On the Tides of Fate

by DraconicEngineer

It's often been said that fate has a strange way of bringing individuals together. Corrin felt that its odd powers were at work when he met Azura and unknowingly found himself falling for her. Just like when he had jumped into the Infinite Chasm, Corrin felt himself approaching a turning point in his life, one that he hoped would see Azura beside him for the rest of it.

2. Elegance

A/N: I know that there are people out there who don't like Author's Notes so I'll keep it as short as I can. To those who have followed/favorited this story, thank you for your continued support! It's obviously been a long time (almost 4 months lol) since I've posted anything due to me being a big fraud college being college, and I thank you for your patience during this time. As always, each and every review is appreciated be it praise or constructive criticism. The main criticism from last time was that things didn't flow too naturally and I've taken steps to try and fix that this time around. Hopefully there's a noticeable improvement there. And as always, thank you for reading and enjoy!

Elegance

The last time Corrin checked, the world wasn't so blurry. Instinctively, he rubbed his eyes and rapidly blinked several times. As clear vision returned to him, Corrin was able to make out a portrait of the former Empress of Hoshido, Mikoto, on the wall. Upon seeing the painting of his mother, things began to swiftly piece themselves together. He knew he was in his room but the reason why took a few more seconds to recall. Eventually, the prince remembered that last night he had collapsed onto his bed after completing a late patrol shift. The obvious conclusion that he came to was that he must have awoken from a peaceful slumber just now. Rising to a seated position on his bed, Corrin closed his eyes as the sun's rays pierced through the window of his room and assaulted his face. He let out a short groan as he exited the comfort of his bed and walked to the window. After pulling down the curtains to diminish the amount of light in the room, he made his way to his wardrobe and dressed himself for the day ahead.

Now clad in his usual armor, Corrin drearily descended the ladder to the treehouse he called his Private Quarters and strode into the castle's courtyard. The late night had taken its toll on him, making it extra difficult to awaken, even as he walked. It was easy to observe this due to the slouch in his walk, frequent yawning and visible bags under his eyes. By the time that he made it into the mess hall, he had corrected his posture but the yawning hadn't slowed. The giant room was mostly silent, only the faint sounds of the kitchen servants echoing through it. Like usual, Corrin had stirred from his slumber far earlier than the rest of the army and the nearly empty room was a familiar comfort, especially since these early morning visits were so routine for him. The only two other people in the room were Corrin's mentor, Gunter, and his servant Jakob.

Once Jakob sighted Corrin, he immediately strode to his master's side and wasted no time in getting down to business. "Good morning Master Corrin. What would you like for breakfast?"

Corrin greeted the butler with a halfhearted smile. "Good morning Jakob. I was thinking of getting some scrambled eggs and bacon prior to training. And before you get started with that do you know where Felicia is? I feel like she should be helping you."

"I have not yet seen Felicia yet this morning. Perhaps she is still sleeping like the rest of the army instead of attending to her duties. Either way, both you and I know it's probably better that she's not here. Now, I'll get started with your breakfast right away sir. In the meantime, I've prepared a table and morning tea for you," Jakob stated, gesturing at a table that was set with a cup of tea and a set of silverware.

For a moment, Corrin felt the urge to defend Felicia, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Jakob was the more competent of his servants and what the loyal Nohrian had said was nothing but the truth. Instead of drawing out the issue, Corrin let it die.

"Thank you for both the breakfast and the tea," he replied, making his way to the table before wearily dropping into the seat and letting his head fall to his chest. "So….tired…"

"You might want to find a way to wake up soon Corrin. After all today is going to be one of our harder and longer sessions."

Raising his head abruptly, Corrin saw Gunter sitting beside him. The half-dragon stifled a yawn and nodded his head, a feeble testament to the fact that he was indeed awake.

"Some tea to get you going?" Gunter asked, sliding Corrin the teacup that Jakob had previously prepared.

"Sure," Corrin responded, accepting the cup and then greedily drinking from it. The beverage was delectable and its warmth coursed through him as he continued to drink. After finishing nearly half the cup, Corrin set his tea down and let out a long sigh of relief. He could feel his drowsiness slowly being cast away as the tea settled in his stomach.

"I can tell the tea helped," Gunter remarked, smiling in amusement as he observed Corrin perk up.

"Yeah it really did. I feel much more awake now," the prince replied, stretching in his seat.

"Good. You're going to need to be in top form and totally focused to make it out today's training unscathed."

"Gunter, you know as well as I do that I rarely make it out of your training sessions unscathed. The healers working the infirmary don't even question why I'm there anymore when I stop by for a vulnerary! In fact, they expect me to show up after we train together!"

"That's a good thing. It means that with each lesson, you are being exposed to new combat scenarios and are learning to adapt to them. As the saying goes, no pain, no gain."

"Yeah and lots of pain equals lots of me doing nothing for hours afterwards."

"And I take it that doing nothing includes watch Lady Azura practice her dances while concealed inside a bush?"

"Yep, that totally falls under the category of noth-wait, what did you say?"

Gunter's last remark had completely blind-sided Corrin and the young prince wasn't exactly sure how to handle it. His best hope was to try and play it off and hope Gunter didn't pressure it any further.

"You heard me Corrin. I've seen where you go after you train in the morning."

Corrin picked up his cup of tea and took another sip, eyeing the veteran knight as he drank. Gunter wasn't wrong. He was indeed a regular visitor to Azura's dance practice sessions in the morning, but he could have sworn he covered his tracks well enough so that nobody else knew. The last thing he wanted was for someone to find him, interrogate him and then spread word of how he felt through the entire army.

He gently placed his teacup down on the table and turned to fully face Gunter. "It is true that I watch Azura practice from time to time, but it's not like I do it every day."

