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“These shoes are too tight,” complained Corrin for the second time in as many minutes.
Azura smiled. “I think you just aren’t used to wearing them.”
Corrin grimaced. “That, too.”
The two of them were in Corrin’s room, putting the final touches on their appearances for the party that night. Azura was dressed in a deep blue gown that left her arms and shoulders bare. Its ruffled hem was split part of the way up one side, showing off one leg and drawing the eye to her open-toed, pale gold shoes. Corrin, on the other hand, had elected for a different style of dress: a crisp and well-fitted black suit, complete with a tie the same blue as Azura’s dress—and the shoes that were causing her so much irritation.
Currently, she was in front of the mirror, fussing with the knot of her tie to straighten it out. From the look of things, she was only making it worse.
“Ugh… this stupid thing won’t… move right…” she muttered under her breath.
“Let me help,” said Azura, walking over. “Here, look at me.”
“I’m always glad to look at you,” said Corrin, with a smile and wink. Azura blushed faintly and said nothing. Focusing on the tie, she quickly had it set to rights.
“There. How does that look?”
Corrin glanced back toward the mirror and sighed with relief. “Thank goodness. What would I do without you?”
“Oh, I’m sure that you would manage fine.” Azura kissed Corrin on the cheek. “Though you might not look as good.”
“Definitely not.” Corrin took a deep breath, fidgeting with her lapels. “Do you think I’m ready?”
“Of course you are.”
“I don’t feel ready.” Her hand strayed momentarily over the breast pocket of her suit, as if to reassure herself that it was still there.
Azura gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m not surprised that you’re nervous, seeing as all of your siblings are going to be here.”
“They certainly provide a lot to worry about,” said Corrin, grinning shakily. “I keep on thinking of all of these nightmare scenarios. Like, what if Xander and Ryoma start arguing about politics? What if Takumi makes Elise cry? What if Camilla… oh, gods, I don’t even want to imagine what Camilla might do, if worst comes to worst…” She turned away to pace toward the window.
Azura caught up to Corrin before she had gone more than a few steps, wrapping her arms reassuringly around Corrin’s waist. “Everything will be fine,” she said. “The important thing is that you enjoy yourself… after all, this day is for you.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Corrin placed her hands atop Azura’s and let out a long breath. “Of course you’re right, Azura. I’m glad I can count on you.”
They stepped apart, smiling at each other. Far off, through the window, they could see lights approaching the manor. “It looks like the guests are beginning to arrive,” said Azura.
Corrin held out her arm in her best courtly fashion. “Then shall we greet them, my lady?” she said loftily.
Azura accepted it with a giggle. “Indeed we shall.”
- - -
The manor’s ballroom was a marvelous sight: candles glittering in the chandelier sent motes of light dancing across the smooth marble floor, and well-dressed notables from every corner of the continent lined the walls. A low platform off to one side of the floor held a small orchestra, their stringed instruments playing a sedate air to greet the arriving guests.
Ryoma and Xander stood side-by-side at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Azura and Corrin to descend. Though their outfits were essentially identical, Corrin had to hide a smile at how different they still looked. Ryoma had been unable to completely tame his hair, which flowed out wildly over his shoulders and back. His tie was worn more loosely, and the top button of his shirt was undone, letting the collar hang open. Xander, on the other hand, was his usual well-groomed self, with not a hair nor a piece of clothing out of place.
Both of them smiled at Corrin and Azura as the pair reached the bottom of the steps. “We’re glad that you all could make it,” said Corrin, taking a moment to hug both of her brothers. “That is… I assume that all of you are here?”
“We are,” said Xander. Ryoma nodded agreement.
“Where are the rest of you, then?” said Azura, looking around.
“Takumi is probably hiding,” Ryoma replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. “He’s not particularly fond of parties. But I saw Sakura with Elise, over by the refreshment tables.”
“Camilla, Hinoka, and Leo are somewhere in here, too,” said Xander, gesturing over his shoulder at the crowded ballroom. “There are plenty of people here who want to talk to them, after all.” He eyed the room with approval. “I must say, I’m quite impressed with the celebration you’ve arranged. It’s quite splendid indeed.”
Blushing, Corrin scratched the back of her neck. “I hardly arranged anything. Azura did most of the planning, really.”
“Not by myself,” Azura corrected. “Your staff helped out a great deal as well, with hiring the orchestra and getting the refreshments together.” She covered a smile with one hand. “Poor Jakob nearly fainted when he realized that he’d only arranged for a fraction of the drinks that we needed, but thankfully we managed to straighten that up before he died of shame.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Ryoma. He looked over towards the orchestra, which had started up a stately Chevois waltz. Couples from around the edges of the room began to drift towards the center, taking up dancing positions as the music went on. With a slight bow, he held out his hand. “Would you care to dance with me, Corrin?”
Corrin glanced in Azura’s direction. “Well, I…” She cleared her throat.
Azura released Corrin’s arm, patting her on the shoulder. “Go ahead and dance with your brother, dear. I don’t mind, as long as you save the last dance for me.”
Corrin grinned. “It’s a deal.”
She accepted Ryoma’s hand, allowing him to lead her out onto the dance floor. They got a few odd looks, considering how Corrin was dressed, but once they were in motion they paid it no mind.
“It’s been a while since the last time we spoke,” said Ryoma, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder blade as they turned. “Have you been well, Corrin?”
“I had a bit of a cold a couple of weeks back, but…” Corrin grimaced. “Oh. You were asking about me, not my health.”
“Both are important,” said Ryoma, “but… yes, I was.”
“Well, I’ve kept myself fairly busy,” said Corrin. “Writing lots of letters, seeing to the estate—”
“—spending time with Azura,” Ryoma finished for her, his eyes twinkling. Corrin blushed.
“Yes, that too.”
“I’m happy for both of you.” Ryoma squeezed her hand gently, smiling. “I always liked Azura, even if she was rather… distant, sometimes. Even if she wasn’t really my sister, she was as good as it.” The fingers of his other hand drummed mischievously on her shoulder blade as he raised his eyebrows. “Perhaps you’ll even be making that official soon, hm?”
Corrin deliberately stepped on his foot, sticking out her tongue.
Ryoma gave her a mock wince, chuckling. “All right, I’ll be nice.”
“What about you?” said Corrin as they resumed the steps of the waltz. “Surely you’ve been keeping yourself busy as well, what with your new responsibilities.”
“That’s a delicate way of putting it,” said Ryoma, wincing for real this time. “To tell the truth, I’ve been completely swamped. I was glad of your invitation—it gave me an excuse to take some time for myself, and for the rest of the family, of course.”
“Lots of paperwork?”
“You have no idea.” Ryoma smiled. “Still, the others have been doing their best to help me. And knowing that you’re thinking of me as well is a comfort.” He winked. “Even if I do know that I won’t be on your mind as often as Azura.”
“Oh, shut up,” Corrin laughed.
The waltz drew to an end, and Ryoma stepped back from her with a bow. “Thank you for the dance, Corrin. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
- - -
Waving good-bye to him, Corrin looked around the room for Azura. She spotted her soon enough—standing over by one of the tables, a glass of water in either hand. Corrin cut across the floor as quickly as she could, squeezing past a pair of gowned ladies to Azura’s side.
