Lady in Waiting
By psychored1911
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening or Fire Emblem Fates
Chapter 17: Devoted Darkness pt 1
The Nohrian Pegasus.
Pegasi aren't native to Nohr; they seemed much more comfortable in the Hoshidan habitats. Pegasi captured after skirmishes usually fled back to their owners, or, more often than not, their homelands if given half a chance, and those that stayed in captivity required significantly higher nutritional needs than what was expected from Nohrian horse breeds, which made it untenable for most stables to hold onto significant numbers for long. However, this hasn't stopped some ambitious breeders from trying to breed the relatively frail pegasi with hardier Nohrian warhorses, though this usually resulted in flightless foals that better resembled the Nohrian breeds than their winged parents.
But, that wasn't to say that it wasn't impossible.
A scarce handful of horse breeders actually managed to birth a crossbreed which was officially dubbed the Nohrian Pegasi. Sturdy, yet elegant, these winged horses were one of a rare few that were able to thrive in Nohr's tougher climates and more limited resources. However, said breeders were charging an arm and a leg for them, so this combined with their scarcity meant that Nohr forming its own unit of pegasus knights was still a long way off. There's also the fact that their recent efforts spooked the Hoshidans enough into capturing and breeding their own wyverns, but that's another story.
Selena stared at the sole Nohrian pegasus in the Nohrian army's stable. A year or two ago, a baroness in the army boasted that she would be the kingdom's very first pegasus knight, and she was… for all of five minutes before this very pegasi bucked her off several stories off the ground, leading to an incredibly awkward incident where some infantry had to scrape their commander's corpse off the roof of a justifiably terrified homeowner.
On the plus side, she managed to purchase said pegasus for a fraction of what it was worth because of the incident.
Selena, with her saddle under her arms, stared at the beast before her. It was certainly larger in stature than her mother's pegasus, but Nohrian breeds, despite their toughness, were also among the friendliest and gentlest breeds between the kingdoms, to the point that captured horses are prized trophies by Hoshidan soldiers. Perhaps the previous owner pushed it too far, or perhaps it hated arrogant blowhards as much as she did.
Selena slowly pulled the beast out of its stable, and the massive pegasi reared in defiance.
"Easy, girl." Selena pulled out an apple from her pack and held it out for the pegasi. The horse sniffed at it warily, before taking a large chomp out of it, consuming the whole thing out of Selena's hands.
"Good girl," Selena gently patted its snout, gently tracing her hand over the pegasi's mane until she reached its torso and slowly tossed her saddle over it. Adjusting it for a proper fit, Selena then mounted onto her new steed and harnessed herself to the saddle (which its previous owner probably didn't do). And at just the right time, too, as the pegasi immediately galloped into flight just as she put her feet into the stirrups.
"W-Whoa?!" Selena held on to dear life as the pegasi rose into the air, thrashing about, trying to buck her off. It was testing her, her resolve, her courage, her very being. An unprepared rider would've gotten seriously hurt or even killed, but she was not an unprepared rider. Far from it.
She was the daughter of the Ylissean pegasus knight captain, an accomplished pegasus rider in her own right, and this was not her first pegasus.
Gritting her teeth, Selena pulled up on the reins with one hand while patting the pegasi's back with the other, leaning forward to whisper soothing words into its ears. It took her a few minutes, but eventually, the pegasus relented, rearing in midair with a loud neigh, submitting to its new master.
"Haha! Woo!" Selena threw her fist up victoriously as she became the first true Pegasus Knight of Nohr. "I own the sky now, you pigtailed ponyhead!"
"Achoo!" Catria sneezed.
Selena then folded her arms while leaning slightly back in her saddle, confident and smug in equal measure. "Now, what to name you…" she cupped her chin with a grin, "You're a brute, you have an obnoxious attitude, and you have an incredibly large arse. I think I'll name you… Cynthia."
"Achoo!" Catria sneezed again, but this time with a sudden bizarre urge to punch Severa in the face.
Selena rode her new mount through the Nohrian sky, allowing her pegasus to further get used to her presence, before she gently landed right by the stable.
And it seemed that she had a bit of an audience.
As soon as she dismounted, she was swarmed by several awed infantrymen and, more importantly, Princess Camilla herself, who was leading the applause while positively beaming with pride.
"Selena! I am very impressed!" Camilla said as she pulled Selena into a hug, "You never told me you could do that!"
