A/N:

Aimee: Xander's girlfriend is someone in the army, so yes, we do know her. However, I deliberately chose to leave her identity ambiguous—it's not plot-important and it's not hard to leave it vague, so even though I do have a specific woman in mind for him, I'm also okay with letting everyone else imagine their own preferred ship for him.

That's not to say I'll leave every pairing ambiguous—just the ones that aren't important to the story. The neutrals will all have their pairings revealed, as we're going to be seeing them too often for the subject not to come up, and so will the royals who participated in a cross-nation marriage, as there are political ramifications from those marriages which I'll use. (For those of you wondering, the man who went without an S-support was Jakob. I'm sure everyone can guess exactly why I left him single…)

Robotortoise: They've confessed and plan to get married, but they aren't yet. Everyone in the army who reached an S-support is just engaged to their significant other. I suppose some might view that as unrealistic-"wouldn't they worry about dying before they could get married?"-but in previous Fire Emblem games (barring Awakening), everyone was willing to wait until after the war to get hitched, so. The royals, at the very least, would need to wait because royal weddings were a Big Deal.

GuestWithIdeas: Don't worry about it, life happens! A trip to the Awakening world is out of the question, unfortunately—the agents and Corrin don't have a way to get there, and Valla is so new it's not a good idea for him to leave the country for a long period of time. However, there will definitely be touching on the hardships of being half-dragon. I do agree that the SOL trio should choose to stay in Fateslandia, but as of now I don't have plans to follow their thought process.

Lilith certainly could sit on the throne of truth to explain herself, but it wouldn't make the Vallites obligated or willing to forgive her. That's something she'll have to work for on her own.

Cirex Review: It's Chevois style! Nestrian seems to be the most popular and I really did consider it, but the castle was originally meant to be a heavy, defensive fortress, able to withstand siege warfare. Nestrian isn't very practical for that, unlike Chevois. Not to mention, while having it be on water is cool, it also makes having the lake out back (the one seen at the end of REV) kind of redundant.

The shrine is silent when they step inside, except for the drumming of the rain on the roof. Corrin's eyes drift around from the moss on the walls to the stone pillars to the little altar, buying time to gather his thoughts.

"…I suppose you want an explanation," comes Lilith's low voice from behind him.

He turns. She's staring morosely at the ground, twisting her braid in her hands again and again. Her face and posture look as though she expects to be dragged off to the execution block.

"Not quite," he says. "Selena, Laslow and Odin already filled me in on everything about you. Everything about me too," he stresses, and her eyes widen. "I mostly wanted to get you out of there before things came to an altercation."

"I appreciate that. I should have known just avoiding those three wouldn't be enough, though…" she mumbles, mostly to herself, and a memory rises, of how Lilith would always make herself scarce on the rare occasion his siblings brought their retainers to the Northern Fortress. At the time her actions hadn't made sense, since he'd found them eccentric but relatively harmless, but knowing what he does now…

"Why did you never say anything?" He asks, and the question weighs around their necks like a hangman's noose.

Lilith's head bows, and she fiddles with the end of her braid again. "I was ashamed," she murmurs. "Of my past, and afraid of what your reaction would be. As for why I never spoke of our relation?" She smiles humorlessly. "I'm sure you can guess why. I can't imagine learning the identity of our father was pleasant for you."

"I'm dealing with it," he hedges. "It's not an easy thing to bear."

"So you understand why I wanted to protect you from the truth?" Her eyes, large and liquid gold—like Azura's, like the rest of the Vallites—search his, begging for absolution.

Corrin sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I—yes. I do." Part of him is upset she would hide the truth from him, but then again he's not sure how he would have taken it if she had told him during the war. It would probably have distracted him, and distractions can be fatal. At least now he has peace to ponder things in.

"But, Corrin, please don't think of our father as just a monster. The evil half was, but…his good half loved us, Corrin, he really did. He even loved me, when he'd only known me for a day, and when I'd tried to kill him. Please understand that he wasn't all evil."

I'm trying, he wants to say, but doesn't. All his trying isn't amounting to anything so far. "Why did you decide to leave?" he asks instead.

