"Lady Corrin, behind you!"

There isn't enough time to turn and heed Jakob's warning. Her sword is still mid-swing, her momentum in the wrong direction.

Shit!

Her dragonstone isn't in contact with her skin; the chain has broken during the battle. She doesn't have the time to reach it and use it to transform safely; she'll need to do it naturally and hope against hope it won't push her over the edge.

But from the moment the scales erupt from her skin, she knows that something is wrong. Her senses change completely, and she suddenly feels as though she's watching through someone else's eyes, as though a fog separates her thoughts from the actions of her body. She feels something heavy clang against her back, but the sensation is odd, slow, as if it takes some time to reach her.

Her body rears up high, and a loud, piercing roar cuts through the air, startling everyone around her. Her tail lashes out to catch her attacker, sending the man screaming to his death over the cliff. Without missing a beat, she swerves to meet the soldier she's been fighting face to face and raises one deadly claw, slashing him open from shoulder to belly as if he were wearing nothing but rags instead of full armor.

The fog is clouding her thoughts now. She can't remember what she was doing, or who she is. All she knows is that something inside feels wrong, feels broken, and she needs to let her fear and anger out. Her wings unfurl, her fangs are bared, and a hot, insatiable fury fills her heart.

Kill.

She charges forward, her sharp horns catching soldiers unaware, her teeth crushing down on limbs and her tail slicing through flesh and bone. She flings bodies aside, indiscriminate, a frantic bloodlust overcoming her.

Kill, kill!

"Corrin!"

The sound means nothing to her, but the voice does. She hesitates, turning her plated neck to look for the source. There's someone standing there, spear in hand, looking up at her with a frightened expression.

Azura.

She doesn't know what the word means, she doesn't know why she thought it, but something about the human at her feet is making her head hurt, something about that pretty face and familiar blue hair swaying in the wind. She takes a step toward it.

"Lady Azura!"

A man has appeared out of nowhere to block Azura from view, a man with short hair and daggers in his hands. The sight of him fills her with hate and anger. She roars, her tail coiling up, preparing to strike.

"Lady Azura, run!" he calls desperately, standing his ground, his face pale with fear and determination.

"No!" Azura cries, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away. "Don't hurt her, Kaze!"

"But-!"

The dragon hisses, talons digging into the dirt. She isn't sure why she hasn't attacked, but she can barely contain the urge to tear the man's head from his neck and she doesn't know why she's hesitating.

"Corrin! You're still in there, you're stronger than the dragon!" Azura shouts, stepping forward despite Kaze's pleas that she flee. "You're still my Corrin!"

Her voice is mesmerizing, impossible to ignore. She takes a step forward, and then another. She reaches her hand out toward the dragon, her fingers trembling slightly, until her palm is flush against the plated scales. The dragon is frozen in place, unable to look away from the woman's frightened eyes.

Azura...

"You're still my Corrin," she repeats firmly, her jaw set. She takes the dragon's face between her hands gently, carefully, and when it looks like it won't attack, she begins to sing. A haunting, clear voice flows through the air, reaching through the dragon's heart, reminding her of something warm and sad and human.

That's right... I... I have a name... I'm a princess of Nohr, commander of its army. I'm Azura's... Corrin...

Her body is shrinking, her claws softening back into skin and nails, her tail receding into her spine. She sways on her feet for a moment, then falls over sideways, motionless, her eyes unable to focus.

"Corrin!"

A pair of slender hands is cradling her, pulling her into an embrace. She vaguely recognizes Azura's floral scent, her consciousness flickering.

"Azu...ra..."

The last thing she sees before she passes out are those striking golden eyes, filled with concerned tears, looking down at her.

"Welcome back, Corrin..." she whispers, hand pressed to Corrin's cheek.

I came back... for you... Don't... cry...

Everything suddenly goes dark.

"Mozu, will you kindly see if there are any healers available?" Azura asked, rolling up her sleeves.

"Of course, milady," Mozu said, and hurried off.

