"That thing is weird." Corrin looked at the wyvern with interest. "How do people ride it?"
"Camilla is the rider of the family." Xander smiled. Camilla nodded.
"Yes, sweetheart. It's a lot of fun, especially during training when I get to slice things with an axe." Camilla smiled. She walked over to a wyvern. "This is the one I always ride."
"Can I touch it?" Corrin asked.
"Sure, come here." Camilla held her hand out to Corrin, who took it. Camilla placed it gently on the scales of the beast.
"My mother enjoyed the wyverns also." Xander smiled to both of them. He didn't often speak of his mother.
"I met her when I first came. She wasn't very nice."
"No, you met my mother." Camilla said softly. "Xander's mother was Queen Katrina. She died a little while ago."
"But then who was that lady? Why do you have different moms? Is your mommy the new queen?" Both Camilla and Xander flinched at the flood of questions.
"No, Xander, Leo, Elise, and I all have different mothers." Camilla avoided looking at Corrin's eyes. "Father likes to make our mothers fight for the open position of queen."
"How did your mommy die?" Corrin asked Xander.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Xander thought to himself. Camilla knew the look of sadness that had come over his face.
"What is that over there?" Camilla distracted Corrin. Corrin ran over to the random corner of the stables Camilla had pointed to to find a small blue and white creature.
"It's a bird!" Corrin laughed as she gently picked it up. "Can I keep it?"
"It is probably ill. We should just leave it alone." Xander said.
"But I want to keep it and make it better. Please, Xander? I'll try really hard to take care of it. I'll give it some of the cake we have in my room!" Corrin begged. Xander looked at Camilla, who was looked at Corrin and the small bird she had scooped up in her arms.
"I suppose you can keep it." Xander sighed. "I just hope it doesn't make you sick."
"Corrin, sweetheart, I'm sorry for what happened earlier." Camilla whispered to her as she wrapped her arms around her.
"It's okay. I just miss my mommy and daddy and big brother and big sister." Xander placed his hand on Corrin's shoulder.
"It's okay, Little Princess. I miss my mommy a lot too." Corrin looked at him and pushed her head into his chest.
"I'm hugging you but you can't tell 'cause I got a birdie in my hands and I can't you hug you with my hands." Corrin said, her voice slightly muffled.
"Someday, I'll take you back to your family, just please give me more time." Xander smiled as he gently placed his arms around her. He missed his mother and her hugs.
"Let's go back to the room and have cake!" Camilla laughed. She still couldn't believe how cute Corrin was, and she couldn't help but feel jealous of the bird and of Xander.