Oh, gods, that was the most amazing dream… Jakob came back to consciousness slowly, sunlight drifting across his eyelids. He didn't truly want to wake up. He wanted to sink back into oblivion and live in a world in which his True Love loved him back.

He waslaying on his side, and he was so comfortable, so warm. He didn't want to force his eyes open to daylight. Though he hated mornings, largely because he had to slip from those impossibly perfect dream worlds back into reality, he was used to facing them in order to prepare his lady's breakfast and run her bath and perform other such butlery morning tasks.

Speaking of which, I have to get up. Corrin will be waking soon. He groaned.

"A few more minutes…" murmured a sleepy voice that… that sounded an awful lot like Lady Corrin…

Jakob's eyes were suddenly wide open.

Wide open and disbelieving.

For Corrin's face was a mere inch from his own, a mere breath away, her hair a beautiful mess spread across her pillow and inching over towards him and… Jakob's arms were around her, and Corrin's hands were clutching the fabric of his nightshirt… Just then, she snuggled closer, a smile in her voice as she said, "Jakob…" Her eyes were still closed, but she tilted her face towards his, and he could kiss her if he made the slightest movement…

It wasn't a dream! Gods, it wasn't a dream! The entirety of the events of the previous night that he had put off as one of his many fantasies came rushing back to him. His heart thudded in his chest, and he had a hard time breathing all of a sudden. His princess had agreed to marry him. Him! A butler—a nothing!

"Are you really here?" He whispered, half suspecting he had slipped from sanity into impossibility.

Corrin shifted slightly and slowly opened her deep red eyes. To Jakob's astonishment, a wide smile spread across her face at the sight that greeted her. A bit of pink colored her cheeks. Again she murmured, "Jakob." Then, "it was real." She moved closer to him still, which Jakob hadn't thought possible, and it was all he could do to keep from kissing her. "I was afraid I might have wished it all."

"You—You mean to say that you—that you're… That is," Jakob stuttered. "You're happy?"

"Happy. Happy is too small a word." Then something seemed to occur to her, and doubt crossed her face. "Are you… happy?"

He laughed, "Yes! Yes, My Corrin. I've never in my life been happier! I just didn't think this could be possible! I didn't think—"

Corrin cut him off by pressing her lips against his, and Jakob murmured in surprise, a delighted thrill going down his spine. He instantly kissed her back, his arms pulling her against him. Shockwaves danced through him everywhere their skin touched… his mouth moving against hers, his hands somehow finding their way under her shirt onto her back, her fingers brushing the skin just beneath his nightshirt… Her legs intertwined with his. Jakob's tongue brushed across her lips, and she moaned, her lips instantly parting, and he was losing his mind!

He forced himself back, breathless, but he couldn't stay away and dusted her lips and nose and cheek with light kisses. Corrin chuckled delightedly and whispered, "I couldn't have dreamed a more perfect morning. I love you!"

Jakob sighed at those words and captured her lips again, kissing her briefly before pulling himself back and just looking at her… His fingers traced her face as if he were blind and needed to memorize her through touch. "I can't believe you would choose me," he murmured.

She smiled at him, nuzzled against his chin. "You… You complete me, Jakob. Ever since we were little, you did. It just took me a while to realize it." She brushed her lips across his jaw. "You were always there for me. I mean, I know you were my butler, but you were so much more than that. You were my friend. My confidant. My guardian."

Her eyes flickered across his face, and Jakob pressed his mouth to hers, grazing her lips until he felt dizzy, a fire burning in the pit of his stomach, and he pulled back and inch.

Corrin's eyes dazedly looked into his, and it took her a moment to recall what she was going to say. She bit her lip, as it slowly came back to her. "When—When we were briefly separated after Ganglari, of course I missed you fiercely, and I kept wishing for your support, your steadiness… But more than that, I felt like something was missing... I kept looking over my shoulder, as if I'd see you standing by my side, encouraging me. Watching over me. When you weren't there, I felt… I felt lost."

Unconsciously, Jakob's arms tightened around her. "Can you ever forgive me? After we were separated, I wasn't sure where they took you, and it took me a while to catch up."

"Oh, Jakob," Corrin touch his face. "It wasn't your fault. You don't need forgiveness." She smiled at him. "Just try to never leave my side again."

"My beloved," Jakob spoke fervently, "I never will, if I can help it."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and they both stiffened, startled, and looking at each other.

Oh no! Jakob thought. No one must find us in here together in this position! Even if nothing really happened, Lady Corrin's reputation will be— His frantic thought froze as Corrin grinned at him, as if she thought it would the most natural thing in the world to be found entangled in her butler's arms. She cleared her throat, "Um, who is it?"

A muffled voice sounded from the door, "It's Kaze, milady. I have just received a report from ours spies on the enemy's movements and wanted to discuss it with you."

"Ah…" For a terrified moment, Jakob thought she might invite him in. "Well I'm not really up yet," she said, and Jakob almost sighed with relief. "Give me twenty minutes, and I'll meet you in the mess hall?"

"Of course."

The pair remained silent for a few moments, just to be sure, then Corrin giggled. "If you could have seen your expression!"

"Well, my lady, it would have been highly improper if—"

"Jakob," she interrupted him. "I wouldn't have cared if Kaze saw us like this. I wouldn't have cared if anyone had. Because I love you. And there's the fact that you're my fiancé now… Speaking of which, don't you think you should drop the titles?"

Jakob chuckled, abashed. "Yes, my Corrin. I should most certainly drop the titles. But about Kaze or anyone else, I wouldn't want your reputation to be—"

"You are too perfect," she whispered against his lips. "I don't deserve you."

"You don't deserve—My darling, I think you have that completely reversed! The fact that you would even say that at all… I—I—" He was speechless. He let out a breath, and just finished with, "I love you desperately."

He stopped her reply with a kiss, warm and fierce, locking his arms around her until she was so close to him, so entangled in him, that she wasn't sure where she ended and Jakob began.

Joy started in her stomach, and flowed throughout every pore of her body until even her fingers were tingling. She had never thought such a perfect dream as this could come true!

She threaded her fingers in Jakob's hair, curling her body against his, and thought she might end up being late to that meeting…