Once she had calmed down, Kaze immediately carried Corrin away from the battlefield before she became a target for the enemy. Jakob, Flora, and Felicia had wanted to accompany her to the medical tent, but healers were in short supply and they'd had to stay behind in order to treat the injuries caused by the dragon's rampage. Instead, Azura had insisted on keeping an eye on her, a request that Kaze quickly agreed to before he returned to the battle. She knew he was thinking of their child, and the fact that it was imperative that Azura act normal until it was safe to announce her pregnancy. He had been very worried, having her participate in the fighting, and she was somewhat relieved that he could concentrate on fighting without her there to distract him.

"There's no need to make such a- OW!" Corrin yelped as Azura tugged at the armor on her back.

"I thought so," she said grimly. "You transformed a moment too late, you've been wounded," she sighed. "Strip, now," she commanded, rummaging through a box full of medical supplies.

"Wh-what?!"

"Your clothes. Take them off," she repeated firmly. For some reason, Corrin turned beet red.

"No! Why?!"

"Don't be such a child," she scolded, reaching for the leather bindings keeping Corrin's breastplate in place. The younger woman tried to pull away, but she flinched in pain as she strained her back, giving Azura the opening she needed to undo the knot.

"No, no! Wait, stop! I'll do it myself!" she cried, covering her chest in desperation. Azura huffed.

"Hurry it up then, I have to treat it." Corrin averted her gaze, staring down at the floor as she unbuttoned her blouse and removed her armor piece by piece. Her face seemed flushed, and Azura began to worry that her sister was catching ill again.

When she was done and her shirt came off, she immediately covered her breasts with her arms, turning so that Azura could only look at her back. For some reason the innocent gesture made Azura smile.

"What are you so shy about, huh?" she teased, pulling Corrin's hair aside as she examined the damage. There was an ugly bruise across her lower back, and the armor had dug into her shoulder blade from the blow; it was bleeding, but it wasn't deep. "Hmm, it's not as bad as I thought," she muttered to herself, reaching for a salve.

"I-I'm not sh-shy," Corrin said, huddled over. Her voice sounded odd, husky somehow. I'll definitely need to check her temperature, Azura thought as she rubbed the medicine into the cut.

"Uh huh," Azura replied. "Hmm... well, I don't think it's anything serious, but I think we should get a healer to fix this," she said, lightly poking at the bruise. Corrin jerked in pain at her touch. "Sorry," she apologized immediately.

"It's fine," she mumbled. "But if it's just a bruise, there's no reason to waste magic on it. Staves are expensive to replace."

"While that's true, it's also true that a bruise this large must be painful and difficult to move with. Don't be stubborn."

"... I guess you're right."

Perhaps it was Azura's imagination, but she thought she saw Corrin shiver as she leaned in to wrap the bandage over her shoulders.

"Gods, I never want to see a pegasus knight again!" Selena cried in frustration, kicking a helmet out of the way as they made their way back to camp. The battle had raged all day, and while the Nohrians had won without any significant losses, it had not been an easy victory. "It was bad enough that we were ambushed, but when those stupid pegasi keep darting in and out of range like that, it drives me mad!"

"Yeah, it didn't help that the cliff made it hard for us to reach them," Odin said, stretching tiredly as they walked. "Even the archers and mages had a tough time."

"You're telling me," Laslow groaned, rubbing his shoulder, his bow strung across his back. "I'm so out of practice; I never thought I'd have to shoot this much when Lord Xander asked me to help the archer unit."

"We should have known," Odin sighed. "I mean, who better to send to unforgiving territory than fliers? This is tactical deployment 101; you'd think we'd remember that."

"Duh, but normally we'd have our own fliers to keep them distracted," Selena growled. There was a gash on her arm and a bruise on her cheek, her usually neat pigtails tangled and stained redder than normal with blood. Laslow knew that both he and Odin looked just as tired and worn. "Those Falicorn Knights can't join the troops soon enough."

"Falicorn Knights, huh," Laslow repeated thoughtfully. "There's a term you'd never think we'd hear."

"I think it's a great name," Odin huffed. "Darkness incarnate, flying through the skies with fell warriors on their backs..." He paused, a dreamy look in his eyes. "Actually, I might want to join."

"Ha! You? On a falicorn?" Selena said spitefully. "Please, you can hardly even ride a horse properly. Which if you ask me..." She lowered her voice and leaned in so that only Laslow and Odin could hear. "Is pretty sad. A prince that can't ride is hardly a prince at all."