“Did you have fun?” said Azura, offering one glass to Corrin.
Corrin took the glass and sipped, nodding gratefully. “It was… nice. Ryoma’s not the fanciest dancer, but I don’t think either of us were really concentrating much on that. We were just having a nice chat.”
“It’s good to have some quiet time to talk once in a while,” said Azura. She gave a significant glance in the direction of the refreshments table and added, “Though it seems it won’t be quiet for too much longer…”
Corrin barely had time to turn before she heard a squeal of “Big sister!” and something hit her from the side, practically knocking the wind out of her.
“Oof… Elise, do you really have to be so enthusiastic?”
“Well, of course I’m enthusiastic, silly!” said Elise, grinning up at her. “It’s been too long since the last time I saw you.”
“Yes, but… you’re crushing me…”
“Oops,” Elise giggled, backing off a few steps. Her dress broke from the traditional dark colors of Nohr: instead, it was a pale pink, with white lace at the cuffs of the long sleeves and ringing the high collar. On someone else it might have looked gaudy, but it suited Elise perfectly.
“I heard that Sakura was over here, too,” said Corrin, looking around. “Where is she?”
“I’m, um, h-here.” Sakura stepped forward from next to the table, giving Corrin a little wave. “H-hi, Corrin. Nice to see you.”
“You too, Sakura.” In this case, it was Corrin who made the first move to give Sakura a hug. “Good to see you, too. Are you having fun?”
Sakura bobbed her head several times. “Yes. I mean, I’m a little nervous being around all of these people. I don’t usually do very well at big parties… but Elise has been really nice to me, so it’s not as bad as I thought it might be.” She smoothed down the fabric of her dress: a short-sleeved, high-waisted dress in pale lavender. There was something familiar about it, though Corrin wasn’t sure exactly what. “I’m not used to this style of dress, either.”
“You look great!” said Elise with a wink. “That dress fits you better than it ever fit me.” So that was why the dress looked familiar: it was a borrowed one. These two, at least, had experienced few problems getting along.
“Y-you think so?” Sakura blushed slightly.
“Of course she does, and so do I,” said Azura.
“How’s the food?” said Corrin, glancing over to the tables. “I mean, it definitely looks good, but I haven’t had the chance to try any of it yet.”
“The little strawberry cakes are really yummy,” said Elise. “I’ve already had three of them.”
“Strawberry cakes, hmm?” Azura’s eyes gleamed. “I might have to see about those.”
Corrin nodded. “That does sound like a good idea.”
They were just about to head over to the table of refreshments when the orchestra struck up once again. This time, it was in the style of a country reel. Elise gasped in delight.
“I love this one!”
“You know it?”
“Of course I know it!” Elise beamed. “The Fiddler in the Bog. It’s one of the most popular drinking songs in Windmire. People dance to it all the time.”
“How do you know about drinking songs…?” said Azura, confused. Elise didn’t seem to hear her: she had already grabbed Corrin’s hand and was in the process of pulling her sister out to the floor.
“Come on, Corrin, I’ll show you the steps. It’s not hard at all!”
Corrin cast a helpless glance over her shoulder at Azura, who was fighting back laughter. She lifted one hand to wave Corrin off before they lost sight of each other in the crowd.
“So, Elise, how exactly does this dance work?”
Elise grabbed both of Corrin’s hands. “Okay! You need to step like this”—she made a quick move with one of her feet—“and then like this, and then you spin around, and—”
“Slow down!” Corrin said, laughing. “I can barely follow what you’re saying!”
“Well, you’ll pick it up quickly enough,” said Elise. “It’s really easy once you get into it. The best way to learn is to watch the people around you, and just do it.”
“If you say so,” said Corrin, doubt in her voice. Nonetheless, she took Elise’s advice.
As it turned out, her younger sister was entirely correct: the reel was easy to pick up. Within a minute, she had mastered the basic steps; within two, she was joining the other couples in throwing in flourishes. Elise giggled in delight as Corrin twirled her around.
The orchestra picked up the tempo, and soon the room was a blur. At last, they slowed to a stop, breathless and flushed from dancing and laughter.
“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Elise panted. Corrin, grinning, nodded.
“I never knew that people danced like this in Nohr,” she admitted.
“Well, you didn’t really spend all that much time in the middle of things,” said Elise. “I mean, back at court, they didn’t ever do this sort of thing. But in the city, people had fun like this all the time.”
“I was meaning to ask you about that,” said Corrin. “You said that it was a drinking song… Please don’t tell me that you—”
“Of course not! But when people are enjoying themselves, there’s a lot of singing in the streets.”
“And you know that because…?”
Elise giggled. “Well, I kind of sneaked out a lot of the time…”
“You’re lucky Xander never found out,” said Corrin reprovingly. “He would have been worried sick. I think you’d better stop before he does find out…”
“Well, there’s no need to sneak out anymore,” said Elise. “Nowadays I can go out whenever I want to.”
Corrin shook her head admiringly. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
“Of course I do!” She gave Corrin a one-armed hug. “But not nearly as incredible as you!”
“Well, without you to teach me I never would have been able to learn that dance, and I would have looked pretty silly out there,” said Corrin with a laugh. “So don’t sell yourself short.”
Elise winked again, mischievously. “Do you want me to teach it to Azura, too? I’m sure that you’d have a lot of fun with her as your partner.”
Corrin coughed nervously, spots of color showing up in her cheeks. “I probably would.”
- - -
They returned to Azura and Sakura to find that a third person had joined their company: Takumi, holding a glass of water in one hand, was with them, looking very starched and formal in his gray suit. He kept a respectable distance between both his sister and Azura, his posture clearly uncomfortable.
“Hello, Takumi,” said Corrin, nodding to him. He nodded back, a jerky motion.
“Si… sister,” he said. “I hope that you are well.” The words had a wooden quality to them, but Corrin was surprised that he’d called her sister. It was somewhat more polite than she was used to, coming from him.
“I am. And you?”
“Fine.”
“That’s good to hear.”
The awkward silence stretched on. Corrin glanced over at Azura, meeting her eyes. They shared a brief conversation in that moment: seemingly, Azura had no idea what to make of it, either.
Takumi took a gulp from his glass and, quite abruptly, asked “Will you dance with me?” Corrin stared at him for a moment, wondering what had gotten into him. He must have mistaken her confusion for disgust, for he gulped and quickly added, “Please.”
“Of… of course.” Corrin accepted his out-thrust arm and allowed him to walk her to the dance floor, where they took up their positions as the music for the next song began.
For the first part of the dance, they moved in silence: Takumi stiffly, Corrin with much more grace. She was itching to ask him what was on his mind, but she didn’t want to press him. He would come to it in good time.
In good time, as it turned out, was as the tempo shifted faster, and he stumbled slightly, bumping her. He hurriedly righted himself, blushing. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“Still… sorry.” Takumi bit his lip. “Well, actually, I should be apologizing for a lot of things. Not just bumping you. I know that I haven’t… haven’t exactly been easy to deal with.” It sounded like each word took quite a bit of effort, but he swallowed his pride and continued. “I said a lot of… of very unkind things about you.”
