Wow, not even halfway or a quarter through and I'm almost done with all the Royals. I have to admit, this might be a tough one to write, though probably not as much as Beruka. I will still try my best, so let us begin –ArcanaHermit
Chapter 5: Flight (Corrin x Hinoka)
Corrin was high in the sky, holding on to Hinoka like his life depended on it. And technically, it sort of did. Flying up high on the sky knight's Pegasus, he had to hold on tightly or risk falling off.
"We're almost at a good stopping location, just a bit more till we take a brake"
He couldn't tell if she was talking to him or her Pegasus, but regardless she began her descent into the forest below, landing with all the grace of a veteran rider. It wasn't long before Corrin's feet touched the ground. As he was still trying to get used to the whole experience, Hinoka gently tapped him on the back.
"So, how was your first Pegasus ride?"
"It was amazing and frightening at the same time. Soaring through the sky like that made my entire body feel this rush of energy, but I definitely wouldn't want to look down the next time we fly."
"Heh, your reaction is much the same as mine, and as much as I'm sure you'll want to adjust yourself, we need to hurry and make camp before night falls."
Corrin complied and began setting up the campsite along with Hinoka. He couldn't help but feel happy with just the two of them here. While it's true that this was a not a proper date but a scouting mission to see if there were any remaining Faceless in the area that escaped the army's wrath, the fact that he gets to spend ANY amount of time alone with her was a blessing, given how busy their lives are.
Corrin could still recall the letter that Hinoka told him about, the one that said that King Sumeragi was not his father. While it did raise an perplexing question about who his real father is, it nevertheless filled him with joy at the fact that his feelings for Hinoka were not only reciprocated, but also not forbidden.
By the time they finished laying down the campsite, it was already sundown. With some effort, Corrin ignited the campfire and they began eating their food rations, sitting next to each other and enjoying the warmth of the fire. Corrin placed a hand on top of hers, and she smiled, a slight blush forming on her cheeks.
"So far, no Faceless has been spotted in this area. I think it's safe to say we cleared out all of them."
"Yeah, that really is nice to hear. We'll be able to move the army out of here once we get back."
Their conversation turned to casual talk about the members of the army (Corrin felt particularly amused that Setsuna dragged Azama into a deep pit), and about their own lives. It was a pleasant turn from all the war conversations they seem to having so often lately.
"So, what do you plan on doing after the war, Hinoka?"
"Probably remain in the Hoshidan military, it's where I feel like I belong. What about you, Corrin? Any thoughts on how you want your future to be?"
Corrin gave it some serious thought before he replied her question.
"I don't know honestly, the war happened so fast and so suddenly to me that I didn't really have time to think about what will I do once it's done. Though I suppose I'll just do the best I can, as I always do."
Hinoka looked up at the night's sky and saw that there was no moon out, and immediately twisted her face into something resembling a scowl. Corrin was immediately worried. It's not like her to make a face so...angry, even in the heat of war.
"Hinoka, what's wrong?
"It's just…this sky. It reminds me of the day when you were kidnapped and I never saw you again. Even to this day, I get angry a bit when I see a moonless sky like this."
"I see…it must have been tougher than I could imagine"
"Yeah, living every day knowing my brother is in the hands of the enemy. Not even knowing how he is doing, or even knowing if he's alive. Every time I saw this sky, it tore at my heart a bit until you came to us."
There was a sudden silence in the air, and both of them simply looked at the sky. It took us a while before Hinoka spoke up.
"Though…now that I think about it, I've decided to let go of how I felt that day. If you hadn't been kidnapped, I wouldn't have worked so hard to be a sky knight, and I wouldn't have met you the way I did. So, as selfish as I might sound, I think it all worked out in the end."
Corrin smiled. Despite the circumstances of their meeting, he was glad to have someone like her by his side.
"Hey…it's getting late. We should go to sleep."
"Yeah, we need our energy for the journey tomorrow"
Taking out the portable beds they packed for the journey, they lied down next to each other, happy but slightly embarrassed. As they had only married recently, this was the first real time that they slept next to each other. Still, the experience was a pleasant one, and they had no trouble drifting off to sleep.
Corrin was the first one to wake up in the morning, and he noticed that instead of lying beside him, Hinoka was sleeping on top of him, arms wrapped around his chest. Despite wanting to stay like this for a while, they had a return to the others immediately, and so tapped Hinoka lightly in order to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open and she faced him, not aware of what she done.
"Good morning, Corrin. I had…wait, why am I..."
Realizing where she is positioned, she immediately got up in a panic. Corrin couldn't help but laugh at the situation, though he quickly got up and hugged Hinoka, still embarrassed and blushing, to try and calm her down.
"Don't be so embarrassed, I believe married couples do that all the time. Besides, it was quite cute to see you hugging me like that."
"T-thank you, Corrin. R-regardless, I think we should pack up and get back immediately"
And so they packed up and within the hour, they were flying high up in the sky once more. This was a rather uneventful night for the both of them: No battles, no mass planning, just a simple scouting mission. Still, they agreed that it was an enjoyable time in each other's company, and that's all they care about.
And chapter completed. Whew, this was definitely tough to write. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter regardless. Whew, done with most of the royals already, I think I'll save Elise for a later date. Until then –ArcanaHermit