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Chapter Text

Kamui knew something was up when her parents asked to speak to her in private. The three of them gathered in her mother's well-kept chambers.

"Mother, Father, what did you want to tell me?" Kamui asked. She figured getting straight to the point was best in this situation.

King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto exchanged a glance. Her father was the one who spoke. "Kamui, as you know, there have been tensions between our country and Nohr for generations."

Kamui nodded. This was basically common knowledge.

"Well, we have been working with King Garon to determine a way to help ease the tensions between our kingdoms."

Kamui's heart fluttered. They wanted her to be part of the solution. "Father, if I can do something to help Hoshido, I would be honored to do it." Maybe they wanted her to serve as a diplomat or ambassador.

Mother smiled and took Kamui's hands in her own. "We're so glad you feel that way because there is something that we believe you can do to help ease tensions between our countries."

"What is it?"

Father was the one who answered. "Kamui, we believe an arranged marriage between the royal families would help unify Hoshido and Nohr."

Kamui's mouth was dry. "Wait, what?!" She winced at how loud her voice was. "I don't understand…" Had she heard Father correctly?

"After many discussions with King Garon, we've come to the conclusion that a marital union between you and Prince Leo of Nohr would be a great strength for our countries," Father said.

Kamui felt the color drain from her face. "You- you want me to get… married?"

"Only if you agree to it, Kamui," Mother put in. "We aren't going to force you to do anything."

"But why me?"

"Ryoma and Hinoka are both already married," Father reminded her. "And usually the elder siblings get married first, although this isn't strictly the rule. You already know Takumi's opinion about Nohr, and Sakura still isn't of age." Oh, so Kamui was the only viable option, then.

"Also, I think this is a task that you are uniquely suited to," Mother added. "You have a trusting, kind, and patient nature. I think you will take well to Nohr, since you've always expressed an interest in it. And you have so much love to give; I know you will make a wonderful wife for your husband."

Kamui flushed at the mention of a husband. "H-husband?!"

Mother chuckled. "Yes, sweetheart. I know the thought of having a husband must seem strange, but marriage really is a beautiful commitment between two people."

Kamui started hyperventilating.

Worry filled her mother's brown eyes. "Kamui?"

"Sorry, it's just a lot to take in. Can I have some time to think it over?" Kamui blurted out.

Mother patted her hand. "Of course, dear."

"Remember you aren't being forced to do this," Father reminded her.

Kamui nodded slowly. She wanted to leave, to be alone, but she needed to know about her potential fiancé before she could really make a decision. "Can you tell me about him?" She honestly had forgotten his name; the word "marriage" had claimed all of her attention.

"Prince Leo is the third child of King Garon. He's only a few months younger than you are. From what we know of his character, he is an honorable man. He would treat you well," Father answered.

"Have you met him?"

Mother nodded. "He was at the peace conference in Cheve. He didn't know at the time that we were considering him as a potential suitor for you. And don't worry; he's a handsome young man. We're not arranging for you to get married to an unkempt man twice your age." Her lips twitched with amusement.

"Wait, so he still has to agree to it, then?" Maybe Kamui wouldn't have to actually make a decision. Maybe Prince Leo would not accept the arrangement.

"King Garon spoke to him about the arrangement in Cheve, and Prince Leo was willing to get married to you," Father said.

Kamui shook her head. "It still doesn't sound like you know much about him. And I haven't even met him…"

Mother smiled slyly. "Well, I did have a premonition about it, so I might know more than you think I do..." Mother's premonitions about the future had always been accurate.

Kamui's heart thudded at that revelation. "Well, what can you tell me?"

Mother chuckled again. "Kamui, the future is best when it is a surprise, but I saw enough to know that this would not be a mistake, if you were to go through with it. Remember that marriage takes a lot of commitment, but it can be a source of great happiness."

Kamui was relieved to hear as much. Mother rarely shared any details about her premonitions with them. She figured Mother had seen more, but chose not to share it.

Kamui stood. "Well, I have a lot to think about. Is there a certain time I need to decide by?"

"We told King Garon that we would send word within a week, so you still have a few days to think it over," Father said.

"Okay. Is there anything else we need to talk about?" Kamui inquired.

"Not for the moment," Mother said. "Just remember that we love you so much and want the best for you, and for Hoshido as well."

Kamui nodded. "I know."

