A/N: MY first fanfic yay! Also this takes place a few years before the main story. Enjoy!
It was past midnight when Corrin left her quarters and was walking down the hallways, unable to sleep. One of those sleepless nights was the cause as she woke up from lucid dreams- both pleasant and terrible. And this wasn't the first time.
Dreams about lush and sunny lands with being surrounded by all kinds of beautiful flowers and rare plants she could imagine.
Dreams about a smiling woman with black hair who was dressed in white and gold clothes, not native of Nohr.
Dreams about getting chased by shadowy creatures of various shapes amidst the chaos of an unknown place.
Dreams about being trapped in an endless void while hearing screams and cries of agony, only getting louder and louder.
They would often appear more during the last month as the Nohrian Princes would wake up from those dreams every time. Tonight was no different except that she didn't return to sleep later. Not even reading the books Elise had bought her couldn't distract her from those troubled thoughts. So she decided to take a nightly stroll to clear her mind instead despite the fact that it was raining outside and that her retainers were occupied with different tasks somewhere else in that fortress. It was one of her favourite past-times whatever the princess wasn't busy with training, studying or visiting her siblings in Windmire.
Corrin wasn't worried about being alone by herself at night since they were guards and servants around this time doing their usual duties. Jacob, Felicia and Flora were either assigned somewhere else in the Northern Castle. But even if this place was guarded and the servants were well trained in the ways of combat, Corrin would often carry her Bronze Sword with her. Gunter had always taught her to always be on guard and be watchful of her surroundings.
The sheltered princess was improving with her combat skills under the veteran knight's guidance and Xander's tests which made her hope that King Garon would deem her worthy so that she could fight for the glory of Nohr. Alongside her siblings…
A long-suffering sign escapes from her lips as she recalls what Camilla had said to her about their kingdom's plight and shortage of resources during her last visit. Corrin still remembers what she saw during her first visits with her own eyes: Worn buildings with broken windows and cracks on them. Barren fields with dry crops desperate for some sun symbolizing an extreme lack of a bountiful harvest. The lanterns were constantly flickering if their light wasn't completely gone yet. The streets of Nohr's capital were always empty with only a handful of people daring to venture outside of their homes.
But what broke the princess's heart was how the people looked: Many of them were skin and bones, many looked too sick with some of them having collapsed on the ground. It was one of the horrible sights Corrin had witnessed outside from her place. It made her feel extremely spoiled and sheltered as their faces remained in her mind for a long time; sometimes even wishing that she was a commoner herself so that the guilt would go away. However it also makes her frustrated as well. Shouldn't a royal like her be guiding her people through hardships instead of being confined to this stupid fortress because the king still doesn't allow her to leave this place. Still not worthy yet which makes her blood boil whatever she remembers the faces of her people. Corrin feels like a poor excuse of a royal for not being good enough like her siblings. Feeling like she's many thousands miles behind from her family.
She wants to be brave and strong like her fearless eldest brother Xander.
She wants to be elegant and fearless like her older sister Camilla.
She wants to be knowledgeable and cool headed like her older brother Leo.
She wants to be skillful and cheerful like her little sister Elise.
No wonder father doesn't want to acknowledge her as his daughter. It wasn't enough yet. Corrin needs to improve much harder if she wants to show father that she isn't a weak princess anymore.
It strives her to train even harder, pushing her limits and reach the goals of the strict training regimen in order to gain the king's approval. And whatever Leo came to visit her, Corrin would bombard him with many questions with a strong desire to know and understand everything about Nohr. She would absorb his answers and note them down to gain more knowledge about the outside world.
As the princess continues to wander through the hallways, including passing servants respectfully bowing to her, she comes to an end when she notices moonlight coming through the windows. Corrin stopped at one of the windows and took a look at the outside world. As she basks under the moonlight she feels slightly at ease as the silence provides her some comfort. Slowly lifting her gaze up at the dark sky to see a full moon among the endless vast void.
In Nohr there was no such thing as stars let alone sunlight. It was the kingdom where the sunlight never reaches. And yet the moon would be seen sometimes as lonely as it feels.
Placing one hand in the glass as she wants to reach the moon, her silent friend, a small smile appeared on her face. She desires to wander through the lands of Nohr helping her subjects and fight alongside with her family. To see the stars and maybe even the sun if she was allowed to go even outside of her kingdom. What would it look like?
But Corrin knows it won't be so easy. The road to reach such desire will be a long and hard one until King Garon would deem her worthy of a nohrian royal and approve her at last.
She'll gladly take up any challenge and train even harder to prove him wrong. Proving her family that she can be so much more: A part of the nohrian royal family.
Underneath the moonlight, Princess Corrin made a promise to herself and a resolution was born from it.