"It… never came up…" Selena said dismissively, trying to pull herself away from her princess' chest while hiding her blush. "Let's just say my mother worked with pegasi and leave it at that."
"Fair enough," Camilla shrugged as Selena pulled herself out of the hug, dismissing their audience with a wave of her hand. "Does that mean you will finally join me and Beruka in training? There's this technique that I've always wanted to try out, but it required three mounted riders to perform."
"Of course, Lady Camilla. But I will need to train up my new friend first." Selena said as she absentmindedly patted her new pegasus on the neck. "Mind if I take a few more days off to do so?"
"By all means." Camilla smiled, "I look forward to your results."
"Thank you, milady. I promise I won't let you down." Selena bowed as she led her pegasus Cynthia away. But not before she snatched some javelins from the nearby weapons rack.
For 'practice' reasons, of course.
When Odin walked into the villa, he was full of his usual confidence and bravado.
Now, when he was face to face with his beloved cousin, who had been training in the courtyard prior to his approach… he was getting cold feet.
After all, how was he supposed to phrase this without seeming suspicious? 'Hail, my dear cousin! I need to borrow our family's sacred sword so I may put your husband down a second time'? No! He couldn't say that!
"...What is it, Odin?"
And that piercing stare from Marth wasn't helping.
"Umm…" Odin tugged at his collar, evading his cousin's gaze, "I was just wondering if I could…"
"Could what?" Marth raised a brow.
Oh, to heck with it. "I wish to borrow the Falchion, dear cousin!"
Marth tilted her head in confusion, seemingly offended. "I beg your pardon?"
Odin cleared his throat, "What I meant to say, is that our lords have given me a mission that is of the utmost importance, and I believe that the success of this mission hinges on me utilizing our family blade."
That was a piss-poor excuse if he had ever heard one. Which made it all the more surprising when Marth promptly removed the Falchion from her belt and offered it to him.
"Oh? Really?" Odin blinked in surprise, "Why, thank you, cous-"
When Odin reached out for it, Marth grabbed his hand, and glared cerulean daggers into Odin's now-terrified eyes, "You know how important the Falchion is, what it means to our family, and what it means to us, right?"
"I do, cousin," Odin gulped, "But-"
"So, because you find your mission so urgent that you believe you require it, I pray that you never need to use it." Marth then shoved it into his arms, "Instead, let it keep you safe, let Lady Naga keep you safe."
Odin froze in place, recognizing the strength in Marth's eyes. She was regaining her resolution. She was regaining her past inner fortitude. She was once again the Last Exalt of Ylisse that she used to be before she fell into despair.
…She must not know of his true intentions with their family's sacred blade.
Clasping one hand over Marth's, Odin- Owain cleared his throat and declared, "I, Owain, son of second princess Lissa of Ylisse, do solemnly swear, that I shall use this sword Falchion, which was granted to our ancestors by the awe-inspiring Lady Naga, solely to protect and serve all that I hold dear, so help us, goddess."
"So help us, Goddess," With that final prayer, Marth finally let go of the Falchion, gently pushing it into Odin's hands, "Do not betray Naga's will like… I had with Robin. Go forth, and use it to bring righteousness to the world."
"...You do know I'm planning on giving it ba-"
Marth smacked him across the head, "Why are you the only one who gets to be dramatic? I'm trying to motivate you, fool." Her soft smile, while still humored, reminded him she was still not laughing.
"A-Ah, right. I shall be taking my leave now…" It was so rare for Marth to even crack a joke that Odin didn't even realize she made one. Perhaps she really is on the road to recovery. As such, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt encroach upon his heart as he left her there with a frantic nod.
He prayed that Selena was wrong in her assumptions. For all of their sakes.
"Laslow, what are you doing?"
When Xander walked past the villa's armory, the last thing he expected was to find Laslow sitting at its table… tinkering with a crossbow and a telescope. It looked like he was developing a device to attach the telescope to the crossbow, and has also made a bundle of bolts with unique tips to accompany it.
"I once saw a friend of mine use a series of measuring tools to maximize the range and accuracy of a crossbow by leaps and bounds outside of its normal range. He boasted that it could clip the wings of a sparrow over several dozen meters." Laslow explained, his eyes not leaving his bizarre project, "While I don't recall all the specific details, I'm hoping to at least mildly replicate such a feat with a mere telescope."
Xander snorted as he walked in, "Tell me if you're successful. I would love to issue such an accurate crossbow to our marksmen."
