Just a heads up, this isn't exactly the A Support, more like the, well, B.5 Support. After looking things over I felt something was missing so I added this chapter as midway point between the B and A supports. You'll find out pretty quick where it fits in once you start reading.
I do not own anything.
The fact that anyone was in any condition to move right now was something of a miracle itself. Facing down a dragon with the power to decimate countries hadn't exactly been easy, nor was it something one could just walk away from with scratch or a headache. Over half the army was still confined to bedrest while the remaining portion were busy trying to contain the chaos that came with victory. Regardless, there was work that needed to be done.
"Such as? Succeeding where Anankos failed?" Questioned one of Hoshido's royal healers when they'd arrived at camp to treat the wounded.
It had taken two days for reinforcements from both Hoshido and Nohr to arrive, and it had taken nearly an entire day to soothe over the confusion that erupted once they had. Ryoma hadn't exactly been happy to listen to a hundred raging voices when it felt like half his body had been rushed by an Oni's club, but he had soldiered through the pain and calmed the tensions as Xander had done for his people. Once that matter had been taken care of they launched into action ensuring no one else died right there on the batch of greenery the army had been teleported to following Anankos' defeat. Given what it was they'd just defeated it was no surprise the emerald grass was quickly becoming overtaken by pools of blood. Some young healers had actually froze in horror upon arriving on the scene and seeing so many wounded. Ryoma couldn't blame them.
"Xander," He started towards his Nohrian counterpart. "I know this may seem strange, but I-"
"You're going to ask me where Camilla is aren't you?" The blond prince immediately deduced with a blank expression somewhat surprising Ryoma. Between the two of them Xander had taken the worst of the injuries thus his recovery was taking longer. His left arm was in a sling and according to the healers it would be a good two weeks or so before he could move it properly, provided he wanted to be able to use his left arm at all. Somehow Ryoma felt sacrificing one's arm to mortally wound the beast that had killed your father and possessed his corpse was something Xander would have been able to live with. Locking eyes with each other the blond let out a calm breath that eased the tension Ryoma felt building up in his body. "She's gone up to the top of the hill to the east. It's not too far a walk so Corrin nor any of the others should complain too much."
"Did she take Marzia with her?"
"No, you know now is a…difficult time she'd want to spend alone." What the Paladin didn't say was she didn't have to spend alone. Shooting him a silent plea Ryoma nodded his thanks and made way for the tent's exit. "Please Ryoma," He called as he was about to leave. "I know you held no love for our father, but…"
Turning he gave his knightly counterpart an understanding smile. "I know Xander, believe me, I know."
Upon exiting the tent the first think the samurai did was take a fresh breath of the evening area which had become heavily polluted with the smell of blood and chemicals. Having grown used to the sickening combination he barely batted an eye now, at least now he could hope this would be the last time he'd have to inhale the mix for a while. He deeply hoped so. There was some minor pain as he made his way through camp, nothing he couldn't bite down through sheer willpower. He knew not to push his body further than what Sakura and Azama had pleaded for him, well, Sakura had pleaded; Azama had more or less openly asked him to reopen all his wounds so he could watch him collapse in a pool of his own blood and die a slow death. Hinoka had then asked him if he'd been hanging out with Leo's infamous one-eyed retainer, immediately following that he responded Setsuna had been spending a lot of time with Niles.
"This is Azama, you think he needs to be around a sadist to be say stuff like that?" Oboro deadpanned from her medical cot.
"B-Be-Besides, Saizo, Kagero, Corrin, and Camilla, would be upset if you did get yourself injured by pushing yourself. Not to mention us." Sakura had added.
Walking through camp Ryoma was happy his presence went largely unnoticed. All his life he'd been used to being treated as a walking talking monument wherever he went, in truth, he'd gotten tired of it. It was also a relief to know he could walk through a crowd of Nohrians and for the most part not have to worry about an assassin taking his head off. The Hoshidan royal supposed that was the first positive to ending the war. Of course that just meant since he no longer had to worry about his life he now had to divert his attention to other matters, personal matters.