She swallows. "Anankos always viewed me as a pawn. Useful, but expendable. Several years ago he sent me to assassinate his good half. That's where I encountered and battled Selena, Laslow and Odin, who were protecting the good Anankos. After he teleported them out of danger, our father told me to just do it." She rubs her eyes, voice growing choked. "He…he was willing to die for me, so I wouldn't get in trouble. He'd only just learned of my existence, and he'd shown me more love and kindness in one day than the other Anankos did in my entire life.

"I…for the first time ever, I couldn't carry out an order. I couldn't kill him. Not when he loved me so much." Lilith rubs her eyes again. The back of her hand glistens with moisture when it comes away. "But the evil half, he knew, and he was furious. He…he tried to kill me, so the good half intervened, and…" She has to stop, visibly biting back a sob. Once she collects herself, Lilith continues, "Our father died protecting me from himself, and it was my fault. And that was when I knew I couldn't stay anymore. I couldn't keep doing what I'd been doing.

"I'd always known I had a brother—the evil Anankos made it perfectly clear that he valued you more than me, not that it meant much—and it just…seemed natural to try and protect you. I'm a full dragon, unlike you, so I can cross dimensions like Anankos. It wasn't hard to find the Astral Dragons and beseech them to hide me from him. Eventually I found my way into your service, and the rest you know."

She looks down, seeming not to notice the faint tears shimmering in her eyes. Swallowing, she finishes, "Moro told me, when I was first changed, that I would lose all my original powers until such a time it was safe for them to be returned to me. I think that's why my human form was restored to me—you'll never need me to bring you back to the Astral Plane, and I no longer need to hide from Anankos. So now I'm back to the way I once was. And I fully intend to try and make up to the Vallites for my wrongdoings…though I doubt I ever can."

Her story leaves Corrin's mind whirling, jumping from one piece of new information to the next. At a loss for words, he does the only thing that seems natural at the moment. He steps forward and hugs her. "I'm so sorry, Lilith," he murmurs "I know words are an insufficient balm for the kind of pain you've faced…but I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Having not expected his embrace, she'd initially stiffened. Slowly she relaxes, her head dropping to his shoulder, fingers clenching the material of his tunic. Her voice is thick when she speaks. "You shouldn't…feel like you have to say that. I don't…I don't deserve to call you my brother…"

"Don't," he says flatly. "Don't ever think that of yourself. Our pasts shape us, but they don't define us, and blood isn't the only thing that can tie people together. I thought of you as a sister long before I knew of our relation, and that hasn't changed. Nothing will change that. I'll do my best to support you on your path for atonement, just like you supported me."

And with that, Lilith's control over her emotions snaps. Corrin holds her tightly, patting her back as she buries her face in the crook of his neck and sobs in sorrow and relief.

Word spreads quickly about the return to their home dimension—as well as the reveal of Lilith's origins. Within a day every Vallite is pinning her with furious and hateful glares. Corrin makes a declaration that she's not to be harmed, but for once his optimism wavers. In the early days of the Hoshidan-Nohrian alliance, people in his own army had nearly come to blows more than once, and that was even with a greater threat looming. What could a personal grudge drive someone to do, with no enemy to unite against? He makes sure to keep Lilith near him as often as possible, if only out of hope that the Vallites will be unwilling to try anything with their new king nearby.

Life is swept up in a rush of preparations as everyone readies to go their own way. He has his own preparations to make, namely the formal announcement of the new Valla, which would involve riding around greeting his new vassals and informing them of the situation. Azura declines to go with him, stating she'll handle work at the castle in his absence.

When he steps into the castle courtyard, two days after the barrier fell, a flurry of activity greets him. Mounts are being saddled, servants are rushing about on errands, and a knot of people is gathered in the center. He searches for Gunter, but his old mentor is still avoiding him, which sends a spike of frustration and sadness through him. Over the tops of the heads hurrying about he does barely make out the tips of Ryoma's spiky brown hair, though, and he makes his way towards it.

After pushing his way through the crowd, he sees his elder brothers, Ryoma mounted on a pegasus, Xander on a wyvern. They turn to him as he steps forward. "Corrin, it's good to see you," the swordmaster says. "We were just about to head off. We're flying ahead of the rest of the army—we need to return to our capitals as quickly as possible to be coronated and send letters ordering the remaining troops to stand down.