Laslow shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't be so simple. My friend perfected his design over the course of months with constant feedback from several archers in our acquaintance. I'm merely attempting to recreate a rough copy of it with scant memories and a handful of scraps."
"Perhaps you should send for this friend instead," Xander suggested, taking a seat opposite Laslow. "An engineering genius would probably be a great boon to Nohr."
Laslow paused, looking down sadly as he set aside his tools, "He's no longer among the living, I'm afraid."
"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss." Xander apologized, realizing he had touched upon a sore point.
"Gods bless him, he was quite a man." Laslow put his tools down and sighed in reminiscence. "A tactical genius, an expert sorcerer, the ladies loved him: mages, priestesses, Selena's gorgeous mother-"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"-but, alas, he had eyes for one and one only. I am proud to have been his friend to the very end." Laslow shook his head, "Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself. How may I help you, milord? What brings you to the armory?"
There were many things Xander wanted to ask, particularly about how Laslow's late friend somehow wooed Selena's mother. Still, the saner sides of his mind prevailed; he had pressing matters to attend to, and said, "I was just taking a walk to clear my head, Laslow. My father is losing his patience. He says that if I don't find that Dread Fighter soon, he will send Corrin back to the Northern Fortress before the Dusk Festival."
"Already? But Lord Corrin has been looking forward to it for weeks!" Laslow gasped.
"Unfortunately, my father doesn't see it way." Xander sighed, "This is his bizarre way of showing his overprotectiveness towards Corrin. I fear he will never outgrow such habits until my brother beats me in single combat."
"I wouldn't dwell on it too long, sir. I see a bright future in Lord Corrin." Laslow said reassuringly, "Perhaps he will outclass us all one day."
"I hope sooner rather than later." Xander stood up, "Anyway, I will leave you to it. Tell me if your little pet project bears any fruit. There will be a raise and a bonus if you manage to replicate your late friend's work."
"I shall keep you informed, milord." Laslow saluted as he continued his work. "Oh, and, for both our sakes, please don't bring up this friend with the rest of our circle. Our friend's death still pains us to this day."
Xander shook his head, "I will keep that in mind. Keep at it, Laslow."
And with that, Xander left his retainer to his own devices. While he was intrigued by his sudden interest in long-distance archery, he was satisfied with the knowledge that Laslow was being productive with his time off rather than flirting with anyone wearing a skirt.
Lilith hummed to herself as she watered the flowers outside the Royal Villa. From what she heard from Corrin, Lord Leo spent months trying to ensure that several breeds of flowers were hardier than they were in the wild, at Corrin's insistence, of course. He insisted that his younger brother practice his craft with flowers as well as crops, suggesting that beauty was just as important to the Northern Fortress as agriculture. In the end, while he wasn't able to breed those coveted Silent Princesses, he was able to domesticate several other wildflowers. His efforts allegedly made him an honorary member of the Florist's Guild.
But enough about that. Back to watering. She didn't know why, but she always found the pouring of water from a watering can to be so… calming, serene even-
Oh, that scent.
It was that subordinate of Azura's. The one with pointed ears, just like herself and Corrin. She never caught her name. Not that it really mattered, really. She was still a ways off, but she was definitely approaching the Royal villa all by herself.
What could Lady Azura be planning?
Setting the watering can down, Lilith dusted herself off and slowly walked over to the front gate, and waited until she saw that subordinate of hers approach with a slight skip in her step.
"Hi. Lilith, right?" The subordinate waved. "We never properly introduced ourselves. My name is-"
"I don't care." Lilith stated tersely. "What does Lady Azura want this time?"
"Rude." The retainer snorted. "Where I come from, we take the time to know each other's name before we talk."
"You still haven't given me a reason to care." Lilith's gaze turned draconic.
Nagi's eyes matched Lilith's, "Give it a minute."
"Lilith? What are you doing over there?"
Lilith's eyes reverted as she turned around with a curtsey to greet her lord, "Greetings, milord. It appears as though one of Lady Aqua's retainers has arrived."
"Hiya." Nagi waved with a slight blush, her golden draconic eyes winking at her lord, "I'm here with a message." She held up an envelope between her fingers and tossed it to him with a dexterous flick of the wrist. "Just to remind you that you have dinner plans with my mistress later. But you can see me anytime you like~!"
