AN: Oh my goodness, hello everyone! Here's the WWTSLP Christmas special, Paralogue 3: A Gift for Veronica! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to finish it! I'm currently doing my masters abroad, and getting through the bureaucratic process has been very long and arduous, but I finally got my residence permit, which is a huuuge relief! But as a result of trying to do that and school, I haven't had a lot of time to write until recently.

But when I start writing, I apparently keep writing, because as of now, this chapter has around 17,000 words, which by far outstrips anything I've ever published (thought not written) on here, including even the previous record-holder, the Halloween special chapter, by over 2,000 words O_O

Now, a couple things before we get to the story:

You may have noticed the new cover picture, "Veronica Santa Alter". Can you guess who drew it?…

That's right! It was yours truly! Aside from writing, I have been working on my art as well, but more on that at the end.

Secondly, sorry. I lied again, haha. The publication of Xenologue 1: The Two Tacticians is being delayed yet again until later this year. Mind you, I do have good reasons for this! Thematically and seasonally-appropriate ones, in fact. If you can guess what they are in a review, I'll give you a shoutout in my next chapter ;) Here's a hint: May 30, 2017.

Thirdly, I wanted to thank Occasionally Competent, KRKing, Szejdol, Clutchvm, The Deck Master, Recursive Logic, For the Glory of Nohr, and StrikR for reviewing my last chapter! I also want to thank everyone who has helped me on this chapter by letting me bounce ideas off them, who are too many to name. It honestly means a lot to me; thank you!

Lastly, I will be taking a hiatus for the rest of this month to focus on school, because I have a final paper due at the end of January. This first semester will also be coming to an end in February/March, due to which I will need to read and write for finals, meaning I may need to extend the hiatus until March, depending on my workload. I will keep you all updated via my profile. That said, fret not. This simply means that I will not be beginning any new chapters of any of my stories. Chapters or stories that are already in production will continue to be worked.

Now, with that out of the way, I present to you:

December 02, 2021: Moved and renamed chapter from Paralogue 3 to Paralogue 4.

"What's With This Sassy…Lonely Princess?"

Paralogue 4: A Gift for Veronica

(Twelve Months After Kiran's Summoning to Askr)

"God Jul, Kiran!" Sharena loudly announced, slamming open the door to Kiran's room. "Get up! It's time for the winter festival. Come on!"

Kiran started awake with a shout and sat up suddenly, but in his surprise, he tumbled off of his bed in a cocoon of sheets and blankets. The impact woke him up fully.

"Agh, ow, dang it, Sharena," he muttered, trying to untangle himself as the princess of Askr laughed heartily at his reaction. Lissa, who had been walking by with her brother, stuck her head in at the sound, and started giggling at Kiran's misfortune. "Why'd you have to wake me up so early? It's only—" he said with a yawn. "It's only 5 in the morning."

"Let me tell you about it...We place presents by the pillows of children while they're sleeping—" Sharena began excitedly.

"Oh wait! It's Christmas time already? I completely forgot!"

"Christmas? Oh is that what people from your world call it? It's so neat that you have a festival around this time of year too! What do you cele–wait! No time for questions right now! We've gotta get going!" she cried, pulling him out of bed.

Kiran, stumbled out of his bed and ran behind the princess.

When they reached the Great Hall, which was unusually empty for once—probably due to how early it was and the fact that the Heroes had a day off—Kiran saw Alfonse reading a book and nursing a cup of steaming hot cocoa in a chair near the fireplace.

"Ah, Kiran! Good morning, and God Jul," he greeted the Summoner with a smile, putting down his book.

"Ah, um. G-good Yule to you too, Alfonse," Kiran replied, trying to speak the foreign words.

"The winter festival is quite fascinating, actually. Its roots lie in ancient beliefs surrounding the winter solstice…As tradition has it, on the night of the solstice, the gods of the underworld take flight and go hunting…Anyone who sees them will be marked as prey and dragged down into to the underworld."

"Alfonse! That's terrifying! I thought this festival was meant to be fun…"

"Now? Certainly it is! But in the past…it was quite different. That's what I was talking about: old traditions."

"Wait a second," Kiran said. "Alfonse, are you talking about…the Wild Hunt? Of Odin?"

"Oh! You know of it then? Well, we call him the Valfather here, but yes."

"Sort of. Your culture, from what I've gleaned of it, reminds me of a certain race from my world. They too used to follow similar traditions and hold similar beliefs to your folk. So what do y'all do for Yule?"

"How fascinating," Alfonso answered somewhat distractedly. "You know, I think it's never really struck me before how little I know about the world you hail from, Kiran."

"You'd know more if you weren't so afraid of getting close to people again, Alfonse." Sharena chided him, sticking her tongue out. "I bet you didn't even know that it's called 'Krismaas' in Kiran's world!" she teased.

Kiran looked at her with an expression of amusement on his face.

Alfonse's cheeks flushed a little. "Yes, well, you may, ahem, have a point," he said. "A-anyways, Kiran. We have an annual tournament which began as a way to encourage training in combat—to stand a chance against the gods."

"The tournament! I almost forgot all about it. I hear that the prize is pretty amazing…" Sharena said, daydreaming.

"Well…yes. It should be something remarkable," said her brother.

"If there's a prize to be won, then there are battles to be fought!" said Anna suddenly, as she entered the hall. "Prepare yourselves! The tournament will be at noon today!"

After an early breakfast, Kiran went back to his room to prepare for the tournament.

"Since it's Christmas, maybe I should get a gift for Veronica?" he wondered aloud as he began packing a bag. "Well, what could I even get her? She is a princess, after all. And it's not like I have all that much to offer anyways," he chuckled ruefully.

A few minutes later, he heard a tapping from outside his bedroom window and looked up to see Feh there, holding an envelope in her beak. He stood up and opened the window, and the owl dropped the post on his desk.

"You've got mail!"

"Oh, thank you Feh," he replied, patting her on the head. He scratched behind her ears and ruffled her feathers as a reward for her hard work.

"Fehhhhh…" she melted from the scratches, turning into a big, feathery puddly and falling asleep. Kiran smiled at the sight and picked up the envelope. Upon the thick, creamy paper, stark black ink formed words that he was always excited to see.

From: The Rosenmaiden

To: The Elderbloom

He quickly opened up the envelope and flopped back into his bed to read the message. It turned out to be a rather short, but important, missive.

Dear Elderbloom,

I hope this letter finds thee well and in good health. Please do take care in this winter season. The winters in Zenith can be quite bitter around this time of year, especially for one unused to them, such as thineself.

I wished to inform thee that milady Rose will be present at the Winter Tournament this year as the Emblian dignitary. Every year, even during times of war, Askr and Embla seal a temporary peace and send champions to compete in the tournament for wealth, glory, renown, and the grace of the gods. Mayhap thou wilst find a chance to warm her heart then.

My Lady's True Servant,

– Rosenmaiden

Kiran folded the letter back up carefully, before holding it up against his face with both hands and rolling around on his bed in excitement.

"Kiran, are you ready to g—" Alfonse started to ask before seeing him on the bed.

Kiran felt his heart leap out of his chest as Alfonse entered his room and called out to him, and he scrambled up into a seated position. He looked at Alfonse. Alfonse looked back. Kiran felt his face begin to grow hotter with each passing second.

"H-hello, Alfonse," he chuckled weakly. "D-Did you need something from me?"

"I…was just dropping by to ask if you were ready for the tournament," the prince answered awkwardly.

"Oh. Right. The tournament. The Winter Tournament. The one we were supposed to compete in. Right. Erm…" Kiran babbled as he finished packing his bag. His fingers fumbled around and he nearly dropped the bag a couple of times, causing his already hot face to burn even more fiercely.

"I'm ready," he said quietly before flipping his hood up to hide the redness of his cheeks and the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes as he rushed out.

The sound of screaming echoed inside his head.

A little while later, the Askran royal siblings, the Commander, Kiran, along with their four champions—Robin, Tharja, Lissa, and Chrom—were on their way to the ancient colosseum in which the tournament was held in a horse-drawn carriage.

It was a long journey, and traveling northwards in late December meant that it would only get colder the closer they got to the arena, which was set into the peak of a large mountain called Mt. Urberg. Below the mountain was an area known as the Valley of the Emperors. Both the Askrans and the Emblians held that mountain and vale to be a holy land because of legends that stated that the first emperors of both countries hailed from there, and so, it was considered to be neutral territory, set apart from temporal concerns.

After several hours of the cold and bumpy ride, Kiran felt the air started to grow balmier and shucked of his heavy coat after he actually started to sweat from the warmth. He stuck his head outside the carriage, only to find, much to his surprise, that it had stopped snowing. Before them stretched a wide, rolling expanse of brilliant green grass and a gentle stream that murmured as it flowed between the hills.

"Welcome to the Valley of the Emperors, Kiran," Alfonse said with a smile. "We're going to take a little break here for a while so we can warm up before we climb the mountain. We can afford to rest for a bit, seeing as how there's still a few hours until noon."

The party of eight clambered off of the wooden carriage and started laying out refreshments. They relaxed and recovered from the journey for a while, enjoying the warmth of the sun for what felt like the first time in ages.

Eventually, Commander Anna stood up stretched before telling everyone to pack their things up and get ready to march. After stowing everything away, they left the carriage behind and approached the foot of the mountain. Unfortunately, the rest of the journey would have to be made on foot, but Kiran was relieved to find out that steps had been hewn into the mountain stone, rough though they were. That would hopefully make the climb a bit easier.

Sadly, the weather began to turn bitterly cold the closer they got to the peak of the mountain, and they were forced to once again put on their winter gear as protection against the bone-chilling winds. The occasional flurries of snow blown along by the gusts blustering around the mountaintop hindered their ability to see at all, forcing them to slow their pace even further than usual.

The slowly climbing sun had reached its zenith by the time the arena began to come into view. Kiran took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp mountain air as he watched the light of the sun sparkle on the ice and snow that capped the mountain peaks around them. Far below, the green grass of the valley from which they had come shone like a vibrant emerald.

"Ah, this brings back memories, doesn't it?" Kiran heard Chrom boom from behind.

"It sure does," Robin agreed, rubbing his hands together, as they walked past him. "Doesn't it just remind you of when we had to go to Ferox and fight in the Khans' tournament? The snow, the mountains, the competition—look, Lissa's even shivering the same way," he teased.

"Brrr! I'm f-f-freebing I m-miss F-F-Frebberick's horse…" the princess whined as she marched past Kiran, huddling into herself for warmth.

Behind the three of them, Tharja tottered up the stairs, eyes trained solely on Robin's back. The desert native was unused to this level of cold, and was swaddled in several layers topped by a large woolen coat lined with fir. All in all, Kiran thought, she gave off the appearance of a rather large, black marshmallow—a stark contrast to her usually rather seductive appearance.