The albino nods. "I understand." It's easy to forget that while they'd been in Valla, the war had still been going on above, although hopefully the absence of a significant amount of soldiers and all the royals had kept it from getting too fierce. He's going to miss them, of course. But bringing about an official end to the war is of utmost importance.

Xander speaks up then. "Leo and Prince Takumi are returning with us as well. But I'm sending Elise as a diplomatic representative to Hoshido for Ryoma's coronation, and Princess Sakura will be coming to Nohr for mine."

Corrin's eyebrows rise and his eyes immediately flicker to his younger sisters, also mounted on a pegasus and wyvern. "Elise and Sakura?" He loves them dearly, but he's loath to put them in any sort of danger. He knows they can take care of themselves, having seen Elise burn a man alive and Sakura put arrows in throats with deadly precision, but even so, they'll be in foreign countries that had very recently been at war, at a time when prejudices and tensions will still be running red-hot.

"We volunteered!" Elise chirps. Her bright face grows briefly morose. "After witnessing firsthand what war causes…I want to do whatever I can to end it and help people in the aftermath. And I can best do that by acting as an envoy to Hoshido, to show them not all Nohrians are bad." Sakura nods in agreement, and Elise's smile returns in full force. "Besides, Azura, Sakura and Ryoma's stories have made me really eager to see it!"

"Will it be safe for you there?" Corrin starts, not having heard Azura coming up silently behind him. Her golden eyes are filled with concern as she looks at the two, memories of her pain in Nohr and Hoshido drawing the question out.

"O-Our retainers are coming with us," Sakura murmurs. "And Leo's promised to use his resources to help guard me. We should be s-safe from…assassination."

"I'll keep Elise under my protection, as well," Ryoma adds. "Hinoka and Princess Camilla have said they'll stay here with you for now, to help you get things running, though of course they'll eventually have to return to their own duties."

Corrin blinks; it hasn't really hit him until just now what becoming king of Valla means for his family life. It means an end to seeing his siblings on a daily basis. An end to shared meals and sparring matches and playing and petty arguments. There will be visits and parties and events, but he'll still go days or weeks or even months without physically being in their presence. In a worst-case scenario, he may even have to fight them if the interests of their countries ever clash—though he immediately stamps down on that thought superstitiously. An odd sort of loneliness and nostalgia wells up in him.

I guess this is what growing up feels like.

"D-Don't look so sad, C-Corrin," Sakura says, giving him a tentative smile. "It's not like it's forever."

"She's right!" Elise adds. "We'll all see each other again someday!"

He chuckles; he's used to being the one to raise morale. But having spent literally his entire life locked up in a castle with his siblings not even a day away, and then spent the last year in close army quarters with them, it's hard not to feel a bit shocked at the realization they won't be easily reachable anymore. "Take care of yourselves, okay?"

Leo and Takumi arrive then, looking like they just finished getting ready, and it's time for farewells. Corrin gives out warm and wholehearted hugs, Azura's and Hinoka's are brief but affectionate, and Camilla smothers everyone with tight squeezes. Then the four of them stand back and watch the rest of the royal families take to the air. His heart throbs again, but he forces a smile onto his face, waving at the figures growing more minute as the distance between them increases. Elise and Sakura are right. This goodbye isn't forever; we'll see each other again someday. I'm sure of it.

With most of the royal family gone, the Hoshidan-Nohrian army drifts apart, the alliance ended for now. It's surprisingly anti-climactic, given all the drama involved in getting them to work together. The retainers had left with the royals, and most of the bulk of the army follows behind. His brothers did bequeath him with a portion of their soldiers, mostly the ones who live in the areas they'd given to him, as otherwise Valla would have no standing military. Having people who have already overcome their prejudices and worked with one of their "archenemies" will be a great boon in the days to come, least of all because of the example it sets.

But the people in his personal force all leave one by one, returning to their own homes and duties, until only a handful—his servants, Kaze, Silas, Mozu—are left. He's not sure what some of those who found cross-nation love will decide, and it's not really his business. He just wishes them well and tells them they're welcome in Valla anytime.

Now, several days later, in the scarce minutes before his own departure, he sits in his treehouse, one finger tracing the words on the page before him.

Prince-Consort Hydra Rheos. Birth date unknown, parents unknown. Amnesiac commoner and part-time scholar. Wed to Princess Mikoto Rheos, fathered Prince Kamui Rheos. Died during the fall of the first kingdom of Valla.

