Laslow has been to his share of weddings over the years, but this is different, and not because he's the groom this time. Somehow, as Odin and Selena help him dress, he's reminded of how he felt at Lucina's wedding. There's something resigned and melancholic in the air, but he seems to be the only one who notices. Selena and Odin seem to think he's just nervous.

"Relax," Odin says, sounding oddly normal as he pats Laslow's shoulder. "You look like you've swallowed a handful of needles."

"Do I?" he replies dryly, adjusting his sleeves with trembling fingers. Selena slaps his wrist.

"Quit fidgeting," she orders. She's still angry at him, but in the end she agreed to help with the preparations when she heard that Odin would have a free reign otherwise.

"As much as I'd love to watch you make an utter fool of yourself, this is also Lady Corrin's wedding,"she'd conceded stiffly. Laslow secretly thinks she's enjoying bossing him around. It's probably a good thing that there are no honors for close friends of the couple in Nohrian wedding tradition; he's sure that Selena would kill Odin for it.

"Arms up," she says as she slips the sash over his shoulder, tying it at his waist. It's purple and gold, the colors of the royal family he's marrying into. Odin stands back to admire the effect.

"Hmm, you look good, but... it's missing something," he mutters, frowning at his friend. "Sev, do we have anything from home he can wear?"

She's so engrossed in her work that she hardly notices that he's used her old name. "From home?" she asks, checking that the knot won't come undone.

"From Ylisse, you mean?" Laslow asks, glancing at himself in the mirror. The outfit is very similar to the one Kaze wore for his own wedding, though there are a few alterations. Still, he can't deny that the man in the mirror looks quite noble and dashing, but the thought just makes his stomach ache. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Why would it be? No one knows Ylisse here, and it's tradition to wear something that represents your family when you get married," Odin insists.

"In Ylisse, maybe," he says. "Besides, my family were just regular people, we didn't have coats of arms or any of that fancy nonsense."

"Your parents were knighted," Odin reminds him stubbornly.

"In death," he says flatly. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It does," Odin says, his voice quiet and serious. Laslow sighs.

"Look, not all of us were princes or the daughters of famous knights-" (at that, Selena gives him a sharp jab with her sewing needle) "House crests are for people who have noble houses. Not for commoners like me."

"Stop that," Selena said suddenly, sounding angry.

"Stop what?" Laslow asks, genuinely confused.

"Quit putting yourself down like that. You're not just some peasant from the middle of nowhere."

"My parents-"

"It has nothing to do with your parents," she insisted. "You're the one who grew up in a hellish war, you're the one who fought to the bitter end and defied fate. You know better than anyone that the world and the families we came to save weren't our own; you know the sacrifice and pain that entailed. So what if some king or noble didn't give you land and a title? You're still from the Halidom of Ylisse, and you gave your life to protect it, just like the rest of us. You should be proud, Laslow."

"I didn't say I wasn't," he says, at a loss. "I just... don't have a family to represent-"

"What are you saying?!" Odin asks angrily. "What about us?! What about all the others?! We were Ylisse, the last thing standing between Grima and the destruction of the whole world! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

"Odin, of course it does..."

Selena hisses at them both.

"Any louder and the whole castle will hear, what part of keeping a low profile do you two not understand?!"

Odin and Laslow wince.

"Sorry..."

"As long as you remember to keep it quiet," she huffs. She returns to adjusting Laslow's collar, but as her hand brushes against his ear, she pauses. Laslow sees her expression change in the mirror, become thoughtful and resolved.

"Here," she says suddenly, unfastening one of her earrings. She presses it into his hand and Laslow looks down to see that it's made of silver, with the emblem of the Halidom engraved on the thin disk.

"This..."

"Mother gave it to me," she explains. "Well, not my real mother. The one we left behind in Ylisstol." She hesitates again. "For some reason I got to keep it when we came over. It's one of a pair, and I meant to wear them today, but... you should have one. Since you don't have anything of your own, that is."

Laslow blinks, confused.

