A/N: This week it's Elise's time for the polls! Vote here - topic/192867/152391652/1/Elise-ships
Thanks everyone again for reviews, faves, follows and just reading! It means a lot to me. Just to clarify, Corrin is a male. I've started closing polls once they've been up for a week, so you'll start to see the start of other ships soon enough.
Unique – thank you very much, I am intending to do more about her family concerns, though of course I don't want to make things feel forced.
Sorry for the lack of updates last week, my grandad was ill and I had to take him to hospital, and then i've just started a new job so i've found myself with less free time. So please bear with me, I may be slower at updating.
By the time the two young women returned to the castle the sky was darkening, many of the towns residents had already retired for the night to cook dinner for their families, enjoying the peace and quiet. The residents of the carriage however were another story; the two women laughed loudly as Sakura tried to catch her breath, clearly in the middle of telling a story. "A-And then mother turned to big brother, and with an ever so serious look on her face she t-told him that if he cut his hair again it would bring about all these monsters that would spirit him away for being so naughty." Giggling, she covered her mouth slightly. "Hinoka thinks thats why he and Takumi won't cut their hair really!"
"I...I never knew your brothers were so gullible! When I was younger Elise's nanny, Cassita, she used to tell her that if she didn't eat her vegetables a mage would come along and turn her into a steak and get given to me and Leo." Laughing slightly, the young woman sobered as she realised what she had said. "Looking back that was quite a horrifying thing to say to a four year old child though."
"You- You think?" The young priestess stepped out the carriage, nearly toppling out as she tried to hold back her laughter. "Come on, if we don't hurry big brother will be in bed and you'll be stuck!"
"Stuck? Oh honey I could always crawl into bed with him and then we won't even need to get a plate!" Smirking slightly, the buxom woman quickly made her way out of the carriage, a square box in her hands as she followed the young priestess into the castle.
"C-C-Camilla!" Gasping, Sakura stumbled slightly as she looked aghast, horrified at the Nohrian beauties boldness. "Y-You wouldn't!"
"Oh I don't know, I've got to admit your brother would be quite a looker if you could ever see him past the armour and that crazy hair." Laughing, she placed her free hand on Sakura's arm. "Don't worry, I'll play nice."
"G-Good, I really hope you two can sort things out, I'm sure he'll like the cake too, that should soften him up some!" Smiling, Sakura carefully wrapped her arms around Camilla, leaning into the woman's warmth. After a moment or two she let go, stepping away. "Good luck Camilla, I better go and find my husband." Blushing slightly as she looked at the smirk growing on Camilla's face, she quickly made her way down the corridor and out of the Malig knight's sight.
Walking down the corridor Camilla looked around, wondering where the king could possibly be. There was no one in the banqueting hall, dinner would have been long gone, but the Nohrian princess managed to pick up a plate and fork, quickly transferring a slice to it. She had not been there long enough to know the swordmaster's routine, so she could only hope that he went to his study every night; though of course once they were wed she hoped he would not be holed up in there all the time. Her heels clicked on the ground as she walked towards the study, one of the first places she had asked Sakura to help her find regardless of where in the castle she was coming from.
Coming to a halt outside of the door, Camilla took a deep breath. She had to make this work, no matter how hesitant or resistant Ryoma may be; not only for the sake of her sanity, but for the sake of the people she loved more than anything else in the world. Raising her hand, she quickly knocked on the door, waiting with bated breath for a reply.
"Come in." A familiar voice called, and Camilla smiled slightly, glad that she had found him so quickly. Opening the door, she smiled warmly at the young man who was yet again hunched over a stack of paperwork. Ignoring his look of confusion, she quickly made her way over to his desk, placing the plate on the only free part of the desk before sitting down in the seat opposite him. "What... What is this Camilla?"
"It's the cake for our wedding, Sakura and I went to that quaint little bakery she got her cake from, I wanted to bring you back a piece to get your opinion." Adjusting her kimono slightly, Camilla crossed her legs as she watched him, waiting for his reaction impatiently.