That's it. That's all the book has about his father. There isn't even a portrait. The ink for the last sentence is new, penned in recently by the historians. It's so small compared to the generous descriptions given to previous monarchs and their consorts.

He flips back to earlier in the book, to the family tree depicting generations of the Rheos royal family. His eyes drift to Mikoto Rheos, the thin line connecting her to Arete Rheos. They split off to follow the branch joined to Theophilus Rheos, leading to Azura Rheos. Then they return to his mother and sweep down the line pointing to his birth name, Kamui Rheos. Listed underneath it, also in fresh ink, are the other names he's had: Minamoto Kamui and Corrin Aurelius. Probably Corrin Rheos, too, once he and Azura wed; he doesn't mind taking her last name (or would it be reclaiming his?), and there's a certain sense of coming full circle in doing so.

Corrin returns to his father's page and stares at it a while before, with a sigh, he slams the heavy book shut in an unusual gesture of frustration; after what Lilith told him about the man, he'd hoped looking at his father's name and reading about him would make him feel…something. Happy? Sad? He doesn't know. Instead he just feels empty. He'd felt more looking at his mother's entry, and even that was mostly just a sense of vague mourning for what he'd scarcely known and lost.

"Your Majesty?" He looks up from the gray and blue cover to see Nestor standing in the doorway, panting slightly from the exertion of climbing the ladder. "Everything is prepared."

Corrin sets the book aside and rises. The Vallite's eyes follow the movement, and recognition sparks in them. "Did you find the book helpful?"

"Not as much as I'd like," he sighs, making his way to the door.

Nestor doesn't look surprised. Indeed, his eyes are full of understanding. "Ink and paper doesn't really compare to memories and flesh, does it? I'm sorry, Your Majesty. It was all I had to offer."

Feeling bad, Corrin gives him a smile as they descend the ladder, to where the procession is waiting. "It's fine." Nestor was a servant; his interactions with his parents would have been mostly professional. There really was nothing else he could have done.

The trip around the country would be a month, maybe a month and a half, circling down through the formerly-Hoshidan territory, taking a ship across the sea to Port Dia, and working their way back to Elysium, making the appropriate stops along the way. Flight would be quicker, but pegasi and wyverns are in shorter supply than horses for now, and are normally reserved for emergencies anyway.

As Corrin begins to saddle up the gray gelding given to him, Nestor's yellow eyes drift to the blue-haired figure sitting quietly astride her chestnut mare, avoided by all except for Camilla and Hinoka, who openly talk to her. "Are you certain it's a good idea to allow her to travel with you?"

Given how hostile the home environment is for Lilith, Corrin had decided it would be safer for her to accompany him on this trip. He's fairly certain his presence is all that keeps the Vallites from attempting something drastic. Perhaps if she leaves for a bit, the additional time will let them grow used to the idea of her being around, and things will be somewhat safer for her when they return to Elysium.

"She wants to atone for the things she's done," he says. "I'm willing to give her that chance. More than that, I trust her."

The steward's lips tighten, and he shoots Lilith a dark look. "I will respect your decision, Your Majesty, but I won't like it. And I'll ask again that you stay on your guard."

He's certainly outspoken, and fiercely protective of the new royal family. Corrin smiles, but a dark part of him can't help but wonder if that loyalty would dissipate if the truth of his parentage came to light. Good gods Corrin, stop worrying about things you can't control.

"Of course," he says instead. "I trust I can count on you and Jakob to handle things in my absence?"

Nestors bows deeply. "We'll do our best to keep the castle standing for your return."

He steps back and Azura steps forward, reaching up to grasp Corrin's hand. She stands on the tips of her toes and he obliges, leaning down to kiss her mouth. Gods, he's going to miss her.

"You'll tell me, won't you?" she murmurs as they separate, reaching up and tracing his cheek with her fingers. "Whatever's been bothering you?"

"I will," he whispers back, unsurprised that she's seen through him. "When I return. I just need a bit more time to sort through my feelings."

She pulls back, searching his face. But she nods, stepping away with a final squeeze of his hand. "Take as much time as you need."

"Lord Corrin," Kaze calls, and he turns, noticing that the rest of the party has finished saying their goodbyes. "It's time."