Almost as if she had heard the thoughts running through Kiran's head, Tharja stopped a few steps below him with a troubled look on her face.

He noticed her staring at him with an unreadable expression and started to feel a little awkward so he tried to break the silence.

"Uh…" he began dumbly before swallowing. "I-is everything alright, Tharja?"

She continued staring at him silently for a few seconds, leaving Kiran to fidget uncomfortably under her gaze.

"You know how it feels, don't you?"

"Sorry? What do you mean?"

She walked up the stairs and stopped right in front of him.

"You know what it's like. You are in love with someone, aren't you? Someone for whom you'd do anything."

"I—" Kiran was taken aback. "I am," he admitted shyly. "How did you know?"

"I could tell from the aura surrounding you," she answered, before smirking. "You're just like a maiden in love," she chuckled darkly.

Kiran felt his cheeks redden at being caught, and he looked away. "Tharja!"

"Don't get so worked up," she said, smiling. Unfortunately, that smile didn't make Kiran feel any better. "I'll help you out."

"Huh—Er, you will? How?"

"I'll make you a charm to keep them safe like the one I made for Robin…I wish he'd wear it," she sighed…wistfully? Was that a wistful sigh? From Tharja? Kiran subtly cast his eyes upwards to make sure the sky wasn't falling down on them. The sun continued to shine unabated in the clean mountain air.

"R-really?" Kiran asked after an awkward pause. "Ahem, I mean, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you so much, Tharja!"

The Plegian dark mage flushed, and looked down so that her bangs covered her eyes. "You had better be grateful…" she mumbled. "Just bring me something that you want me to apply the charm to and I'll take care of it."

"Kiran! Tharja!" came Sharen's voice from up ahead. "Hurry up! We're almost here!"

Kiran looked back at Tharja who nodded at him, before climbing up the remaining stairs to the peak.

•

As they reached the mountaintop, Kiran felt himself taken aback by the sight in front of him. There, issuing forth from the stone of the mountain from which it was carved, was the ancient arena. But calling it a mere arena did it no justice, Kiran thought, as he stood before it. Rather, it looked to be more like a castle—the remnant of some old and martial kingdom, instead of a mere arena.

As they knocked on the large iron doors of the castle, the party was met by several persons wearing heavy, gray robes that reached to their feet, and were tied around their waists with a cincture made from rope. Their heads were covered with large, peaked hoods that cast shadows over all their faces, preventing them from being seen.

Kiran shivered, though whether it was from the cold or the menacing appearance of these men, he knew not.

"Alfonse," he whispered, tugging the prince's sleeve. "Who are these guys?"

"Ah, Mount Urberg is not merely home to the arena that we use every year, but also a monastery, staffed by these monks who look after the relics of our ancestor—and Emblians'. In fact, they are the ones responsible for the upkeep of the arena, so that we may bring glory and honour to our ancestor's name each year."

The monks silently took their luggage from their weary arms and showed them to their chambers. As soon as the monks were gone, Sharena practically flopped onto a bed nearest to the fireplace and yelled "Mine!"

Alfonse shot her a dirty look and she stuck out her tongue back at him. It seemed like he had wanted the same bed. Kiran chuckled at the sight of the two royals behaving like actual siblings.

"Alfonse," Kiran said, trying to distract him, "so, how often, exactly, has Askr won these yearly contests?" At this question, the prince's face fell.

"We have…lost each and every one for the past five years," Anna interjected, saving Alfonse from the embarrassment of having to answer.

"Five years?" Kiran asked incredulously. "Are the Emblians really that strong?"

"W-well, it would perhaps be more accurate to say that we weren't that strong," said the Commander, ashamedly.

Alfonse spoke up. "Sharena and I were far too young to take part in the contest ourselves, and soldiers who were willing to undertake this challenge were in short supply ever since the Emblians started bringing in Heroes for the first time—there's no restrictions on sending champions to fight, after all. The continued losses didn't help morale, either. With each one, the next year's victory felt further and further out of reach, and our people's and army's spirits fell. That's partly why the Emblians were able to strike so deeply into our borders right before you were summoned here."

"Ah, yikes," Kiran said with a wince, taken aback. "That does sound pretty bad. What do you think our chances might be now?"

"Now that you're here, I doubt we'd have any problems!" Sharena cheered.

"We should be able to even the odds with our own Heroes this time around," Anna grinned.

"And just trust in my tactics, Kiran," Robin spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll keep everyone safe in the field."

"Thank you, Robin. I'll be relying on you then."

"The opening ceremony and tournament will be starting in a few hours, once the sun sets," Anna informed them. "You all had better get some rest before it's time to fight. I wonder if the Emblians are here yet."

"Ah, I was planning to go take a walk around here anyways. I can check it out," Kiran said.

"Oh, alright. Just don't take too long and make sure you get some rest."

"Got it," Kiran said, waving as he exited their room.

Kiran wandered down the hallways of the ancient monastery. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the building were just as dark and roughly-hewn as the outside, with only a few torches to light the way. Eventually, he reached the other side of the building from which they had entered.

"I wonder if the Emblians are here yet?" Kiran wondered.

As he turned the corner, the sight which greeted him there bid him stop in his tracks.

Veronica, wrapped in dark, heavy furs, stood before him, like a little black angel. Her long, silvery hair, cascaded down her back and shoulders like a curtain of sable, and the soft light of the torch that hung on the wall made her entire form glow as though she were not human, but some kind of ethereal existence that did not belong on this plane.

For Kiran, the world ceased to move around him. The softly flickering shadows cast by the torch danced across Veronica's clothes and hair, while the warm light of the fire lit up her face. She gazed into the flames, lost in thought. As he looked closer, Kiran realized that she was not wearing her usual crown. Instead, atop her head sat the silver circlet he had gifted her only a few months ago. A sudden rush of warmth swelled up in his breast and he felt his eyes start to mist up at at the sight.

"Veronica…" he murmured, wiping his eyes as he unwittingly began walking towards her. The sound of footsteps echoing off the stone walls broke her from her reverie and she turned to see who it was, only to be taken aback the sight of him.

"Y-you!" she whispered, eyes wide.

Kiran's face burst into a brilliant smile. "Veronica!" he whispered back excitedly, loud enough for her to hear, before quickly hurrying towards her.

Surprised by his sudden appearance, the princess stumbled over the hem of her dress and fell forwards.

"Veronica!" Kiran cried as he tried to catch her. Unfortunately, her head hit him right in the chest, knocking him backwards against the wall with a solid "thump" that drove the breath out of his lungs.

Kiran winced as he took a breath—that headbutt had hurt something fierce. The sweet scent of of roses wafted up from somewhere, reviving him. Unconsciously, he leaned forwards again breathing in the floral fragrance, when his nose pressed up against something soft and warm. As his sight came back, he flushed after realizing exactly what kind of position they were in.

Veronica was pressed against his body after his arms had wrapped themselves around her waist whilst trying to prevent her from falling. And, Kiran found, that even with all of the layers of heavy wool and fur separating the two of them, he could still feel the soft rise and fall of her lungs as she breathed. She had thrown her hands out to catch herself as she fell, which led to them ending up on either side of Kiran's head, pinning him to the wall. Meanwhile, his face was buried in her hair on the crown of her head, from whence the smell of roses arose. He quickly drew his head back, heat creeping up his neck.

As Veronica opened her ruby-red eyes and confusedly looked up at him, the last conscious thought that passed through Kiran's mind was the feeling that he was falling headfirst into the setting sun as he lost himself in their depths.

•

A warm, spicy musk filled Veronica's senses as she found out that the 'floor' onto which she had fallen was neither as hard or as cold as she expected. Confused, the princess of Embla raised her head, which up until then, had been buried in Kiran's chest.

Her eyes, which were squeezed shut, fluttered open hesitantly, only to see Kiran's face above her, closer than it had ever been before. She felt her heart begin to race as blood flowed towards her cheeks, dusting them a rosy pink. It was only then that she realized why she hadn't fallen on the ground.

Th-this—it—he was so close—too close! Pull away, pull away, pull away!

'Ah, but he's so warm! It would be a shame to lose that in this winter chill…'

Th-this does not behoove an Empress of Embla!

'A princess deserves to have her fun…'Her mind yelled at her to get back, but something from even deeper within cajoled her to nestle in even closer to his warmth. As she became conscious of his arms around her waist, a spark of something that was at once both fiery hot and icy cold, though she knew not what to call it, ran up her spine, made her shiver. Unable to deal with this melange of contradictory sensations, her arms slackened, causing her hands to fall onto the Summoner's shoulders.

•

Kiran felt his face grow warmer with each passing second and his mouth began to dry up at this situation. Still, he did not release his hold around her waist.

He felt the need to say something to break the silence again, and opened his mouth. "S-so," he chuckled nervously. "I'm glad you seem this happy to see me. You missed me that much, huh?" Kiran's cheeks were bright red from his own words at this point.

"D-don't get ahead of yourself!" she chastised, though her voice lacked most of its usual haughtiness. "An Imperial Princess does not 'miss' people! N-nor does she get excited at meeting them again after so long. She is a stoic…and dispassionate figure…" she trailed off embarrassedly, biting her lip and looking away.

•

Veronica's world had been so cold for years, and her only means of survival was to erect walls of ice around her heart to steel herself against the bitter blizzards of life. Yet this man had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and managed to melt nearly all of them, armed with nothing save the warmth of the passion that burned in his own heart. He offered her a fire by which she might warm herself—a respite against the chill. And yet, she was still uncertain. The ice gave her form. It gave her shape. And the fear of what might happen should she lose it struck her to her very core.

Her eyes flickered back up towards Kiran's face, hesitantly meeting his gaze. Like the little match-seller girl, she could see his hearth, already lit and blazing, ready to welcome her, should she choose to knock. But her hand trembled in front of the door, unsure if she herself had turned into ice after spending so long a time out in the winter. Would it be alright for her to step in out of the cold? She feared that upon being thawed out, she might simply turn into nothing more than water and flow away or evaporate into thin air.

•

She peered into his dark eyes which sparkled with visible affection and her cheeks flushed. His eyes reminded her of her brother's—large, dark, framed by long lashes, and shaped like the petals of a lotus. But while Bruno's eyes were most often cold and stony, like walls of flint—or stormy when angry—this man's were…bright and shining, despite their colour. They were so warm. Like the sun in the summer. Their dark brown shade was like the Earth's embrace, abounding in love and there for her to reap freely, should she so choose. Both of their eyes were so alike, and yet, so different…

•

Kiran was completely entranced by the brilliance of her irises, which glowed in the torchlight like two crimson gems, polished to mirror-like perfection. Their carmine lustre beckoned to him like a candle to a moth. Kiran wondered, and not for the first time, whether he should just burn alive in their crystaline flames.