Picking up the fork, he slowly tried the cake, a small smile gracing his lips as he savoured the taste. "I am sure the guests will love it, but how can you book a cake with no date?"
"The bakery have kindly promised to keep a slot open until we settle the date, he said it'd be a pleasure to make the cake for 'the biggest wedding of the decade'. It'll be good publicity for them I suppose." Leaning forwards slightly, Camilla looked over at her fiance. "Though we really do need to decide when we'll start planning this wedding darling."
"That kind of talk is for another time." Pausing, Ryoma looked at the cake for a moment before pushing it away, folding his arms as he looked back to Camilla. "I...I would like to apologize for my actions the other day, it was unfair of me to yell at you when you were only trying to help, I hope that in time you can forgive me."
"Don't worry about it darling, I'm not one to hold onto petty little grudges. What's done is done, so lets just forget about it huh?" Pausing, a serious look appeared on her face as she looked at the young king. "I'm not expecting you to love me Ryoma, but I will not stand for it if I do not have your respect, I am not the type of woman you can disregard or use as a trophy."
"I do not believe I quite follow...what is it you are demanding of me exactly?" Looking at Camilla, it was almost impossible to read her expression as she looked at him, void of any emotion.
"I'm going to be your Queen one day soon Ryoma, and I don't know what you expect of me, but I can promise you I will be taking an active role in helping run Hoshido and keeping the peace with Nohr, nothing you say will convince me to do otherwise." Leaning forward, she picked up a piece of paper from his desk, beginning to read it. "I suggest you get used to it before we are wed, because I intend to be coming in here often to help with all this stuff!"
"I...I will try to get accustomed to the concept, though it may take some time, the only people who usually assist are my brothers." Sighing, Ryoma picked up his pen once more, taking a fresh piece of paper out. "Hinoka has graciously agreed to plan our engagement celebrations however, so that does leave you free to perhaps take a royal visit. It would both boost morale and allow you to see more of the kingdom, should you wish to go on one?"
Looking around the room, Camilla sat in silence for a moment as she thought about the idea. Of course, it would be useful in one way, it would be far quicker to learn about the country through experiencing it, to see their customs up close and to get a feel for how the kingdom was faring. However, there was no guarantee how the people would react; they might believe it to be a front against their kingdom if she were to visit after all the damage her father caused.
Taking a deep breath, Camilla nodded slightly. "That sounds like a wise idea, it would present a more positive view of Nohr and it's royals before the marriage is announced, and we'll be able to set a precedent that talks are going well between both kingdoms if a royal of the opposite kingdom takes an interest in the well-being of both kingdoms." Smiling, she leant towards the brunette as she looked into his serious chocolate coloured eyes. "When are we going to go, maybe we can make a few days of it, it's still work for you after all so it's not like you'd be slacking off."
"We?" Shaking his head, Ryoma continued to write. "I have far too much to do, you will be going with Takumi, he is more than capable of assisting with anything that any royal visit may require."
"Surely it would make more sense if you were the one to go on the visit, it would put us in good stead for when the wedding is announced; it would be showing that we're both making an effort to make our marriage work, and we would present a far more unified front." Frowning, Camilla brushed her hair out of her eyes as she looked at the king, trying to work out what the young man could be thinking.
"Like I said, I am far too busy to rush off on royal visits at this present time, the kingdom will not run itself, and Takumi is to be your brother in law, it would be highly beneficial for the two of you to get to know one another." Appearing to dismiss the situation entirely, Ryoma looked the lilac haired young woman straight in the eyes. "Now, is there anything else I can do to help you?"
Standing up quickly, the Nohrian princess looked furious as she looked at her future husband. "You're just trying to avoid anyone seeing us in public aren't you? I know I'm not the right woman, but you're going to have to accept we will have to go on visits a lot, that we'll need to be seen as caring for one another and that we'll need to be intimate, your kingdom requires an heir Ryoma."