"Why, you-!"

A wicked grin stretched over her face as she pulled away. "What? I'm only saying the truth. Isn't that right, Laslow?"

Laslow couldn't help giving a small laugh. "Well... I mean... Prince Xander and Prince Leo certainly know how to ride..."

"You guys are awful!" Odin cried, cheeks red. "I-it's not like there was anyone to teach me how to ride, growing up!"

"Well there was no one to teach us either, and you don't see either of us riding like a sack of flour in the saddle," Selena scoffed.

"Ugh, you two are such... jerks!" He stomped his foot on the ground childishly and strode off angrily, leaving Selena and Laslow sniggering to themselves.

"Okay, one of these days, he's going to get us back," Laslow grinned.

"Meh, he's so lost in his own world, I'm surprised he even remembers his own name," Selena replied. A moment later her expression soured. "Not that he does, when it matters. I swear, one of these days that weirdo is gonna be the death of us." She sighed, rolling her eyes. Laslow gave her a gentle nudge.

"Don't be so hard on him. I know he's fun to tease, but he's always got our backs in the end."

"I know that," she said sharply. "But on days like this, I thought it'd be good to take his mind off things."

"That's... surprisingly nice of you."

"Go to hell."

"Heh, who'd have thought? Sevvy, with her fearsome sharp tongue, is actually a big ol' softie on the inside," he teased. "Of course, that's not really news to me."

"Keep talking, pretty boy, and we'll see just how pretty you'll look when I'm through with you."

"Oh I don't doubt it. But that's what childhood friends are for, right? Annoying you one minute and saving your life the next." He rapped his knuckles on her shield for emphasis. "A little teasing and roughhousing is hardly going to break the link we've had since we were two years old, don't you think?"

"Unfortunately not," Selena grumbled. "But I can definitely think of better guys I'd rather have spent my childhood with."

"Perhaps, but are any of them as good looking as me?"

"... Admittedly not."

"Thought so," he grinned mischievously at her. "And I wouldn't change you for anyone else, Sev, even with your soft disposition. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for life."

"Yeah, yeah, I knew that already," she said, and before he could say anything else she walked off, hand raised in a half-hearted wave.

The moon filtered down through the trees, Kaze staying to the shadows as much as possible. He remained alert, ears straining to catch the sound of footsteps or rustling, his hand clutching a dagger, just in case. It was very different from holding a shuriken, but Nohr did not deal in the tools of his trade; instead of the curved blades and throwing stars he'd grown up using, he'd had to learn how to use the broadswords and knives that the armory supplied.

I suppose I should try to scavenge some off the ninja we defeat on the march, he thought, deliberately retracing his steps for several minutes to try to throw off would-be pursuers. Though that will be a matter for after the winter, unless we are unlucky...

The sound of leaves being pushed aside startled him, and he instinctively sunk into a crouch, willing his presence to fade into the background.

"Lady Camilla, what-"

"Shh, darling. Too much noise. We don't want to be seen."

Kaze peered through the branches to find the Nohrian princess and her retainer, Selena, come to a stop in a small clearing just ahead. Lady Camilla let out a tired sigh and with a flourish, she swept back her hair and sat elegantly on a stump. Selena stood awkwardly by, and Kaze could tell she was fidgeting.

"Did we really need to leave camp, milady?"

"I don't want any of this to reach the wrong ears. The last thing I want is to start rumors."

"Ru-rumors?"

Camilla gave Selena an appraising glance, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Why of course, darling. I don't want to hurt anyone's reputation."

Selena swallowed.

"I s-see."

Camilla laughed. "Relax, darling. I really do have something to talk about." Kaze couldn't quite see Selena's face, but he thought she muttered something under her breath. Either Camilla didn't hear or she chose to ignore it.

Perhaps I should leave them be. It wouldn't do to be caught spying on milady.

He turned to move, but was stopped by the princess' next words.

"It's about Corrin."

"Huh?"

About milady? Against his better judgement, he hesitated, ears straining to catch the conversation.

"Yes. You've noticed, haven't you? How listless she's been lately."

"Well, yes. Everyone is worried about her, Lady Camilla," Selena said slowly.

"Mm, especially Laslow, don't you think?" Something about her tone sent a shiver of anticipation down Kaze's spine, and he was sure Selena had felt it as well.