Red.

Red as the juice of a freshly-squeezed pomegranate, they seemed to him to promise the very secrets of life, love, and death—along with the danger of getting lost within those blood-coloured spheres for eternity. Drunk on the wine chalice of her eyes, Kiran felt, and not for the last time, that he could just drown in their depths…

Time ceased to have meaning for the pair as they gazed at each other for what seemed like aeons. It was as though each had ensorcelled the other by simply looking into their eyes. Slowly, ever so slowly, thought neither of them noticed it, their faces started drifting closer and closer together. With each passing second, the distance between the two of them shortened. Kiran, who held Veronica even more firmly around the waist, could feel her sweet breath brush softly against his lips.

Their faces drew closer and closer together, as though they were in a trance, when…

"My deepest apologies for taking so long! I'm not used to wearing such heavy furs, and it took me longer than I expected to put these on. Are you alright, Mila…dy?" The door suddenly swung open and Leticia walked out, bowing deeply. The maid's voice trailed off as she raised her head and spotted her Princess locked in an embrace with the Askrian Summoner, their slowly reddening faces less than an inch apart.

A light pink dusted her cheeks as her eyes widened. "Oh!"

The two whipped their heads around at the sound just in time to see the look of surprise on the maid's face morph into an incredibly smug, evil grin as she took in the scene before her.

"My, my, Milady. How bold!" she giggled into her hand. "I'm sorry for interrupting you two!"

Kiran and Veronica leapt apart like they were on fire, blushing up a storm. They looked in opposite directions, unable to meet eyes again.

"I-It's not like that!" Veronica said, her face cherry red.

"I know, I know," Leticia said, ignoring her words. "You must have missed Sir Kiran so much, right?" she asked, sounding almost sympathetic.

"I—no! It's n-not—!" Veronica stuttered, mind completely scrambled.

"And you, Sir Kiran," the maid with a wide grin on her face. "I shall have to ask you not to take advantage of Milady when she is in such a delicate emotional state," she said mischievously. "These men are like wolves, Milady," she said, turning to Veronica.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked with wide eyes that flickered back and forth between Kiran and her maid.

"If you give them even an inch, they'll take a mile, you know?" Leticia answered the princess, one finger raised like she was giving a lecture.

"L-Leticia, stop teaching her weird things!" Kiran cried, alarmed, causing the maid to burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said in between laughs as she tried to catch her breath. Wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye. "You two were just too precious."

Kiran gave her with a deadpan look. Unfortunately, the effect was ruined by the fact that he still blushing. Veronica just stared at the floor, cheeks aflame.

"Well, in any case, now that your here, why don't you join us for some tea, Sir Kiran? Or should I call you 'Duke Varynys'?" Leticia asked, smirking.

Veronica's eyes shot back towards her maid, as if to ask what exactly she was playing at, though no words came from her lips. Leticia, for her part, just winked back at her princess to get her to play along. Veronica huffed and looked away, though her eyes drifted back towards Kiran, to see what his reaction would be.

He buried his face in his hands and let out a silent scream of embarrassment, nodding. Leticia gave her princess a genuine smile and opened the door for the two of them. After Kiran entered the salon, Leticia whispered to Veronica as she passed by.

"Milady, would you perhaps like to try making the tea today?"

Veronica looked at her quizzically as if to ask why.

"I brought your favourite blend, Milady. I think you would know best just how you like it. And besides," she added with a sly grin. "Don't you think it would be nice to show him your domestic side…and have him praise you for it?"

"I-I am an Imperial Princess! I don't have a domestic side!…b-but I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to try. V-very well then," she agreed shyly. "I shall prepare the tea."

The two of them stepped into the salon to see Kiran already sitting very ramrod straight on a chair.

"Today's tea will be prepared by Milady as a special treat!" Leticia announced as she entered the room.

"H-huh? Er, I mean, really?" Kiran asked with a nervous smile. He still found it impossible to look directly at Veronica as she entered, so he averted his gaze to the side.

"Yes! Milady is a connoisseur of teas, and she crafts the most wonderful blends." She dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, one that was clearly staged, because even Veronica could hear it. "Just between the two of us, she's rather fond of baking cakes and pastries as well. Those of us who serve her consider it a real honour and a privilege whenever she gifts us a little confection she's made!"

Veronica shot Leticia a look of alarm. Her forays into baking were something she wanted as few people to know about as possible. It didn't really fit into the whole "witch-queen of Embla" aesthetic that she had been trying so hard to cultivate. Leticia just stuck her tongue out playfully and winked back at the princess.

'This meddlesome maid…'

Kiran looked up suddenly, attention piqued. "Really? That's so cool!" he said. With a brilliant smile on his face, he added, "I love cooking but I've never really been great at baking, so I'd really love to try something you've baked someday!"

"Is that so?…" Veronica asked quietly.

"For sure!" Kiran grinned.

With a small nod, she turned around to prepare the tea, pouring water into the kettle, hanging it above the fire in the room's hearth to boil, and portioning out the tea leaves. Every motion of hers flowed gracefully from one to the other, like a dance. She lost herself in the process, humming softly as she added the tea to the pot and took it off the flame to let it steep. Kiran looked on, completely enchanted by her movements.

To the side, Leticia sniggered smugly as she observed Kiran's reactions while laying out some cakes and biscuits on a tray.

After pouring the tea into three cups, Veronica picked one up and brought it to Kiran who simply kept looking at her with a dreamy smile.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat with a look of annoyance on her face, holding the cup out in front of Kiran's face.

"Huh?" Kiran answered eloquently. "Oh…is that for me? Thank you, Veronica," he said, reaching for the cup. As he took it from her hands, Kiran's fingers brushed accidentally against hers, sending a spark through her body.

Veronica hid her trembling hands behind her back as she watched Kiran inhale the aroma of the tea before taking a sip. "W-well? How is it?" she asked testily.

Kiran breathed in the scent again with his eyes closed before relaxing in his seat. The smell of bergamot invigorated and relieved him. He looked back up at the princess and smiled. "I love it."

Her cheeks turned pink and she turned around. "I-is that so?" she muttered, as she picked up a cup for both herself and Leticia.

The three of them silently enjoyed the brief reprieve from the bitter chill outside in the warmth of that room with a fire blazing in the hearth and a pot of hot tea.

The monastery's bells rang six times, signaling the hour.

Kiran put down his empty cup and stood up, stretching.

"Well, looks like it's about time for me to be getting back. I think the opening ceremony is set to begin soon, isn't it?"

Veronica started. She had almost forgotten about the tournament. At the reminder, the blood in her veins began to boil once more with the anger of the dragon-god, Embla, aroused by the promise of violence. Her eyes turned hard like ice and she stood up as well, cape swishing imperiously.

"Yes, I think you should leave now," she said frostily.

Kiran shuddered at the change in personalities. Her face had turned back into the same porcelain mask he first saw that revealed nothing but a deathly rage simmering under her cold, red eyes. He gave her and Leticia a brief bow before hurrying back towards his team's room.

He thought back to what Zacharias…no, Bruno had told them about his family's condition just over three months ago.

"In the end, all of Embla's royalty…are devoured by the dark god. We become puppets... I can't fight the blood flowing through my veins…As a prince, I carry the cursed blood of Embla…that Emblian blood pulses within me. Whatever I do, I live knowing one thing: its curse will consume me.

"I never know when the blood will take me…And when it does…I cannot resist. Not I. Not Veronica. Not our father, the emperor. Not anyone…This dark god…seeks death. And cries out for the destruction of Askr."

That was the reason Bruno had written that letter from "Zacharias" asking them not to consider Veronica their enemy. He wanted to take on all of their hatred to protect his little sister, and as a fellow elder brother himself, Kiran felt nothing but the utmost respect for that man's love and dedication.

'That blood of the dragon that runs in her veins…It truly is as frightening as Prince Bruno made it out to be. I can't imagine how she suffers, but just thinking about it tears my heart apart. Oh God…please let me find a way to help her,' he prayed as he strode through the monastery.

He opened the door to his group's room, only to see everyone still asleep. A monk appeared beside him, motioning towards the arena that was at the center of the monastery. He nodded and went about waking the others up, who eventually got dressed and armed for the tournament.

Once the Askrian team was ready, the hooded monk beckoned for them to follow. Another monk took the competitors through another entrance, while the first one led Kiran, Anna, and the royal siblings through a passage towards the center of the monastery. He unlocked a large wooden door and let Kiran pass.

On the other side of that door was a large circular ring, filled with packed red earth, behind which was an altar atop which were a pair of large statues—one a black dragon, with golden detailing, and the other a white dragon, decorated similarly. On either sides of the ring were stadium seats that could easily seat around one hundred people.

"Amazing…"

"Ah that's right. This is your first time seeing this place, isn't it, Kiran?" Alfonse asked.

"Yeah…this is pretty incredible, man. I'm honestly really impressed."

The monk who guided them in remained silent, but Kiran got the impression that he was pleased at Kiran's praise for the arena they maintained. He bowed and exited the balcony booth in which he seated them.

As the rest of the monks and some other speculators streamed in and filled the seats of the stadium, the tournament began. The opening ceremony started with an invocation to the First Emperors and a promise to show excellence in battle so that their descendants could bring them glory.

The Askrian observers went deathly silent once the tournament began. Even the usually rambunctious Sharena stayed quiet, sitting on her hands to keep them still.

The competitors soon took the field. To Kiran's shock, the mirror images of the Heroes he had brought with him—though dressed in more…festive looking outfits—stepped out in front of them.

Robin, Tharja, Chrom, and Lissa stood face to face with their counterparts, looking equally as shocked as their summoner. But before they could talk, the bell tolled once and the battle began.

"All of you, get back!" Robin yelled from down below. "They're all wearing heavy armour! Kiran! What should we do?" he shouted, looking up at the summoner.

"Aha! Tharja, take out the other Chrom and Lissa with your magic! Chrom, cover her flank! Robin, take the fight to the other Tharja and Lissa back him up! All of you use your speed to stay out of their range!" Kiran ordered.

After several long and hard-fought battles, Robin—his Robin—was the last man left standing. All the other competitors lay defeated at his feet, and even he struggled to stay upright.

The bell tolled once more, and a candle was lit in front of the statue of the white dragon, marking Askr's victory for the first time in five years. The spectators clapped at the good showing as cheers erupted from the Askrian box. An ecstatic Sharena embraced the astonished Commander while Alfonse clapped Kiran on the shoulder, a wide grin on his usually sober face.