"I can't take this," he says, but Selena shakes her head.

"Odin is right. For years, us kids only had each other," she says quietly. "And now, it's the three of us out here, possibly for the rest of our lives. Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry about... you know..." She gives him a pointed look in the mirror, and Laslow pretends to cough. "But... it's not like there's anything I can do about it now, so I might as well try to be a little happy for you. Take it, Inigo. Represent our family out there."

The sound of his name nearly drives him to tears, but it's Odin who starts wailing, throwing himself at the two of them.

"Gods, I love you guys," he sobs.

"ODIN! YOU'LL RUIN HIS CLOTHES!" Selena cries, but Odin is holding on for dear life and before they know it all three of them are laughing and crying, arms around each other's shoulders.

"Be happy, Inigo," Owain sniffles, pressing his forehead to Laslow's own. "You're a good guy under all the gaudy playboy stuff."

"Hey! You have no right to call me gaudy!"

"Shut up," Severa says thickly. "You're ruining the moment."

"You guys are acting like I'm going away. I'm not going anywhere," Inigo reminds them, laughing slightly through the tears.

"It's not that, it's just... I don't know," Odin admits. "I feel like something is coming to an end."

The truth of the statement hangs over them, heavy and painful.

"No," Laslow says firmly. "Nothing is ending. No matter what, we will always, always, be family."

"There goes my chance of getting rid of you two," Selena says, but Odin and Laslow just chuckle; they know she doesn't mean it, because even though she's trying to keep her cool, her cheeks are red and just as stained with tears.

Azura sat in the front row, with Camilla and Leo beside her. Kaze had been unable to attend due to his duties on watch outside the fortress, and she found that she missed his reassuring presence. There was a bad taste in her mouth and her hands were almost trembling with anger; she was still furious at Corrin and Xander for what they'd decided to do. It was irresponsible and selfish to put an innocent life on the line like that on purpose, and it wasn't right to force Corrin to have to make that choice in the first place.

It's this awful, pointless war, she thought, her nails digging into her palm as Corrin walked down the aisle. She looked lovely, her black hair arranged over her shoulders, a crown of white flowers on her head. The white of her dress contrasted heavily with her eyes, giving her face a strangely wild look that suited her far more than any elegant gown ever could. Azura watched as Laslow took her hand, both of them looking nervous, both of them looking a little lost.

I can't watch this, she grimaced, closing her eyes and turning away from the proceedings. She couldn't understand why Corrin was doing any of this. She couldn't even understand why it was that she chose Laslow, of all people; Azura had been shaken to the core when she realized he was the father. She'd never even considered him remotely a possibility. As far as she could remember, Corrin had always despised the man, and she'd thought it was only a silly rumor when she heard they'd become friends over the last few months. She had found them talking together a few times in the dining hall or on the castle grounds, but she'd assumed that it had something to do with the army, or just Corrin being too polite to brush him aside.

It had to have been a mistake of some kind. Perhaps he'd forced her, or they'd been drunk, or something. But the former was impossible; Laslow would have been killed, if not by Corrin's own claws, then by the law. That was the whole reason this wedding was being staged in the first place.

And Corrin, drunk? That seemed too far-fetched to believe. Almost as far-fetched as there being genuine love between the two.

The surety of the thought startled her.

Just why am I so sure of that?

Corrin's heart seemed to be too large for her chest. She really couldn't explain the torrent of frazzled emotion that washed over her as she stood at the altar, fingers held gently in Laslow's hands.

She was nervous and afraid, but of what, she couldn't be sure. There were so many problems lingering on the horizon, so many dangers she'd have to navigate on her own. So much hinged on her decisions, far too much for one person to handle, and that was without taking into account her pregnancy or the difficulty of hiding it during battle. It was all she could do to focus on the present.

Laslow's grip tightened slightly on her fingers, and she realized that she had completely spaced out for a minute. She blinked, panicking, and was relieved when she saw that the priest was holding out the rings.

It was almost over now.