He leans down and kisses Azura again. "I'll see you in about a months' time," he promises, and like when he said farewell to his siblings, the words ring true and heavy.

Over the past few days Vallite refugees have been trickling in a steady stream, those who managed to escape and hid in Hoshido or Nohr or Nestra or Izumo or even Mokushu, keeping their heads low throughout the years. Having heard about the death of Anankos, they've gathered up their families and belongings and immigrated to the new Valla, hoping to reclaim what they'd lost and meet the new king and savior. They must be quite disappointed to encounter Azura instead; despite her best efforts, she knows she still comes off as a bit frosty. But she's able to get them settled in with little trouble, and the additional boosts to the population and economy are welcome.

One week after Corrin left, as she takes an afternoon stroll in the gardens, Azura spots Felicia and Mozu having a tea break on one of the carved stone tables. Azura's steps slow, and she almost keeps walking. But she remembers Felicia's offer of friendship, and Corrin's encouragement, and the burgeoning loneliness she's felt with no one to really talk to. So, straightening her shoulders, she approaches them. She's done little but work the past few days; she can afford to procrastinate a bit.

"Hi, Lady Azura!" Felicia greets. "Would you like some tea? I actually think I got it right this time!"

"That would be nice, thank you," she murmurs, taking an open seat. Felicia fishes out a spare teacup from somewhere and pours Azura a drink. She sips the tea; it's still rather bitter, but better than what Felicia usually makes, and so when Felicia asks hopefully how it is she just says "It's improved" and leaves it at that.

An incredibly awkward silence falls over them, broken only by the clinking of the tea set and chewing of the too-sweet muffins. "...nice weather today," Felicia offers weakly.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Azura responds, trying not to wince at the generic choice of topic. All three of the women become quiet again.

It's quite clear that Mozu and Felicia feel it would be rude to resume their earlier talk now that Azura's joined them. It's also clear that neither of them, for all their offer of friendship, actually thought of something to break the ice between them.

The silence stretches past 'pregnant' into 'overdue' as everyone searches for a topic. Azura quietly starts to curse herself for thinking this was a good idea. She wants to try, she really does, but she just doesn't have anything to say. Her face shows nothing, but her heart starts to stutter in her chest, and she fights the urge to flee as panic begins to creep up—

"Books!" Mozu blurts out, startling the other two women. She grimaces apologetically. "Um, sorry. But… um, I've gotten some help with learning how to read from Lord Corrin and Nyx, and I'm enjoying it, so I thought maybe we could talk about…?"

Her voice trails off, but Felicia's face brightens, either out of relief to have a subject or out of genuine interest. "Oh, I love books!" she bubbles. Genuine interest it is, then. "Lord Corrin and Jakob and I used to have a little book club back in the Northern Fortress—we invited Flora, but she doesn't like reading. It was so fun! Do you like to read, Lady Azura?"

Books. That's a safe subject, a familiar subject. Her heartbeat steadies out, and Azura feels her social anxiety back off a little. "I do," she says. Then, feeling as though that's insufficient, she adds, "Scary stories are my favorite."

Felicia shivers. "You're braver than me. I could never read those without having nightmares."

"What do you prefer, then?" Mozu asks curiously. "I've read a bunch of fairy tales so far, and I really like them. Anything related to cooking, too."

"History books," the maid says promptly. "Books of culture, encyclopedias, pretty much anything with information about the world. They can be heavy reading, but they're fascinating."

"I didn't expect you to have an interest in that sort of thing," Azura admits.

Felicia nods, her cheery expression fading a bit. "Flora and I…we may have been trained as servants, but we were still political prisoners. We weren't as restricted as Lord Corrin, but we weren't exactly allowed to just go anywhere, you know? I used to wonder what the rest of Nohr was like, and then I started to wonder about the rest of the world. So I'd devour any books I could find about them…"

She says it matter-of-factly, without judgment, but Azura still feels guilt flush through her at Felicia's words. It's a bit shameful that she's never tried to think about her situation. It's not that different from hers and Corrin's, after all.

"Well, you've seen all sorts of places now," Mozu comforts, before Azura can think of something to say. "Hoshido, Izumo, Nestra…Even a kingdom in the sky! I reckon that's an experience worth more than anything you'd find in a book."