Avoiding her gaze, the brunette looked intently at his papers as he sat in silence for a moment. "It would do you well to not speak of matters you do not understand Lady Camilla. Do not start making accusations about how I am dealing with this matter when you know nothing of the inner workings."
"Inner workings? This isn't some strategy meeting about battle plans Ryoma, we're talking about a marriage!" Huffing, Camilla turned on her heel, going to walk out the room. As she grasped hold of the door handle, she turned to look at the young King. "I insist we have dinner tomorrow night, just the two of us. I am going to be your wife, it would be wrong if we did not learn about one another before the big day, so clear any plans you have, because I refuse to take no for an answer Ryoma."
The brunette looked at his fiance in surprise, taken aback by her boldness. As he thought about what she had said he had to admit the truth in the matter, it was essential they got to know one another to avoid the constant, tense silences after all. "I suppose if you are so insistent I can do nothing but agree to your demands, I shall see you tomorrow my lady."
*-*-*-* The next morning *-*-*-*
Dressing quickly, Camilla found herself happier than she had been in days, knowing that she would finally be reunited with her retainers that very day. While she knew they appeared to be unusual candidates to be retainers, she loved them with all her heart none the less. It might appear ridiculous to many that she would employ a trained assassin as a retainer, or a woman she knew little about, but both women had proved themselves and she would not stand for anyone doubting either of them for even a second.
She knew that their reunion would be emotional, while neither Beruka or Selena would show their emotions, but she could not wait to pull them into her arms once more. She knew it was too much to hope they would bring dearest Elise with them, but she could not help but miss the young woman with all her heart. There was also the matter of her dinner with Ryoma to contend with, a mixture of feelings swirled around in the pit of her stomach as she thought about what that could bring. Of course, she dearly hoped that it would bring them to a more amenable place in their relationship, but she could not help but feel that she said the wrong things every time she spoke to the king of Hoshido.
Quickly making her way out of her room and towards the banqueting chambers, Camilla paused briefly, looking at the paintings she had argued with Ryoma about only a few days before. Looking at them, she felt a pang of pain as she thought about her own mother, the worthless, power hungry devilish woman who had raised her. For all she knew now she was dead; after Xander rose to the throne she had attempted to continue her manipulation much to Camilla's horror, as she tried to seduce the new king. Almost instantly Camilla had demanded she be thrown out of the capital, and though her brother was reluctant, he eventually consented to her being sent away from the capital, knowing it would only serve to cause more trouble.
In the coming weeks she knew that the other consorts of the late king Garon would be relocated in order to rid the Nohrian courts of the deception and manipulation that it had been as she grew up. It was a relief of course, but she knew that it would only be a matter of time before her mother would make herself known, seeking the power and treasure that Camilla's position of Queen would bring. She dreaded it, knowing that her mother would once again seek to control and ruin her life and free will.
Shaking her head, she quickly continued along the corridor, arriving at the banqueting hall in no time at all. Stepping inside, she could not help but notice that both Ryoma and Corrin were absent. Frowning slightly, she looked at Hinoka, who appeared to be talking animatedly to Azura, a light blush on the blue haired woman's face. Taking a seat, Camilla looked over at the two women curiously. "What on earth would make you blush so profusely Azura darling?"
"It's... It's nothing important Camilla, we were just talking about work matters." Smiling, Azura quickly turned away from the confident redhead, looking instead at Camilla. "You seem very cheerful today."
"Oh cut the small talk Azura!" Hinoka demanded, laughing loudly. "We were just talking about the love of her life, she's been sneaking off and seeing some guy, but she won't tell me who." Smirking, she looked between Azura and Camilla. "Why don't you just tell us already Azura, if they're so serious about you we'll find out eventually when he asks for your hand."
"Please, Hinoka! I do not wish to talk about this right now, give it time." The blush only grew on her face as she looked away quickly, trying to end the conversation.