“You’re still worrying about that?” said Corrin. “Takumi, that’s all in the past. I know that you didn’t mean it. You were just upset, that’s all.”
“Maybe, but… I said some pretty hurtful things about Azura, and that was also wrong of me. I mean, I need to say sorry to her, too, but I know how much she means to you, and it must have hurt you, too.”
“How much she means to me?” Corrin repeated, raising an eyebrow. Had he gotten the same idea as Ryoma?
Takumi cleared his throat and pressed on. “Well, I never really apologized properly.” He coughed. “So now I have. Will you forgive me?”
“Of course I will.” Corrin smiled.
She saw Takumi sag in relief almost immediately. “Oh thank the gods.”
“You didn’t really think I wasn’t going to forgive you, did you?” said Corrin, disbelieving.
“I… um, well, the thought crossed my mind…” Takumi muttered.
“Well, I did, so you can relax now,” said Corrin, prodding at his shoulder. “Loosen up, for goodness’ sakes! It’s like dancing with a practice dummy!”
Takumi was startled into a laugh by that, but he did loosen up, and the remainder of the dance was spent in a much more comfortable silence. As the song ended, he bowed. “Can you do me a favor?”
“What is it?”
“If you’d Azura know that I’d like to talk to her? I shouldn’t put off apologizing to her, either.”
Corrin smiled. “Of course. Thank you, Takumi.”
Her brother smiled. “No. Thank you.”
- - -
She returned to Azura to relay Takumi’s message. Azura headed off, promising to meet back in the ballroom as soon as she was done. Corrin, in the meantime, decided to get a breath of fresh air. She left the ballroom, gulping down a glass of water from the refreshment tables on her way through the back lobby, and headed out into the garden.
Corrin had always thought the garden a beautiful sight, and the night did nothing to lessen that. A cobbled patio stretched out in a half-circle, narrowing down to a path that meandered between flowerbeds to a tall, stately fountain.
She found Leo there, seated alone by a small table. A book was open on his lap, and a chess set on the table beside him. He had removed his jacket, draping it over the back of his chair, and rolled up his sleeves to better feel the cool night breeze.
He looked up as Corrin approached, tucking a slip of paper into his book and setting it alongside the board. “Good evening, Corrin. Looking for a quiet moment?”
“Something like that. Mind if I sit with you?”
Leo gestured to the other side of the table. “Please do.”
“Thanks.” Corrin plopped down into the chair with a sigh of relief. “Whew… I’m not used to being on my feet for that long.”
“You’re getting soft,” Leo teased. “Time was, you’d spend hours running to and fro.”
“It’s these shoes,” she retorted, tugging at the heel of her shoe to loosen it. “They pinch my feet. Besides, I had more important things to worry about than dancing, back then.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
Corrin shot him a suspicious glare. “You’re not going to ask me to dance, are you?”
“Perish the thought,” said Leo. “I saw you dancing with Elise, and you deserve a rest after that.” He glanced at the chessboard. “Though I was looking for a different sort of partner. Care to play?”
Corrin shrugged. “I suppose, though I have to warn you, I doubt I’ll be much of an opponent.”
“It’s the thought that counts,” Leo said. He rotated the board, facing the white pieces toward her. “I’ll even let you have the first move.”
“All right.” Corrin slid one of her pawns forward. As Leo responded in kind, she looked out at the garden, as beautiful as a painting. The moon shone brightly, bathing the flowerbeds beyond the torchlight in cool blue. The lights of fireflies blinked in and out of view, drifting lazily like little stars fallen to earth.
She moved one of her knights out. “It’s good to take a break every now and then, isn’t it?”
“It is,” said Leo. He moved his knight on the opposite side of the board. “Though if you try to get that across to Xander, I wish you luck.”
“Has he been overworking himself?”
“There’s always a candle burning in his room these days,” said Leo. He chuckled wryly. “I keep on warning him that it’s a fire hazard if he falls asleep at his desk.”
“If you’re seeing the candle burning, though, doesn’t that mean that you’re not sleeping either?”
“Fair point.” Leo tapped a finger on the table. “Still your move, by the way.”
“Oh, right.” Corrin haphazardly moved out a pawn on the far end of the board, freeing up space for her rook. “I guess that as long as you’re making time for yourself, everything is all right. Or… as close to all right as these things get.”
“…yes.” Leo moved his knight forward once again, but the movement lacked his usual focus. His voice was quiet. “I think it will be a while before we can truly say that everything is all right. After what happened with Father…” He shook his head. “Well.”
“I’m sorry,” said Corrin. It seemed terribly inadequate, but it was all she had.
Leo’s smile was crooked. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Still…” She slid her rook forward, only half paying attention. “I know that it must be harder for you than it is for me.”
The crackling of the torches and the quiet ripple of the fountain was her only answer for several seconds, as Leo stared out at the garden. When he spoke, he still didn’t look at her. “I won’t pretend that he was anything resembling a good father. But he was the closest thing that we had. Even if my mind knows that we’re all better off without him, there’s still a part of me that wishes things could have been different.”
“Leo…” Corrin began, but his explosive sigh stopped her.
“Don’t listen to my rambling. There will be plenty of time for that later. This is supposed to be an evening for celebration.” He finally looked at her again, with something approaching his usual smirk.”Besides, I shouldn’t waste time when it’s my turn to move.” He glanced down at the board and moved his queen along one of the diagonals. “Speaking of which… how are things between you and Azura?”
“Gods, does everyone know about us?” said Corrin waspishly.
“There may be one or two particularly oblivious people who haven’t noticed, but even that is doubtful. You’re not half as duplicitous as you like to think, dear sister.”
Corrin dragged her bishop down a line of white squares, not paying much attention to where it ended up. “What do you mean, speaking of which?”
“Moving matters between the two of you forward, of course,” said Leo. He moved his queen forward, tapping one of her pawns off the board, and nodded in satisfaction. “Checkmate.”
“As predicted, I lose.” Corrin sighed as she flicked over her king with one finger. “You know, that’s the second time tonight that I’ve been asked that question.”
“Oh?”
“Ryoma brought it up while we were dancing earlier.”
“And I assume you’ll give me the same answer you gave him, hm?”
Corrin laughed. “Well, not exactly. I stepped on his foot, but I’m afraid I’d flip over the table if I tried that on you.”
Leo gave her his best approximation of guileless charm. “The game is already over, and I won. Flip to your heart’s content.”
Corrin pushed back her chair and stood, stretching. “I should get back to the ballroom before they send someone to find me.”
“Probably a good idea.”
“Are you coming?”
“…I’ll be along. For now, I’ll enjoy the quiet while I can.” He picked up his book. “Until later, Corrin.”
Corrin was about to leave when she noticed something and turned back, hiding a smile. “Um, Leo?”
“Yes?”
“Your tie is on inside-out.”
Leo glanced down at his chest and huffed: it was, indeed, turned around the wrong way. “It’s always something.”
“Just thought you should know,” said Corrin, and left before she started laughing.