Lilith did a double take. Did Lord Corrin unwittingly seduce another woman? Felicia, she could understand. Flora, maybe, once she got her head out of her own arse when it came to Jakob. Lady Azura, fine, sure, so long as Mikoto kept her wicked paws off of her. But this? Lady Azura's retainer? The one he spoke to once, maybe, throughout this whole trip? This was getting ridiculous. What, was he going to obliviously court nearly every young maiden he came across?
Lilith had half a mind to bury her head in her palms in exasperation when she noticed something… odd. Corrin was frozen in place, his cheeks were burning red, and his eyes were hazy, as if in a trance. He was less of a prince and more of a blushing schoolboy in front of a newfound crush. Which was impossible, because she was here just a week ago, and he didn't say or do anything to her.
Unless…
Lilith snapped her head back towards the woman and her draconic eyes, which were unashamedly giving Lord Corrin several lecherous glances.
Nope. This will not stand.
"H-Hey!"
"Wha- Lilith?!"
Without any ounce of hesitation, Lilith splashed Lord Corrin and the woman with the remaining contents of her watering can, snapping the former out of his stupor.
"Oh, my dearest apologies, Lord Corrin." Lilith gasped apologetically as she dropped the watering can, "Why don't you go back inside and get changed while I tend to our guest."
"Shouldn't you-"
Lilith's eyes went draconic. "Did I stutter, milord?"
Corrin gulped and hastily nodded, "Y-Yes, Lilith…"
Corrin left in a hurry, and Lilith redirected her attention to the woman, who reverted her eyes with a smug grin on her face.
Lilith reached through the gate doors, grabbed the woman by the collar, and then yanked her in, slamming her against the gate's cold iron bars, "What did you do?"
"Draconic instincts." The woman snarled, unharmed by Lilith's petty little intimidation tactic. "What happens when a boy manakete and a girl manakete do when they meet for the first time? Sparks fly. But you didn't know that, did you? Of course, you didn't. You're his sister, those same instincts don't really apply. Something tells me you had to figure a lot out on your own, but that doesn't mean you were formally taught by anyone like I was."
Lilith narrowed her eyes, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that Corrin is different from you and me, and sooner or later, it will blindside you. I know more about our situation than you do, and I'm more than willing to compare notes. Consider it a peace offering, from myself and Lady Azura, to you."
"..." Lilith seethed on the inside, but she knew that on some level, this woman was right. She had the mercy of learning a few things during her abandonment, but she certainly knew less than this woman. And if learning from her meant that she could further help Corrin, what was she to do but relent?
Noticing the change in Lilith's face, the woman let herself through the gate and dug into her pouch, pulling out a yellow gemstone. It was beautiful, brilliant even, yet it coursed with a blazing inferno within. Yet, Lilith felt calm in its presence, as if the gemstone was one of the most natural things in the world.
"Do you have something like this?" the woman inquired. "Did your father leave something like this behind for you?"
"...I do have something like that…" Lilith's hands hesitantly went to her pockets, and she pulled out two gemstones, each the size of her palm. One was aquamarine and cut like a diamond, with a hue as dazzling as the vast, expansive seas. The other one was pearl-like in shape, clear and smooth, capturing the endless beauty of the cosmos above.
The woman tilted her head, "You have two?"
"Is that abnormal?" Lilith raised a brow.
"Not exactly, but it does raise a few more questions." The woman pocketed her gemstone, and Lilith did the same. "Tell you what, why don't you and I take tomorrow off and I can teach you all you need to know? Sound fair?"
"Very well…" Lilith sighed, "What may I call you?"
The woman grinned, "You may call me Nagi. Nice to meet you, Lilith."
A few minutes later, Corrin walked back, in a fresh set of clothes, and with a towel and a spare maid uniform for Nagi. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing, milord." Lilith cleared her throat, as she handed Nagi the clothes and towel, "But if it's no trouble, I would like to request tomorrow off."
Corrin looked at her as though she had grown a second head, "Who are you and what have you done to Lilith?"
"Are you refusing, milord?" Lilith tilted her head with an innocent grin.
"N-No, go ahead, it's just… you never ask for a day off." Corrin stated incredulously.
Lilith shrugged, "Things change, milord. I believe I've made a new friend, one that happens to not be in our retinue-"
"Hey, I don't interrupt or anything, but do you mind if I come in to change?" Nagi asked with a suggestive wink, "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind getting naked for the prince, but I'd rather do it away from other prying eyes."
Corrin flushed red, and Lilith facepalmed. What did she just agree to?
"What happened to that fancy sword of yours, Marth?"
"I lent it to Odin. It's a family heirloom; he will take care of it."