"Kiran, you've done it!" the prince exclaimed.

The Summoner stood up and threw his arms around Alfonse's shoulders, letting out a cry of victory. The other man was taken aback by the sudden closeness for a moment, before joining him in shouting for joy. Sharena ran over and threw her arms around the two of them, sending all of them tumbling to the ground in a pile of laughter.

•

From across the other side of the stadium, Princess Veronica stared at the Askrian delegation's celebration from her own box. Or, rather, it might be more accurate to say that she observed—with no small amount of longing—just how close they were. As the Drakenblut in her veins cooled, she wished, and not for the last time, that she weren't so alone in this world. To enjoy victory all by oneself felt hollow enough as it was, but to have to taste the bitter swill of loss with no one there to share that pain with? It was…it was almost to much to bear. Why was it that the Askrians got everything they wanted, she wondered, eyes stinging.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she saw that wretched Askrian princess throwing her arms wantonly around her summoner and the twinge of a heretofore unknown feeling stirred in her breast at seeing them laugh and smile together—Why did it hurt so much to call him "her" summoner?

"Get your hands off of him, you harpy," she muttered darkly under her breath as she dropped her head, causing her hair to cast a shadow over her face that obscured her eyes.

"Did you say something, Princess Veronica?" Xander asked, standing at her side. The royal knight had been slightly ill earlier in the day, and had thus been resting when Kiran ran into her.

Veronica started, recoiling at the vitriol in her own words. Why did she feel so strongly about seeing another woman embrace the Summoner? Especially a woman who, by all rights, had far more of a rightful claim to his attention and affections than she herself did. He was Askr's summoner, after all. That was right. He was their summoner, not hers. He didn't belong to her or Embla.

These bitter rationalizations didn't prevent the stinging pain from growing stronger. She blinked back tears she didn't even know were gathering in her eyes.

"…ronica?…Princess Veronica!" Xander's calls broke Veronica from her cycle of thoughts, and she looked up at him with moist, red eyes.

"I'm alright," she answered him dully. He looked at her with concern on his face, but her attention was already back on the scene in the other box.

Leticia approached Xander and placed her right hand on his shoulder, shaking her head sadly. She dropped her hand and curled her index finger around his pinky. The Nohrian turned his head to look at her, surprised, but she just rested her head against his shoulder tiredly.

"There's not much we can do for her when she's like this," she whispered in his ear as she leaned on his arm.

"Surely there must be something we could do?" the otherworlder asked, taking Leticia's sudden closeness in stride.

"There's only one person here who has even a slight chance of getting through to her," she replied, gazing off into the distance at Kiran as well. Xander looked at her quizzically, but she simply gave him a wan smile before bringing her head to rest on his shoulder again.

•

The Askrians made their way down to the ground level of the arena to receive their prize. Kiran handed out potions and elixirs to the downed warriors and helped them get back to their feet.

Alfonse and Sharena bowed before the shrine to their ancestor and burned some incense in his memory.

Once the siblings were finished with that, the monks brought out the reward for the Askrians' victory. A large chest full of gold, silver, and precious gems was carried by several of their number into the arena. Kiran was awestruck at the treasure chest before him. He had never in his life expected to see something so stereotypically fantasy-like. His eyes turned towards the stands, searching for Veronica. Though she was far away, he got the feeling that something was wrong with her. Suddenly, she turned around and left the arena with Xander and Leticia in tow.

Now Kiran was all but certain that there was something amiss. Veronica didn't strike him as the type to throw a fit like that just because she had lost the tournament.

"Kiran?" said Alfonse, breaking his line of thought.

"Hm? Oh, yes? What is it?"

"I was just wondering if you were alright. You looked rather distracted for a minute there."

"I'm fine! No worries. Just thinking about some stuff."

"What about?"

"Just, uh," he tried to wrack his brain for an answer. "Thinking about how it hasn't even been a year since I got here, but how I've had all these crazy adventures and experiences in that short time."

Alfonse chuckled and was about to answer the summoner when his sister cut him off.

"Kiran, you need to stop thinking so much!" Sharena said. "Come on! We've gotta celebrate our win!"

"What she said," Alfonse added with a smile.

"I hear ya," Kiran chuckled, shaking his head. No one saw his left hand trail behind him and swipe something from the treasure chest as he walked past it. No one saw him drop it into his pocket as he joined the rest of his party.

The monks served the winners a little feast in the monastery's mess hall. Technically, it was open to both sides, but the Emblians did not attend. Not that Alfonse blamed them. He would have probably done the same if he were in their shoes. In fact, he figured, it was probably even more of a shock to them, considering they had been the undefeated champions of this tournament for the past half decade.

Apparently, the snows had picked up outside, and, according to the monks, would make it impossible for anyone to descend from its peaks until later in the day tomorrow, meaning the Emblians were stuck here with them.

He took another swig of the frosty snow-cooled ale brewed by the mountain monks from his drinking horn as he looked around the room, smiling at the slightly fuzzy sight. They had finally done it! Winning the tournament was just one small step on the road to the much larger goal of restoring the might and glory of Askr, but it was a step nonetheless. It made him happy to see everyone who had taken part in the contest enjoying themselves.

Even Tharja, who usually kept to herself, appeared to be trying to socialize with the others, seemingly inspired by her otherworld copy's bizarre behaviour. She was speaking to Kiran, who had gotten up from their table earlier, saying he would be back after grabbing a drink. The two of them looked to be deep in discussion about some matter. He saw Kiran reach into his pocket and pull something out from it that he cupped in both hands to show to Tharja. Unfortunately, it was too small and far away for Alfonse to make out what Kiran was holding, and why exactly it elicited so much interest from Tharja, who had a dark smile on her face as she said something to the summoner that made his cheeks darken and led him to frantically wave his hands in denial.

•

"…how cute. But yes, I can add the protection charm to this. It looks strong enough to hold my magic."

"I, um, yeah. Th-thanks, Tharja.

•

"Oh, Kiran," the prince chuckled to himself. He'd have to warn him again to not get so close to the Heroes some other time. He supposed it'd be alright to let him have his fun for now, since they were fresh off the heels of a complete upset and victory over the Emblians for the first time in five years. He just didn't want the other man to get hurt like he had been.

Alfonse noticed Kiran drop an object into Tharja's palm, who promptly closed her fingers over it, though not before the prince saw a flash of gold. The dark mage suddenly left the hall to do Askr-knows-what with nary a glance backwards.

"Wow, Alfonse. when you told me not to get so attached to the Heroes, I didn't know you meant not to get in your way." Kiran suddenly appeared in front of the prince with a fresh mug of ale in his hand as a smug grin snaked across his face. "So, Tharja, huh?

"Wa—What? I don't—I'm not—!" Alfonse sputtered out a protest.

"I saw you looking at her. Never would have guessed that she was your type, though," he teased.

"Alfonse, is that true!?" cried Sharena, who overheard their conversation.

"What? No! O-of course not!" he stuttered, cheeks pink, but this wasn't enough to get Sharena off his back who teased him about his supposed 'crush' on Tharja.

Some time later, Alfonse saw a monk enter the room, followed by a rather pretty-looking older woman dressed in a maid's outfit. Apparently, she was looking for Kiran, and the two of them went off to talk in the corner. Alfonse couldn't make out what she was saying, but judging by her expressions and gestures, she seemed to be rather sad and looked like she was looking for help from their summoner. Then, much to his surprise, he saw the two of them share a quick embrace. H-had Kiran always been this popular?

At that very moment, Tharja entered the hall again, and saw Kiran with this older woman. Alfonse was sure all Hel would break loose, but Tharja simply walked over and handed him something before going back to Robin's side, trying to talk to him.

The prince of Askr was completely dumbstruck. Several questions ran through his mind: What was going on? Wasn't Kiran courting Tharja? Why, then, was she okay with him publicly hugging this other woman. And who even was she, in the first place?

One minute later, Kiran and the older maid left the hall together. This gave Alfonse further shock.

"Thank you for coming with me, Sir Kiran. And, my apologies for pulling you away from your victory celebration. I just didn't know who else to turn to. Milady shut herself away in her room after the tournament and she won't come out. And, well, we are going to be stuck here until tomorrow due to the snow, so she can't even get away."

He shook his head. "I had the feeling that something was off earlier, but I wasn't able to put my finger on it. And I wouldn't have been able to rest easy knowing that she wasn't feeling well myself."

The pair walked in silence until they reached the side of the monastery where the Emblians were staying. Just before they entered the salon where they had been having tea just a scant few hours earlier, Leticia stopped in front of the door.

"Leticia?"

"Sir Kiran," she said, turning around to face him with the most serious expression he had ever seen on her face. "Before you see the princess, there is something that I think you need to know. This summer, a very dangerous woman suddenly appeared in the middle of the Imperial Palace and somehow managed to work her way into Princess Veronica's closest council."

"What?" Kiran asked, taken aback at this sudden info-drop. "A dangerous woman? Who? And just how was she able to get into the palace?"

"Her name…is Loki."

A jolt of electricity ran down Kiran's spine, leaving him frozen in shock.

'What? Loki? Surely she isn't referring to The Loki? The trickster? The traitor of the gods? Wait, but Leticia said she was a dangerous woman. This must be a case of them just having the same name, like Owa–Odin does, right?'

"And as for how she got in," Leticia continued, unaware of the shock Kiran was experiencing, "it appears that she is able to alter her form at will. She managed to enter the Palace wearing the guise of Prince Bruno."

Kiran felt the blood drain from his face as a knot formed in his stomach. A cool sweat run down his back.

"No. No, that's impossible…" he muttered. That all but sealed it.

"Sir Kiran?" Leticia asked confusedly.

"Oh gods, no. That—that can't be." Kiran said, disbelievingly. "S-surely you're mistaken, right, Leticia? Are you sure that's her name?"

"I am certain. I heard it clear as day when she first appeared. Do you know her, Sir Kiran?"

"Not personally, but…I may know of her, and if she is indeed who I think she is, then…that's really, really bad! Oh God—Veronica! Is—Is she alright?" He grabbed Leticia by the shoulders.

"Milady is…I think she is alright for now. She doesn't speak a word of them to me, but Milady has been going on some highly secretive missions for this woman. And I do believe that she has begun to change since she started going on them."

"Changed? How?"

"In some positive ways, admittedly. Milady has become increasingly concerned about her people and what it means to be a good ruler." She paused. "That said, I can't help but worry that woman is encouraging this newfound interest as a means of keeping Milady distracted so her true aims can go undetected."

"That…while I'm happy to hear about her growing as a ruler, that is indeed extremely concerning."

She bowed deeply, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I truly apologize for not having been able to inform you about this earlier. I had no way of knowing when she might be watching or listening in while we were in the Palace, or if she could read my letters. Thankfully, she wasn't able to come here, mentioning something about being 'forbidden by the power of the dragons'."