"Well then, can you explain why you always return to the castle for lunch covered in dirt and with the occasional twig littered in your hair?"

Corrin fidgeted in his seat as he tried to come up with a good explanation. If Gunter knew of his secret visits, then just how much of the rest of the army knew the same? Sure, Gunter was close to him, but he didn't want to take the chance of having the word get loose. Though Corrin wasn't one to lie, and a horrible liar at that, he felt as if he had no choice but to try to fib his way out of this precarious predicament.

"Tree climbing! It's a part of my training regimen. Climbing helps develop power and then jumping from branch to branch improves agility and balance. The thing is, I don't always make every jump…and it's quite painful landing on the ground when I miss."

Gunter raised an eyebrow skeptically as he listened. "And somehow you find a second wind of energy after an especially tiring training session?"

Corrin nodded vigorously in an attempt to look more convincing and sell the story. "You bet I do. There's nothing that makes me happier than the thrill of climbing to new heights and flying through the air like a bird."

As Corrin spoke, Jakob returned to the table with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and set it down in front of the young prince before placing Gunter's breakfast in front of him. Gunter knew that Corrin was obviously lying but Jakob's appearance brought another idea to his mind. Wanting to see if Jakob knew as much as he did, the knight took the opportunity to bring him into the discussion. Like a good portion of the army, he knew that Corrin loved Azura; that much was obvious from the boy's body language alone whenever she was mentioned in a conversation. He had also seen Corrin diving into a bush near Azura's practice location several times before her sessions began. It wasn't too hard for Gunter to connect the dots as time passed. The knight reasonably concluded that Corrin simply wished to see his crush without disturbing her, but he also felt a small fatherly urge to nudge Corrin in the right direction if the dragon prince was to seriously pursue the heart of the songstress. He wished for his liege to feel the same joy that he once had before King Garon cruelly stripped it away from him.

"So Jakob, have you heard that Corrin uses tree climbing as a daily exercise?"

The butler set down a plate that held his own breakfast before replying. "Oh? This is not news I have heard previously. Master Corrin?"

"Jakob, I thought I told you this already," Corrin stated, exasperation and desperation obvious in his words as he hoped the butler would get the hint to cover for him.

"The only thing you told me was that you head to the forest to meditate after training. Not once did you mention tree climbing," Jakob replied, taking a seat next to Corrin.

The young prince groaned and flung his hands into the air as he recognized that the hole he had dug himself just grew far deeper. Gunter had somehow caught him red-handed and his one escape route was sealed shut. Out of frustration, he viciously tore into a piece of bacon, ripping it apart in his teeth and gnashing it into microscopic pieces.

Gunter gently rested a hand on his shoulder. "Corrin, it's ok. Jakob and I are on your side. We won't tell anyone else about what you do. Especially not her. You can do that yourself."

Corrin looked at Gunter and examined the old knight's face. All he found was a caring smile and that reassured him slightly. Ok, so Gunter did know about him watching Azura dance and there was no lying his way out of it, but he quickly recognized that Gunter, his mentor, confidant and lifelong friend, never once meant any harm.

The butler chimed in after taking a bite of his own breakfast. "Truly Master Corrin. Though I may not know specifically what Gunter is referring to, I will always serve you and keep your secrets, whatever they may be. Though if he is referring towards your 'secret' love interest, I must inform you that a good 80% of the army knows, myself included."

Corrin turned to face Jakob and watched the butler chew his food before taking a sip of tea. What applied for Gunter also applied to Jakob as well. Though Jakob was sharp-minded and had a tongue like a katana, he had never once insulted Corrin and never had sought to threaten the privacy of the half dragon's personal life. He was loyal as they came and Corrin knew that Jakob would take extra precaution in keeping his heart's desires concealed from what little of the public that didn't know. Upon a second thought, Corrin realized that if a large portion of the army did know, there would likely be certain individuals that could ruin everything on accident. He didn't want to think about that, however, and cast the unsettling thought to the back of his mind.

The prince leaned back into his seat and thought on their words for a moment before breaking the silence. "You know what guys? You're right. There's no real reason for me to even worry about this to begin with. So a good portion of the army knows about this and I might get heckled for it in the future. Great. But I trust that you two have my back and I just wanted to say that I'm really grateful that you two are looking out for me."

"Just don't ruin things for yourself. If you do, you'll find yourself in a rather sticky situation. I hope you recognize that I won't be able to clean it up for you," Jakob responded, watching his master chomp into the scrambled eggs.

"And to be completely honest with you, the situation is something only you can handle. If you have someone else try and explain your actions and feelings, and it will only make you look worse," Gunter added.

Corrin simply smiled and nodded. "You guys make it sound like I'm going to get caught doing something that gives away my feelings and then be forced to confess right in front of her! Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"

"Famous last words," Jakob retorted, sipping his tea once more afterwards.

Upon hearing that, Gunter let out a hearty laugh that caused Corrin to look at him and let out a "Hey!" of exasperation.

"Boy, he's not wrong you know. I think you'll find yourself coming to regret those words of yours sooner rather than later judging by how love-struck you are."

"I am not that love-struck!" The prince cried out in defiance.

"Oh yes you are," Jakob chimed in, "Must I remind you of how you were when I woke you yesterday morning?"

Corrin's face paled and he shook his head rapidly. "Nope nope nope nope nope. I remember it just fine! I won't make the mistake of sleeping in again!"

"Ah, good. Next time, please be sure to not to mistake Lady Azura for a pillow. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have an army-sized breakfast to make. Since all of us have finished eating at this point, I'll take your dishes." The butler bowed in front a laughing Gunter and a highly embarrassed Corrin before collecting their dishes and returning to the kitchen.