- - -
Azura waved Corrin down as soon as she re-entered the ballroom. “There you are! I lost track of you. Weren’t we supposed to meet back in here?”
Corrin scratched the back of her neck. “Uh, sorry. I went outside and got distracted.”
“Leo got a hold of you, did he?” That was Camilla, resplendent in a low-cut gown of deep purple, her high-heeled shoes making her tower over almost everyone in the room. She smiled down at Corrin. “I think he’s capable of turning anyone into a hermit, at least for a while.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Corrin protested. “He just likes the quiet.”
“I think all of us like the quiet, once in a while,” said Azura.
Camilla shrugged, the movement doing interesting things to the shape of her gown. “True enough.”
“I suppose that I’m being rude, though,” said Corrin. “I haven’t even greeted you properly yet, Camilla.”
“No offense taken, dear.” Camilla’s hug was as soft and warm as always—although her increased height did leave Corrin’s face in a rather awkward location. When they stepped back apart, Camilla tilted Corrin’s chin up with one finger, smiling approvingly. “You’re absolutely glowing. It seems that the peaceful life suits you.”
“Mostly I’m just glad to see all of you,” said Corrin. “It’s been awhile since the last time we were all together like this.”
“It really has.” Camilla smiled. “As much as I’d love to catch up right now, though, that would be unfair of me. Hinoka’s been looking for you for the last five minutes. She seemed quite determined, so you’d best go put her at ease before she gets too worked up.”
“Thanks, Camilla, I will!”
Not seeing Hinoka anywhere in the crowd, Corrin simply wandered, figuring that Hinoka would find her sooner or later. This proved to be the case: she heard a sharp “Corrin!” from behind her, and turned with a smile.
“Hinoka!” They shared a quick hug before Corrin backed up, looking at her sister’s outfit. “You look very…” She paused, searching for a proper word, and finally settled on “…dashing!”
“You really think so?” Embarrassed, Hinoka rubbed at the back of her neck. Her outfit certainly fit the word “dashing:” her flowing white shirt was complemented by close-fitting, wine-red trousers and a matching vest. Her black shoes were slightly raised, but practical, and a ruffled white cravat secured by a red brooch completed the look. “I was kind of nervous about wearing something like this, but now that I see you, I realize that I have nothing to worry about.”
Corrin adjusted her lapels. “It’s definitely a lot easier to move in this than it would be in a dress.”
“Really? Ryoma was complaining about how his was too tight around the shoulders,” said Hinoka.
“Maybe he should get it adjusted, then,” Corrin giggled. “By the way… Camilla told me that you were looking for me. Why was that?”
“Oh, yes, right!” Hinoka nodded. “I was wondering if you would dance with me.”
Corrin raised her eyebrows. She hadn’t expected Hinoka of all people to ask her for a dance—Hinoka was the type who was more at home in the saddle than in dancing shoes. Still, as Camilla had pointed out, Hinoka had been looking for her, so she must have had some confidence in her own abilities.
“I’d love to,” said Corrin. Hinoka’s face lit up.
“You would? Great! I’ll let Ryoma know.”
Corrin wondered what she meant by that, but she found out soon enough: Ryoma drifted over towards the conductor of the orchestra for a quiet word. The next song they struck up was a familiar one: a folk-tune popular at festivals in Nohr and Hoshido alike. She offered her arm to Hinoka, who took it with a smile, and headed out onto the floor.
To her surprise, Hinoka’s performance was utterly flawless: not a single misplaced step, nor a moment’s hesitation. What was more, she seemed completely at ease, with none of the discomfort that Corrin might have expected. Corrin herself felt lacking in comparison.
“I didn’t realize you were such a good dancer,” she said as they finished a series of spins. Hinoka laughed breathlessly.
“I’m not, really. But I wanted to make a good showing for your celebration, so I’ve been training for weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“Ever since I got the invitation,” said Hinoka. “I learned a couple of dances, but this was the only one that I was really good at.”
“You’re better than good. I doubt that the royal dancing master could do any better.”
Hinoka blushed. “I’m glad you think so.” She gave Corrin a conspiratorial wink. “To tell the truth, the only way I managed to learn it was to think of the footwork as groundwork for sparring.”
“Really, now?” Corrin giggled.
“It’s surprisingly close to it, actually. I might even work it into my training in the future.” As the dance changed directions, Hinoka struck up a new line of conversation. “I saw Azura earlier. She looks lovely tonight.”
“She really does.”
“It’s really wonderful to see her so happy,” said Hinoka. “Back home, she would always be off by herself. I barely ever saw her smile, let alone laugh. But now look at her.” Hinoka nodded towards the edge of the dance floor, where Camilla was instructing the rather nervous Takumi in how to dance. Azura, Xander, and Ryoma watched from a table nearby, shaking with laughter at the mortified expression on Takumi’s face. “She’s enjoying herself so much. You’ve given her a reason to smile.”
“I don’t know if I can claim sole credit for that,” said Corrin. “But I know what you mean. Seeing Azura’s smile always makes me want to smile too.”
“That’s how you know you’ve found the right person,” said Hinoka quietly. At Corrin’s look, she went beet red. “I-I mean, not that it’s any of my business, but…”
“No, that’s fine. Pretty much everyone else has brought the same thing up, too.”
“I’m not surprised. The way that you look at her… I can see how much you love her, and it makes me happy for both of you.”
“Thank you.” The dance came to an end, and Corrin bowed over Hinoka’s hand. “We should do this again sometime.”
Hinoka laughed. “Give me a few more weeks to master a different dance, and you have a deal.”
- - -
She returned to the table where she’d seen Azura standing before. Ryoma and Xander were still there with her, sampling various sweets from a tray. There was a pitcher of water as well. Corrin took a glass, grateful for its refreshing coolness, and took a sip before speaking.
“Enjoying the refreshments?”
“Indeed.” Xander motioned her toward the tray. “I picked up a few samples of everything to bring out here, so feel free to take one.”
“These desserts are a bit different than what I’m used to,” said Ryoma, using his fingers to brush crumbs away from his mouth. “In a good way, though. I’ll have to see if I can take some of them home with me.”
“I’d be glad to find you a book of recipes,” Xander put in with a smile. “They’re generally not too hard to make, as long as you have the right ingredients.”
“I doubt I could make them look as nice as these ones, though.”
“Perhaps not, but it’s not a particularly common skill.”
Corrin looked back at Azura. It seemed that Azura had finally procured one of the strawberry cakes, and was halfway through eating it already. “Is it good?”
Unable to talk with a mouthful of cake, Azura rolled her eyes expressively instead, her face showing utter bliss. When she finished chewing, she held out the cake to Corrin. “It’s amazing. Try some.”
Corrin accepted the half-eaten cake and took a bite, trying not to wonder too hard about whether or not this counted as an indirect kiss. The flavor of the cake flooded her sharp senses immediately: the freshness of the strawberries, the fluffy pastry, the smooth cream frosting, and—just barely present—the taste of Azura herself. “Mmm… this is delicious. I can see why you enjoyed it so much.”
“There should be plenty more where that came from,” said Xander. “At least, there still were when I picked these up.”