"Oh, it definitely is, but I still love reading about all those places. Maybe you would too? We could loan each other books, or borrow from the library, or buy new ones together…" Felicia gasps, excited. "We could start a book club again! I know Kaze likes reading too, and maybe we could invite other people—"

Azura winces. "Could we not?" As they look at her, crestfallen, she realizes her misstep and hastens to explain herself. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. A book club with the three of us sounds fun, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with a large group."

"Okay, sure, that's no problem!" Felicia says, taking this in stride. "The book club in the Northern Fortress was small, but we had a good time with it! You said you liked scary stories, right? Well, have you read…"

As they begin to talk recommendations, Azura feels herself relax. This is…nice. This sort of conversation isn't so personal as to unnerve her, but still manages to be engaging. She still doesn't speak up more than once or twice unless addressed directly, but Felicia and Mozu do their best to make her feel included.

Maybe befriending them won't be so bad after all.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Lord Jiro," Corrin says, bowing lightly. As soon-to-be-king he should normally never bow to anyone, but given what he's just told the man it seems polite. "I expect I will be able to count on your cooperation and assistance in the future."

The man opposite bows stiffly in turn. Lord Jiro is a large, middle-aged man, grown fat and comfortable from the riches brought in by his massive rice plantation. "You will be given as much support as I can spare for a Nohrian, Prince Corrin." It's as disrespectful as he can get while adhering to acceptable social courtesy, especially the emphasis on his title as prince instead of king (even if it is technically true).

Corrin's eyes narrow slightly. "We're all Vallite now," he reminds, letting the barest hints of steel enter his voice. "I understand you may be unhappy with the arrangement, but we have to set aside old prejudices and work together. Otherwise, our country will never thrive."

The man's lip curls. "I will tolerate living under your reign because I saw with my own eyes the decree from King Ryoma, stating it to be so. But I was born Hoshidan, and at heart my country is Hoshido; I will never trust nor accept Nohrian neighbors."

"How dare you speak with such disrespect in the presence of not just one, but two members of the Minamoto royal family?" Hinoka hisses, more offended for her brother's sake than her own but still wielding fake affront like a weapon—her "re-education" on etiquette paying off. Camilla, on Corrin's other side, says nothing, knowing better than to interject in Hoshidan matters, but her eyes narrow dangerously and her fingers drum along the hilt of her axe.

Steadfastly ignoring the Nohrian princess, Lord Jiro turns to Hinoka. His scowl lessens somewhat, and his bow is genuine this time. "My apologies for any offense to you, Princess Hinoka. I have nothing but respect for our country's royal family, of course. But while your brother was once part of that family, he's been gone so long he may as well be a Nohrian. And I will never accept a Nohrian as my king."

And try as they might, they're unable to move his mind on that matter. Corrin sighs as the guards very firmly escort them to the door; it's very clear they've overstayed their welcome. They make their way to where the horses are saddled up. Lord Jiro is only the latest of the Hoshidan feudal lords to react in this fashion, though thankfully the last; many are displeased to suddenly find themselves under new rule.

"It could have been worse," Silas mutters as they mount their horses. "He could have 'requested' we leave in the middle of the night rather than the morning."

"That'd be a breach in hospitality. No matter how much he dislikes the situation, no one would break that rule." Corrin kicks his steed, and the convoy begins to set out to their next destination. "Isn't your parents' estate near Port Dia? So they should have been absorbed into Valla, right?"

"That's right," Silas nods. Then, lips pulling up, he teases, "So it looks like you're stuck with me."

His memories of Silas's parents are hazy; he only remembers that his father had brought him to the Fortress to train as a squire, his mother writing and sending gifts when she could. But he remembers they were considered somewhat radical because of their non-hatred of Hoshidans, probably where Silas learned to be so tolerant, so he's certain he can count on them for support.

Corrin glances over his shoulder. "What about you, Kaze? Are you going to get in trouble for leaving Hoshido to serve me?"

"A ninja is allowed to choose his liege," is the green-haired man's stoic response. "So no."

