Now it's time to do the other half-beast on the list, and the one I know even less about (I'm a Conquest main). Regardless I'll be like Nino and do my best. –ArcanaHermit

Chapter 19: Part (Corrin x Selkie)

"Raggh"

Corrin nearly got hit by the lightning fast strike coming from Selkie, but thankfully dodged to the side, his side nearly getting hit by the kitsune's fangs. Selkie circled Corrin again, slowly and warily, looking for any openings.

She made her move, charging for an exposed part of Corrin's side. Much to her dismay however, she effortlessly dodged to the side and stuck at her with the flat of her blade, sending her tumbling onto the dirt.

"Ok, I think that's enough training for now. Let's take a break."

Selkie groaned a little before getting back up and transforming back into her humanoid form. Corrin placed near a tear and sat down on a bench, tired and sweating. As always, his wife didn't hold back at all during training, but he's glad he was getting better at his swordplay. He can still feel the bruises and cuts from his first session with Selkie, and he endeavored not to repeat the same mistakes.

Selkie sat down beside him, her face still showing an energetic smile. Admittedly, Corrin still found a few things about her unusual, such as her treating bloody battle as a game, but that didn't matter to him much anymore. She was herself, and that's all he ever wants out of his wife.

"So…how was I, Selkie?"

"Wayyyyy better, I think you fight very well now than the beginning."

Corrin breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was having worries as of late. All this time, he had been fighting battles using his Dragonstone, with only a couple of occasions where he would use the legendary Yato to fight. But in recent skirmishes, the young lord constantly found himself heavily wounded or beaten afterwards. With the realization the brute force of his Draconic Form was no longer prevailing, Corrin decided to train in his lesser used way of fighting, swordplay.

It was a rough adjustment at first. Training at the Northern Fortress only helped so much, but soon he was able to adapt well enough. While not a masterful swordsman like Ryoma or Xander, he still took pride in his ever increasing skills with the blade.

Still, he wasn't satisfied with where he was now, which is why he was constantly training with Selkie. True to her word, she didn't hold anything back and charged at him like he was a normal foe, only stopping when she was about to land a fatal strike. The sessions initially started with Corrin losing more often than not, but once he adapted to her way of fighting, the contests got more even, and the winner more unpredictable.

Corrin took out both their meals, a mix of rice and fish, and handed it over to Selkie. She accepted it with glee and began tearing through the meal, while Corrin ate slowly and quietly. Another contrast he noticed between them. Once she was done, she did what she usually did and laid her head on his lap, smiling happily. It was what she usually did after finishing her meal, and it brought quite the joyous feeling to the both of them. Corrin, once he was done with his meal, put his hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair. She let out a loud yawn before quickly dozing off, snoring quietly.

Corrin looked at her sleeping face and couldn't help but smile. As he continued to brush her hair, his thoughts trailed off to other things, particularly about the war. It wasn't just him that got battered and beaten at the end of the battle. In just the last few battles, the army has had more close calls than Corrin was comfortably with, ending with no fatalities every time, but could have so easily ended someone's life.

Morale of the army had been particularly bad because of that, with more silence in the camp than usual. Xander and Ryoma, with their experience as generals, successfully railed their troops with a rousing speech, convincing them to train harder than ever before.

Turning what was a dour and gloomy moment into a burning conviction, Corrin was always amazed by them, but also a little jealous. Despite technically leading the army, he always felt inferior to both his eldest siblings when it comes to that, in both strategy and charisma. Despite trying to give command back to the army to them, they still insisted on him being their leader due to the fact he was both acquainted in Nohr and Hoshido.

Letting out a sigh, Corrin mused about how he managed to ever get this far. He was their leader, but he always felt like every victory wasn't the result of his leadership, but rather through the work of someone else, be it the strategy of Leo, the ferocity of his elder sisters and brothers, or the bravery of the soldiers under his command. But he always felt…lacking when compared to them.

"Corrin?" Selkie said, leading him to look down at her. She was pouting.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You're having that face again, dummy." She responded, huffing. "The face you make when you're thinking about bad things."

"Oh? I have a face for that?" Corrin said, lightly blushing. Did he really show it that obviously? "S-sorry."

"What you thinking about?"

"Just wondering about my place as leader." Corrin said truthfully, sighing. "I just feel like I'm not the leader everyone says I am, like I'm coasting by through the efforts of others instead of myself."

"You really are a dummy." The kitsune responded. "You're not the strongest, or the smartest, or the fastest."

"I know…"

"But you don't need to be. We all work together to win, meaning you as well. Daddy taught me that no one is the most important in the group, because we're all very important."

Corrin looked down at his wife, who was having a wide grin on her face. If there's one thing about her that he would always hold dear, it's her cheerfulness.

"So don't worry about it too much, dummy." She said. "You're important, just like all of us are."

"Selkie…"

She quickly hopped off his lap and headed to the centre of the training ground, where she transformed into her beast form, ready to fight.

"Now, let's play some more. You want to be better, right?"

The young lord stared at her wife for a few good seconds before showing a confident smile on his face. He was eager to fight as well. He quickly grabbed the Yato and brandished it at her.

"Ready."

Without hesitation, the two charged at each other, beginning their dance of blade and claw, of slash and parry. Corrin's doubts were cleared in the heat of the battle, but also because of his wife's words. He didn't need to be the best, it's true. He just needed to do his part, as everyone in the army does.

As long as he can protect the ones he loved, especially Selkie, that was enough.

And done. Sorry for my absence, I had a small internship going and I felt lazy after that whole thing was done, but I'm back now. Next time it'll be a Hoshidan chapter, so look forward to that –ArcanaHermit