Several moments after Jakob's exit, Corrin's head plummeted into his hands, the shock of what had just happened finally passing.

"Gunter, I -"

The veteran cut off his student with a quick wave of his hand. "Don't worry. Things like that are only natural for someone so hopelessly in love like you."

"I don't think my chances are so hopeless. I mean, I do know her best out of everybody here and that's undisputable. I've always gone out of my way to help her and I know what she likes most and how to help her when she feels down. And knowing and doing those things only help my chances…right?"

"Relax Corrin. It's just a phrase. You're a good man with a kind and just heart. If you keep being yourself, you'll be fine. The only chances you should be worrying about right now are the chances of you getting hit by my lance at the training grounds."

"And those chances are…" Corrin paused for a moment to think about said chances, "probably pretty high."

"Well, as you like to say, you make your own fate. That same principle applies on the training ground. If you are a man of your word, you will control how today's training goes for you."

"I like to think that I am a man of my word. And there's no better time than now to prove it. Bring it on Gunter!"

"That's the fighting spirit I like to hear. Now let us go to the training grounds and begin."

Mentor and student locked eyes briefly, making their desire to win the upcoming battle perfectly clear to each other. Corrin nodded slowly and darted off in the direction of the training grounds, eager to warm up and get an edge on Gunter for the upcoming battle. The knight simply chuckled as he watched Corrin run off. Though the prince was eager, Gunter knew it took a look more than enthusiasm and energy to win a battle. That was a lesson that Corrin was about to learn once more.

On the other side of the castle grounds, the rest of the army was slowly stirring and the silence of the morning was soon replaced by the chatter of the soldiers that Corrin called his brothers and sisters in arms. But as someone who liked the peace and quiet, Azura would have preferred to wake up in quieter conditions.

As she laid back, processing the start of a new day, the cry of "FOR JUSTICE!" rang out through the camp and Azura instinctively wrapped her pillow around her ears. It was obvious that Arthur was up and lively as ever. The chorus of voices grew and even with the pillow wrapped around her head, the sounds of the army still managed to fill her ears. Elise's giggles, Takumi's admonishing of said giggles, Hinata's boisterous laugh and Odin's rants about his aching blood were just some of the many sounds that signaled morning's arrival.

Without a sound, Azura seated herself upright and glanced into the mirror. What she saw was the second most annoying thing about her mornings. Bedhead had struck again and her long, cyan hair was splayed about in every direction, much akin to the splatter of paint flung onto a canvas. She sighed as she grabbed a comb, ready to restore order to her hair. Before beginning her usual brushing routine, she cast aside the curtains by her window and looked outside at the morning sun and the other army members walking by towards the mess hall for breakfast.

Several minutes and what seemed like countless knots later, Azura had finally finished with her hair. Now, she could actually move on to what mattered: breakfast and her morning practice routine. As the sole songstress of the army, Azura knew that she needed to practice her performances so as to keep the army motivated in battle. With her special song and the upcoming perils in Valla, it was more important than ever for her to be at the peak of her abilities. She owed that much to Corrin and those who followed him. Corrin had worked so hard pursue his dream to set the world free of war's clutches and set her free from the demons of her past. There was no way she was going to fail him now.

As she walked from her quarters to the mess hall, she noticed the rest of the soldiers ahead of her in high spirits. It always amazed her that they managed to stay so positive even when they were due to make the jump to Valla tomorrow and face powerful and unknown enemies for the first time. Perhaps they believed in Corrin and his goal of peace that much. Perhaps their previous victories under the leadership of Corrin, Ryoma and Xander had buoyed them to believe that falling in battle was highly unlikely. Whatever the reason, they were energized and seemed fearless of the challenges ahead. Azura resolved to think more about that reason later. Now that she had entered the mess hall, she could grab a bite to eat and then proceed with her day.

Before she could even approach the counter to tell the chef on duty what she wanted, Azura was spotted by Jakob.

"Greetings Lady Azura. What shall I get you this morning?" the butler asked.

"Good morning Jakob. Are you on duty today? If so, some yogurt and fruit on the side will do for now," came the songstress' reply.

"Yes I am. Your breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," Jakob said as he returned to the kitchen.

"Thank you" she stated with sincerity, wasting no time afterwards to find a table at the corner of the room and seat herself.

True to his word, Jakob returned just four minutes later with a bowl of yogurt and fresh strawberries. Azura's eyes lit up in surprise upon seeing her favorite fruit. Never before had she seen strawberries in anyone's breakfast, let alone been served any. Something special must have happened for these strawberries to have appeared this morning and she wanted to know just what had happened and why.

"As you were Lady Azura," Jakob said as he set her breakfast in front of her and turned his back.

"Jakob, before you go, may I ask you something?" she inquired.

The butler turned around answered with a curt "I'm busy, so please make your question quick."

"Normally, strawberries aren't served at breakfast. So… why did you bring me some to go with my yogurt?"

"My liege informed me that strawberries were your favorite fruit and he told me to serve them to you whenever possible while I am on duty as chef. Now if you'll excuse me, I must resume my duties."

Azura briefly spaced out, facing Jakob as he walked back to the counter, but the butler was an afterthought when it came to what was on her mind. "Corrin, you never cease to amaze," she thought, smiling as she took the first spoonful of yogurt into her mouth. As soon as the strawberries hit her taste buds, she closed her eyes in bliss, savoring the wonderful flavor they brought to her morning.

"Well it looks like someone woke up on the right side of the bed today."

Azura turned to the source of the new voice and saw Takumi standing at the end of her table. She slowly nodded to acknowledge him while she chewed her favorite fruit, trying her best to make a coherent smile.