"I…no. It's not your fault, Leticia." He growled, running a hand through his hair. "I just—I feel so useless. I want to protect her but I can't even do anything for her when I'm so far away. What should I do, Leticia?" he begged her.

"Sir Kiran…" the maid rubbed his back comfortingly. "Your place is in Askr, and nothing we do can alter that wyrd, but there is something you can do here and now. Please try and talk to Milady now and see what it is that ails her. I ask only that you make no mention that I have told you about that woman to Prince Xander or her. She would likely find out that you know about her and that would completely ruin the value of this warning."

"I…I understand," Kiran said with a wan smile. "I'll…I'll do my best." He took a deep breath as he stepped through the door.

•

As he entered the salon, Kiran saw Xander guarding the door to the Princess' room.

"Leticia? Why have you brought the Askrian summoner here?"

"Prince Xander…I think he can help. He's the only one I think we can turn to in this situation."

"What, him? How?"

Leticia appeared to be at a loss for words, unsure of how to answer, so Kiran spoke up.

"Xander, I…care a great deal for Princess Veronica," Kiran said to him. The royal knight's eyebrows rose questioningly as the corners of his mouth twitched downwards. "I want her to be happy. I want to make her happy."

"You…what?"

"I love her, Xander." He walked up to the Nohrian prince and stopped right in front of him. "I have since the day I was first summoned to this world. You should know what I'm talking about. You were there, after all."

"You were serious about that?" he asked incredulously. "I thought it was all part of your stratagems—a ploy on your part to catch us off-guard." He muttered under his breath. "One that worked all too well, I have to admit…"

"What the—Xander! Is that seriously what you think of me?"

"Well, for the longest time, I wasn't certain if you were a tactical genius…or a philandering fool, like someone else I know…"

"Hey, I take exception at being compared to Inigo…even if I did act like him when I first got here…and used to dance…and am just as shy as he actually is on the inside…" Kiran's voice trailed off as he experienced a slight twinge of existential horror.

"Inigo?" Xander asked in confusion, before shaking his head. "Well, that doesn't matter right now. How can I trust you? Not only are you our enemy, but you're the enemy summoner."

"Xander, I might be your foe on the battlefield, but in here, I am your ally. Anyone who wishes Veronica well is someone I would be glad to call a friend. My duties as Askr's summoner do indeed give me cause to oppose you during war, and while I do take those duties very seriously, I see no reason as to why we should be at odds when we aren't fighting. I appreciate very deeply all the work you do to keep her safe, Xander," Kiran said, bowing deeply, which took the prince aback.

"Prince Xander, I'll vouch for him," Leticia said. "I've been keeping in correspondence with him for the better part of a year now, and I've seen nothing but the best of intentions from him. I've also met him in person before, and I do believe he is genuine."

"Be that as it may, I cannot simply let him into this matte—"

"Please, Milord," Leticia whispered, sidling up to the royal knight and linking one her arms with his, as she batted her long lashes at him. "Can't you trust me?"

Xander's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink and he looked away. Leticia grinned savagely at Kiran, who was awestruck at this maid's attack stats on the battlefield of romance.

As the summoner snuck past them, she flashed him a victory sign.

•

Upon reaching the door to Veronica's room, Kiran took a deep breath and steeled himself, before knocking. Once, twice, thrice he knocked to no response. As he raised his hand to try once more, however, a voice came from within, muffled but still clearly upset.

"I said I wanted to be left alone. I don't want to talk right now."

"Not even with me?" Kiran yelled back through the door. "I brought you somethi—"

The door creaked open and a single, gleaming red eye peered back at him out of the darkness of the room inside. Suddenly a pale and slender arm reached out from the shadows and grabbed him by the collar of his robes, pulling him inside before slamming the door shut.

"…is it really okay to just leave that man alone in the Princess' chambers?" Xander asked after a moment. Though, it wasn't as if he could countermand the Princess' own will.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Leticia answered sunnily. "I think we can trust him. Let's let him get to know what our Princess is really like a little better," she said before she turned around and looked him straight in the eye for several seconds, holding his gaze as she walked closer to him.

"Now then, Prince Xander," she said huskily. "Let's you and I get to know each other better too, hm?" Leticia said, looking at him with half-lidded eyes as she pulled the stunned warrior behind her by his ascot."Why don't you have a seat right here and I'll put some tea on, alright?" She gently pushed the prince down into a chair, letting her long brown tresses trail across his face as she walked past him.

Kiran nearly lost his balance as he was yanked inside the room, tripping over his own two feet in the process. He stumbled forwards and fell to one knee as the door closed. He heard the rustle of cloth behind him and turned back around, only to see Veronica looming above him, looking sullen in the gloom.

"Why are you here?" she asked perfunctorily.

"Oh! Well, I have something for you," Kiran answered, digging around inside his pocket. "I brought you a gift!"

He pulled a little golden ring, capped with a large ruby, out of his cloak and held it up to her. He heard her gasp at the sight and watched her fingers reach for it, only to stop midway as she suddenly grabbed her own hand by the wrist with the other one and pulled it away.

"I-i-is this…?" Veronica began to stammer incoherently. "You're—th-this…a-are you asking me to…m-marry you?!" she asked incredulously.

"What?" Kiran cried out before realizing how the situation probably looked, with him kneeling on one leg and holding a ring in front of a girl. He jumped up to his feet, embarrassed. "N-no!" He looked down and mumbled quietly to himself. "Not yet, at least…"

Kiran cleared his throat and tried again. "Ahem. L-let me try this over again. I wanted to give you this ring I got from the tournament winnings."

"W-why?" Veronica asked again, trying to recover from her surprise.

"Because this is no longer just an ordinary ring. I had Tharja enchant it so that it would protect the wearer from harm and ward off evil."

Veronica was taken aback. Such charms were extremely rare and hard to come by because of how closely the mages of the empire guarded their secrets. Even for members of the imperial dynasty, such as herself, acquiring an item with that kind of enchantment would be very difficult.

"You would…offer such a thing to me?" she asked, bewildered. "Why not…simply keep it for yourself?"

Kiran chuckled. "Ah well, according to Tharja, this charm of hers is limited in that someone can't just order one of these to be made for themselves. They only work when they are given by the one who ordered to the person they care about the most."

Veronica flushed deeply at the Summoner's casual confession.

As she considered accepting it, the memory of the Askrian princess embracing the man before her at the end of the tournament flashed through her mind, dampening her spirits once again.

She turned away and crossed her arms, so that only her shoulder faced him, and her expression became once again sullen.

Kiran was taken aback at this sudden change in attitude. "…Veronica?" he asked hesitantly.

"You said this only works when given to the person one cares for the most, did you not?"

"Yes?"

"Then surely there are others who you hold more dear to you than myself, are there not?" she asked sharply. "Like the princess of Askr?" Resentment overflowed from her voice as she mentioned that wretched girl.

"What?" Kiran asked, completely bewildered. "Sharena?" What did she have to do with anything?

"I've seen how she throws herself at you. How she hangs all over you. And why shouldn't she? You're her summoner, after all," Veronica said venomously.

"Well, I a—"

"It's not fair!" the princess shouted, envious and frustrated. "It's not fair, it's not fair!"

"Veronica?" Kiran asked, growing increasing concerned.

"Why is that no matter what I do, I simply keep losing? Why do those two get everything?!" she said bitterly. "All that fertile land, all that wealth and happiness that they never had to work for to provide to their subjects, all those Heroes, friends…" Suddenly, she turned back around to face Kiran, eyes glowing a bright, bloody red, in which tears began to well up like shimmering silver mercury.

"…and a summoner. You," she said bitterly. "Why do they keep tormenting me? I don't have anything—anything that matters!" she snarled, as the tears in her eyes finally broke free.

In that moment, Kiran felt his heart being torn apart. All this pain and sorrow she carried. All this loneliness that no one should have to bear at all, was being borne by her alone.

'I should know what that's like After all, wasn't also so lonely before I came to this world?'

Furthermore, he couldn't deny that the cause of this hurt that she now felt was due, at least in part, to him, and a wave of pain and regret swelled up in his breast. Before he knew it, Kiran found himself tightly wrapping his arms around the crying princess. Her tears started to dampen his shirt but he held her against his chest. Soft sobs pierced the air and his heart like innumerable arrows.

"Hey, shh, shh," he whispered in what he hoped was a comforting manner as he gently stroked her hair, letting his warmth envelop her. "It's alright. Everything is alright." After several minutes, her body finally stopped shaking, but he kept his arms around her frame.

"Veronica, I know there's not much I can do about all that…but I'm here with you right now."

Veronica stayed silent, though her breath started to even out.

"Are you alright now?" Kiran asked softly.

He felt Veronica nod her head and released her from his embrace. He took a step back and raised her chin up with his hand, which she let him do without protest. 'Man, she's become so…docile. She must really be tired.' The unshed remnants of tears still sparkled in the corners of her eyes and on her lashes like stars or diamonds, and another pang of guilt shot through him at the sight. Using the corner of his sleeve, he began to gently wipe away her tears from her eyes. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her form, swaddling her in fabric to help her calm down.

"Let's sit down, alright?" Veronica nodded wordlessly, so he took her by the hand and led her to the wall so they could both sit down on the ground side by side. After some silence, Kiran spoke up again. "Think you can talk about what happened?" he asked gently.

Eventually, Veronica opened up and began to speak in a hoarse voice about what she had seen after the end of the tournament. She told Kiran about how she had seen Sharena embrace him and how lucky the Askrians were to have others there with whom they could celebrate their victory. She told him how she had never had anyone to congratulate her on her victories in the years past despite winning for five years in row. She spoke about how seeing all that had struck her straight to the core, and reminded her of just how alone she really was in this world.

Kiran put his arm around her shoulder and gently rubbed it as she leaned her head on his chest. While she spoke, Veronica listened to the beating of his heart under his breast as it pumped the blood through his veins—a steady, comforting sound.

"Veronica, were you, um?…perhaps feeling jealous of Sharena?" Kiran asked after she had finished talking, biting back a laugh.

Veronica's head shot up to glare at him, but the effect was ruined by the hood on her head which also covered her eyes. "Wh-What? Absolutely not!" she protested, causing Kiran to start chuckling.

"Where did you get that idea from? How preposterous!" She finally noticed Kiran's body shaking as he snickered besides. "S-stop that!" she ordered him, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Unfortunately, this only made things worse for her, as Kiran doubled over with tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as he howled with laughter, making Veronica even more flustered. He was unable to stay upright from laughing so hard that he fell over onto his right side, causing his head to land in Veronica's lap.