Felicia had Marth follow her into Windmire to help restock groceries for the Royal Villa. Normally, she would do this alone or with Flora, but she and Marth had been growing quite close, and she has been enjoying Marth's company as of late. Flora also had something that she was doing today, but oddly didn't tell her what it is, despite having plans to meet up later.
"Are you really okay with him borrowing it?" Felicia asked as she hefted the bag of groceries in her arms, "It looked really valuable."
"Valuable? Perhaps." Marth shrugged, glancing at the spare sword on her hips, the one gifted to her by Prince Xander during her knighting. "But I've known him for my entire life. He wanted for nothing when we were growing up. For him to ask must mean he needed it more than I do, at least for whatever mission he was put on."
"Alright. Though, if you ask me, it seems strange that Lord Leo ordered him into any active combat role." Felicia noted. "He and Lady Elise are usually assigned logistical roles by King Garon. Anything involving any hint of violence is usually in Prince Xander or Princess Camilla's domain."
"The Crown Prince and the First Princess outrank the Third Prince both in titular and familial standing. It's not too hard to believe they have commandeered him for certain tasks." Marth suggested.
"Yeah, I guess." Felicia relented.
The duo passed by the bazaar, where various merchants were setting up their stalls ahead of the coming Dusk Festival. One of which was a trapper, selling various furs and hides in styles for commoners and nobles alike. Felicia gave it a curious glance as she passed by, barely noticing a handful of coins change hands between Marth and the trapper. As soon as she did, however, she did a double take and noticed that Marth was now wearing a bearskin shawl (as in, the bear's skinned head, lifeless eyes, teeth, and all, made up the shawl's hood) over her head.
Felicia was dumbfounded. "Uhh…"
Marth was oblivious. "What? Bearskin is really comfortable."
"No, I'm not protesting that." Felicia would know; fur trapping is a major industry in Freesia, her own ownership of several pelt products notwithstanding, "But, I didn't think you liked such things, Marth."
Marth shrugged, "I just happen to like it. My daughter's quite fond of these things as well."
Felicia just stared at Marth in disbelief, "Daughter?! You have a daughter?! You're a mother?!"
Marth was taken aback by the outburst, and glanced down at herself and her choice of attire. "Yes. I suppose I don't look the part, but I am the mother of a five-year-old girl."
"What… Why-" Felicia was incredulous, her jaw agape, bobbing up and down before she cleared her throat in an attempt to correct herself. "M-Marth, this is the first I've heard of you having a daughter. Why haven't you mentioned her before?"
Marth looked down, depressed. "I was… you could say I was in a bad spot in my life when we first met. I wasn't even the best mother either. I do hope to make amends for my absence one day."
"...You didn't just… abandon your daughter, didn't you?" Felicia hesitantly asked.
Marth blinked in horror, "Oh, heavens, no. While my absence was sudden, I made sure my sister promised me that she would always take care of her."
"Achoo!" Catria sneezed for a third time, but this time a wave of guilt washed over her in the same instant, as if she did something she probably shouldn't have.
"That, and my parents are always there to rein her in, should the need arise." Marth added, cupping her chin, "What do you think I should do? Shall I arrange to have her brought here or should I return to my homeland after I finish my contract? Oh, come to think of it, I haven't informed Odin about my daughter. He would perhaps spoil her to no end, though-"
"Wait, wait, wait!" This was all a bit too much for Felicia to handle, "You haven't told Odin yet?"
"Nor have I told Selena or Laslow." Marth replied, "I may have to correct that once they return from their mission." Marth cupped her chin. "I wonder if Lady Elise will allow me to leave and bring her here. Maybe I can buy her a new bed and she can live in the apartment with me? I wonder if she will have trouble making new friends…"
Felicia massaged her temples, "Wait, so why did you tell me first before you told any of them?"
Marth tilted her head, "You're my friend too. Why wouldn't I tell you?"
"Aww…" Felicia was touched.
"Though, I probably should ask them how to get back to my home country first…"
And now Felicia was somehow even more confused than she was earlier. "What?! You don't know how to go home?!"
"I mostly remember being drunk and half-mad, to be honest. I didn't even know this continent existed until a little while ago, let alone this country." Marth offhandedly admitted, "Though before ending up in Windmire, I was… I want to say east of here. I certainly recall there being sunlight overhead, and plant life was certainly more abundant than it is in Nohr."
