Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fire Emblem.

Edited for typos on August 18th, 2016

Chapter three: The Problem

Camilla stood with her back to her siblings, pouting thoughtfully while staring out the window. It was very late at night, but no one had been able to sleep — not after Corrin's announcement.

After recovering from the initial shock, all four of the Nohrian siblings had slinked, silent and morose, to Xander's house. They stayed there for some time, drinking tea and trying to gather their composure. Elise had recovered rather quickly and was now sitting at the table, doodling on paper. Camilla had also recovered her wits and had used the quiet to think and plan; she knew, however, she could not voice her ideas while their brothers were still blushing.

"How could she do this…?" Xander would mutter every few minutes. "The disgrace... The disgrace!"

Elise would frown at him, but so far had kept her mouth shut. Camilla guessed that miracle had to do with some slight aftershock, but didn't address her sister, either. Not yet — no one was ready to discuss it, yet.

Perhaps two hours after Corrin had dropped the news on them, following Xander's one hundredth, "How could she?" Leo finally exploded. All at once, he shot from his chair and screamed.

"You're an elitist prig!" He pointed a finger at Xander.

Xander blinked twice at Leo's glaring face; then he stomped to his own feet and shouted back, "I am neither! I am merely showing a healthy concern for my sister and country!"

"What is with you and health?" Leo exclaimed. "Is there some sort of epidemic going around? Are you a faith healer, Xander? Is love the magic medicine that makes the world go 'round?"

"She's not in love! That filching flirt has tricked our innocent Corrin into loving him so that he may climb the ladders of society!"

"That's disgusting! Niles would never partake in such a despicable plot!"

"He's an outlaw, Leo! For all you know, he never intended to steal from our castle at all. He merely invaded the place in the hopes of catching some naive noble or princess with his serpentine looks! What a pity, he must have thought, he ran into you!"

"You're both crazy!" Elise screamed, loud enough to be heard over her bickering brothers. "Corrin's not stupid and Niles isn't evil! That idea is insane, Xander! If he really wanted to become a noble, then he would have tried to seduce Camilla or even me. Both of us are on far better terms with Father than Corrin is, and I'm the most innocent looking of the bunch! He would have definitely tried to snare me, not Corrin."

Xander's and Leo's anger visible dissipated from their faces; both looked thoughtful as they slowly sat down. Eventually, Xander nodded his head. "What you say is good sense, Elise. With Corrin, the plot doesn't add up."

"Niles would never do anything so villainous," Leo asserted once more, though not so harshly. "I'm sure he must really be in love with her."

"... Elise," said Camilla, staring at her sister. "Why did you say 'seduce'?"

Elise shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. The word just popped into my head, like it was the perfect fit." She laughed a little. "I guess mostly because of Niles' reputation as a flirt!"

Camilla looked at her brothers. Xander was pale and appeared to be having trouble breathing. Leo's face was burning red.

Camilla chuckled, letting the idea roll off her shoulders and out of her mind. "A flirt, dear sister, is one thing — what you are suggesting is something else all together. Right, brothers?" she asked forcefully.

After a pause, Xander smiled weakly. "Yes. That's right. One does not immediately lead to the other."

"I guess not," murmured Leo. "Perhaps not in every single case. But in most…"

Ignoring Leo, Camilla quickly said, "You were very smart, Elise, to think how silly it would be of Niles to choose dear Corrin for his scapegoat. As sweet a girl and as good-looking as she is, her position in court is quite precarious. It was very quick of you to see that."

"Thanks!" Elise beamed. "I once read a book about a similar situation. In that story, the villain even goes so far as to have a child with the princess, so he's sure not to be executed by the girl's protective family."

Leo knocked the sugar bowl over, spilling white powder all across the table. Camilla didn't even glance at Xander; her eyes speed straight to Elise.

"Elise, where did you ever get such a book! You should know better than to read that kind of trash!"

Elise pouted. "It was a gift! Niles gave it to me."

Everyone stared at her, their faces pure white with horror. Elise glared at them, one by one. "What's wrong with you all? There's nothing criminal in my accepting a gift, right? Why are you— Oh. Oh!" Elise's hands flew to her mouth.

Xander banged the door shut behind him.