"I-I don't know what you mean, milady..."

"Really? I was sure you were quite close, actually. Childhood friends, wasn't it?"

"Y-yes... but-"

"He hardly seems to leave her side nowadays."

"It seems they've become friends..."

"Friends? Really? Because the way Laslow looks at my baby sister isn't the sort of look one gives a friend, darling."

Selena froze.

"Oh good, so you have noticed. That will make this easier." She crossed her legs, tapping her fingers on her knee casually. "Perhaps I'm being paranoid, darling, but some weeks ago I stumbled across some... information that implicates both my sister and Laslow. Now, I'm not one to butt into matters that are none of my business, nor am I interested in interfering in my sisters' love lives. Still, this is important; I want you to speak to Laslow, Selena. Tell him that discretion is of the utmost importance, and that if I find he's placed my sister into unnecessary danger, that I'll have his head mounted on my wall."

A thick silence fell between them, Camilla's threat looming between them.

"That... that idiot!" Selena suddenly cried, and Kaze noticed that Camilla seemed somewhat taken aback. "I'll kill him myself, the bloody moron! I always knew he was a hopeless, disgusting pig, but to lay his hands on a princess?!"

"Selena, shh!"

"How many times-! ARGH! That selfish, sniveling piece of garbage!" She fell to her knees at Camilla's feet. "I have no words to apologize for being negligent in my supervision of that thing, milady. Please, punish me as you see fit."

"Punish you? Don't be absurd, darling! You're mistaken; I don't disapprove of their relationship, whatever it is. I'm just worried that they'll be careless again, and that's another matter entirely. All I ask is that you talk to Laslow to be more careful."

"Wait, you're fine with this?! You don't care that that pig is dishonoring Lady Corrin?!"

"I'd hardly call love "dishonoring" someone, Selena... wouldn't you agree?" She reached to take hold of one of Selena's pigtails, her fingers gently caressing the strands. "We never know when we'll die on the battlefield, may as well enjoy the time we have." As she lifted the blood red hair to her lips, Kaze caught a glance of Selena's upturned face.

Ah. So that's how it was, he thought, unable to hold back a small smile. Her cheeks were reddened, her eyes glazed over with what he could only assume was adoration... and perhaps something more. I should leave them alone. This sort of espionage isn't in my job description.

It had been a month since the army had begun marching toward the forests outside Mokushu. The winter was beginning to settle in, and the tents were covered in frost every morning when camp broke. It was cold, and sometimes miserable, but Azura felt happier than she had in ages. It had been so long since she'd seen the sun rise every day, so long since she'd been somewhere where the air was clear and the sky was blue, that it almost didn't matter that they'd already had to fight two battles during their frantic trek north.

Her only worry was her pregnancy.

She was nervous to ask Xander for leave, even a good month after the wedding. She wasn't very good at negotiations or asking favors, and she was more than a little afraid of accidentally letting her brother find out that she and Kaze had conceived before the wedding. She didn't necessarily fear Xander's anger; she just hated the thought of disappointing him and the others when they'd done so much to protect and accept her.

But there's only so long I can pretend... especially when I'm putting an innocent life in danger.

"I don't think you should fight in any more battles, Azura," Kaze said one evening as they prepared for bed in their tent. "Even if you avoid injury, you're putting a lot of strain on your body when you fight..."

"I know... I just don't know how to approach Xander," she said quietly as she unfolded a blanket.

"You're over three months along now, time is running out," he said, taking her hand and running the back of his fingers down her cheek. "Please, don't take any more risks than you must."

"Mm... I'm sorry for worrying you so much all this time, Kaze..."

He kissed her nose. "I would worry no matter what, milady. If you prefer, I can go with you tomorrow to speak to Lord Xander."

"No, it's alright. I'll go myself," she said, biting her lip. "If I'm going to be a mother, the least I can do is protect my own child."

"I'm proud of you, Azura."

"I try," she said, her voice soft as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Lady Corrin!"

Corrin looked up from her papers to find Laslow coming up to join her around the fire.

"Evening, Laslow," she said. She moved over to make space for him on the log they'd appropriated as a bench.