"Lady Corrin, if you are in agreement to accept this man as blood and kin, take this ring and seal the bond by your own hand."

She took one of the gold bands from the cushion, her mouth oddly dry as she did. The priest had phrased it as a choice, but like so many things in Corrin's life, it was always so much more complicated that that.

"As third Princess of Nohr, I..." she hesitated, the ring hovering over Laslow's finger. She wanted so much to turn and search the crowd, to see if Azura was watching.

"Princess..."

The word was so soft-spoken that she thought she might have imagined it. She glanced up, and his brown eyes caught hers, gentle and sad. He didn't need to say anything else for her to know that he was giving her her last window of opportunity to run.

For a moment, she almost did, her heart leaping at the adrenaline of the thought.

No, you're the one who wanted this, Corrin, she reminded herself firmly. You're the one who asked for him. You're the one who is too selfish to let him go. You have no right to run from that now. You don't want to. Azura will never turn on Kaze. You need Laslow, you can't do this alone.

She closed her eyes, gathering her strength.

"I... with this ring, I... I bind you as my kin," she finally said, slipping the band onto his ring finger.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur.

The sound of a bird bursting through the thin foliage startled him. He'd been so intent on watching the ground that Kaze had nearly forgotten he was hidden in the upper branches of a tree. He breathed slowly, trying to settle his racing heart.

Why am I so anxious? he wondered, frowning to himself as he stretched out silently on his stomach. He had to adjust his position every few minutes to avoid a cramp; if he wasn't careful, he could fall out of the tree and cause himself injury, or worse, attract unwanted attention. That in itself wasn't particularly difficult, but...

He sighed as quietly as he could.

I wonder how the wedding is going, he thought, glancing up at the sky. It was still early enough that the sun still shone, but as it was the middle of winter, it would likely grow dark soon. He wouldn't be relieved of his shift until after the sun went down.

He thought of Azura and his unease grew. She'd been keeping to herself a bit more than usual over the last few days, and she seemed upset about something. Kaze hadn't wanted to pry or to force her to talk about anything she didn't feel like sharing, but he was still concerned. He wished he could have accompanied her to the ceremony, at least.

Just a few more hours, he thought, turning back to the task at hand. He scanned the area slowly, alert for any movement or noise that was out of the ordinary. He didn't expect to find anything; weeks of surveillance hadn't turned up any spies from Hoshido or Mokushu, and Hans was still being monitored within the astral plane.

But as Kaze waited out his shift, he found that something felt off, though he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He found no one or nothing out of the ordinary.

"A toast!"

"Yes, another toast! To the commander and her husband!" shouted Arthur drunkenly. Several people cheered and raised their glasses, and Laslow groaned.

"You all are going to kill yourselves," he complained as another toast went out at the table. Half the retainers were drunk out of their minds; Odin had already slumped over in his seat and Effie was having a throwing contest with Selena at the edge of the courtyard. Corrin's maids and Jakob were having an argument and Peri was giving some frightened soldiers a very lively and gory report on all the bodies she'd mutilated.

"Don't be such a bore, it's your own wedding, darling," Princess Camilla chuckled, winking at him from Corrin's other side. "Have some fun, go dance, drink some wine!"

"I'm fine," Laslow said, wincing slightly. He remembered all too keenly what had happened the last time he'd gotten drunk at a wedding. Corrin tensed up slightly at his side and he knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Why don't you go dance, Camilla?" Corrin asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.

"Oh, you know, I think I will," her sister said cheerfully. She got up from the table and waved at the both of them. "Come join us when you're ready, won't you?"

"Of course," Corrin smiled, but Laslow thought it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly after Lady Camilla was out of hearing range.

Corrin grimaced slightly.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," she muttered in return, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

He resisted the urge to rub her back in front of everyone. "Come, let's get you some fresh air," he said instead. She nodded.

He led her through the crowd, though they were stopped a few times by soldiers wishing them well. By the time they reached the castle gate, Corrin was looking very pale.