“Hopefully our little sisters haven’t gone too overboard,” said Ryoma. “Sakura might not look like it, but she can keep up with the best of them when it comes to eating sweets.”
Xander chuckled. “I hope that she and Elise don’t get into a competition, then. If it’s as you say, then I don’t know when either of them would stop.” The pair exchanged the familiar glances of older brothers: a mixture of exasperation and pride.
Corrin moved alongside Azura, taking her hand as she spoke in a low voice. “They seem to be getting on well.” Azura giggled.
“The key was to get them talking about something they could both enjoy. I don’t think either Ryoma or Xander will ever get tired of talking about how wonderful their younger siblings are.”
Corrin gave Azura’s an affectionate squeeze. “Thank you for that.”
“Did you think I would have let them argue, after everything you said about wanting them to get along?”
“I suppose not.”
Both of them looked up as Takumi approached, flushed and looking rather dizzy. Azura gave him a sympathetic look. “How was the dance?”
“It was…” Takumi gulped. “Something new.”
Corrin patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. “Trust me, I know how, uh, overwhelming Camilla can be.”
“That’s one word for it. I can think of some others.” Takumi used one sleeve of his shirt to mop sweat from his brow.
“You look a bit unsteady,” said Azura. “Do you need to sit down for a while?”
Takumi nodded. “That might be for the best…”
“Here, I’ll help you find a chair,” said Azura, offering her arm. “And maybe get you something to drink, while we’re at it…”
“Thank you,” Takumi whispered. He limped off with Azura; the latter looking over her shoulder to share a knowing grin with Corrin as they moved into the next room.
“Poor thing,” said Xander, shaking his head in amusement. “To be fair to Camilla, though, he did ask her to show him how to dance. Something about not wanting to feel like a practice dummy?”
Ryoma chewed thoughtfully. “Hm, I wonder where he got that idea from.”
“I wouldn’t know,” said Corrin, keeping her face carefully blank.
Camilla sauntered up, nodding to the three of them. “Did Takumi just come by?”
“Come and gone already,” said Ryoma. “I think he needed a few minutes to catch his breath.”
“Hmmm, a pity. He has potential to be a great dancer, if he puts some effort in.” Camilla winked at Corrin. “I saw your dance with Hinoka. I take it that you enjoyed yourself?”
“I did. She was excellent.”
“Perhaps I’ll have to ask her for a dance later tonight.” Camilla tapped a finger on her chin. “Though before I do that, I suppose that I should really dance with the lady of the hour, now shouldn’t I?”
“Don’t feel like you have to,” Corrin teased, smiling. Camilla gave her a mock pout.
“Oh, but I want to dance with my darling little sister. It’s been such a long time, after all. I’m sure that we’ve both improved quite a bit.”
“I suppose, when you put it like that…” said Corrin. She held out her arm, trying to mimic Camilla’s mode of speech. “Would you honor me with a dance, dear sister?”
“The honor would be mine, sweetie.” Camilla took Corrin’s arm firmly, steering her back out onto the floor.
“Is she always like this?” Corrin heard Ryoma ask.
Xander chuckled in reply. “Oh, the stories I could tell you…”
Corrin and Camilla passed by the musicians as they made their way across the room. Camilla gave the conductor a hand signal Corrin couldn’t make out, but the conductor seemed to understand well enough: he tapped his baton on the music stand, holding up a sheet of music. There was a rustle of papers as the orchestra rearranged their own scores.
“What was that about?” said Corrin. “Don’t tell me you trained for weeks on just one dance, too…”
As they passed one of the tables, Camilla casually plucked a long-stemmed rose from a display of flowers. “I wouldn’t say that I’ve been training, but I’ve been dying to try this style of dance with you.”
“What’s the rose for?”
Camilla chuckled. “Don’t worry, dear, you’ll find out soon enough.”
“Why does that make me nervous?” muttered Corrin.
The orchestra struck up all at once, a dramatic flourish with a distinctly Nestran flavor to it. Camilla’s right hand went to her sister’s hip, clutching her possessively tight; with the other hand, she daintily placed the rose in her mouth, holding it horizontally with her teeth. Corrin had to lean back slightly to avoid having her face pressed into Camilla’s chest. She blushed, looking up at her sister.
“Do you really have to hold me so tightly?”
Camilla’s only response was to smile around the rose and begin the dance.
It was some time before Corrin realized that Camilla was the one leading. She considered whether or not to say something about it, but she realized that even if Camilla was inclined to give a straight answer it would be difficult to get it past the rose in her teeth.
They moved into a promenade, and it was only then that Corrin realized Azura had returned. She was standing near the edge of the crowd, watching the dance with a peculiar expression on her face. What’s more, Corrin realized, she and Camilla were dancing directly toward Azura.
As they reached the edge of the floor, Camilla released Corrin’s hand and dipped her sister back, raising her free hand dramatically. Corrin held on to her sister with all of her strength, hoping that she wouldn’t fall, as Camilla pulled the rose from her mouth and extended it to Azura with a smirk. “For you, dear.”
Azura accepted the damp-stemmed rose gingerly. “Ah… thank you, I think?”
Blowing a kiss, Camilla tipped Corrin back in and whisked her away once again.
“You know, darling, I think that your cute little lover might be feeling a bit jealous,” Camilla purred as she walked Corrin across the floor.
“Jealous?” Corrin bit her lip. “I… um, I think she knows that you’re just teasing me…”
There was a hint of wicked delight in Camilla’s reply. “Oh? So you’re not denying that the two of you are lovers, then…”
Corrin felt her blush pricking at the tips of her ears. “What? No! I… um, I mean, I guess that… yes, except…”
“Oh, my dear!” Corrin wheezed as Camilla’s arm tightened, squeezing her into a hug—and, in the process, nearly smothering her. “All grown up at last, with a good woman in your life… I’m so proud.”
“Thanks?” Corrin managed a grin. “I’m glad you approve, I suppose.”
“Of course I approve. And remember, you can tell your big sister anything.” Camilla’s tone turned businesslike. “How is living together with her? What sort of things does she like? How often do the two of you—” Camilla waggled her eyebrows suggestively, prompting another blush from Corrin.
“Camilla!” protested Corrin in a strained giggle. “Is this really the sort of thing we should be talking about right now?”
“I guess not. Sorry, sweetie, I got carried away. We can pick this up some other time.”
“If you say so,” said Corrin, relieved that Camilla seemed content to set aside that line of conversation for now.
At the end of the dance, Camilla gave Corrin another tight hug. “Thanks for humoring me, dear. I hope my teasing didn’t embarrass you too much.”
Corrin laughed. “By now, I’m used to it.”
- - -
They walked together back to the table to find that Leo had rejoined the party—although Corrin did notice that his book still sat within easy reach. Azura, toying idly with the rose’s petals, looked up with a smile as Corrin returned. “I don’t need to get you a glass of water, do I?”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. How’s Takumi?”
“Hinoka’s with him. He’s feeling a bit better now that he’s had something to drink.” Azura sniffed in disapproval. “Do you know that he’d barely had any water all night? I told him he needs to take better care of himself.”
“Good luck getting him to follow your advice,” said Ryoma. “He can be pretty stubborn.”