"That sounds like you ended up in Hoshido…" Felicia noted, still trying to grasp a lot of Marth's misadventures prior to her employment with the Royal Knights.
"Perhaps," Marth shrugged, "I do remember being attacked by someone. Some heavily armored warrior with a fox mask. Quite a skilled fighter, if you ask me. Of course, if they bested me, I wouldn't be here-"
"Marth, that sounds a lot like the Dread Fighter Prince Xander has been hunting down," Felicia stated with wide eyes. "Are you telling me you fought a Dread Fighter and lived?"
"I don't know." Marth answered honestly, "The details are such a blur to me. All I recall was that the locals were quite hostile to my presence."
"That definitely sounds like you ended up in Hoshido…" Felicia deadpanned. "Okay, so you came through Hoshido, fought a Dread Fighter, and then what?"
"..." Marth stared vacantly, "I don't recall. My memory on the matter is still quite fuzzy. I do remember it being a bit… unpleasant. It freaked me out more than anything. I swore they knew my name."
"That sounds creepy…" Felicia shrugged. "Perhaps you should inform Prince Xander about your encounter with the Dread Fighter."
"I don't see how drunken memories of such an encounter will be of any help," Marth noted. "The most I can do is help train them so that they will be better suited for whatever lies ahead."
"I guess." Felicia shrugged. "How has Lord Corrin's training been going?"
"He's vastly improved under my tutelage," Marth admitted, "But, I believe I need to temper his newfound confidence with some humility before it transforms into arrogance. I've been hearing rumors of him bragging about his achievement, and I need to show him how much I was holding back."
'Oh. She's one of those types of people.' Felicia thought almost sardonically. She then blinked and whipped her head towards the knight, "You were holding back?"
"I was holding back the whole time." Marth told her, "King Garon gave me explicit instructions to do no lasting harm to him. Not that I would. I have been going easy on him the other time I was training him; Odin, Selena, or Laslow will attest to that. However, if Lord Corrin insists on learning the wrong lessons from my teachings, I suppose it is time to increase his training to their standards."
Felicia could only wince at the… training Marth would put him through.
"Worry not. I'll try not to strike his face. I know how much you like it." Marth assured almost completely offhandedly, to the point she didn't even notice Felicia snap towards her with a blush.
"W-What?!" Felicia stammered out, stopping in her tracks.
Marth tilted her head in confusion, "I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be a secret? I am almost certain that you and the other higher-ranked maids of the Northern Fortress were fond of him. In fact, one of the first things you ever said to me was that you love him."
"You remember that?!"
"Shouldn't I?"
Felicia groaned and massaged her temples, "Please don't tell Lord Corrin…"
"Alright. I was just noticing how distant he was with you and the others recently." Marth noted. "Perhaps you should reach out to him. If you don't tell him your feelings soon, another woman may stake a claim on him first."
Felicia felt her blood chill at the thought. "I…"
"My late husband confided in me such thoughts sometime after he married me, worried someone else might sweep me off my feet first." Marth confided. "Keep it in mind before you find yourself hesitating any longer."
Eventually, the two made it to a crossroads.
"Is it almost midday already? I have to get back to the villa and help Lady Elise entertain this new friend of hers. Here, let me take those bags of yours." Marth picked up Felicia's belongings, "You said that you were meeting with Flora later, correct? I believe this is where we must part ways for now."
"Alright see you later." Felicia waved goodbye as Marth left for the villa. Once the latter was gone, she slowly started walking towards the meeting spot, she began pondering Marth's warning a bit too seriously.
"If I don't act soon, Lord Corrin may fall for another woman…" she droned aloud, feeling a stabbing pain in her chest at the thought.
"Felicia…"
"Aah?!"
"Aah?!"
Felicia let out a squeal and jumped back, startling Flora.
"Oh, Flora, it's you." Felicia sighed in relief. "Sorry about that, I was, um… lost in thought…"
Flora raised a brow. "What has you worried? You can always tell me."
Felicia bit her tongue. "Oh, it's nothing really, it's juuuuuuuuuuuu-..."
Her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted to her right. That stabbing pain from before was exacerbated as she laid her eyes on Corrin… arm in arm with another woman…
Just a bit earlier…
"Alright. No pressure. No pressure whatsoever."
Corrin hopped on his toes, looking at his reflection in the window intently before his gaze darted back to the bouquet he just bought moments ago. He barely left the florist's shop near where they were supposed to meet up, but he was already feeling butterflies in his stomach.