"Stop it! S-stop laughing!" she shouted, face again bright red, as she tried to rain down blows on Kiran with the bottoms of her fists, which only sent him into further paroxysms of laughter with each blow.

"S-Stop that, ahahaha!" Kiran said, trying to defend himself as he wheezed. "T-that tickles!"

"It's not supposed to tickle, it's supposed to hurt!" Veronica cried, peppering him with even more strikes which he tried to block until she eventually ran out of energy, dropping her fists with an exhausted sigh.

Kiran breathed in deeply several times, sides still sore from laughing so hard, and looked up at Veronica's face, still shrouded by the cloak's hood.

"Wh-what is it?" she asked testily.

"…Nothing," Kiran said with a soft smile. "I'm just thinking of how lucky I am."

"Lucky?" Veronica asked curiously.

"Very. I would never have imagined being able to spend time like this with such an adorable princess."

"I'm not…adorable," she muttered quietly, heat rising in her cheeks.

Kiran pretended not to hear her. "But that's not all. I never knew she would be so strong and smart too! I am indeed so very lucky to have you in my life." He rolled over and grabbed one of her hands in his. "I just wish I could convince of you that," he said, wrapping his hot fingers around her cooler ones.

Veronica looked away, starting to feel bewildered, yet she left her hands in his.

"Alfonse and Sharena are my friends, and while I am now and always will be loyal to them, I don't lo—the way I feel about them isn't the same way I feel about you."

Veronica remained silent for a while. "…I—I don't know. I don't know how to believe you. I don't know anything about any of these things—friendship or l-love." She sighed.

Kiran smiled again. "That's fine. I've told you before—these are my own, selfish feelings. I'm already overjoyed at the fact that you're thinking about them. Thank you."

Veronica sighed. "And I believe I've told you this before, but I cannot for the life of me understand why it doesn't offend you that I can't trust you the way you trust me. I don't know if I'll ever understand you," she huffed, causing Kiran to chuckle at her exasperation.

"It's alright. I'll be here until you can. Whether it's with me, or…" he smiled bitterly. "Or someone else."

"S-someone else?" she asked, completely taken aback.

"Well, uh…I honestly thought you and Xander were into each other for a little while. That's why I was always a bit on edge about him."

This time, it was Veronica's turn to laugh. "M-me and Xander? How strange an idea!"

Kiran pouted. "Stranger than you thinking Sharena and I had a thing going on?"

"Much!" she confirmed, before a thought came to her. "Were you…jealous of Xander?" she asked in disbelief.

"N-no!" Kiran said, trying to avoid her gaze.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…yes," he muttered weakly.

"Heehee!" she giggled musically, elated at having been able to turn the tables on the Summoner, and poked him in the cheek.

Eventually, he started laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation alongside her.

'You know, you're so beautiful when you're smiling and laughing like this, Veronica. I don't ever want to see you cry again, if I can help it. Bruno…I will do whatever I can for your sister and you.'

The two of them talked long into the night at length about various topics and swapped stories. Veronica was particularly interested in hearing more about Kiran's world, while he was keen on learning more about the one he had ended up in. He told her about the various countries and cultures of his world, both the ones he had seen in person and those he had read about, while she recounted whatever still-extant fragments of stories of the first emperors there were. The pair spent a few hours in this way, talking, but perhaps more importantly, reveling in each other's company.

They eventually lapsed into a comfortable silence, both simply enjoying the rare chance to be so close to another person. After such a tumultuous, and emotionally-draining day, wrapped up in the summoner's warm and heavy cloak in that dark room, Veronica struggled to stay awake. Her eyelids felt as though they weighed too much to keep open, and so she closed them, but the combination of warmth and darkness soon proved to be too much to resist and after a few yawns, the princess began to nod off with Kiran's head still laying in her lap.

"Vero—" he started to call her name once he noticed that she had fallen asleep before hesitated. "No, I should let her sleep. She's had a long day." Kiran sat back up and stretched. "And I probably need to get back as well."

Kiran got up and looked for the bed so he could tuck her in before leaving. He pulled pulled back the sheets and fluffed up the pillow, getting it ready for Veronica. Then he walked back over to the sleeping princess and gently scooped her up, slipping one arm under hers and around her back and the other under her knees, being careful not to wake her. As Kiran picked her up, Veronica shifted in his arms and draped both of hers around his neck, holding on to him unconsciously.

Once he reached the bed, Kiran tried laying her down on the mattress, but her arms wouldn't let go of him. Instead she nuzzled in closer to his chest, where the beat of his heart, pulsed a constant, steady rhythm that she, in her sleep, found comforting. Wanting to not wake her, Kiran knelt down at her side and waited for her arms to naturally loosen, before slipping out from underneath them. Veronica began to frown at the loss of warmth, but Kiran quickly pulled the sheets back over her body, tucking her comfortably in, and she once again began to relax.

Kneeling at her bedside, Kiran clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

"She's so precious…and I would give anything to keep her safe if I could. So please, gods, give me strength. My God, I beg you—keep her safe." He prayed. "And please, please let me find a way to free her from this Loki's clutches, whoever she may be," he whispered through gritted teeth, bowing his head in despair. A few moments later, he sighed let his arms fall by his sides before opening his eyes as he got up.

As Kiran arose from his kneeling position, Veronica's peacefully sleeping face, on which the midnight moonlight shone, icy-white, filled his sight, healing some of the unease he had been feeling all night. His lips quirked into a smile as leaned over and brushed some of the hair out of her face before lightly kissing her on the forehead.

Before he left, Kiran stopped in front of the door before turning his head back around to look at Veronica one last time. This was what he would fight for. She was truly the person for whose sake he was brought to this world—he was sure of it.

He opened the door and stepped back out into the salon…

Kiran rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, taken aback by how bright it was out here, compared to the darkness inside the room he had just been in. As his sight came back, Kiran saw Leticia sitting in a chair across from Xander, conversing with the prince. Curiously enough, Kiran noticed that her hair was a bit disheveled and her dress slightly rumpled. She smoothed them out with her hands as she stood up. For a split second, the maid gave him a strange look, before greeting him a radiant smile on her face, which had the slightest flush of pink on her cheeks. He decided that it was probably irrelevant and promptly put it out of mind.

"Sir Kiran," she curtsied. "Did everything go well? How is Milady?"

"As well as I could have hoped. We spent the night talking about a lot of things before she fell asleep. I think she's had a rather trying—and tiring—day. I tucked her into bed before I left, so you should probably just let her rest. I think she'll be alright come morning, but if not, we should still be here until noon," he offered.

"Oh, you tucked her in? How sweet! Pray tell just how you went about that?" Leticia asked teasingly.

"I-I didn't do anything weird if that's what you're asking! I just…picked her up and carried her to her bed. Th-that's all," he said. His ears started to get hot as he recalled kissing her on the forehead before leaving.

She smirked and stepped into the room to check on the princess. Xander got up from his chair and took up his spot by the door again, waiting for the maid to return. Leticia came back with a genuine smile on her face, and patted Kiran on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Sir Kiran. Milady does indeed look to be at peace now. Whatever you talked about, it seems you helped put her at ease. Thank you."

Xander spoke up as well. "It seems I may have been mistaken about you, Summoner. While I still have my misgivings about you, I can't deny that you have been able to do what we couldn't, and so, for that, I thank you." The royal knight bowed slightly, surprising Kiran.

"I meant everything I said, Xander, and I'll prove it to you in the due course of time. But thank you too," he answered, bowing as well. "In any case, it's getting rather late, and I should probably get back to my room and go to sleep," he said with a yawn.

"Good night, sir," said Leticia. Kiran smiled and gave her a brief hug.

"Good night, Leticia. And as always, thank you for everything."

The Summoner left the salon with a wave goodbye to Xander and Leticia and passed out in his bed upon reaching the still empty room.

(The Next Morning)

Veronica awoke feeling very warm and comfortable. For some reason, she smelled spices—a warm and relaxing scent. She lazily rolled over onto her back, and closed her eyes, but the warm sunlight streaming in through her windows alit on her face, keeping her from sinking back into a deep sleep. As she yawned and rubbed her eyes, the Emblian princess wondered whether the events of last night were simply a dream. She stumbled out of bed and put on her slippers before drawing the curtains fully back to let in more light. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden change in brightness. As her eyes began to adjust to the light, she breathed out a sigh of amazement at the sight of the freshly snow-capped peaks sparkling beautifully in the morning sunlight.

A basin of water had been placed on her dresser. She dipped a towel into the cold water and began to wash her face, finally waking up. She picked up her hairbrush from the dresser to begin the daily ritual of trying to tame her long, silver tresses, and walked over to the full length mirror before stopping dead in her tracks.

Staring back at Veronica was her reflection, looking almost the same as she always did, save for one aspect. Atop her usual clothing, she was wearing the Summoner's gold-and-white cloak, which fell to her shins, swaddling her in its warmth. As she gasped in surprise, the fragrance she had smelled earlier wafted up from its fabric, wrapping her in its scent. The brush fell out of her hand and on the floor with a clatter as she continued to stare at her mirror-image, blood creeping up her neck and cheeks, staining them a pretty pink.

It was in that moment that the door to her room opened, revealing Leticia, carrying a tray of food.

"Milady, I've brought your breakfast! Are you awa—ah. There you are, Milady. Good morning," she said with a smile, setting down the tray and curtseying. "Oh my," she grinned, finally seeing the princess' appearance. "What a lovely cloak. Now I wonder where you could have gotten that?" the maid asked facetiously.

Veronica didn't buy it, instead shooting her an incredulous look, which, in conjunction with her blush, only amused Leticia even more.

"I-I'm sure you know where it's from," the princess said, turning away and crossing her arms.

"That's true, that's true. I'm sorry for teasing you, Milady," the maid giggled. 'But you just make it too easy' she thought. "Sir Kiran gave it to you yesterday, didn't he? It has been rather cold up here, what with the snowstorm and all. How thoughtful of him!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. She picked up the hairbrush. "Would you let me brush your hair for you, Milady?"

Veronica "hmph'd", still embarrassed, but sat down on a stool in front of the mirror. Leticia hummed happily as she brushed her princess' hair, taking especial care of the the long tresses on the back of her head.

"Oh!" Leticia squealed when she was finished, and threw her arms around the princess from behind as she rested her head on Veronica's left shoulder. "Milady, you are simply too cute!" she exclaimed, nuzzling her cheek against Veronica's.

"I am an Imperial Princess of Embla. I am not cute!" the princess protested. "And let go of me!" She squirmed in Leticia's hold, who let go of her, pouting.

"Aww," the maid whined playfully. "It just isn't fair that Sir Kiran is the only one who gets to cuddle with you like this, Milady."

