I can't thank you enough," said Corrin. "I should have known that you would be the perfect person to talk to - but I thought I had no one."

A hint of a smile appeared on Azura's lips. "You have more than just me, Corrin. Your siblings have been asking about you, as they've noticed your absence lately."

Corrin blinked. With a pang of guilt, she realized that she had been too preoccupied with herself to consider how her actions might have impacted her siblings. Even if it had only been a couple of days, shutting herself off from the others must have surely affected them negatively, given the amount of time she usually spent with them. "You're right," she conceded, allowing her gaze to drift toward the star-speckled sky. "They've always been here for me, and me for them. Even if I'm afraid of someone eavesdropping, that shouldn't be an excuse to not confide in them."

Azura responded only with a smile, and the conversation lapsed into silence once again. After another long moment, Corrin worked up the courage to address her concerns.

"It's just… it has to do with Father. Or, rather… King Garon. He summoned me to the throne room today and did nothing but berate and threaten. It was honestly terrifying - I've never seen him act quite that harshly before. How can he completely degrade his children and still call himself a father?"

"He doesn't," Azura spoke slowly. "The man masquerading as King Garon… is no longer your father." Her footsteps came to a halt, prompting Corrin to stop walking as well. "Does this come as a surprise to you?"

Corrin shook her head, a wave of relief sweeping through her body. If Azura confirmed it… then it was most certainly true. "No… I've had my suspicions about him for a while now. But what I don't know is why he changed so suddenly, or who he is now."

Azura sighed. "Garon... is possessed by the ancient dragon, Anankos. He is who Nohrians revere as the Dusk Dragon, and Hoshidans the Dawn Dragon. But he has completely descended into madness, and desires to bring calamity to humankind through Garon."

Corrin's mouth dropped open at the news, and she fumbled over her reply. A dragon? An honest-to-gods dragon is pretending to be my father? "E-Excuse me?"

Azura closed her eyes and frowned. "I assure you, it's true. And the only way to stop him… is to end his life."

As much as Corrin despised killing, she also knew deep down that Garon's death was necessary. "Right. But how do you, um, kill the most powerful dragon in the world?"

"That… I do not know. Garon grants me access to only a small portion of the castle, since he harbors no trust in me. The library may hold some clues, but I am prohibited from going there… he deliberately keeps me away."

"Maybe you… but not me," Corrin mused as an idea materialized in her mind. "Thankfully, I can now explore the castle as I please. And that includes the library."

Azura met Corrin's gaze with a wary one of her own. "Are you certain about defying him? If he finds out that you know his true identity, he won't hesitate to kill you."

Corrin nodded and confidently returned Azura's gaze. "I've already made up my mind. I have to do this for my siblings… for Nohr… for the world. I can't allow Garon - Anankos - to take any more innocent lives in the name of evil. I couldn't ever live with myself if he did."

Azura's expression relaxed in response, and a soft laugh escaped from her lips. "Together, then… we will follow through with this. Whatever happens in the end… I will be by your side."

That very night, Corrin slipped out of her room (after making sure that the lights in her siblings' rooms were off, of course) and asked Jakob to escort her to the castle library. He offered up no inquiries as to her intentions, and instead guided her downstairs with a pleasant smile. Upon reaching the library entrance, he stopped and gave her a small bow.

"I take it that my services, for the moment, are no longer needed?"

Corrin giggled. "I'm perfectly fine now, thank you. Go ahead and sleep, Jakob! As much as I enjoy your company, I don't want our late night escapades to become the usual."

"How kind of you, Lady Corrin - but I'll be nearby, should you need me." And before she could respond, he melted into the surrounding darkness.

I still can't comprehend how easily he can do that, Corrin thought as she blinked at the candle in her hand. Pivoting around, she stepped through the small opening between the library doors and held out the candle at arm's length. From what she could make out… there was a table nearby. As she approached it, she noticed a fair number of unlit candles scattered across its surface. Gathering them together, she quickly ignited them with her own candle and spaced them apart.

As her eyes adjusted to her newly visible surroundings, her heart sank in her chest. Bookshelves after bookshelves of musty books were displayed before her, containing what appeared to be thousands of printed works. She had no idea where to even begin - and no guarantee of finding anything relating to Anankos. Moreover, the citizens of Nohr and Hoshido worshipped Anankos as a benevolent deity, albeit in two respective forms. There would likely be no texts that elucidated a method to bring about his downfall.

No… I can't let myself think those thoughts, Corrin defiantly shook her head. I can't allow myself to give up before I even begin. There must be something here, or Garon wouldn't have restricted Azura's access. I'll start from the very end of the room, and make my way backwards…

That is precisely what she did, beginning at the far left corner of the library and removing a section of books from the top shelf. She focused all of her energy into visually locating any sort of keyword as she leafed through the countless number of yellow pages. From what she gleaned, most of the books' information pertained to offensive or defensive spells that could be employed on the battlefield. So far, she had found nothing relating to the First Dragons, or even to the history of Nohr. Perhaps if she looked in another section of the library… but we're there even defined sections to begin with?

She opted to stick to her original plan, since she didn't want to risk the possibility of overlooking something important. With a soft sigh, she picked up the next book and began to carefully peruse its contents. Ah, but of course this one was about magic too…

"Quite the avid reader, aren't you?"

Corrin nearly jumped out of her shoes, jerking her head up from the book and inhaling sharply in surprise. There was no mistaking that voice. Next to the table stood her younger brother, donning his usual white tunic and leggings. Everything about his demeanor indicated that he was not pleased - his folded arms, his impatiently tapping foot, and his mouth, which was thinned in a hard line. But even so… the mere sight of him elicited within her the undeniable feeling of euphoric joy. The sensation was so powerful, in fact, that she could feel her breathing grow shallower in response to her emotions. Why did her love render interacting with him so difficult?

"Good evening, Leo," she replied, amazed at her unaffected ability to hold a conversation. "Or, rather, good night. What are you doing up this late?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Might I ask you the same thing, Sister? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't pinned you as the type to satiate your intellectual desires in the middle of the night."

Corrin flinched, naturally taken aback by his directness but also somehow… relieved. He had gone out of his way to tail her at this hour, after all. Wasn't that proof of his interest in her activities? "I… you're right. I'm not here for standard reasons. But I can't… say anything." Until we're in a safe place to talk.

Her implications remained unknown to Leo, whose eyebrows knit together. "You can't be serious. As children, we used to confide everything in each other - but recently, you can't even look me in the eye, let alone speak to me without dissolving into a bumbling mess. It's painfully obvious that you're hiding something, so why won't you tell me?"

By the time he had finished speaking, Corrin's cheeks were burning with embarrassment. Through no fault of his own, he had attributed her recent behavior around him and her current actions as stemming from the same secret. But how in the world could she clear it up for him? Actually, Brother, you've got it all wrong. To be completely honest, I'm in love with you, but that has nothing to do with what I'm doing now…

Corrin bit her lip, trying desperately to sort out her thoughts and say something, anything that would restore Leo's trust in her. In doing so, she looked up and met his eyes. Although his body language and tone exuded irritation, his gaze conveyed a sense of sadness that she had never before seen in him. It was then that she knew she needed to tell him the truth.

"It's… Father."