After leaving her mother's quarters, Kamui wandered out to the flower garden to have some time to think. She claimed her favorite bench, which was situated within the rose bushes. The red roses were her favorites. She plucked a rose off the bush and twirled it carefully in her fingers.

The arranged marriage was like a rose, she thought. A rose was both beautiful and dangerous. She recalled a metaphor about roses. She could either mourn because roses had thorns, or rejoice because thorns had roses. At least, that's how Kamui thought it went. She just needed to decide if having the beauty was worth having the thorns.

So Kamui used that metaphor to understand what her parents were asking of her. If she went through with the marriage, that would strengthen the bonds between Hoshido and Nohr, and hopefully help ease the tensions between the countries. Mother said that this marriage could be a source of happiness for Kamui, so she supposed that was another possible benefit. Those would be the "roses" of the arrangement.

The "thorns" of the marriage were few, to be honest. She didn't know Prince Leo yet, so she'd be going into this blind. They might not actually be compatible, so that could be a stumbling block. Kamui would have to trust in her parents' judgment on this one. They had met Leo and thought he was a suitable match for her, so that was a good sign. Kamui had dreamed of marrying someone she was in love with, though. She wasn't currently interested in anyone, but that could change in the future.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn. "Ouch," she muttered and sucked on the wound. Thorns hurt, but she would deal with them, if it meant she could enjoy the beauty of the roses. She sighed. I guess I've made up my mind. If marriage is like a rose, then I'll deal with the thorns so I can enjoy the beauty of the rose.

Kamui's parents were pleased with her decision to go through with the arranged marriage, but her siblings had mixed reactions. Father shared the news with the family over dinner the next day.

Takumi leapt to his feet. "What?! Kamui's getting married to one of those Nohrian scum?!" he practically screamed.

Kamui flinched at the anger in his voice.

"Takumi, please don't speak of your future brother-in-law that way," Mother chided.

"We are trying to improve our relationship with Nohr. Speaking of Nohrians as such is not acceptable in this household," Father said sternly.

Ryoma nodded. "I'm proud of you, Little Sister. I think this will be a good arrangement."

Kamui smiled at him. "Thanks, Ryoma."

"I had foreseen as much about your future, Kamui," Ryoma's wife, Orochi, noted.

"It's a little weird, but I'll support you all the way, Kamui," Hinoka promised. "And if Prince Leo does anything out of line, just let me know, and I'll take care of it." She actually cracked her knuckled.

Kamui didn't like the implied violence, but she appreciated the sentiment all the same. "Thanks for watching my back, Hinoka."

"Congratulations, Big Sister," Sakura said quietly.

"Best of luck," Subaki added. Kamui still wasn't used to Sakura's retainer being her brother-in-law now.

Takumi crossed his arms. "So what now? When's the wedding? Next week?"

Kamui choked on her water. Sakura patted her back gently.

"Well, we need to meet up with King Garon to discuss the details," Mother said. "And Kamui, you'll come with us so you can meet your fiancé."

Kamui reddened at the mention of her fiancé.

"Aw, you're going to be the most adorable blushing bride," Hinoka smirked.

"Now, I think Kamui's had enough teasing for tonight," Mother put in.

Kamui mouthed a "thank you" to the queen. Without her parents' support, this was going to be nearly impossible.

Plans were made for the Hoshidan royals to meet in Cyrkensia with the Nohrian royals the next week. Apparently all of the immediate family members were to be present, including Ryoma's wife, Orochi , and Hinoka's husband, Subaki.

Kamui struggled to remember the names of all of the Nohrian royals that she would meet. The two eldest children, Xander and Camilla, were both married. Then there was Leo, of course. And the youngest was Princess Elise, who was only a year younger than Sakura. King Garon's current wife, Queen Arete, was Kamui's aunt on her mother's side, so they already knew each other. And Kamui knew her cousin, Azura. At least there would be a few familiar faces in Cyrkensia.

Spring in Cyrkensia was an exciting time, with the spring festival preparations underway. The streets were crowded with people from Hoshido, Nohr, and even other countries across the ocean. If Kamui hadn't been such a nervous wreck, she would have quite enjoyed observing the happenings of Cyrkensia.

Kamui was preoccupied with the thought of meeting her future husband any moment. Mother said he was handsome, and Father said he was honorable. She just hoped he at least met those expectations.

Hinoka nudged Kamui. "Oh, Kamui! I think he's over there!" she pointed behind Kamui.