"W-we do not cuddle!" she cried, face completely red.

"That's not what he said last night, heehee…" Leticia giggled mischievously, winking.

Veronica whipped her head around, eyes wide with shock. "Wh-what? What did he tell you?" she cried, trying to grab the maid, but Leticia danced out of reach.

"Leticia! What did he say?" Veronica chased her maid around the room, trying to catch her and force her to give up her secrets.

"He said you fell asleep while talking to him," she laughed, dodging Veronica's hands, "and he carried you to bed before tucking you in, just like a princess!" she squealed.

Veronica collapsed forward onto her bed and buried her burning face into both of her hands.

Leticia followed suit a few seconds later, breathing hard.

After catching her breath, Letcia slid off the bed and bowed, kneeling. "Milady, how do you feel about Sir Kiran? Was it alright that I asked for his help yesterday? Because, please understand, I simply want you to be happy.

Veronica hesitated for a second before reaching out and patting her handmaiden on the head.

"I don't…dislike it," she muttered shyly. "And…I might not say this enough, but thank you for looking after me. E-even if the two of you are rather rude at times."

Leticia chuckled as she looked down, pleased to hear that she was succeeding in making her lady happy, when she noticed something sparkling under the bed.

She reached under the bed frame and grabbed the object, only to find an ancient golden ring, inset with a finely-cut ruby that shone like a drop of blood.

"Milady, did you drop this ring? I found it under the bed just now."

Veronica lifted up her head to look at what Leticia was talking about, only to gasp in surprise at the sight. The redness on her face intensified twofold, like a newly-blossoming rose, causing the maid to look back at her with curiosity gleaming in her brown eyes.

"Ooh, it certainly looks like you recognize it. Where did it come fro—ah!" she exclaimed, making the connection. "Did Sir Kiran bring it to you?"

Veronica flushed and looked away before burying her face into the bed.

"…yes," she said, muffled.

Leticia squealed with joy. "Oh, Milady, that's wonderful! Did you accept?"

"Accept…what?"

"Why, his proposal of course!"

Veronica shot up straight, blushing brightly. "Wh-what? What do you mean proposal?" she squeaked.

"There usually is only one reason a man offers a woman a ring," Letica answered matter-of-factly.

"I-it's not like that! He just…had one of his Heroes place a charm on it to ward off evil."

Leticia's mouth curved into a round shape, all too aware of just how expensive and difficult such charms were to come by.

"But…Milady, such charms are exceptionally rare, not to mention the price."

"That's what I said as well…he told me there was a limitation on it, however." Leticia's right eyebrow quirked upwards. "It has effect only if given by the creator or commissioner to a person for whom they care." Understanding dawned on her maid's face. "Normally, that would make such a charm almost worthless, but I think…" Veronica trailed off, uncertain of how to finish.

"That makes it all the more precious?" Leticia asked kindly.

The princess nodded shyly. "…b-because…it's only for me."

"Isn't that nice, Milady?" her maid asked.

"Yes…" Veronica whispered, the ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

After a long night's rest, Kiran woke up to find that his room was still empty. It looked as though no one had returned from the party last night, so he got dressed and left for the mess hall to see if they were still there.

As he walked through the open doors of the hall, he spotted several novice monks and acolytes cleaning up the mess left over from the celebrations. They were picking up trash and wiping down tables around the fallen forms of his comrades, who were passed out asleep in various positions. Anna sat between Alfonse and Sharena at a table, her arms thrown around both siblings' shoulders, while Robin was passed out against a pillar as Tharja clung to one of his legs. Lissa was sleeping on his other shoulder. But Chrom really took the cake, Kiran snorted. The Ylissean prince was passed out with his head resting on Robin's stomach, while one leg was on Tharja's back. In that moment, Kiran was grateful for the fact that he wasn't in Chrom's position.

Kiran started feeling embarrassed at his companions' state and bowed in apology to the monks before trying to go wake them up. He eventually managed to rouse most of them, though Lissa refused to budge, forcing Chrom to pick her up and carry her on his back.

Several hours later, everyone was eating lunch together in the now clean mess hall. They had all packed and were ready to leave as soon as the snow let up. Kiran finished his bowl of the hot, mountain vegetable soup the monks had prepared for them and stood up, asking to be excused from the table so he could take one last walk around the monastery before they left.

Naturally, he found his feet leading him towards the Emblian side, hoping to catch Princess Veronica one last time before he left, so that he might bid her farewell.

Xander, who was standing guard outside of the door to her chambers, spotted him and waved him over. "Kiran," he nodded.

"Prince Xander," Kiran said. "I was hoping to see the princess before I left. Would it be possible for me to meet her?"

The Nohrian remained silent for a moment, scrutinizing him, before bowing to him again, deeper than he had before. "Yes. But, before I let you in, I think I should first thank you—and apologize."

Kiran was once again taken by surprise. "You wish to apologize? For what?"

"For my suspicions towards you, which have been proven wrong. The princess woke up this morning and left her chambers of her own volition. Her mood has improved considerably, and I can't help but acknowledge your part in it."

"I…well, thank you. First of all, that's certainly a relief. But I don't think you need to apologize to me for that. You were in the right, and if I were in your place, I would have done the same."

Xander's face cracked a small smile. It didn't stay that way for long.

"Oh, by the way, what did you and Leticia do last night while we were talking?"

Xander's face once again became stony, as the slightest tinge of pink dusted his cheeks, though Kiran couldn't see it.

He coughed to clear his throat. "Ahem, nothing in particular. We simply spent our time talking, much like you and the princess."

"I see…Well, thanks. She's in there?"

"Yes," Xander said, and opened the door.

Kiran stepped inside to see Veronica and Leticia having coffee. The two ladies looked up as he entered and Leticia smiled at him. As he turned to greet Veronica, the sight before him stole the words from his mouth. The princess still had his cloak wrapped around her, it's white and gold fabric glowing. The late morning sunlight streaming in from the salon's windows shone like an angelic halo behind her thick, silver locks.

It had been far too dark last night to make out her appearance, but now, in the light of day, he could see her clearly. And it would be the gravest of lies if he said that seeing her like this didn't cause his heart to skip a beat. Just when he thought she couldn't get any more adorable, the sight of her dressed in his cloak proved him so irrevocably wrong. An intense urge to pick her up in his arms and spin her around seized his heart, and it was only with greatest of efforts that he was able to hold it back.

"…ir Kiran, your mouth is open," Leticia gently chided, hiding a smile behind her hand,

The summoner felt heat creep up his neck and quickly snapped his lower jaw shut. "I, uh…" he uttered, unable to find words.

Veronica began to feel embarrassed by Kiran's reaction to seeing her dressed like that, and she hid the lower half of her face behind the cloak's baggy sleeves, which were so long that that extended past her fingertips, flopping over when she lifted her hands up. Unfortunately for her, this only had the effect of further overwhelming the summoner with her cuteness.

He swallowed to clear his throat and tried to speak again as he tried to look somewhere other than right at Veronica. "Ahem. G-good morning Princess Veronica, Leticia."

"Good morning, Sir Kiran!" Leticia said airily with a curtsey.

"…gg…ng," Veronica muttered, still covering her mouth and cheeks which were a bright red.

Kiran took a deep breath. "I see you're still wearing my cloak, Princess. Did you like it that much?" he asked, hoping that his voice didn't crack mid-sentence as a result of his nervousness.

"No!…I mean—it was just…I simply woke up with it on and forgot to remove it! H-here, you can have it back," she said, trying to cover up her embarrassment by taking off the large white cloak.

"No, no, it's quite alright. In fact, I'd like you to keep it. I…I think you look quite n-nice in it."

"Oh," Veronica said, dropping her head to hide the colour gathered on her cheeks.

"You know, Sir Kiran," interjected Leticia with an impish smile, "Milady showed me something else of interest that you gifted her earlier this morning."

"Something else of inte—ah! The ring? Oh dear, I can't believe I forgot about that. So you do still have it?" he asked. At Leticia's nod, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods…Where is it?"

Veronica shakily rolled up the right sleeve of the cloak to reveal the ring sparkling prettily around her pointer finger. Kiran looked up at her in surprise, before breaking into an earnest smile. "Oh thank God, I'm so glad you liked it!"

Veronica's cheeks flushed and she looked away, unable to look directly at his face. "Y-yes," she said hesitantly, trying her hardest to speak how she truly felt. She took a deep breath as well. "I do like it. T-thank you for the gift. I…" she struggled to find the right word. "I am…happy."

Leticia smiled at her mistress, proud of her progress, while Kiran felt his heart beat faster at Veronica's sincere thanks.

Just then, the monastery's bells rang twelve times, signaling the beginning of midday.

Kiran's expression fell slightly with the reminder of the time. He glanced out through the window, confirming the monks' prediction—the snow had indeed stopped falling, which meant that he and Veronica would soon be going their separate ways.

"Hey…I actually came here to tell you guys that I was gonna be leaving soon. We've pretty much finished packing, and everyone's probably meeting up back in our room. I just wanted to say goodbye before I left." He smiled at the two women sadly. "I really enjoyed spending time with you yesterday, and I wish we didn't have to separate again so soon. Is…Is it really impossible for this war to end? For us to not have to hide our friendship under the cover of night? For us to be able to enjoy each other's company during the day—out in the open?" His voice started wavering as he began to get emotional about his impending departure.

Noticing the troubled looks on Veronica and Leticia's faces, Kiran shook his head. "No…I'm sorry. I shouldn't say goodbye like this. I know we all have our own duties." He tried to put a smile on his face, but it was clearly forced. Veronica felt a sharp pain in her heart, and Leticia looked away sadly.

"I…I'll see you both again, I hope," he said, and without waiting for a response, turned around and headed for the door.

As Veronica watched the Summoner—the first person, besides her now absent brother, who had willingly sought her out and devoted so much of his time and attention to her for nothing in return—all without her needing to resort to a single contract—walk away so disheartened, a strange new feeling began to bubble up in the pit of her stomach. A feeling she did not like. It was oily, churning, and nauseating, all at once, and felt as though it was rising up into her throat, only to remain stuck there.

A voice yelled at her to do something to set things right before he reached that door and stepped through it, otherwise she might never see him again.

But, why did that matter?

Because, h—that wasn't important! She needed to know how to fix this situation now. Asking other questions could come later.

She wracked her brain for an answer, trying to find the solution to their problem, when a sour memory bubbled up again, causing her to frown. The image of the Askrian princess throwing her arms around the Summoner after their victory in the Winter Tournament flashed through her mind, reminding her once more of how happy he looked with her arms around him.

A light dusting of pink stained Veronica's cheeks as she realized just what that memory was calling for her to do.

But…embracing the Summoner? Should she…could she do such a thing?