"My apologies," he said, leading her to a small copse of trees. She shook her head, the back of her hand pressed to her mouth.

"Couldn- ugh. Couldn't be- helped," she managed to say. She took a seat on a fallen log, trying to steady her breathing. Laslow sat beside her, rubbing her back gently in silence.

"Sorry," she said once she'd managed to get the nausea under control.

"For what, princess?"

"For being so dull all afternoon," she said, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You're not feeling your best."

"Still," she sighed, and to his surprise, she leaned against his shoulder. "I'm not usually so lethargic. I like to dance and talk too."

"I know," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'd like to have danced at my own wedding at least," she said wistfully.

"We can still dance," he said, nudging toward the music coming over the wall. "It's still evening."

"But there's so many people... It's hard to breathe and I get so tired..."

"Well... we don't have to dance in front of everyone," he said.

"That's true," she agreed. She straightened up, brushing the hair from her face nervously. The color flooded back into her face. "Um, I've never actually danced with another person before, other than Elise..."

He grinned at her. "What, have you been dancing by yourself all this time, princess?"

"Shh," she said, laughing. "It's not like we were holding balls in the Northern Fortress every week. I used to dance by myself in the hall, pretending I was at a party."

"Without music?"

She shrugged. "I imagined it."

"Did you imagine you were a terrible dancer?"

"Laslow!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," he laughed. "I'm sure your imaginary partners all thought you quite the sophisticated lady."

"I'll have you know I was named Lady of the Imaginary Ball more than once."

"Oh my." He stood up, holding out a hand for her. "I'm no dashing imaginary prince, milady, but perhaps I could have the honor of this dance?"

She smiled, a real smile, her eyes soft and bright by the light of the stars.

"Just this once," she said, letting him pull her up. He showed her where to place her hands and they started turning on the spot slowly, completely out of rhythm with the music.

"I don't think this is a waltz, Laslow," she said as the sound of lively flutes reached them.

"My, you even know the difference," he grinned mischievously, and she purposefully stepped on his foot. "Ow!"

"I'm sorry, I'm ever so clumsy."

"Ha, so I can see."

The sound of their laughter echoed slightly through the trees.

"Tell me if you need to rest," he said.

"Mm. I'm fine for now," she said softly, eyes cast low.

It's strange, how easy it is to relax around him. Despite her guilt and her longing for Azura, he always seems to know how to ease her worries and she never seems to be able to resist playing along or laughing when he starts teasing. It's such a relief, and she's not pretending when, at the end of their starlit dance, she feels genuinely happy and warm.

"Shall I get you a drink, Lady Corrin?" he asks her once she lets him know she needs to rest.

"You don't have to call me that," she laughs. "Just Corrin is fine. And a drink would be wonderful."

"But no alcohol," he says sternly.

"Of course not."

"Then I'll be right back, princess," he says, bowing with a flourish. She giggles into her hand.

"You're such an idiot."

"Perhaps." He winks at her and sets off down the path, leaving her with her thoughts for a bit.

"It's cold," she says to herself as she leans back against a tree trunk, looking up at the stars. They're beautiful, a sea of twinkling lights on a canvas of darkness. Congregated in some places, sparse in others, but still visible if Corrin looks hard enough.

"Not everything is pure black and white," she mutters aloud.

The sound of a branch breaking makes her jump, and she turns suddenly, alert.

"Who's there?!"

"O-oh."

Azura is standing stock still at the edge of the trees, obviously caught off-guard.

"I, uhm... I'll just... go..." she says awkwardly, turning to leave.

Corrin doesn't stop to think.

"No! Don't!" she cries out, tripping over her own feet as she tries to reach out toward Azura. She only just manages to break her fall with her hands, her breathing heavy and frightened at the shock.

That was close, she thinks, sighing in relief. But when she picks herself up, Azura is gone, and Corrin is all alone in the clearing, her palms stinging painfully.

Notes:

I'm struggling a bit with writer's block recently, so I tried changing tracks and working on CTaF for a bit. Hope you'll enjoy the bittersweetness~