He was incredibly nervous. He shouldn't have been so nervous. It should've been just a simple date, but his mind kept going back to Aqua's… incredibly… attractive retainer. He met her the same day he met Aqua. She winked and flirted a bit, but otherwise, they didn't interact much at all. So… why did his heart skip a beat when he saw her this morning?
Probably not a good idea to tell Aqua about that.
…Or maybe he should tell her.
No, he's just overthinking things.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and he made his way to the meeting point, hopping on his toes in anticipation, ignoring the nearby bench, and pacing back and forth anxiously.
To calm his nerves, he once again gazed into the window of a nearby store, not for any further window shopping, but to contemplate things with his own reflection.
He was about to go on a date.
With Aqua.
Again.
The first girl he met who had nothing to do with his family, or someone employed by them.
The first girl he met whom he could hold long conversations with.
The first girl who wanted to hang out with him of her own volition without caring about his wealth or status.
Not that he couldn't have these types of conversations with Felicia or Flora. They always did it in their free time. They also couldn't care less about his status or wealth, he knew them well enough that they never cared about those kinds of things. Wait, was it in good taste to think about other girls while out on a date with another? No, probably not. It wasn't like him to dread the present; he usually dreaded the future. As in, what kind of fate did the future have in store for him? He would hate it if he were trapped in a loveless marriage or trapped in the Northern Fortress forever. But… what if it weren't the case? Sure, he was the second prince, so any marriage with him would come with significant clout, but, maybe if he proved himself to his father, he would have more freedom with his life:
Freedom to leave the Fortress anytime he wanted.
Freedom to have as many adventures as he wanted.
Freedom to marry whoever he wanted.
He actually started to blush a bit at the thought. Marriage wasn't exactly a high priority for him right now, but as far as he knew, he wasn't engaged to anyone. And he only knew Aqua for such a short time, so marrying her seemed like he was skipping several steps in the-
"Corrin?"
"A-Ah?!"
Corrin let out a girlish shriek as Aqua curiously poked him in the cheek, startling him out of his stupor.
Aqua giggled, "I'm sorry. Did I surprise you?"
"Y-Yes." Corrin admitted awkwardly, blushing in embarrassment.
Aqua stifled another giggle, "Sorry about that. What were you looking at?"
"I-I uh… I was making sure my shirt was on straight?" Corrin lied weakly.
Aqua raised a brow, "You were worried about that?"
"My little brother gets his clothes on wrong all the time." Corrin said defensively. "I fear it might be genetic."
"Sure it is," Aqua teased. "Do you think my opinion of you would change if your shirt were even slightly off-center? Hold yourself in higher regard, Corrin."
"Sorry." Corrin sheepishly scratched his head, "Someone I know told me that you should dress like you're about to meet the love of your life every minute. And if you've already met the love of your life, then dress to impress your lover each and every single time, so they're proud to show you off to the world."
"So, I'm the love of your life now?" Aqua teased, cheeks red. "Should I expect a ring by the end of the evening?"
"I-It was just a commentary on fashion I've heard." Corrin hastily corrected. "I don't believe it should be looked that far into."
"Is that so?" Aqua then did a little twirl, pulling up the sides of her dress ever so slightly in a daring manner, "Then, pray tell, am I doing such a philosophy justice?"
Oh, yes, she was. While Aqua always wore clothing that accentuated her curves and legs, the white dress she was currently wearing sat right between a daring amount of skin and hiding a tantalizing amount that made his imagination run wild.
"Wow…" was the only thing Corrin could utter.
Aqua giggled and pecked him on the cheek, "Good answer." She then latched onto his arm with a stunning smile that took his breath away. "Now then, shall we?"
"...What happened here?"
When Subaki arrived at Azura's homestead, expected an empty patch of land, with only a half-intact villa as the only standing building. Instead, it looked like there was a thriving little village occupying the land. And from the looks of things, it was only the beginning. People coming in and out, and several buildings were still under construction-
"Halt, evildoer!"
Subaki's train of thought was interrupted as he laid his eyes on the little child with blue hair and red eyes in front of him. She couldn't be any older than five years of age, she held a wooden sword instead of a real one, and that goofy grin on her face showed absolutely no malice. If Subaki remembered correctly, this was one of Lady Azura's new retainers, but her name eluded him at the moment. Regardless, she was just so darn cute when she was trying to protect the lands.
"I am the loyal protector of the Countess of the Black Forest!" The child declared overly dramatically, waving the wooden sword around. "State thy business or face my wrath!"