"Well I'm certainly glad to see that, Sister. It's such a rare sight to see a smile on your face, so I know today must have started well for you. I wonder that'll actually prompt you to practice with us today for once." Takumi stated, a smirk plastered to his face. Azura wanted to speak out in opposition to that claim, before she could respond to his antagonizing, he resumed speaking.

"I kid, I kid. I know you've always been more comfortable practicing by yourself. Plus you focus more on your dance whereas Hinoka and Ryoma clash weapons and I shoot at a target. I won't force you to be with us if it makes you feel uncomfortable still. Anyways, I'll stop bothering you now and go check in with the rest of the family. For all I know, Ryoma may need me to save him from Scarlet talking his ear off again. Enjoy your breakfast!"

Normally, Takumi wasn't so affable in the mornings but Azura would take what she could get. As the bowman sauntered off, she continued to eat the glorious combination of fruit and yogurt in front of her thanks to a certain kind prince. Besides the unpleasant awakening, Azura was having quite the wonderful morning and she made a mental note to thank the man responsible for that when she saw him later.

As for Corrin, he was having a morning that was quite the opposite of wonderful. For what felt like the umpteenth time, he rose from the ground to face Gunter, practice katana by his side in a defensive position.

"Come on boy, I know you can do better than that!" Gunter cried out, lance poised to strike once more.

"This fight is far from over Gunter!" Corrin cried out between ragged breaths.

Gunter cracked a small smile upon viewing Corrin's determination and rushed at the half-dragon once more, thrusting his lance towards the prince's right shoulder. Corrin blocked by intercepting the point with the edge of his wooden blade, deftly flicking the lance around his right side. Using the time bought by the parry, he closed the distance between himself and Gunter and aimed a swift slash at the veteran's chest. Gunter expertly used the pole of the lance to halt Corrin's strike and countered with a kick directed at the prince's right leg.

Corrin nimbly jumped backward and protectively held his katana in front of him, eyeing Gunter for any body language that might give away his next attack. Seeing nothing of import, Corrin leapt into the air and performed a spinning slash. At the very least, it would elicit a block from the knight and give him the offensive momentum.

The first part of the spin went according to plan. Gunter's lance met the blow and cast it aside, leaving his torso wide open for the second blow. Corrin stuck the landing and his momentum carried his blade in an arc directly towards Gunter's chest, scoring a direct hit. However, the veteran had prepared for this scenario and launched a counter attack of his own. Just as Corrin's hit landed, Gunter managed to keep his balance and slammed his lance into the prince's navel. Corrin staggered backwards, free hand over the site of impact.

"Good thinking, but you left yourself far too open defensively," the knight remarked. "You're going to have to try harder that if you want to get away with an unpunished hit!"

Corrin wordlessly raised himself back into a battle stance. A slight wobble of his legs momentarily cast him off-balance, but despite that he decided to take the offensive once more. Launching himself forward, Corrin engaged Gunter with a series of fluid strikes, putting earlier training sessions with Ryoma to good use. Each slash forced Gunter to parry and soon, the Nohrian knight was ceding ground to the aggressive approach of the half-dragon.

"Better admit defeat while you can Gunter. I've got you on the ropes!" Corrin shouted, slashing at the knight's left side.

"Your youthful inexperience and overconfidence will be your downfall boy!"

Gunter followed his exclamation by blocking the attack and jabbing at the prince's unguarded side. The only thing that saved Corrin was a reflex reaction to sidestep. Afterwards, the both of them found themselves back in a neutral position, raring to go for the next fight. The clanking noise of wood hitting wood filled the air as the two continued their bout. Unbeknownst to the both of them, five spectators had arrived at the edge of the training grounds, their eyes now glued to the battle before them.

"Corrin sure looks focused today. I wonder what's got him more pumped up than usual," the first spectator remarked.

"A good question, sister. Perhaps he has had good fortune this morning?" the second asked.

"Guys this is Corrin we're talking about. We all know that he's totally not a morning person," the third chimed in, ponytail moving about wildly as he shook his head in disappointment.

"P-perhaps someone's made him very h-happy" the fourth added, shooting a glance at the fifth.

The fifth simply watched the prince and the knight do battle, unaware of the words of her adopted family around her. Her golden eyes were focused on the younger man's every movement, absorbing the performance he was putting on. She, along with the other four stood there for several minutes more, watching each and every round. They watched their brother; she watched the same man, the one she cared for most of all.

Back at the battlefront, Corrin repelled another offensive by Gunter. He could feel the searing burn of intense exercise course through every muscle and desperately needed a respite. Continue on, and he would be crushed outright.

"Next hit wins?" the prince asked, trying to keep any part of a slouch from replacing his battle stance.

"Fine by me. I expect that you'll give this last battle everything though. Otherwise, we'll keep going," was the knight's reply. Despite the previous battling, he still found the strength to stand tall. From appearances alone, it was impossible to tell that he was tiring.

"I always give 110 percent towards whatever I do. That won't change now!"

Letting out a battle cry, Corrin summoned all of his energy to charge forward, moving elegantly to close the distance between him and his opponent. Every counterattack that came his way was adroitly dodged or parried. Every movement he made was graceful and filled with purpose. Every slash of the practice katana was fierce and matched Corrin's desire to win the duel.

He knew that to score a clean hit, he'd have to press his advantage. One strike that bounced off of Gunter's parry flowed into another, just as planned. Though Gunter still blocked each incoming attack, eventually his guard would drop. It had to at some point. Step. Slash. Step. Slash. Step. Parry. Counter. Corrin's movements now had their very own rhythm, his body completely attuned to perform this battle dance.