Kamui whirled around. "Where?" She knew Leo was blond, but she didn't see anyone blond by the market stalls.

Hinoka cackled. "Just messing with you. Try to lighten up a bit, okay? You're going to be just fine."

Kamui shot her sister a dirty look.

"Now, can you blame her for being nervous, dear?" Subaki asked his wife. "After all, she hasn't even met the man she's marrying yet."

Kamui sighed. She wished her siblings would stop bringing that fact up. Sakura was the only one who wasn't teasing her all of the time. Kamui was grateful for that.

The family made their way through the streets to the hotel they would be staying at. They were supposed to meet up with the Nohrians there.

Kamui's heart wouldn't stop pounding rapidly in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was going to be sick or faint. This was one of the most frightening things she had ever done. Be strong. You can do hard things, she reminded herself.

She stopped breathing for a few seconds when she saw Arete and Azura's blue hair. Kamui's eyes scanned those around them, trying to figure out who everyone was. She couldn't focus because of her nerves, though.

Arete spotted them first. "Mikoto, Sumeragi! It's so wonderful to see you again." She embraced her Hoshidan siblings. She smiled at Kamui. "And hello, Kamui. I hope that the journey went well." Kamui's aunt embraced her. "You look lovely," she whispered in Kamui's ear. It was probably blatantly obvious that Kamui was about to have a nervous breakdown.

Azura was the next to greet them. "Hello, little cousin," she said as she gave Kamui a hug. Kamui was certain her cousin could feel her body trembling. Azura didn't comment on it, though.

A large man with a white beard approached them next. This must be King Garon. "King Sumeragi, Queen Mikoto, I trust you made the journey safely."

Father responded in kind. "Yes, thank you, King Garon. Allow me to introduce my children."He started with Ryoma and Orochi, then continued on down to Sakura. Kamui did her best attempt at a serene smile when King Garon met her eyes.

Garon introduced his family next. "Arete and Azura you all ready know," he commented. He gestured to a tall blond man with a black crown. "This is my eldest son, Xander, and his wife, Charlotte." Charlotte was a blonde woman with bright blue eyes. "This is my daughter, Camilla, and her husband, Niles."Camilla was a tall woman with curly lavender hair. Her husband had white hair and wore an eye patch. "And then Leo and Elise, the two youngest." Elise had curly blonde twin tails, but Kamui's attention was focused on Leo.

He wore a black headband in his blond hair; it made him look regal. His eyes were a combination of brown and amber. His armor was various shades of black and blue. Mother was right; he was certainly a handsome young man. He merely nodded when their eyes met. Kamui wondered if he was as nervous as she felt.

Sakura nudged Kamui. "Go say hi to him," she whispered.

Kamui took a step forward before realizing that she had no idea what she was doing. She swallowed and knew she wasn't ready for this. But would she ever be ready? Probably not.

Leo's siblings also nudged him forward. He stumbled a little and shot Camilla a dirty look. Kamui had to suppress a nervous giggle. She didn't know what to do, so she held her hand out to him.

He took it in his gloved hand and brought her knuckled up to his lips. Kamui felt a shiver run down her spine at the contact. She didn't know if it was because she was attracted to Leo or if it was because of her nerves. It was probably the nerves. "Nice to finally meet you, Princess Kamui," Leo said. His voice was steady, but warm.

Kamui managed a small smile. "Please, just call me Kamui." It was best to get the formal titles out of the way as soon as possible.

Leo smirked. "Kamui, then. Feel free to call me Leo, as well."

Kamui could only nod. This was so awkward to meet with both of their families looking on.

Luckily, Aunt Arete stepped in. "Well, it's lovely that we've all met, but we can get better acquainted at the show." She smiled at Azura. "Azura will be performing tonight, actually."

Kamui gasped. "I didn't know you performed at the opera house, Azura!"

Azura giggled. "Yes, Kamui. Now, c'mon, let's get going!"

Arete and Azura led the way to the opera house.

Kamui was startled to realize Leo was still holding her hand. She didn't pull it away, though. They walked together as they followed the others. Neither seemed to know what to talk about, though.

"So, um…" Kamui began.

"Well…" Leo said at the exact same time.

They exchanged a small smile. "You go first," he told her.

"Oh, well. I don't really know what I was going to say," she admitted. "I just figured we should probably try to get to know each other." Ugh. That's obviously why you're here.

"What would you like to know?"