As Hinoka opened her mouth to speak once more, the opening of the main door stopped her in her tracks. Turning around, the three women watched as Corrin slipped through the door quietly, trying not to draw attention to himself; though it was in vain. His hair appeared wilder than usual, his cheeks rosy with a light blush. A groan escaped his mouth as he realised his sisters had spotted him, and with his head down he quickly walked over to the dining table, loading his plate.
Laughing, the eldest Hoshidan princess turned her attentions to Corrin. "Looks like you've been having a bit of fun yourself huh Corrin, who's swept your attentions away?"
"Hinoka, stop trying to match everyone up, or we'll all start thinking it is you that has found love, why else would you be acting so out of character." A masculine voice spoke up as Takumi looked over at the others, a bored expression on his face.
"Oh back off Takumi, who asked you to get involved anyway? Is there something so wrong about wanting you all to be happy?" Taking a bite of her food, Hinoka looked towards the door. "Where is Ryoma anyway, he's not still cooped up in his office is he? I'm starting to think he sleeps in there."
"My apologies for my lateness, I had several matters to attend to sister." To everyone's surprise the armour clad man took his seat with no one having heard him come in. Looking over at Camilla, he smiled slightly. "I have good news, I have found a suitable royal visit for you and Takumi to go on, though it will require you to leave now, though a change of clothes may be in order for you, your fighting attire may be better suited for this job."
"You're sending them to fight? I thought...I thought the fighting was done?" Sakura asked nervously, looking away from her husband.
"Do not worry sister, it is rebuilding work not fighting." Smiling reassuringly at Sakura, Ryoma continued to explain. "The carriage has been readied for the two of you, you will be assisting in the rebuilding of a healing centre in one of the nearby towns. You should be back before sundown of course."
"Well, I suppose I should go get changed then shouldn't I?" Looking over at Takumi, the buxom young woman smiled at her future brother in law. "I won't be long, I'll meet you at the carriage okay?"
"I suppose I don't have a choice do I?" Finishing the last of his drink, Takumi rose to his feet and looked at his siblings. "Do try to behave now will you?"
After quickly changing, Camilla took the stairs two at a time as she headed out towards the courtyard. It would certainly prove for an interesting trip she supposed, and it would definitely show her willingness to make the whole engagement work; but she had a sinking feeling that the day would be filled with uncomfortable silences and unease.
As she drew closer to the carriage, she could not help but notice that only two people stood waiting; Takumi and the driver of the carriage. She frowned slightly, wondering where the young princes retainers were. "You haven't been waiting here too long have you boys?"
Shaking his head slightly, the driver quickly opened the carriage door for the two royals to enter. Gesturing for Camilla to enter first, Takumi spoke. "Not really, I was expecting a longer wait than this, I suppose you don't take quite so long fawning over your reflection than I thought."
"Fawning? Oh darling why on earth would I need to do that, your brother's the one who's meant to be paying attention to my beauty not me." Stepping inside, she carefully sat down on one of the plush burgundy seats. "I can already tell we're going to have such a splendid time, you have all these presumptions about me that I simply have to shatter!"
As Takumi settled down in the seat opposite her, the pair sat in silence for a moment as the carriage began to move. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who wants to help without having an ulterior motive."
"You wound me Takumi, all I want to do is help, both these people and our kingdom's." Smirking slightly, she leant forward as she looked at the serious man. "So, how come your retainers aren't here?"
"It's their day off, not that it's any of your concern. Besides, I'm more than capable of dealing with you on my own." Looking out the window, Takumi tried to avoid looking at the Nohrian princess.
"Oh I see." Pausing, her eyes glistened as her smile only grew. "So is Hinata still your retainer now he's married your sister, or have you got another one? It can hardly be practical for the two of you to share him, no matter how energetic and loyal he may be."
"It's none of your business who I choose to keep as my retainers, at least mine aren't criminals." Snapping, Takumi placed his bow beside him as he glared at her.
"Oh calm down, it was just a question, aren't you meant to be making an effort with me?" Pausing, she smirked once more as she crossed her legs. "Oboro seems like a lovely, loyal young woman, she all but threatened me out of her devotion to you."