After five more slashes of the practice katana, the young prince went in for the guard breaker. He purposely caught the point of Gunter's lance and turned to it to the side, leaving the veteran in a position where he would unable to block a frontal assault. The win was a matter of milliseconds away.

And in those milliseconds, any chances Corrin had of winning dematerialized. Just as he finished the quick turn to face Gunter once more, his eyes locked onto familiar figures in the distance. Ryoma's bold red armor, Hinoka's white sky knight armor, Takumi's unmistakable blue jacket, Sakura's trademark priestess wear and Azura's flowing white dress all registered in his eyes at once. He had no idea when they had got there, but upon a moment's investigation, he could conclude that it certainly was his Hoshidan family and Azura standing at the edge of the training grounds. The eyes of half-dragon and songstress met for a brief moment and Corrin found himself focusing only on her face.

Unfortunately for him, the bliss was short lived. The second hit of the finishing blow sailed far off its intended path and crashed straight into Gunter's shield. Wasting no time, the veteran punished Corrin for his mistake with three powerful strikes. The first two were strong ripostes that connected with the prince's left shoulder and the third and final blow savagely crashed into his upper chest. The impact sent Corrin reeling and after staggering backwards for two steps, staying upright was an impossibility. As he hit the ground, a groan of pain escaped his lips.

"Corrin, when you are engaging an enemy on the battlefield, being distracted by anything is equivalent to dying. They are synonymous. To be distracted is to die. Now get up."

Corrin lifted his head off the ground in an attempt to get up but the pain that coursed from his body made it hard to move. He saw Gunter's outstretched hand in front of him and latched onto it with his own. The knight hauled him upright and wrapped the prince's arm around his shoulder, helping him stand and catch his breath.

"You ok Corrin?"

"I'm….fine," Corrin slowly stated still recovering from being winded. "I can," he paused to catch his breath more, "fight on."

"You're in no condition to fight Corrin. Those last few blows finished this battle for you."

"I'm not done. My loss of focus," another pause came and went, "was unacceptable."

"While you are correct that you should not have lost your focus, we have trained for quite a while and I am your mentor, not your enemy. Besides that one slip up, you fought wonderfully and you deserve some rest so you can heal your wounds and reenergize."

The half dragon removed his arm from Gunter's shoulder and looked at him with an expression of gratitude. He smiled weakly and nodded, acknowledging the truth to Gunter's words. Afterwards, he stole a quick glance at the edge of the training grounds, but found nobody there. "Just where did my Hoshidan siblingsgo? What was Azura doing there and where did she go? Perhaps I just may have been seeing things," the prince thought to himself.

"To the infirmary?" Gunter asked his liege, breaking him from his train of thought.

"To the infirmary," Corrin affirmed, placing his practice katana back on the weapons rack and beginning the long walk on legs that felt like iron.

After what seemed like an eternity later, the pair arrived at the infirmary on the castle grounds. The shrine maidens that staffed it at this hour noticed their arrival and hurried around the building to prepare to treat the two weary soldiers.

As soon as Corrin opened the door to the infirmary, two of the shrine maidens had flocked to his side, ushering him onto a mat.

"Another hard battle with Sir Gunter today, Lord Corrin?" one of the shrine maidens asked.

"Yeah, harder than usual" Corrin replied as he laid down on the mat and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the maiden replied as she put her sun festal and several tonics down beside her.

"Nonetheless, you still fought hard and performed wonderfully!" another all too familiar female voice remarked.

Corrin's eyes shot open in surprise to view one of his older sisters standing over him.

"Hinoka? What are you doing here?"

The eldest Hoshidan princess smiled as she gazed upon him.

"I just came to check on how you were doing. That last attack Gunter hit you with looked particularly brutal. It's such a hard loss to take too. Knowing you had victory slip through your fingers at the last moment never feels good."

"Wait, so you were watching me battle! You, Ryoma, Takumi, Sakura and Azura were really all there! For how long were you watching me?," the prince inquired further.

"Right," the sky knight nodded, "Ryoma, Takumi, Sakura and Azura were there too. We managed to watch quite a bit of rounds you had there."

The first thought that ran through Corrin's head was "So they were there for a long time. Interesting…I wonder why", but he held his tongue to continue to the conversation. He hoped that Hinoka could indirectly confirm that she had gone to practice.

"Quite a bit? That means you saw most and the best of everything I had to offer…well besides the very last moments, but you get my point. So where did everyone go then?"

"Well everyone's gone off and got their training started for the morning. I just came to check on you in their stead."

"Thanks for doing that Hinoka. I assure you I'll be just fine." Corrin accompanied his statement with a thumbs up and a grin. In the back of his head, Corrin made a mental note to ask everyone for tips to improve his swordplay.

The shrine maiden chanted a short prayer before raising her festal skyward. Corrin gazed at the rod and the magical seals that spun around it before a soft green light enveloped him and slowly erased the pain from the bruises he had picked up in his last battle.

"I think I'm in good hands here Hinoka. I won't hold you from your training any further."

The redhead let out a soft chuckle. "As much as I love my training, I'm still your big sister. That means I'll always look out for you."

She leaned over and ruffled Corrin's hair, earning a small smile from the prince. "Make sure you rest, ok?"

"Of course sister."

Satisfied with his answer, Hinoka nodded.

"Alright then. See you later brother!" she called out, making her way to infirmary door and exiting the building with a spring in her step.

"Quite the wonderful sister you have there," the shrine maiden commented as she finished healing Corrin.

"I know right. Hinoka's the best older sister I could ever ask for."

Corrin bit his lip after he finished. He thanked the gods Camilla was not around, for he had no idea how she would have reacted to that.