“Well, he’s going to find out that I can be more stubborn,” Azura retorted.
Camilla smiled broadly. “Mm, I like her more and more every minute. You may keep her, Corrin.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” said Xander, as both Corrin and Azura blushed.
“Never mind,” said Corrin quickly.
From behind them came a familiar loud giggle and the patter of footsteps. Corrin turned to see Elise dashing up, pulling Sakura behind her by one hand as she called out. “Hey! Almost everyone’s here, that’s great!”
“Slow down, sweetie, you don’t want to trip,” said Camilla, holding up a hand. Elise obediently slowed to a walk for the last few feet, Sakura trailing behind her.
“Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?” said Corrin.
“Well, because Sakura had something she wanted to ask you, and we wanted to make sure she could before you were busy again.”
Corrin turned to Sakura. “Of course. What did you need?”
Sakura stared at the ground until Elise nudged her shoulder. “Come on, Sakura, just like we practiced.”
Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders as if to steel herself, Sakura looked up. “Big sister, m-may I have the next dance?”
“Of course!”
“Thank goodness…” said Sakura, pressing a hand to her chest. Elise giggled, patting her on the shoulder.
“See? I told you it would be easy.”
Corrin chuckled and offered Sakura her arm. “Ready to go, Sakura?”
“Y-yes,” said Sakura, smiling.
They moved out into the center of the floor and waited for the music to start. Corrin could tell that despite her smiles, Sakura was still a bit nervous. This became even more apparent when she missed a turn, stepping on Corrin’s foot rather than empty floor.
“Oops… sorry, sorry…”
“It’s all right,” said Corrin. “I’m actually wearing shoes for once—”
“—sorry,” said Sakura again, as she stepped on Corrin’s foot once more. Her face was quickly turning red with embarrassment.
“You’re fine,” said Corrin gently. “We don’t have to do this right now, if you don’t want to…”
“N-no, I want to dance with you… I just get really nervous when I try to dance. I’m afraid I’ll m-mess up… and then I do…”
Corrin smiled, ignoring the fact that Sakura had just stepped on her foot for a third time. “Maybe you don’t have to try to dance.”
“What do you mean by th-that?”
“Well, you’re nervous because you don’t want to make a mistake, and that’s making you make mistakes.”
Sakura blinked. “Huh?”
“What I’m trying to say is, if we can get your mind off of being nervous, then you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more.” Corrin squeezed Sakura’s hand encouragingly. “So, how about we find something to talk about?”
“Like what?”
Corrin paused for a moment. “Have you read any good books lately?”
“N-not really. I don’t have a lot of free time… so—”
“Don’t say sorry,” said Corrin quickly, trying to find a different subject. “In that case… um…” Inspiration struck. “I’m sure that you have lots of questions for me about Azura,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.
“About Azura?”
Blushing, Corrin continued gamely on. “Well, since everyone else has asked me about it already, I thought that you might be curious, too…”
“I… um… well, I am curious, but I wasn’t going to ask you unless it was something you wanted to talk about…”
“Oh…” Corrin smiled. “Well, since I brought it up, ask me all the questions that you like.”
“Okay, um, let me think…” Sakura bit her lip. “Does she still tell s-scary stories before bed?”
“What do you mean, still?”
“Back when I was younger, she used to tell ghost stories.” Sakura smiled. “I was always really scared, but I couldn’t stop listening…”
“She does know a lot of stories, though I don’t know about ghost stories,” said Corrin. She winked. “Maybe she thinks that they’re too scary for me?”
“I think she just doesn’t feel like teasing you as much,” said Sakura. “It’s probably because you and her are… well, not closer, but close in a different way than she was with us. Right?”
“That sounds about right,” said Corrin, steering them into a turn. She was glad to see that she’d been right about one thing: once Sakura had started talking, her fumbling had vanished almost altogether, and the two of them moved comfortably if not smoothly.
“Have you danced with Azura yet?” Sakura asked. “I mean, since the two of you are… together, and all…”
“I promised to save her the last dance,” said Corrin. Sakura nodded.
“That m-makes sense. It’s a lot more special that way.”
The music reached its last chord, and the pair came to a stop. Sakura blinked. “It’s over already?”
“That wasn’t too bad, now was it?” said Corrin with a smile. “Time really flies when you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Sakura giggled. “It’s funny… I never really thought I’d have this much fun at a party.”
“I thought that’s what parties were for,” said Corrin, confused.
“Maybe for most people, but I’ve never really g-gotten used to it.” Sakura folded her hands in front of her. “Being around that many people made me nervous, and s-some people would make fun of the way I talked.”
“Nobody has done that here, have they?” said Corrin, suddenly worried. She knew that Sakura could be insecure about her stutter, and the thought that someone might have been mocking her little sister was enough to make her blood run hot.
Smiling, Sakura shook her head. “Everyone has been really nice. Especially Elise… she’s trying so hard to make sure that I’m c-comfortable. She’s been with me all night.” Sakura giggled again. “Well, except when she was dancing with you. I watched that… you two w-were incredible. I wish I could dance like that.”
“It takes a bit of practice to get used to dancing,” said Corrin. They began to make their way back to the others, Sakura’s hands still wrapped around Corrin’s proffered arm.
“You know…” Sakura cleared her throat shyly. “Maybe if we have another party like this, we could dance together again? I d-don’t usually like parties, but if it was like this, maybe it would be okay…”
Corrin placed a hand on top of Sakura’s, smiling. “I’d like that.”
- - -
When they returned, both sides of the family were there—Takumi and Hinoka included. Corrin was amused to see Hinoka acting as a buffer between her younger brother and Camilla, who seemed more than happy with the arrangement. Takumi himself was chatting with Elise, who seemed to be bombarding him with questions about life in Hoshido. Azura had vanished, probably in pursuit of more strawberry cakes: Corrin could see that there were none left on the plate.
Xander, deep in conversation with Ryoma, seemed completely oblivious to anything else, but he looked up quickly as Leo nudged him. “How was the dance?” he asked with a smile.
“I think it went pretty well, right, Sakura?”
Sakura nodded. “Y-yes! Much better than I expected. Though I think Corrin could make anyone she danced with look good.”
“Maybe not anyone,” said Hinoka, slyly elbowing Takumi in the ribs. He rolled his eyes.
“Oh, give it a rest.”
“She’s danced with practically everyone by now,” said Camilla, a low chuckle on her lips. “Of course, there’s still a dance or two to go…”
She turned to look at Xander. So did Hinoka, Leo, and Corrin. Takumi and Elise, noticing that the others had fallen silent, stopped talking as well and turned to stare at their older brothers.
Ryoma noticed first, a grin spreading across his face. He tapped one fingernail on the table to get Xander’s attention, pointing.
Xander glanced to the side, his brow furrowing slightly. “Yes? Do you need something?”
“We were just talking about how you’re the only one here who hasn’t danced with Corrin yet tonight.”
“I… suppose so?”
Camilla rolled her eyes with a look of long-suffering patience. “So shouldn’t you amend that? You are her older brother, after all.”
“And since Ryoma danced with her already, it’s practically your duty to do the same,” said Leo. “To keep matters even, so to speak.”