"Well she is my retainer." A light blush began to spread across his cheeks as he avoided her gaze once more, clearly wanting to avoid Camilla seeing his expression. It was in vain however, as the young woman's smirk only grew further as she realised she had hit a nerve.
"It didn't seem like that was all it was to me." Laughing, Camilla smirked as she watched the blush grow on Takumi's face. "Though what do I know about a young woman's feelings, or about your preference in women." Pausing, she glanced at his blush. "Though, your face really does say it all darling, you ought to work on your poker face."
"I...I...Stop making things up!" Bright red, Takumi's usually serious posture had been compromised; sweat forming on his brow as he looked at her wildly, his brown eyes revealing his worry. "What I feel for Oboro is nothing more than what any royal feels for their retainers."
"Well I must say, I certainly don't blush like that when I talk about Beruka or Selena, perhaps I do not care as much as I should, if their name is not provoking such a reaction." Smirking slightly, she looked out the window. "Though hypothetically speaking, if you did find yourself having romantic feelings for the lovely Oboro... Don't take too long to admit it, to yourself or to her. She's a beautiful, skilled woman and soon enough someone will make an honest woman of her."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Looking at his hands, Takumi's face appeared more worried than before. "She wouldn't do that... would she?"
"A woman can only wait for so long Takumi, and with a woman like Oboro, I would assume being forward and direct with her is the best way to approach things, just have a think about it prince Takumi." Shaking her head slightly, she closed her eyes as she felt the carriage move underneath her, the bump of every stone it rode over, the sound of birds filling her ears as Takumi seemed lost for words.
"Hypothetically speaking, if I was to like someone, what would you propose I do about it." looking embarrassed, Takumi quickly interjected before she could reply. "Not that I do, I just wanted to see what nonsense you'd spew."
Opening her eyes, the Nohrian princess looked amused as she looked at the prince. "Oh of course, I would never have presumed otherwise." Stretching slightly, she smiled. "I'd tell you to find her as soon as we get back, and spend the rest of the day with her. As your brother's love has proved, you never know when you might lose the one you love. It's important to seize the opportunities when you can, similar to how you supported Hinata to take his chances with your dearest little sister."
"I see... I was expecting something more vulgar from you to be honest." Looking away, he nodded slightly. "Thanks, for not making it a joke, even if it's only hypothetical,"
"It's my pleasure darling, though... don't go mixing business with pleasure, if you get engaged with someone whose job is to protect you things will get messy, and that's not fair on anyone." She paused, smiling slightly. "Peri had a crush on Xander for a while, luckily she got over it but needless to say it made things extremely difficult."
Almost instantly Takumi fell silent, directing his attentions to the window as a pensive look appeared on his face; clearly thinking about what the older woman had said. The rest of the carriage ride continued in an uncomfortable silence; Takumi caught up in his own thoughts while Camilla thought about how to make a positive impression on her fiancee.
After over an hour of travelling, the two royals found themselves relieved as the carriage came to a juddering stop. Taking a deep breath, Camilla smiled slightly as the queasiness in her stomach began to settle after the bumpy ride. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in, only for it to catch in her throat as she realised that in just a few moments she would find herself facing the very same people that her father had brought her up to hate.
Of course, as she grew older she had begun to see the error of her fathers teachings, but by then it was far too late; she had personally been involved in quelling rebellions and damaging small towns on the outskirts of Hoshido; it would be naive to think that the people would forget so easily as the royals of the kingdom, having felt the attacks first hand. Taking another deep breath, the beautiful young woman slowly rose from her seat, a look of determination clear in her eyes as she looked at the carriage door. This was the duty of the eldest princess of Nohr, if she did not atone for her crimes and face these people now, her kingdom would suffer as a result of her failings.
Stepping outside, the young woman quickly found all her senses assaulted by the vibrant, aromatic town. Breathing in, her nostrils were overwhelmed with the smell of Lavenders and Freesias, looking around she could see beautiful flowers in every direction; sprouting from planting beds, window shelves and hanging baskets.