"Working late again, hm?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed, scribbling a note to herself at the bottom of a map. "There's a lot more paperwork involved in leading an army than you'd think."

"I can see that," he said cheerfully, picking up a stick to poke at the flames. "Any way I can help?"

"Hmm, well, I wouldn't mind if you could sort some of these maps for me... I'm feeling off today." She held out a set of scrolls for him.

"Off?"

"Mm. I'm really tired for some reason. Sluggish."

"Have you been sleeping enough?"

"Too much, actually," she said, examining a letter thoughtfully. She looked up to find him frowning at her.

"Perhaps you're getting ill, milady... Shouldn't you ask your retainers to help?"

"They do enough as it is," she said, suddenly self-conscious of his gaze. The last month had somehow worked out for the best between them; she knew it was cruel and selfish, pretending that she hadn't noticed his feelings, but Laslow and the war effort had been the only things keeping her on her feet after Azura's wedding. He'd been dependable and kind, and spending time with him always managed to make her smile. She often let herself forget that things weren't that simple between them, though there were times, like now, where it was impossible to mistake the look in his eyes for anything but love.

No, that's not what it is. Don't pay it any mind, she reminded herself firmly.

"There's really not much Jakob or Flora could do with these anyway," she said. "And I don't think letting Felicia near important documents is exactly..."

"Ah... right..." They fell into silence for a while as they worked, the only sound that of the crackling flames and the rustling of parchment. It was comfortable, spending time quietly like this, and before Corrin knew it, she'd nearly finished going over her correspondence.

"I think this should do it," Laslow said, rolling the maps up once more. "I placed all the ones for the areas around Mokushu at the top."

"Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting the scrolls from him.

"I have patrol duty in the morning, so I have to turn in now," he said slowly. It took a moment for Corrin to process the words as she read, but when she looked up to reply, he reached out to stroke her hair. She froze.

"Sorry, I thought there was something in it," he said, pulling away a second later. His eyes seemed far away as he stood up. "Good night, milady."

"G-Good night, Laslow..."

When he opens the flap to his tent, he finds an unexpected visitor sitting on his bedding.

"Selena?!"

Her eyes are fiery, her arms crossed in obvious displeasure. Her red hair looks almost black in the faint light from the candle she's lit, but there's no mistaking that it's her.

"I have half a mind to castrate you here and now, you stupid playboy."

"Wha-"

"Seriously?! Lady Corrin?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"How did you-?!"

"Lady Camilla," Selena says sharply. "She doesn't care if you're seeing each other as long as you're careful, but that has nothing to do with our mission." She pulls herself up and walks up to him, pulling him down painfully by the collar until they're eye to eye. "Now listen up, Laslow. Your job in this world is to protect Lady Corrin. You, me, and Odin are here solely to help her end this war. I don't care if you like her; hell, I don't even fucking care if you love her. You touch her again, and I'll make sure you never ever think about sleeping with someone ever again."

Laslow blinks, but a second later he laughs. It's a sad, flat sound.

"Sev, you've got the wrong idea."

"Do I now?! So Lady Camilla just imagined what she heard?"

"I'm not seeing Lady Corrin," he says, his tone bitter. He pulls her hand away from his shirt firmly. "What happened that night was a mistake. Neither of us will ever do it again."

"And you expect me to just believe that?" she hisses.

"It's true, Sev," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Lady Corrin... she belongs to someone else."

"Inigo..."

Her expression changes, becomes softer. Before he can say another word, she wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds him like she did when he'd been a small child. For the first time in a long while, as his face is pressed to that familiar smelling shoulder, he thinks he might cry.

Notes:

FINALLY. I'm so sorry for the wait, I had most of this chapter written for a MONTH when I was suddenly slammed by writer's block, Pokemon, and ice gays in quick succession. As promised, this one is mostly fluff, platonic and otherwise; I wanted to concentrate on some of the relationships outside of the love square, though somehow I seem to have ended up focusing on Selena. I think the Sin Bin might appreciate it. ^^;

I'm now writing three serials (and translating ALoI) so I'm really sorry if it takes a bit longer than usual to update. I PROMISE NOT TO TAKE A MONTH FOR THE NEXT ONE THOUGH.

Thank you, as always, so much for your patience and support. I hope you'll enjoy it!