As he ascended the hillside slops he wondered what state he'd find Camilla in. He took no pleasure in imagining what the Nohrian princess would look like, almost image he came up with was enough to make his heart break in sadness. Another side of his mind was berating him for even making this trip which had put undue stress on his body. Now that the war was over they had no need to interact with each other so it made no sense for him to go to her when obviously she wanted to be alone. One image stuck to his mind-Camilla sitting alone in the grass crying her eyes out cursing gods who'd turn a deaf ear to her voice, screaming at them until she could no longer speak and her eyes became blood red. Either that…or something worse. Ryoma couldn't describe the feeling pushing his every step, but he knew he didn't want to see Camilla suffer through that phase alone.
He'd gone through it, and if not for her, he wasn't sure he'd been able to pull himself together as fast as he did the following morning. Besides, it wasn't fair to let her suffer alone when she'd reached out to him in his moment of despair.
As he'd expected, she was alone, what he hadn't expected were empty bottles of sake and wine sitting quietly by her feet. Ryoma did a headcount, four bottles, three of which were empty while the last two seemed untouched. Darting his eyes up he saw a fifth in Camilla's hands, he how much of it she'd drunken, but he knew solely by the two empty bottles the purple-haired woman was more than likely drunk. One of the bottles he recognized, it was one of Hoshido's strongest liquors, and he had to guess the other empty bottle was its Nohrian correspondent. Even from seven feet away the smell of alcohol was so heavy he could test it on his lips. He had no idea how high Camilla's alcohol tolerance was, but he knew she'd more than likely broken it with this rapid drinking.
Her normally playful eyes were rimmed red and her naturally wavy locks were disheveled, her nose was red and runny as were her cheeks deeply flushed. With every breaths she took Ryoma could smell the alcohol flowing out like a summer breeze. Most tellingly, were the still fresh tears running down her cheeks. Like him she'd discarded her armor in favor of more low-key clothing, at least what Nohrians called low-key. Her appearance wasn't that of a regal princess of fierce warrior, but of an ordinary woman now in the midst of drowning out her sorrows while the evening sky turned from bright red and orange to deep purple and blue. Ryoma felt the slow change was the physical manifestation of the emotional transformation Nohr's fiercest Wyvern rider had undergone in the aftermath of the war's end. The swordsman would have been lying to himself if he said it didn't hurt seeing Camilla in this state.
"Camilla…" he managed to spit out not sure how to even began to converse with her. The pain he felt seeing the normally cheerful woman in such a foul state was an arrow to his chest that left him on the ground grasping for breath.
"Oh, Ryoma, I wasn't expecting you. Personally I thought Xander himself or maybe one of my retainers would have come to fetch me by now." The axe-wielder stated, her words clearly overshadowed by her drunken state. She turned back to the sunset and took another gulp from the bottle while Ryoma remained motionless only a few feet away. "As you can see, I'm perfectly healthy so go tell the others I'm fine. I haven't gone and wondered off a cliff and met a fool's demise."
"Camilla," he said again taking a step forward.
"I'm fine Ryoma." She stated keeping her eyes hidden by her light purple locks.
"No, you're not."
"And who are you to say that?!" She roared swinging her head towards him with eyes ablaze with drunken fury. A new onrush of tears spilled out sliding down her red orbs and landing on the grass below her. In her hand the sake bottle trembled as a shudder ran up her body like a winter chill. "Why…why should you care? I am the 'Demon Daughter of Nohr', the 'Scaled Bitch', the offspring of the man who murdered your father in cold blood and stole your younger brother away from you! Why Ryoma! Why the hell should you care about me! Just tell me Xander or Corrin sent you to find me and be gone!"
With every word Ryoma could feel his heart break more and more. The tears were coming down faster and faster the hiccups in her voice told him all he needed to know about the woman's emotional state. "I can't do that for two reasons: one because neither Xander nor Corrin sent me, and two I obviously can't leave you here alone." Ryoma answered firmly.