“This isn’t a competition, you know,” said Takumi tartly.
“Well, Xander, how about it?” Hinoka said.
“Slow down!” Xander held up a hand—to Corrin’s surprise, he actually seemed flustered. “You haven’t even asked Corrin what she thinks of this! If she needs a break from dancing, or if there’s something else she’d rather be doing, or—”
“So anyway, Corrin, you want to dance with Xander, right?” That was Elise, tugging on her sleeve. Corrin winked.
“Only if he doesn’t mind too much.”
Seven pairs of eyes turned expectantly toward Xander, who held up a hand in acquiescence. “Very well.” He pushed back his chair and rose, offering his arm to Corrin. “Shall we dance, little princess?”
His familiar nickname for her made Corrin smile fondly. “Of course, big brother.”
The orchestra began another waltz. It was in the Chevois style, like the one she had danced with Ryoma earlier, and Corrin doubted that was a coincidence.
Xander, for his part, was a flawless partner, leading Corrin effortlessly through the steps of the dance. She’d expected no less: after all, he’d grown up attending functions such as this on a regular basis.
“I hope you’re not too disappointed to be pulled away from your little chat with Ryoma,” Corrin teased.
“I think I’ll manage,” said Xander. “Though I must say, I had not expected the conversation to be so… pleasant.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Xander shrugged eloquently. “Given the amount of bad blood between our families, I never would have expected that we could even be civil to each other, much less friendly.”
“It just goes to show you, anything can happen, no matter how unlikely it may seem.” Corrin grinned, but Xander did not share in her amusement.
“I had convinced myself otherwise. Even when you left, and you put yourself in between us, I continued to think you misled.” His jaw tightened. “Instead of trusting you when you said you had our best interests at heart, I believed you had turned your back on our family. I was too proud to admit that I was wrong.”
“You did admit it, eventually,” said Corrin.
“And not a moment too soon. If I hadn’t…” Xander shook his head.
Corrin’s hand tightened around his, reassuring. “You did. There’s no use in dwelling on what might have happened.”
“That doesn’t mean that I’m not sorry.”
“I forgave you a long time ago,” said Corrin gently.
A small smile came to Xander’s face. “I’m lucky to have such a understanding and kind sister,” he said.
“After the way you looked after me while I was growing up, putting your mind to rest is the least I can do.”
“In that case, would you mind satisfying my curiosity?”
Corrin raised her eyebrows. “This is about Azura, isn’t it?”
“Of course it is.”
“I should have known…”
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” Xander reassured her, chuckling softly. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”
They continued to dance, Corrin quiet and pensive as she considered her brother’s words. From her childhood, she’d always felt as if she could confide in Xander—in many ways, he’d been as much like a father as an older brother.
“To tell the truth, I hadn’t really thought much about it,” she confessed. “Well, at least, not until recently. Before now, there was so much going on… so many other things that both of us needed to worry about. I didn’t want what was between us to to get in the way of what we needed to do. But now that it’s all over… I’m finally thinking about the future.” She smiled up at Xander. “And I can’t picture a future without Azura in it. Gods, I don’t want to.”
“So then, little princess, what are your plans?” Xander’s voice was gently teasing. “I imagine that there’s something.”
Corrin adopted her best airy, devil-may-care tone. “Mm, I’d considered asking her to marry me. Tonight.”
Xander’s jaw actually dropped, and he came dangerously close to stepping on Corrin’s feet as he missed a step. His expression was a study in incredulity, though he also seemed to be suppressing laughter. “You’re serious?”
“Of course I am!” Corrin tapped at the breast pocket of her suit. “I’ve been carrying the ring all night. Why do you think I made a point of inviting everyone here?”
Her older brother smiled ruefully. “I had thought it was so that we could all enjoy a pleasant time in each other’s company, but apparently you never do anything for just one reason.” He glanced back at the table. “Do any of the others know?”
Corrin shook her head, feeling a twinge of guilt. “I didn’t talk to any of them about it. We talked about Azura, of course, but not really about what my plans for the future were…”
“Perhaps it’s just as well,” said Xander. “In any event, I doubt that Elise would have been able to keep quiet about it, had she known.” His eyes danced with private amusement.
Picturing Elise’s likely reaction, Corrin stifled a laugh. “You’re definitely right about that.” The waltz drew to a close, and Xander bowed, one hand over his heart. She gave him a sidelong glance. “I don’t have to worry about your discretion, do I?”
“I’ve kept much more dire secrets than this in the past, little princess,” he replied, smiling mysteriously. “You have my word nobody will hear about it from me. Though, if I might offer you a word of advice…?”
“What’s that?”
Xander nodded towards the clock, high on one wall. “If you plan on asking her tonight, you should find her now. I think I saw her heading outside.”
“First I should—” Corrin began, looking once again towards the rest of her siblings. Xander interrupted her, his tone wry.
“You’ve fulfilled your dancing duty for the night. I’ll make your excuses to the others, so don’t worry about it.”
Corrin took one last look back at the table. Leo, Takumi, and Sakura were deep in conversation: from their shared expressions of lively interest, Corrin imagined that they were discussing books. Elise, hands filled with flowers from the table decorations, had begun weaving them together into a crown, her mouth moving as quickly as her hands as she chattered away to Ryoma. Hinoka shook with laughter as Camilla, smiling broadly, told her some story or another. Perhaps it was even about Corrin herself.
Corrin breathed in, feeling her stomach flutter with nervousness. She gave her older brother a tentative smile. “Wish me luck?”
She felt Xander squeeze her hand encouragingly before stepping back. “Luck. From all of us.”
- - -
She found Azura in the garden. The torches had long since gone out, and with the moon illuminating the waters of the fountain, the landscape seemed like a picture from a book of fairy-tales.
Azura sat on the edge of the fountain, the fingers of one hand trailing idly through the rippling water. She was humming a song to herself, but looked up with a smile when she heard Corrin’s approach. “Sneaking some more moments of peace and quiet?”
“Something like that.”
Azura patted the space next to her. “Here, sit down and take off your shoes. I’m sure your feet will be grateful for the air.”
Corrin glanced down at Azura’s feet, seeing that they were already bare. She grinned. “You’ve got the right idea.” Plopping down next to Azura, Corrin untied her shoes as quickly as she could, stripped off her socks, and stuffed them in as well. She tossed her shoes down beside Azura’s with a sigh of relief, wiggling her toes in the brisk night air. “Much better.”
“So, did you enjoy the party?” Azura winked. “Apart from having to wear shoes the whole night, of course.”
“Yes! It was…” Corrin grappled with her vocabulary, trying to find the right word. “…wonderful.”
“I’m glad.” Azura’s hand rescued on Corrin’s, their fingers entwining. “And I’m sure that all of the others would agree with you… though it might take a bit of work to get some of them to admit it.”
Corrin thought about what she had seen before leaving the hall and shook her head, smiling. “Perhaps not as much work as you’d think.”
They sat together, still holding hands, toes skimming over the cool grass. Both were content to simply enjoy each other’s company, drinking in the clear night air. The party seemed far away, its sounds muffled by the lively chirping of crickets, the breeze stirring the flowers, and the rippling and splashing of the fountain.