Aww. That was adorable.
"Fret not, dear loyal protector!" Subaki declared as he dismounted, deciding to humor the little girl, "I am but a messenger from thy fair lady!"
"I do not believe you!" The little girl then threw her toy sword into a stick, which triggered a series of ropes and pulleys, culminating in a giant net slamming into him from above, scooping him up, somehow missing his pegasus entirely, and yanking him into the air.
"W-Whaa?!" Subaki was utterly bewildered, as he dangled in midair, unable to free himself.
"Mwahahahahahaha! You cannot fool me, foul faker! The Countess of the Black Forest has no pegasus man in her retinue!" The child laughed dramatically, "Now, time to feed you to the bloodhounds and offer your innards to the bloodhound god!"
Wait, what?!
"The bloodhound god demands flesh, bones, and headpats!" The child declared, raising her hands to the sky. "The bloodhound god's hunger shall be sated!"
Okay, now Subaki began to panic, realizing that the five-year-old had likewise not recognized him either and genuinely treated him as a threat. "W-Wait, hang on! I really was sent by Lady Azura and Lady Sakura! Please, just bring Lady Hinoka or Lord Takumi here! I have a letter and a parcel from her! This is of the utmost importance! I swear!"
"Oh." The girl dropped the act completely and skipped over to his pegasus. She then dug her arms into the saddlebag and picked up the parcel. "Is this it?"
"Yes." Subaki sighed in relief. "That needs to be given to Lady Hinoka immediately."
"Okay." The little girl took it in her arms. "I will bring it to Lady Hinoka and tell her it's from Lady Azura."
Subaki sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"
"AS FOR YOU! YOU SHALL NOT BE SPARED!" The girl then suddenly raised the parcel overhead and boomed at the top of her lungs, "YOU SHALL BE SACRIFICED TO THE BLOODHOUND GOD ANYWAY!"
Subaki let out a girlish shriek, "N-No, please! Mercy! Help! Somebody help me!"
"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NO ONE IS GOING TO HELP YOU! NOTHING WILL SAVE-"
*TWEEWOOWHUU!*
The blue-haired girl's eyes lit up. "Ooh, dinnertime!" She then scampered off to the main villa, leaving Subaki trapped in the net.
The pegasus knight was stunned. "...What just happened?"
"Oh, hey Subaki. What are you doing back here?"
Subaki craned his neck, finding Lord Takumi's two retainers, Hinata and Oboro, approaching him from behind.
"Oh, thank heavens!" Subaki sighed in relief, "Oboro, Hinata! Get me down from here, quickly! This mad child wants to sacrifice me to some bloodhound god!"
"Ah. She got you with that one too…" Hinata winced sympathetically. "Don't worry about it. This 'bloodhound god' of hers is just some pup she found and wanted to show off. Kind of a biter, but otherwise totally harmless."
"Just play along for now." Oboro advised. "She's really a total sweetheart. Setsuna and Azama just love her to bits."
"Oh, is that all?" Subaki sighed in relief. So his life really wasn't in any danger. "Can you get me down from here now?"
"Nah, you're on your own." Hinata shook his head. "The kid loves to set up booby traps around other booby traps; Odds are, if we try to help, we'll just end up stuck up there too."
"We'll have her get you down… after dinner." Oboro reassured him with a wave. "I'll even save you a plate. I think tonight's curry night."
"Ooh! I love curry night!" Hinata grinned, preemptively wiping the drool on his lips.
The two retainers promptly walked around Subaki's immediate perimeter and headed to the main villa, while the pegasus knight stared back at them in utter disbelief. "W-Wait! You guys can't just leave me here! I have some important news that I must deliver to Lady Hinoka and Lord Takumi immediately!"
"What?" Oboro stopped in her tracks and turned around. "What's so important that it can't wait?"
"Prince Kamui! We found Prince Kamui!" Subaki all but screamed, "Please! Get me down from here so I can give them the good news!"
Oboro and Hinata froze in place and exchanged looks.
"...I'll grab the kid."
"I'll get him down from there."
A/N: I'm done with another one. Sorry it took so long. This chapter was getting a bit too long again, so I turned it into another two-parter. I dunno about you, but I was having a bit too much fun with that last scene. We haven't made a decision on Kid Morgan's name yet, though, since the votes were a bit mixed.
Things are going to ramp up from here onwards. Thank you all for sticking around for all this time.
That's all for now, please review!