"Oh, really?!" She screeched at him. "So I am to be another one of your younger siblings? A child to be cuddled because they can't be trusted to look after themselves! Ha! Hoshido's peerless samurai, nothing but a controlling tyrant! What exactly do you fear happening to me? Wondering off some cliff then finding my body splayed out in the middle of a pool of blood after a day's search? Being carried off and raped by some wondering bandit? Disappearing into the wilderness then getting torn apart by wild animals? What Ryoma? What fear is so bad that could drive you to come looking for the offspring of the man who killed your father? Waged war on your country and ordered the death of your people?"
"I won't leave because I'm worried about your safety." He reaffirmed hardening his gaze.
"You're worried? Don't lie to me! Who sent you!? Xander? Leo? Elise? Corrin? Azura? Sakur-"
"DAMN IT CAMILLA! NO ONE SENT ME! I CAME BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO YOU! I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE YOU TOO!"
His words set Camilla off like a fuse to a powder keg. Fury contorted her already crestfallen features. With a roar she reared her hand back and threw the bottle with all her fury directly at the samurai's face.
It was child's play dodging a sake bottle thrown by a drunken fighter. His eyes never lost sight of Camilla, no matter how painful it was to look at her; because of that he saw her next move and was able to respond accordingly.
Camilla slammed into him with what he considered minimal force, perhaps she thought she'd be strong enough to knock him off his feet, but she was wrong. The second their bodies made contact he locked his arms around her and refused to let go even as she pounded against his chest like an angry child. His feet barely left the ground, he could feel his body move, but it was nowhere near enough to send him tippling to the ground as Camilla had hoped.
Seconds into the embrace it became obvious Ryoma was the one supporting Camilla who'd lost all strength in her legs. Whatever boost she'd gotten had worn off, whatever barriers she'd created had crumbled leaving the despair to crush down upon her.
He never let go of her knowing if he did she'd shatter completely. Still holding onto her even as she pounding and sobbed into his chest he began to kneel bringing her down with him. In seconds he was on his knees with Camilla crying her heart out into his chest. Memories from times long since pass followed into his head as he listened to the normally unshakable woman cry.
Hinoka clung to him as if he were the only thing keeping her from being swept up in an almighty storm determined to devour her. In turn he saw himself clinging to his mother as he allowed rivers of blue tears to spill from his eyes, the aching pain in his hands didn't matter to him anymore than the absence of strength in his legs. All the same she held onto him and soothed him even as he tore into her dress causing damages that would make the royal dressers tear their hair out in annoyance.
The soother and the soothed, he'd played both roles when he was young and vulnerable. Looking back Ryoma realized it was only because of his mother he knew how to handle Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura when they broke down in his arms. It was only thanks to her he knew how to be the rock they needed when they feared being washed away. Her face clawed its way into his mind bringing with it an undue payload of grief that left him feeling numb. Subconsciously his grip on Camilla tightened, she wasn't the only one who needed someone to hold onto.
In a strange, ironic way Camilla had become the thing he'd become to her-a rock, an anchor. Seeing her in such a state, hearing her whisper 'daddy' over and over again, it was too much for Ryoma to bear.
I guess you and I aren't that different after all. We both…try to be as strong as possible for those around us, but…in the end, when no's one looking we just…
Softly as he could he rocked Camilla back and forth knowing she needed the reassurance more than he did. Slowly, second by second, he could feel her sobbing lessen. Her breathing became a little more calm and fresh, the smell of sake and liquor slowly fading from it and her mind. Ryoma lost himself in listening to the soft tickling of her breathing on his neck until it was replaced by a light snore.
Despite knowing the logical thing to do would have been to take her back to camp where Selena and Beruka could properly tend to her he didn't move. Ryoma held the Nohrian princess in his arms with such tender and care it was as if he were cradling a child. If someone were to stumble upon them it would be cause for a scandal, and in the worst case another war between Hoshido and Nohr. All that though, was far from his mind as he listened to the princess slumber her drunken fury and depression away leaving him to contend with a myriad of emotions welling up inside of him. Before the samurai knew it he was shifting their bodies so Camilla's head was resting his folded lap, her magnificent hair spilling out along his legs. He refrained from stroking it or touching any part of her body, things were already awkward enough between the two of them, he didn't need to add to the situation.
