Camilla paused, feeling the weight of the axe. It certainly felt heavier than she had expected. She had also been noticing strange things all morning. What on earth was happening? She started to think over what she had experienced...
"Camilla?" Her sister's voice interrupted her train of though.
"Oh, Elise," Camilla remembered, "silver axes are very well made, and very strong. They're a bit pricey, but I'm sure Arthur will love it. There's also a discount on axes today!"
"That sounds perfect!" Elise pulled some gold out of her small purse, paying for the axe. The younger princess grasped the weapon with both hands, pulling it off the counter. She almost dropped the axe—it was much heavier than the tomes she was used to carrying.
Camilla smiled. "Do you need a hand, darling?"
"Nope!" Elise grunted back. "I've got this!"
"Aww, my cute little sister's become so strong!" Camilla cooed. Elise stumbled over to the door. Just before she left, she looked back over her shoulder.
"Is everything all right, Camilla?" Elise asked, having noticed her sister's strange pause.
Camilla took a moment to reply, deciding not to worry her sister. "Yes, everything is fine." she answered.
This was all the reassurance Elise needed. "See you later!" She walked out of the door. Camilla waved as she left. She didn't need to concern her with the oddities of this morning. Nor did she need to know about how much she was worried for Corrin. She felt that elated sensation once again. Camilla decided to close the shop for a while and go out for a walk to clear her head.
Camilla strolled around the grounds of the castle, lost in her thoughts. Since this morning, she had felt a bit drained. She thought she was simply tired at first, but it seemed to be getting worse. If she had just been a bit groggy from last night, the feeling should have passed by now. Had she really been so disturbed by that dream, the one from last night that she could barely remember? It had Corrin in it, she remembered that much. The heady feeling returned as she recalled him, but she forced herself to focus. It was then that she noticed her armor had been loose, so she had to adjust the strap on her chest once again. She seemed to have more room inside her metal gauntlets as well, causing her to wonder why.
It has been a little warmer than usual, perhaps the metal has expanded with the heat. She reasoned. But then she remembered that her nightclothes were also looser than normal. However, Camilla was less sure about this, so she dismissed the thought.
Selena's shirt had been loose too. She remembered with a smirk. So it wasn't just her. Someone must have made a mistake doing the laundry. Camilla concluded. But that didn't explain how she was feeling...
"Lady Camilla." The princess turned to see her retainer Beruka.
"Oh, Beruka. Are you well?" she asked.
"Of course," Beruka replied, "and you?"
Camilla hesitated, but decided to trust Beruka with her concerns. "Tell me, Beruka," Camilla began, "have you noticed anything strange about me today?"
"No," Beruka answered quickly, "you seem to be the same as usual."
"Hmm. You see, I've been feeling a bit strange of late," Camilla told her.
"You have?"
"Yes, ever since I woke up this morning. I feel slightly weaker, and I've been feeling butterflies in my stomach every now and then," she explained, experiencing the very feeling as she described it. She briefly thought of Corrin for some reason.
"I see," Beruka nodded.
"Do you have any ideas?" Camilla asked.
"It may be nothing. Or perhaps that potion has upset your stomach," Beruka stated.
Camilla pondered this. "Perhaps. Have you been feeling any different?"
"No," Beruka answered, "but I drank a lot less of it than you did."
"You may be right. I'll have to keep a close eye on myself then," Camilla concluded.
"Yes. If that is all..." Beruka started to turn away.
"One more thing," Camilla stopped her, "how is Corrin today?" the feeling returned again. She felt herself shifting downward, perhaps out of guilt for asking about something she shouldn't.
"He is still sleeping in," Beruka informed her liege.
"Oh. At least he's safe in there," Camilla sighed, the almost euphoric feeling growing stronger, "you are dismissed. Take care of yourself Beruka."
"Of course, Lady Camilla." The princess watched as Beruka walked away. Something had been different about her retainer. And not just her slightly crooked headband. She seemed somehow stronger, more reliable today. Before she could think on it further, her gauntlet clanked to the ground. Annoyed, Camilla bent down and retrieved it. If this armor was just going to fall off, there wasn't much point in her keeping it on. Though she wouldn't mind being nude too much, she decided to head back to her room and change her clothes.
Camilla made it back to her room without any other strange happenings, though that same sensation returned when she walked past Corrin's treehouse. Now that she was in her room, remembering being close to the treehouse, she could feel it again somehow. Locking the door, she discarded her armor and rifled through her wardrobe. They had never been ambushed here, so it was probably fine to don more casual wear. She grabbed her favorite dress and put it on. It was a bit baggy on her, somehow a couple of sizes too big. She turned to her body-length mirror. The dress was clearly too big for her, so she decided to try another. The other dress was too big for her as well, was she somehow smaller? She also noticed that she seemed shorter in the mirror.
What could this possibly mean? Sighing, she rummaged around until she found one of her older dresses. This one was white and blue, somewhat like what Azura often wore. Slipping it on, she admired herself in the mirror. This dress fit and it suited her well, hugging her curves tightly. It was much more modest than her armor, however. She was rather tired of dressing up for today, so decided to stick with this dress. Adjusting it slightly, she saw her circlet was hanging loose. She repositioned it, and it seemed to sit on her head well enough. Slipping into a pair of her old shoes she went back outside.
The noon sun was high in the air, quite different from what Camilla knew back in Nohr. Lunch would be soon, so she wondered what was on the menu. Hopefully one of her favorites. She couldn't remember who was going to be cooking today. Camilla headed back across the courtyard, towards the armory. Turning round the corner, she saw the distinctive white hair of Corrin. She stopped herself, thinking.
I should leave him alone, like Xander told me to. Oh, but one small conversation couldn't possibly hurt. She hurried towards him, but did not run, more excited than usual at the prospect of speaking to him. Perhaps that was all that the strange feeling was, that was now stronger than before.
"Corrin!" Camilla called out as she neared him.
Corrin turned towards her. When he saw her he looked a bit startled, like he was thinking about running. "C-Camilla!" he stuttered.
"Oh, my sweet Corrin," she sang as she reached him, "were you sleeping in today?"
"Well, I guess so." Corrin answered, blushing slightly.
Now that she was face to face with him Camilla's giddy feeling was even stronger. What had come over her? She just might collapse! It almost felt like she was getting crushed, compressed on the spot! What was happening to her?