"I've always been a fan of Princess Hinoka. Personally, I think she's very inspirational." the maiden commented as she picked up a vulnerary and held it out to Corrin. "Alright Lord Corrin. I've healed the most of your wounds and in order for the healing magic to work at maximum efficiency, I'll need you to take this vulnerary in an hour or to keep the swelling down. Think you can do that for me?"

"Of course." Corrin rose to a seated position and accepted the bottle of healing potion. "Thank you very much…umm…"

"Hikari."

"Ah, thank you Miss Hikari," Corrin stood and bowed before her, clearly wanting to express his gratitude.

"Lord Corrin, I'm just doing my job. I'm glad to have helped."

Corrin began walking backwards, keeping eye contact with the shrine maiden while making his way towards the exit.

"Trust me, I'm glad too. Although I'd love to converse with you more, I've gotta get somewhere now. See you!"

At the very moment the half-dragon finished his sentence, he felt himself smack into the wall beside the infirmary door. With a sheepish grin, he let out an "I'm fine" before dashing off, highly embarrassed. The shrine maidens in the infirmary all looked at each other for a brief moment before bursting into fits of giggles.

Corrin's run away from the infirmary didn't last very long. Though the festals the maids had were wonderful at erasing pain and healing wounds, they did little to address fatigue. Only a minute after he had started running, the pain in his legs resurfaced and he had no choice but to walk. The typical infirmary visit had lasted longer than usual and there was no doubt in his mind that by the time he arrived to her practice spot in the forest, Azura would already be deep into her routine.

Still, he walked onward. Concealing himself without being heard or seen would be harder than normal, but he was confident he could still do it. As he walked, the world around him transformed from one of sunlight and open grass to one of shade and a tranquil forest. Fallen leaves tickled the undersides of his bare feet and the trees waved back and forth in the breeze, their leafy boughs greeting the prince of the two kingdoms.

The deeper he ventured, the more the forest's silence receded. Its replacement was the melodious voice of the songstress that had captured his heart.

"Sing with me a song of birthrights and love"

Corrin had heard those lyrics before in one of Azura's performances to the whole army. Back then, he had paid them no mind but they spoke to him now.

"Of birthrights and love," he mused, "Those topics are so different yet somehow her song manages to bring them next to each other. But it makes sense I guess, at least, in my case. If I never returned to my home, where it was my birthright to be royalty, the seeds of the love I hold now would have never been planted. My birthright led to me finding my love."

Corrin fingered with the cap of the vulnerary bottle as he continued walking towards her. Judging from the rising volume of Azura's voice, his destination was fast approaching. Eager to see the Vallite princess in action, Corrin unconsciously sped up into a jog. Any pain and weariness he still held was triumphed by his desire. A few moments later, he found himself at the familiar clearing in the middle of the forest.

Just as he had guessed, Azura was present, her voice mesmerizing and her body moving to the rhythm of her song. Normally, Corrin would be already hidden, but this was different. The song was heavenly and the dance was just as beautiful. With his eyes now on Azura, it was impossible to divert them away from her. They attentively lingered over every inch of her body as she danced, focusing what every movement added. As a result of this heightened focus, Corrin noticed her every feature, sometimes focusing on certain feminine features he found attractive for a little too long. He could see the subtle shakes of her head that sent her hair in wild circles, the motions of her arms that expressed a sense of urgency and longing, the way those graceful, toned legs showed the pride, fear, and hope in the song with every step. He saw the determination in her face, noting how her closed eyes and creased brow showed her desire and determination to perform at the best of her ability.

The song ran its course and at the end, Corrin couldn't help but to applaud on impulse. However, once he realized what he was doing, it was too late. Azura opened her eyes abruptly and stared in his direction, the golden irises piercing deep into his soul. He was caught red-handed, nowhere to run to and no place to hide.

"Corrin?! What are you doing here?!"

The tone of her voice was much unlike her usual kindness and warmth. Instead it carried sentiments of surprise and even a little bit of anger. The young man was in hot water, especially because he knew how much Azura appreciated being left alone when she practiced.

"H-hey Azura. I was just watching…you… practice."

Those last words were hard to get out. After he finished speaking, Corrin looked downward at the ground and bit his lip, anticipating the worst. Though he wasn't facing Azura, he could still feel her soft glare upon him.

"You know what I'm going to say right?"

"I have some ideas, but I can't read minds Azura."

Azura sighed before choosing her next words carefully. "Corrin you know how much I appreciate how the army lets me train separately from everyone else. And I truly respect that. And I've told you the reasons why. Yet here you are."

"Here I am indeed. If it assuages you any, I promise you that I will never judge you and your dances in any sort of negative light. I think your song and dance are the most beautiful things this world has to offer."

Azura's face returned to a neutral expression upon hearing those words. "I believe you Corrin. Of all the people in this world, I know you'd be the least likely to do that. Thank you for your compliments."

"Wait, you're not that angry at me?"

"Initially I was, but that was simply a kneejerk reaction where I thought you didn't respect my wishes to be alone when I practiced. I don't know what you're doing here, but based on all of the time we've spent together, I know you respect everything I've expressed."

Corrin mentally sighed in relief. It appeared that she didn't know of the many times before today that he had watched her practice in secret. He carefully tailored his reply to ensure it would remain that way.

"I just exited the infirmary and decided to take a walk through the forest. As I walked, I heard your beautiful voice and felt compelled to find you and watch your practice routine. Of course, that was very selfish of me and I apologize for placing my desires above your comfort. I'll leave you to the peace you deserve now."

"Thank you for the compliment Corrin." Azura noted the prince's head perk up and face her once more with that trademark smile of his. "Even when you did appear here, you clearly thought of me and how I would feel. That and your understanding is all I can ask for really."