With the trip to Lord Jiro over, it's time for them to voyage to the formerly-Nohrian half of his country. They're three hours away from the port they would board at when they decide to break for lunch. Corrin dismounts and strolls over to his elder sisters. Their wyvern and pegasus are sunbathing a short distance away. He's never been more grateful to have them with him—Camilla and Hinoka have knowledge of the lords he lacks, quietly filling him in on each's name, history and temperament to help him better deal with them. With their assistance he's managed to find a few promising candidates for positions at his slowly-filling court, and avoided poor ones. He settles down beside them with his own lunch and tells them so.

"You know it probably would have been easier to just call the lords all to Castle Avalon and meet them there, right?" Hinoka asks through a mouthful of rice, accepting his gratitude with a nod.

"Probably," he admits. "But given that I'm effectively telling them they have to rearrange their lives to serve me instead of Hoshido or Nohr, it seems politer to do this. Besides, this lets me learn the lay of the land."

"I doubt you have enough resources stockpiled for a feast yet anyway," Camilla adds. "You'll want to save it all for your coronation." She winks. "And wedding. Have you asked my dear step-sister yet?"

"Don't tease me," he mumbles, blushing. "I'm still trying to get things together." He has a proposal planned, he does. He just…needs to triple-check it and make sure it's perfect. Maybe quadruple-check it.

Though the thoughts of Azura remind him of something he's been meaning to ask his sisters. "Do you miss your beaus?"

It's almost shocking how much he misses Azura, not just because he loves her. Having been by each other's side for an entire year, he's always been able to count on her unwavering support, blunt opinions and compassionate words. Now that they're separated, there's a notable, Azura-shaped hole in his life; he finds himself turning to ask her thoughts or share something with her, only to remember she's not there. He knows everyone with him has been sending letters to their respective loved ones, and has received some in turn, but it's not the same.

Still, at least he'll see Azura when he gets back to Castle Avalon, and Kaze and Silas will see Felicia and Mozu; Camilla and Hinoka will have to wait weeks, maybe months, for a reunion.

Hinoka only nods, eyes wistful, still not quite comfortable talking about matters of the heart. Camilla has no such qualms, though there is a catch in her voice when she says, "Of course I do. But we've always known our respective duties might take us away from each other for periods of time." She pauses, then smirks, adding, "Besides, separation makes the heart grow fonder. I'll just make up for the lost time by being extra affectionate to him when I get back…"

"Please don't give me that mental image ever again," he deadpans.

"Agreed," Hinoka mutters, and the malig knight laughs, delighted at embarrassing them.

The rest of lunch is uneventful, and in no time at all they're returning to their mounts and the road still stretched out before them. Corrin smiles a bit as the breeze caresses his face, bringing the scent of the ocean with it; he's grown fond of sailing and the sea, and he's tentatively optimistic about how things will fare on the formerly-Nohrian side. Camilla had estimated that the Nohrians will be slightly more accepting of him too, as he's been their prince for years, whereas the Hoshidans regained him for only a few weeks before he 'turned traitor'.

Though even the Nohrians would be loath at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with Hoshidans—ironically the one thing both sides can agree on is their distrust and dislike of each other. Getting them to cooperate would be no easy task.

But I will succeed. I have a duty to Valla now, one I won't fail to uphold. One I can't fail to uphold.

A/N: oh my god I hated writing the ending for this chapter, hated hated hated it. Everything else came naturally but I spent so much time on those last few paragraphs ugh.

And so the party breaks. The fellowship disbands. It's really a lot of trouble trying to maintain a +12 member cast, so for my own sanity I had to split them off. We will be seeing the royals again, though, and maybe even some other cast members! Camilla and Hinoka stayed because I thought the royal sisters got shafted in the main story, and between them and the little sisters, they strike me as being better suited to assisting Corrin in courtly matters.

Name Meanings:

Rheos is a Greek word meaning to flow, referencing the current of a river. Unlike Japan and Rome, the Greeks didn't have last names, so I had to turn to other sources, and this seemed very fitting for the royal family of a country strongly associated with water.

Minamoto, the Hoshidan royal family name, is the name of one of the four great clans in the Heian period of Japanese history. They had close ties to the Emperor's clan and were responsible for setting up the first bakufu, or the government for the shogun (military dictators).

Aurelius, the Nohrian royal family name, comes from Marcus Aurelius, one of the Five Good Emperors of Roman history. His reign was considered a golden age—in fact, Rome never recovered after his death—and he himself was a follower of Stoic philosophy, which principles line up with some of Xander's.