"D…D…Daddy…" She mumbled in her sleep completely oblivious to the look of pain that crossed Ryoma's face.
He knew it was a bad idea, it was a colossal uncalled for action he could hear Yukimura and Saizo screaming their heads off at him for doing, but he did it. Tenderly he creased the top of Camilla's head in a similar manner to how he'd seen his mother do so for him and his siblings. He didn't know if he could stop, or if he wanted to, all he knew was if he did nothing else he would not abandon this broken woman alone on this hilltop after having carved his way through hell with her.
Camilla awoke with a splitting headache, possibly the worst she'd ever had. It felt like her brain was on the verge of exploding inside of her skull leaving all her senses discombobulated. The moment she tried to sit up she found a soft hand gently nudging her back down. "Dad…dy?"
Beneath her Camilla felt a shudder, something that practically jolted her awake. Almost immediately she realized she was not sitting on her father's lap nor was she back home in bed with his hand tucked over her. With a silent sob Camilla realized she no longer had a father. Wiping away the beginnings of tears she looked up to find Ryoma of all people there; the minute their eyes made contact he jerked his head to the side. Memories of the last moments before her black out came rolling back as jumbled up pieces she had to put together. As she did a foul smelling feeling inside of her welled up and manifested on her face.
"Ryoma," She started with genuine sadness in her voice. "I…I'm sorry. I…I…" Words couldn't even begin to express the level of shame she felt in having the Hoshidan royal witness her in such an unclothe state.
"You have no reason to be sorry. You have every right to grieve just like the rest of us." Ryoma proclaimed still not meeting her eyes. "I…just wanted to make sure you still drew breath once you were finished."
An evening breeze came through swaying his chocolate-like mane to the side a little. His eyes remained hidden behind his brown locks leaving Camilla to do nothing but guess at what was running through his mind. Even without his armor and weapons, in nothing but civil rags suite for commoners, he still seemed the same imposing force of nature he was on the battlefield. What struck her more than his aura was his civility in speaking to her, even when she'd given him every reason to leave her alone to wallow in her misery. Internally Camilla felt herself begin to stir with fear for when Ryoma next spoke to her again, if he spoke to her again after that disgraceful display. Before now he'd known her as a strong yet somewhat reasonable woman he could depend on, a mature one at that. Now…she really didn't want to think about that too much yet those questions were all that preceded her mind.
"When…when…when I was younger, a child, my father used to have mock duels with me, with wooden swords of course. It was…one of my favorite things to do as a child. When they came of age I did it with my other siblings, it…it helped ease the pain of knowing he was gone." There was obvious pain behind those words as well as a hint of fondness. Briefly looking up to the setting sun Ryoma's mind seemed to travel from the present to the past, a far more innocent and happier time that Camilla could relate to.
Shuffling a little closer beside him she joined him in staring at the setting sun. It was both beautiful and sad for reasons she was sure she shared with Ryoma. "My father…used to let me ride on his shoulders…and pretend to be my own personal Wyvern."
Ryoma laughed, after getting over that momentary shock Camilla laughed with him. Rather the laughter came from him trying to imagine the fierce former Nohrian king doing such a thing or if it was for Camilla's sake she didn't know, she was just happy she wasn't alone. Pulling her knees up she felt the beginnings of tears forming on the corners of her eyes. With the retreat of the headache came the advance of old memories she'd tried to bury or hoped one day she'd be able to relive.
So lost in her own thoughts she never noticed Ryoma silently raise his arm to gently push her hand against his shoulder. Now for the second time she was leaning on him, a dynamic change up to their usual interactions. The unexpected physical contact wasn't unwelcomed, in fact, a part of Camilla was thankful for it. This being the first time Ryoma had ever been her…anchor she found his presence to be surprisingly powerful and comforting, just like Sakura and Takumi had said him to be. Never in her wildest dreams did she think he'd ever extend that courtesy to her.
"What…was the original King Garon like…outside of battle I mean?"