"Now I'm the one who has to thank you. As long as I am be the best friend that I can be and I can understand you, I'll know I'm giving you the kindness and attention you deserve. Anyways, I'm sorry for holding you up. I'll let you get back to it."

Corrin weakly smiled and waved as he quickly turned and began to walk away from the clearing. The light blush that had begun to appear on his face was now intensifying and he thanked the gods that Azura couldn't see it.

"Wait!" Azura called out to his retreating figure, an impulsive plea that defied her normal calm composure. Now it was her turn to look down at the ground. "Please…don't go," she stated softly.

Corrin turned around rapidly, his face now completely overtaken by a blush. "You want me to stay? I thought you like being left alone…"

The songstress looked back up at him and nodded. "Yes. I just thought of something you could help me with. Something that I can't necessarily do alone."

"I'll do my best to help you Azura. Tell me, what can I do to help you?"

"Well, as you have witnessed, that was one of the dances that I can practice by myself, but there are other dances that I rarely have the chance to practice because I lack a partner. I can perform them by myself, but it is much harder to be productive without someone else helping."

"So what you want me to do is-"

A faint tinge of red crossed Azura's cheeks. "Corrin, please dance with me." Her words were cautious, filled with hope and longing, but also laced with a bit of fear of being turned down.

Panic overtook Corrin's mind as he thought of a response. Of course he wanted to dance with Azura, but the fact of the matter was that he was a horrible dancer and if he tried, he would only make a fool of himself in front of her. The only musical talent he had was playing the piano and that applied here in no way.

"I c-can't d-dance Azura" he managed to stammer out. After taking a moment to recollect himself, he spoke again. "I'd love to help you out, but there's no way I'm at the skill level that you need for a competent partner."

"Did I ever say I you weren't competent? Corrin, I've seen what you can do and the way you move in battle. In truth, the way you fight is like a dance. It's quite the elegant style if I do say so myself. With a little direction on my behalf, you can use those same movements to help me. Think of it like your training session today, but only without a sword."

Corrin shook his head and smiled. "You always know how to rope me in don't you? I thank you for your praise and gladly accept your offer. Just know that even though I'll be trying my best, I'll probably ruin something somehow." Even if he was going to be horrible at it, he would have Azura's help and they were alone in a forest. Nobody else would be able to see.

Azura smiled as Corrin placed his vulnerary onto the ground and stepped into the clearing. "Of course I know. All the time we've spent together has allowed me to determine many things about you."

"Sometimes, I feel like you know more about me than I know about myself. That could go for everyone really, but you definitely know the most." The young man frowned momentarily while the thought lingered in his head.

"Well that only makes sense given our circumstances doesn't it?" she asked him in return, concerned as to why he frowned.

"Yeah. After all, I've practically told you everything you could ever want to know about me, and sometimes, you know things about me that I don't."

"People say I have a talent for that. Maybe it's because I observe people more than I interact with them."

"I've noticed that. My appreciation for you taking the time to talk with me has multiplied tenfold ever since I figured that out."

"No need to rate my time with you so highly. You can practically talk to whoever you want and enjoy conversation about whatever subject. You're just a social person Corrin."

"But even though I may talk with everyone, this isn't about me. It's about you Azura. I know that you don't like to socialize much, so when you do talk with me I recognize that you're leaving your comfort zone. And the fact that you show that courage to speak with me is just another wonderful thing about you."

"When you say it like that, you make it seem like I am distant as someone like Beruka. And though that is most definitely not the case," Azura paused for a moment to turn her head to the side, "you're right. For me, socializing has never usually led to enjoyable conversation and I've told you that before. However, that's never been the case with you. I always feel comfortable talking with you."

"Well, I'm glad to know I'm better than power-craving Nohrian nobles and some xenophobic Hoshidans" Corrin joked, letting out a small chuckle.

"Of course you're better than them. You're millions of times better than they could ever hope to be."

"In that case, you're billions of times better than them for surviving those trials and becoming the wonderful and beautiful woman you are today."

Azura turned her head back toward the grinning prince and raised an eyebrow. A faint trace of crimson lined her cheeks and curiosity filled her eyes.

"Corrin, are you trying to flirt with me?"

Now it was the half dragon's turn to have his face go red. His mind raced for an answer that wouldn't completely ruin his chances with her without lying or making himself look like a total fool. Azura giggled softly as Corrin fumbled for words.

"I….ummm….you see…er…kinda complicated…it's a y-"

The Vallite princess waved her hand to silence him. After her laughter came to an end, she took the opportunity to calm Corrin.

"Don't worry Corrin. Next time, just be sure to save the flirting for your lady love. Now, let's dance."

Azura took his hands into her own and brought them to her chest. Savoring this moment was a must for her. Corrin's face only reddened further as he felt her gentle touch. Something he thought only was possible in his dreams had transcended into reality. He stood silently and smiled at her awaiting for her first command.

"All the signs he's showing…could it be? No, I can't get my hopes up. I won't travel this road that only ends in sorrow," Azura mused as she looked back at him with encouragement and wrapped her right arm around his left side. "Alright Corrin, just follow my lead. Step as I do and you won't go wrong. Also, if I start to sing later on, that's a good thing."

The prince nodded, the blush still covering his face as gazed into the eyes of the songstress. Doing just as she had, Corrin gently placed his left arm over her right side. Slowly, Azura began their first dance, by raising his right hand high and taking a step to the right. Corrin followed suit, keeping his eyes fixated on his feet to make sure they avoided hers. The next step came quicker than the last and Corrin had to move his foot forward to occupy the void left by her retreat. As the dance progressed Corrin found the sequence of motions eerily similar to footwork drills he would use in his training. A series of steps backward followed by a sharp step to the right was just like baiting an opponent into overcommitting to an assault and dodging shortly thereafter. Multiple diagonal steps both forward and back were very similar to maintaining a defensive stance while evaluating a foe. Tired legs and a lack of experience made his movements nowhere near as elegant as Azura's, but they got the job done nonetheless.