And why not? Did not that bratty princess do it herself in full view of the public? Here, it is but the three of us.

But why should she?

Because he—I…Because he called me his friend!

By the time she came to her senses, the Summoner—no, Kiran was almost at the door. She ran towards him, throwing her arms forwards…

"Kiran!"

•

Kiran trudged silently towards the door, shoulders slumped in resignation. His legs felt like heavy weights underneath, threatening with each step to drag him down through the floor.

He cursed himself under his breath, regretting having ever brought that matter up. This wasn't how he had foreseen his goodbye going. Not at all. Leaving like this left a sour taste in his mouth, but he felt too awkward to turn back around and try to make amends again.

He sighed deeply and reached for the door when he felt something pull on his shirt from behind, stopping him from opening it. When he turned around to see what had happened, Kiran's breath hitched in his throat.

"Kiran!"

Veronica stood behind him, clutching the hem of his tunic. She looked up at him with glistening eyes that pierced his heart. At hearing his name being uttered so earnestly by those soft, pink lips that shone like the petals of a rose upon which the morning dew had gathered, a spark shot up Kiran's spine and caused the hairs on his arms and neck to stand on end and ground him in place, rendering him unable to move.

"…did you mean it?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Huh?" Kiran answered eloquently.

"When you said we were your…friends, did you mean it?" She peered into the shadowy depths of his eyes, trying to discern his true feelings, but he looked away shamefully, unable to meet her gaze.

"…I did."

"Then…don't…" she whispered to him shakily.

"Veronica?" Kiran raised his eyes to meet hers, confused.

"…Don't go." She looked even deeper into his eyes as her grip on the hem of his shirt strengthened. "Please!" she suddenly blurted out. "I—You…spending time with you makes me…" Veronica struggled to put these new and unfamiliar feelings into words. "I—I want to be your f-friend as well!"

The dam Kiran had erected in his heart all but shattered from the impact of Veronica's words, which hit like a rock fired from a trebuchet. Hardly had she finished speaking when he turned around and swept her up in his arms, whirling her around.

He took her by surprise, causing her to yelp, until she eventually broke into a fit of giggles and wrapped her arms around his neck as the two of them spun round and round, laughing all the while…

•

A few minutes later, the two of them were doubled over, trying to catch their breaths as they smiled at each other and chuckled.

Leticia looked on from afar at the two's interactions and surreptitiously dabbed at her misty eyes with the corner of her sleeve. She had not seen her lady laugh so freely and heartily in a long, long time—not since she was first brought into the Imperial household as a slip of a girl to serve as the young princess' personal handmaiden. She felt her heart warm as she saw her ward enjoy herself like a girl her age should, and gave thanks to the gods for this blessing that she so dearly needed.

The bell tolled once, signaling the passage of a quarter hour.

"Haah…I should…I should probably get going," Kiran said, breathing heavily, as he stood up straight. This time, however, the smile he wore on his face was unclouded and shone as brilliantly as the midday sun.

Veronica felt her cheeks warm as the corners of her lips tugged upwards into a small smile at the sight, and a burst of pride, joy, and relief filled her heart. She was able to cheer up her first…friend. Surely that was a matter worth being elated over, she told herself.

"Kiran…I don't want you to go," she said shyly.

He grasped her hands with his, marveling at the difference. Cold and hot. Soft and calloused. Pale and dark. Kiran smiled and squeezed her hands gently. "Want to hear a secret? Neither do I."

The princess laughed softly at the summoner's words.

The princess smiled. "Then…until we meet again?" she asked, trying out the unfamiliar words for the first time.

Kiran answered her with another smile. He wrapped his arms around her one last time, whispering "Until we meet again," before turning around and leaving the salon. If he stayed there even a minute longer, his heart promised him, it would have been impossible for anyone to convince him to leave her side after all that had happened.

Kiran hurried back to his group's room to see that all of his comrades had finished packing and were waiting for him.

"Kiran!" Sharena called, waving to him. "We're ready to leave! I've got your things right here!"

As he got closer, she saw his face. "Wow, you sure look happy. Something good happen?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, nothing in particular! I just took a nice walk and talked with a couple of new friends."

"New friends? You got the monks here to talk to you?" the princess gasped. "How? You have to tell me your secrets on the way back!"

"We'll see," Kiran chuckled.

The company of eight left from the monastery and made their way back home to Askr laughing all the way.

Epilogue

Veronica returned to her home in the Imperial Palace of Embla, carrying with her wonderful memories of the time she had spent with Kiran. Getting away from the machinations of both Imperial politics and Loki had a markedly positive effect on the princess' wellbeing. Furthermore, spending time on the mountain that was said to be the cradle of the first emperor helped to suppress the worst of the dragonblood's temper.

Unfortunately, the curse of Embla was not so easily beaten. It had an insidious capacity, not only to twist its bearers' moods to suit its needs, or exhort them to violence against anything related to its mortal foe, Askr, but also to warp their very thoughts and memories, such that thinking on anything or anyone that once gave them joy or pleasure, instead filled them with a deep and irrevocable sense of emptiness. This would eventually lead one who bore the Drakenblut to develop a deep and abiding hatred for said person or thing, because the very thought of them would bring with it immense pain. Ultimately, this would culminate in an all-consuming urge to destroy the hated object so it could torment them no longer with its continued existence. It would only be, however, once a bearer of Embla's blood had finally severed the object's connection to this plane that a modicum of lucidity would return to their consciousness, wracking them with a grief and regret at their own actions that served only to further strengthen the curse's grasp on them.

Princess Veronica stood outside the Imperial Palace of Embla, staring at the massive edifice disinterestedly. Behind her were her loyal handmaiden, Leticia, and knight, Prince Xander of Nohr. The two of them looked at each other with concern. Ever since Kiran had left, the princess' mood, which had been so unusually free and unfettered, began to deteriorate over the two days' time it took for them to return home. By now, it felt as though they had hardly even left, so much had she regressed to behaving like she used to before the tournament.

Leticia carried the cloak Kiran left behind, along with the circlet he had gifted the princess in October—both of which the princess had torn off herself and strewn on the ground last night—hidden inside her suitcase, having secretly retrieved them once the her Lady had fallen asleep.

The heavy iron front gates of the Imperial Palace creaked open ominously, revealing a pair of glowing amethyst eyes waiting for them in the shade of the palace entrance. The figure languidly walked forward, revealing those eyes to belong to a woman who looked to be around Leticia's age, with long reddish hair capped by a gold and purple bicorn hat, and a dangerously voluptuous figure, wrapped in an extremely revealing purple dress that barely covered her modesty. She stalked forwards to meet the princess with a predatory smile, the sound of her boots clacking against the marble floor somehow louder than the groan of the opening doors.

"Why hello, dear. Welcome home. Did you have a nice vacation?" Her voice was husky and mellifluous—and as dangerous as a tar pit. Each inflection seemed perfectly calculated and modulated to induce a sensation of simultaneous arousal and revulsion.

"Yes." The princess answered laconically.

"My, isn't that just wonderful? And I've been so bored waiting here at home for you all this time. But now that you're back, I have a little game we can play, dear!" Saying thus, the woman put a hand on Veronica's shoulder and led her further into the palace's depths, leaving the princess' two retainers standing there all alone.

As Leticia watched her charge disappear into the shadows, she saw the jewel on the ring the Summoner had gifted her Lady gleam a brilliant crimson for a mere instant, before it too was swallowed up by the darkness.

AN: Well, this chapter got a bit heavy, didn't it? I definitely wrote in a lot more dramatic and some slightly tragic moments, mixed in with the sweetness that I know you all enjoy and keep coming back here for. It was honestly quite hard to keep track of when all the different plot points in the game were published chronologically, but I think I have the full measure of them, at least up to the beginning of Book II of the game's story. I wanted this chapter to also be a bit more realistic in some regards, while also maintaining the "cracky" romance you read this for, so I hope I got a good balance of that here. In the future, I will probably go back to writing ~2,000 word chapters for the regular chapters of the book, should I decide to cover them, but since these paralogues and special events are really an opportunity to explore and expand, I think they will continue to be rather extensive.

Regarding the WWTSLP?'s Chronology: There is one thing I am changing regarding the chronology of events between this story and the game's story. In the game, Chapter 1 of Book II, "The Flame" was released on November 28, 2017. Part 5 of this chapter, "Enchantress of the Mist", marks the Order of Heroes' first encounter with Loki, the mysterious and seductive tactician who serves King Surtr of Múspell! Naturally, November 28 is almost a full month before Christmas, so I will be adjusting the chronology of my story to have the events of Book II begin in January of the second year that Kiran was summoned to Zenith—not towards the end of his first one.

Regarding the Cover Image: This is a picture of our favourite Emblian princess dressed as Santa Alter from Fate/Grand Order. 2018 was the year I first started playing FEH, as well as FGO, just a few months ago, and both of these games have really grown on me, and I really appreciate them both. This is probably the first major digital work I've ever completed, and I really learnt a lot through the process of painting this, both about myself and about the tools and workspace I use, from habits, effective time management, dedication, layers, brushes, and critique. I had a lot of fun painting several parts of this picture, particularly the fur and the snowdrifts, and feel like I gained quite a bit of experience from completing this work. I've also been watching and listening to a lot of videos by other artists on YouTube who have served as a source of great inspiration for me.

I realize that I still have a long ways to go and a lot more to learn, so I'm already planning to revisit this concept of Christmas Veronica for next year, this time in an original outfit, so I look forward to being able to compare my (hopefully!) growth between this winter and next. Apart from that, I've still got the Legendary Tiki painting to finish, as well as a whole slew of other ideas that I may or may not get to, depending on how much free time I have between college and writing.

But I'm also trying to take art commissions and have a open under this same name that I use here. I will soon be adding a $1 monthly fanfiction supporter benefit tier to my for any of you who would like to support me. I will thank anyone who chooses to support me in the AN at the beginning in all of my stories going forwards, so if you have a dollar to spare each month, or even just this month, please think about helping me out! I would really appreciate it! ^_^

You can find me on as Kalacakra108. I also have a Twitter with the same username, if you want to follow me on there. Just reach out, I'd love to hear from you!

Lastly, thank you to everyone who reads my stories. I really appreciate you giving me the your time and attention. I really wouldn't be here without all of you, because I often go back and read the reviews people leave me while I'm in the midst of writing a chapter, especially an extra long chapter like this one, as motivation. I find it really helps, because I'm ultimately crafting a product that I want to leave you feeling satisfied. So if you want to help me keep doing this, in the purest of ways, please leave a review at the end of your experience telling me what you thought! I'd really appreciate it!

P.S. We have a FE writers Discord server. PM me if you want an invite!