Without any hesitation Camilla told him of the Garon she called father, the one she knew before…before. She spoke of the man who often carried Leo around on his shoulders and dotted on her and Xander. Of the man her older brother trained day and night to impress, of the proud smiles he wore whenever he saw his son make an inch of progress and the joyful tears Xander would shed. At suppers she told him how he'd make a big show of stomaching down the vilest of vegetables and meals giving them the strength to do so as well. Whenever a nightmare took hold of them and refused to let go she told him of how she and her siblings would wonder down the hall until they found their father's room, never did he turn them away, always allowing them to pile into his strong arms. It wasn't uncommon to wake up to find the king of Nohr completely surrounded by his children, quietly snoring the morning light away. Camilla noted how sometimes it infuriated the maids and butlers at having to make up a bed that had been torn apart by five or more little 'hatchlings', she was surprised when Ryoma shared in her laugh. He stated sometimes his family servants found his siblings and his father in a similar state.
No one would have ever thought such a scene would unfold, the high prince of Hoshido conversing with the high princess of Nohr, learning more about the man who murdered his father. Of course in this case Ryoma was doing his best not to see Garon as a cold blooded monster, which ironically he was right about in a way, what he was now learning about was the real Garon. The one who'd birthed and raised four strong-willed children.
"Do you think me foolish for believing once the war ended my father would…return to being that person again?"
That wasn't an easy question for Ryoma to answer, he doubted if such an answer existed it was easy to find. From what he'd learned at one point King Garon had been a man worthy of his father's respect, but as they'd learned in Valla that man had died long ago. When Azura told Xander and Leo that that father had been dead for a while they'd reacted with expected fury and despair. While his heart didn't break for Garon himself, it did for his children who'd thrown themselves to the fire for his sake time and time again, especially Xander. The penultimate moment came when they'd successfully defeated Anankos' first form only to watch the Silent Dragon summon his servant, and not a minute later ruthlessly devour him to regain his lost power. Looking back Ryoma didn't know exactly what it was he was supposed to feel, this wasn't the same man who killed his father and kidnapped his brother, yet he acted like the same Garon his father had told him stories of.
It was only after hearing the heartbroken cries of the Nohrian siblings did Ryoma feel something-sadness.
King Garon hadn't meant anything to him, as a living person or an animated corpse, but he had meant something to the people he'd come to call allies.
As far as Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise were concerned, the impostor was their father, and in that instant they watched him leave the world forever. His soul had already left the world a long time ago, and then they had to watch his body be forever desecrated. He remembered the pain and horror he'd felt facing his own mother and father as reanimated puppets of the Silent Dragon. At least he and his siblings had been able to give their souls closure and ensure their passage to the afterlife. The Nohrians had not been so lucky.
"I'll take your silence as a yes. I don't blame you, it was a rather foolish thought wasn't it?"
Her voice was on the edge of sob. Fearing she'd make a grab for a bottle Ryoma acted quickly. "No, there's never anything wrong with refusing to give up on family." Shifting his body so they were looking each other in the eye Ryoma did his best to make his words sound convincing. "Camilla, you came into this war hoping against all odds when it was over your family would be whole when it was over, I can assure you we of Hoshido felt the exact same way. No matter how painful things got, there was always some part of us that wanted to believe we'd be able to return home with all of our loved ones. For any person who steps onto the battlefield that should always be their first priority."
"And now we know all that we did, all the killing and destruction we carried out was not done on our father's order, but that of a mad dragon." She half-heartedly replied lowering her head. "I…some part of me hoped…b-b-before we faced Anankos we'd…we'd…" The samurai got the hint and pulled her into his chest as another round of tears escaped from her eyes. She should have been used to having her dreams crushed by now, but time after time she dared to hope, and she was rewarded thoroughly. "W-We…don't even have a body to bury Ryoma. I-I don't even know how we're going to explain this to the masses when we return home. Wh…What are we to tell them? That the king has been dead for almost ten years now? That the being sitting on the throne has been nothing but some horrid puppet controlled by a mad dragon?"
"You…have to admit, it'd make for an interesting story for the bards to sing of." Humor was never his strong suit, but he knew of no other to comfort the Nohrian princess. She'd always found a way to turn around his dark moods with humor so he figured why not give it a try. He'd chosen one hell of a time for such a thing though.