Within moments the town grew silent, each and every individual turned their attentions to the lilac haired young woman, varied expressions of fear and disgust on their faces. Trying to brush it off, she stepped further into the town, only to discover that to her horror, several of the townspeople stepped back in fear. Though she felt a pang of sorrow at the sight of so many people looking at her with such expressions, the young woman steeled herself, knowing that it would do no good for her to react; more than likely each and every one of them had a reason for looking at her in such a way, she could not blame them for their fear.
A light thud behind her alerted her to Takumi's exit from the carriage, and turning around to face him, she tried to push the image to the back of her mind, knowing that it would do no good. "Right then Prince Takumi, lets get started."
*-*-*-*Several Hours Later *-*-*-*
Though she was covered in mud, surrounded by fearful faces, Camilla succeeded in keeping a smile firmly on her lips until she was out of sight from prying eyes, hidden back in the security of the royal carriage. The day had been tense for her, to say the least, but she could not find it within herself to be angry at the people who had treated her so unkindly.
The carriage ride back had been a silent one; almost immediately Camilla had closed her eyes, pretending as though she was asleep in order to avoid another awkward conversation with the young prince. However, as the carriage slowed she knew she could avoid his gaze no longer.
As the Nohrian opened her eyes, Takumi looked at her almost immediately. "I...I'm sorry about how the people reacted; there is still tensions between our kingdoms, the public are uneasy... they will come round in time." Sighing, he adjusted his hair. "But still, I apologise for the treatment you received today, rest assured that I will tell my brother of what occurred." As he stood up, he appeared to adjust his clothes in attempt to look his best.
"Don't worry about it." Pausing, Camilla smirked slightly as she looked at the young man. "Making yourself look smart for a certain person?"
"I have no idea what you are referring to." Smiling slightly, Takumi opened the door to the carriage and stepped out, looking at her from outside. "Have a nice evening Camilla, it would appear that your retainers have arrived, judging from the Wyvern tail I've just seen." Without another word, the young man quickly walked off with a purpose.
Her eyes widening, Camilla quickly bolted out of the carriage, looking around wildly as she looked for her retainers. Almost immediately she caught sight of a head of blue hair, and she flung herself at the woman with no abandon. As she wrapped her arms around the young woman, she felt her tense at the embrace. "Oh I've missed you darling, how are you?"
"Lady Camilla..." The young woman muttered, and instantly the princess knew something was wrong. Stepping backwards, she held the assassin at arms length, a worried look on her face. As she looked at Beruka she noticed her eyes appeared to be red at the rims, the young woman clearly having been crying. This shocked Camilla to the core, something must be seriously wrong for such a normally stoic woman to have cried.
"Darling what's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, looking increasingly worried. "Have you been crying?"
"I...Here." Quickly shoving a letter into Camilla's hand, Beruka stepped backwards slightly.
Looking down, Camilla slowly read the letter, frowning as she recognised the writing.
Lady Camilla
I've never been one for goodbyes, it fills me with unease, but you deserve a goodbye of some kind. It has been a pleasure to serve you Camilla, and though I know that a letter is unsuitable, I couldn't bring myself to look into your eyes and say farewell.
Now the war has ended I'm going home, and we will most likely never see each other again. I won't forget you and Beruka, even though you are both completely crazy. I wish you every success in your future, I hope your marriage goes well.
Selena.
Tears quickly began to fall as Camilla took in the contents of the letter. Selena was gone, one of her most beloved confidants had left her without so much of a word, just a simple, short letter. Sniffing, she tried to keep herself together as she looked over to Beruka, knowing that now was not the time for tears. "Who...Who brought Marzia here?"
"That would be me Lady Camilla." A familiar voice called out as a young man with caramel skin called out, his white hair as wild as ever as he looked at the princess with his lone eye.
As she slowly turned to face him, a familiar flutter returned to Camilla's chest, one she had tried so hard to forget about. "Niles..."