Despite the grandeur of the hall, Corrin found herself much more enamored of the sight of the garden: the full moon rising above the trees, the lights of fireflies blinking in and out around them like a field of stars. Each had a beauty of its own, but when put together, it was almost overwhelming—their only recourse was a shared silent awe.
Music drifted toward them as the orchestra struck up another waltz. Corrin got to her feet, holding out her hand with a smile and a bow. “As I recall, I promised to save the last dance for you.”
Azura’s face showed surprise for a moment, but she accepted Corrin’s outstretched hand, her fingers as warm as her returning smile. “Indeed you did.”
It was a very different experience from dancing with her siblings, under the glittering lights of the ballroom. The moonlit garden seemed shadowed and indistinct, colors blending into one like a painting. The grass beneath them was damp, blades tickling against the soles of their feet, bending down and springing up with each step they took. The scent of flowers and clean water hung in the air, light and sweet. It seemed like something out of a dream.
Only Azura seemed real: solid and soft and warm. Corrin’s hand rested on her waist, holding them together as if she never wanted to let go. Azura’s eyes seemed to shine with a light of their own: a joy and contentment that, to Corrin, was brighter than the moon or the stars.
Around and around they spun, the grass swishing around them, the distant music for none but them. Both would have been content had the moment gone on forever, but the dance ended at last. As the orchestra came to rest on one final chord, Corrin bent her head to kiss Azura. She felt Azura’s arms twine around her neck, pulling her closer; felt Azura’s body molding itself to her own, a feeling that never failed to excite her, regardless of its familiarity.
When they broke the kiss, both were flushed with warmth, though they continued to hold each other. Azura smiled. “Sakura was right: you are a good dancer.”
“I learned from the best,” said Corrin. “You’re the only one who knows how much work it took…”
“For this, I consider it worth the effort,” Azura replied, and kissed her again.
Arm in arm, they made their way back to the edge of the fountain, sitting down once again. “Do you think the others are still getting along well in there?” said Azura, glancing back toward the brightly illuminated manor.
“I don’t think you’ll have any cause for worry there,” said Corrin. “If our goal was to convince all of them to get along, then I think that we can consider the night a success.”
“Well, that was one of our goals. I had one or two more in mind.” Azura squeezed Corrin’s hand. “Shall we rejoin them?”
“In a bit. Right now, I’m enjoying having you all to myself,” said Corrin with a grin. Azura giggled.
“I can’t say I mind too much. Though I would like to get back fairly soon.” There was a note of anticipation in her voice.
The ring in Corrin’s pocket felt oddly heavy against her chest. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you too much longer.” Xander’s parting words echoed in her head. Luck. From all of us. She took a deep breath and held Azura’s hand in both of her own.
“Azura…” Corrin gulped, all of the beautiful and thoughtful words she’d imagined saying fleeing from her mind in the face of the moment itself. She settled for simplicity. “What we have together is wonderful; more wonderful than anything I could ever have dreamed of. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And so…” Corrin slid from the bench, going down to one knee as she pulled the ring out of her pocket. “Will you marry me, Azura?”
She saw Azura’s eyes widen slightly, her lips parting in surprise. “Corrin, I…” Her mouth opened and shut several times as she struggled to find a reply and came up with nothing. Corrin felt her face heating with embarrassment as the grass’s dampness began to seep into the fabric of her suit.
“I hope this isn’t too sudden… I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but I didn’t know whether or not you—”
Before she could go on, she was interrupted by Azura’s laughter: long and surprisingly loud. Corrin bit her lip. “No, really, I’m not joking! This is—”
“Corrin.” Azura seized both of Corrin’s hands with her own, her eyes shining with tears of joy. “I believe you. And the answer is yes: yes, a thousand times, yes.” She pressed a long kiss to the back of Corrin’s hands, still laughing.
“What’s so funny?” said Corrin, torn between joy and puzzlement.
“What do you think?” Azura took in a long, shaky breath, wiping her eyes. “Corrin, I was going to ask you the same thing!”
Corrin blinked. “You… you were?”
“Of course I was!” She giggled again, her fingers tightening around Corrin’s, pulling her insistently up to sit on the lip of the fountain once again. “Why do you think I made such a point of having you save the last dance for me?”
“…because you wanted the two of us to dance?”
“Because that’s when I was going to ask you!” said Azura.
Corrin’s brow furrowed. “Then why weren’t you—”
“I needed the ring, obviously.”
“You don’t have it with you?”
Azura gave Corrin a look of long-suffering patience. “My love. Where would I have kept it? Do I look like I have pockets?”
“I can think of one place,” said Corrin teasingly, glancing at Azura’s neckline. She wiggled her eyebrows in her best approximation of Camilla’s manner. “Right next to your heart, where your love would keep it warm…”
Blushing, Azura swatted at Corrin’s shoulder. “Oh, stop it.”
“Then who does have it?” said Corrin.
Azura winked at her. “I asked Xander to hold on to it for me, while you and Sakura were dancing. He promised that he’d keep it a secret from you. My plan was to get you back inside for the last dance of the night, find some way to have Xander slip me the ring, and then, when the dance was over…” She smiled and shrugged.
Corrin laughed in elated disbelief. “No way! So the entire time that I was dancing with him—”
“He was safekeeping my ring? Yes, he was.”
Corrin thought back to how Xander had acted: his leading questions, his teasing, his directions. Knowing that he’d been keeping that a secret from her put their whole dance in a different light. “He barely showed it at all.”
“Xander assured me that he’s very good at keeping secrets,” said Azura with a smile.
“And so he was.” Corrin rubbed the back of her neck, grinning sheepishly. “I’m sorry that I ruined your plans.”
“Even the best-laid plans can go astray,” said Azura. She kissed Corrin’s fingertips again, eyes sparkling. “Though I must say, I’m happy with the outcome nonetheless.”
“So am I.” Corrin held out the ring once again. “Do you want to try it on?”
“Of course.” Azura held out her hand, a blush still faintly showing on her cheeks.
With exquisite care, Corrin slid the narrow band of gold onto Azura’s finger. She didn’t realize that she was holding her breath until the ring finally settled into place: a perfect fit. “So… what do you think.”
“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” Azura cupped Corrin’s chin between her hands, pulling her down into a quick kiss. “And I’m the happiest woman alive.”
“Hmmm, I’m not so sure about that,” said Corrin with a smirk. “I must be pretty close competition for that.”
“You know what I mean,” said Azura, and kissed her again.
They sat there for a long time, the light of the moon and stars smiling down on them. Lost in each other, they were completely at peace. At last, however, the sounds drifting from the manor brought them back to reality.
Corrin was the first to rise. She smiled and offered Azura her hand, as she had done at the beginning of the night. “Shall we tell the others of our good fortune, my lady?”
There was a delicate stress on the last two words, an unspoken promise that had not been there before: my lady. Azura was Corrin’s, and Corrin was Azura’s, and so it would be for the rest of their lives.
Azura, her smile moon-bright, accepted both the hand and the promise. “Indeed we shall.”