Camilla released a hollow laugh at his words. "I'm sure they will, if they can get past the absurdity of the tale." She could already picture Xander, despite his injuries, going over how they were going to address the public upon returning home. Real or not, King Garon was now one hundred percent dead which meant her brother was now king of Nohr. She always knew Xander would be the one to take over, but she never expected it to be like this. "I wanted Elise to…to get to know the same father Xander, Leo, and I were able to know. Have her experience the same joy we knew. Heh, that'll never happen now…she'll never…know what it feels like to have an actual father in her life."
Tightening his grip on the Nohrian woman the Hoshidan warrior chose his next warriors carefully. While he could deeply sympathize with the axe-wielder's despair he felt she'd lost sight of one vital fact. "You're right, Elise…may never know what it feels like to have a true father in her life, but she still has four siblings who can still feel her life with love. Now she's free to live her life without the shadow of war hanging over her head, she's still young so she has a lot of growing up to do. You've done a wonderful job so far so why not focus on that from here on out?"
Gently pushing away from him Camilla stared at the Swordmaster with teary eyes. Firm golden-brown orbs stared back at her, only they carried no malice or ill will. Somehow looking into them made her feel like she was back with Xander, her older brother offering her a shoulder to cry on when the stress of the world became too much for her to bear. Who would have thought the future king of Hoshido would be offering her the same? Not that she had any room to complain though.
Ryoma allowed her back into his arms, he seemed to have been waiting for it. She welcomed the warmth and comfort the Hoshidan provided for her; Camilla could only imagine how few people had received such a privilege as she had. "How long do you plan on letting me stay like this?" the Nohrian mumbled into his shoulder.
Ryoma answer was honest and immediate. "Until you tell me you no longer need me here. Simply say the word and if I deem you ready then I will leave you be."
"Heh, that's quite an answer. I may not what you to leave me, I am after all quite a selfish woman."
"That's acceptable, I consider myself a patient man."
"Hah! The stories I've heard from Corrin and the others tale a different story." Not having the strength to laugh or make another attempt at humor her voice turned more serious. "Why are you so willing to go this far for me? Is it because of Corrin? Or does code of Bushido dictate you to never abandon a woman in need?"
There was a laundry list of reasons he could have given, yet none of them seemed to sound right coming out of his mouth. Racking his brain for a response that at least sounded halfway plausible he decided to go with what his heart told him. "Because as a person I don't enjoy seeing you sad. It's not some code of Bushido or chivalry that keeps me here, I…made a vow to myself long ago that if I ever came across someone in pain I would do all I could to help them, regardless of their background." That affirmation seemed to put her at ease as she leaned more heavily into his body. For the most part she seemed content with his answer as the wavy-haired woman asked no more questions beyond that point. Ryoma didn't mind too much, he was just happy he'd managed to restore his comrade's sense of peace and purpose.
With sun gone the moon and the stars had come out to illuminate the night sky. Below them the camp was abuzz with activity, hundreds of bodies moving in dozens of different directions, all blissfully unware each royal family was missing a member. If anyone did noticed they didn't say anything, something in their gut told them not to. Or maybe that was just the whisper of the crown prince of Nohr and runaway lord-turned-savior of the world advising others not to walk right in on a moment. Either way no one disturbed the swordsman or the Wyvern rider as they quietly sat upon the hilltop.
Eventually they'd make their way down and give some excuse on why they had been absent for so long and false whereabouts to sooth the worries of their retainers. Until that time they'd enjoy each other's company for all that they were worth. After everything they'd been through, both could agree they were entitled to at least a little relaxation.
Again, this little entry was entirely unplanned. Now I know there could be long rants about how Garon deserved his own boss battle the same way Mikoto and Sumeragi did ending with the Nohrian children getting closure, but this isn't the place for that. What I did feel the Nohrian children were owed was a chance to grieve at the fact their father was well and truly dead. Camilla, being one of the most emotional of the four I felt would probably have the greatest reaction baring Xander, having Ryoma be the one to comfort her was an added bonus. Next chapter is the real A Support.