Once Azura had felt that Corrin had settled in, she released herself from him. Corrin reflexively reached out to grab her hand but found it to be just out of reach, his fingertips brushing against hers as she spun around and around. All he could do was watch her twirl so close to him, wanting nothing more for her to return to his arms. His wish was eventually granted as Azura ended the spin and came back in his direction. Taken a bit by surprise, Corrin caught her and stepped back once she was securely in his arms.

The pair stood there for a moment the world seemingly stopping along with them as they looked in each other's eyes. The songstress broke the motionlessness and nodded encouragingly at Corrin. When he realized just what Azura was implying, his heart rate spiked. Being asked to do something he had never done before was nothing new to Corrin, but somehow this felt more important than just any other normal request. He gently raised the songstress's arm, following with a quick step to the left and a half turn. Azura assumed the role of shadowing his every move and elegantly did so, her hair trailing her like streaks of sky blue from a painter's brush.

Now in sync with Corrin's rhythm, the time was right for her to accompany dance with a song that she had picked up during her time at Castle Krakenberg. Azura closed her eyes and let her voice and her heart take charge.

"Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars."

What surprised Corrin wasn't Azura's choice to sing. The song choice was the surprise factor, and he continued to lead the dance to hear it out further.

"Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars."

"Nothing too special there" he pondered as he took a wide step to the right. Responding to the motion, Azura shot out of his grip, grasping only onto his right hand as she twirled around.

"In other words, hold my hand."

Corrin did as he was told and reassuringly held onto her hand. Shortly thereafter, she returned to him, their bodies only separated by centimeters, their lips tantalizingly close to each other. Her next words were a whisper, soft but potent.

"In other words, darling, kiss me."

Corrin's face reddened to a hue more vibrant than one of Leo's prized tomatoes. Was this really happening? Were his wildest dreams unfolding in front of him? Unable to keep his composure, he ceased dancing and tried to think of something to say. All that he could fumble out was a series of unintelligible sounds.

"Corrin, it's just a song. I'm just practicing it and going through the necessary motions," Azura explained, knowing those words would calm him somewhat. She would have loved to know the feelings that served as the origin of his reaction, but it seemed this was a rare instance where Corrin's heart wasn't on his sleeve.

"O-Oh. O-ok. Sorry to disturb our dance then," he stated, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment and widening the gap between them.

"Don't worry about it. I suppose I could have chosen a better song though. You have my apologies."

"Nonononono, you're fine. The song was beautiful. It's my fault for my mind mistaking the lyrics for instructions."

"Instructions? I always thought the lyrics were more of a plea to a loved one."

"A plea to a loved one…." Corrin thought aloud, letting his imagination run wild once more. "That loved one being me? No, you dolt. Remember what happened earlier when you thought she wanted you to kiss her. No need to jump to conclusions."

His next words were ones of agreement. "I see where you're coming from. I'd sing the same tune to the one I love. Would you do the same if you loved someone?"

"Of course I would. It would make my day if they sung it along with me. Dancing together would be a nice bonus."

Corrin quickly made a mental note to learn the song before replying. "I'm sure they'd be more than happy to. Now then, I believe I've interrupted your practice for far too long. Shall we continue?"

Azura eagerly smiled and nodded at the suggestion. "I'd love to."

"I won't keep you waiting further Princess. I'll treat you to the best dance I can give you" Corrin stated, bowing before approaching her once more.

The Vallite was a bit surprised to hear him address her like that but she found it endearing nonetheless. The moment she took his arms, Corrin began to lead the dance once more. Unlike earlier, his steps were filled to the brim with confidence, fueled partially by a powerful determination to live up to his word. The other part of him was set on impressing her after seeing her eager smile and desire to continue spending time with him, even after the somewhat awkward moment. Though moving his legs felt like lifting slabs of stone, there was no way he was going to just quit now. Azura noticed this subtle change and adjusted her dancing style accordingly. Though no words were exchanged between them, everything they needed to express still got across. Gentle head nods to indicate a direction they should move and eye contact were all the two required as they moved around the clearing.

The prince of two kingdoms and the princess of the third flew across the ground, dancing to a rhythm like no other. The way they danced adhered to no standard form and every motion was another deviation towards their own special style that demonstrated the coordination between the two. Whenever one acted, the other thought of a creative response. At one moment they could be close to each other, staring straight into the other's eyes. Yet at the very next moment, they could be several feet away from each other, one beckoning for the other to gracefully make their way over.

After several minutes more, the pair found themselves in the middle of the clearing again. Corrin ceased moving and held onto Azura's shoulders, tiredness now catching up to him.

"So…how was that?" he asked.

"That was wonderful. I know I certainly enjoyed myself. Thank you for agreeing to dance with me Corrin."

"Even though I may have hesitated a little bit at first, I'd be happy to do this again anytime. That's what friends are for after all."

"And you're the best friend I could ever ask for. Your kind heart and actions today show just that," Azura commented, a smile crossing her face.

Corrin shook his head and put on a weary smile. "Azura, I'm glad you hold me so highly. I promise to never let you down from here on out. "

"Promise or not, I know you won't let that happen. Anyways, I've worked up quite the appetite. Care to join me for some lunch?"

"I would be honored," he replied, nodding his head thankfully. After a short moment, they split apart and Azura led them away from the clearing. As they walked, Corrin glanced back at the spot they had just left and grinned. He had a good feeling that today's dance was just the first of many, many more to come.