Kamui's mind was a tempest of thoughts. Are you as terrified as I am? What are you thinking about this? No, no, that's too blunt. Think. Ask him how his journey was? No, avoid stupid small talk. Agh, you can't just walk in silence. He's waiting for you to say something! "What's your favorite color?" was what she finally blurted out. Oh, that's such a dumb question to ask your fiancé!

"Black. Yours?"

Kamui remembered the red roses at home. "Red."

Another awkward silence.

Why did I think this was a good idea again? Kamui couldn't help but wonder.

They were saved by Leo's little sister, who wanted to speak to Kamui. "Hi, Kamui! I'm Elise! I'm so excited we're going to be sisters!"

Kamui smiled at the younger girl. "Me too. I can already tell that you're a very special person." Princess Elise just seemed to radiant light and joy. Kamui knew that they would get along just fine.

"Aw, thanks! You're really great as well!"

"Special can just mean that you're different from other people," Leo remarked. "So it might not be the compliment you think it is, Elise." Well, that was rude.

Kamui pulled her hand out of Leo's. "Of course I meant it as a compliment. Don't put words in my mouth."

Leo grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Kamui shook her head. "Well, you did. I need to talk to my sister about something, so if you'll excuse me…" She hurried off to join Sakura before anyone could reply.

"Leo, you really need to work on your tact…" she heard Elise tell Leo.

Kamui didn't want to sit next to her fiancé during the performance at the opera house, but she really didn't have a choice in the matter. She couldn't let anyone know about her spat with Leo; that would not be good for international relations. She sighed. She needed to be mature and just move on from his rude remark earlier. Sulking wasn't going to any good in this situation.

Leo was the first to speak between the two of them. His voice was soft and genuine. "Hey, Kamui, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was really thoughtless of me." Well, at least he apologized.

Kamui met his eyes. "Thank you for the apology. I- I forgive you. Sorry about getting mad."

"I deserved it."

And then there was yet another awkward silence.

"Why are you doing this?" Kamui blurted out. Ugh. Leo wasn't the only one who spoke without thinking.

"Pardon?"

"Why did you agree to this arranged marriage? It's not like we have to do this."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you want out?"

Kamui shook her head. "At this point, that would only make things worse between Nohr and Hoshido. I said I'd marry you, so that's what I'm going to do." Kamui always did her best to keep her word and she would in this situation, even if it wasn't pleasant. "That's why I agreed to this: to make peace between our kingdoms. So what about you?"

Leo ran his fingers through his hair. "At least your parents gave you a choice in the matter. My father basically told me that I was marrying you, and that was that."

"Oh. So you're being forced into this. I'm sorry. You probably resent me for agreeing, then." Kamui focused on her hands in her lap. She couldn't say that and look him in the eye.

"What? No, of course I don’t resent you, Kamui. Perhaps this isn't what I had in mind for my future, but I'm willing to give it my best shot." Leo seemed genuine, so Kamui decided to trust him.

"I'm going to do my best as well," she promised.

The show began then, and that ended their conversation.

As Kamui watched the stunning performance, her thoughts kept going back to the man sitting next to her. Is there any hope of love in this relationship? We're both so different that I don't know if we can even fall in love. This isn't a marriage for love, though, so I shouldn't expect that. At best, maybe we can be friends. Like Leo had said, this wasn't what Kamui had in mind for her future, but she would make the best she could of this arrangement. And perhaps Kamui could be happy with Leo in time. She held on to that hope.

Chapter Text

The date of the wedding was set for May 20, just one month after Kamui and Leo were officially engaged. To be honest, Kamui would have been perfectly fine with eloping, but her parents insisted she have a proper wedding ceremony. This was a political alliance, after all.

"I didn't think you'd be so eager to get married," Mother commented with a smile.

Kamui flushed. "I just want to get it over with."

Mother and Father burst into laughter. "Kamui, you don't just get the wedding over with. The wedding is only the first step," Mother finally said.

Kamui did not share their amusement. "You know what I mean. I just want it to be done. Then I won't have to worry about it happening." Honestly, the anticipation was killing her.

"The wedding is the easy part," Father said. "Actually being married is the hard part."

"But it's totally worth it," Mother interjected.

Father smiled at the queen. "Of course, my love." Am I supposed to use pet names with Leo? Kamui couldn't even imagine it. It was so sappy that it was embarrassing.

"Well, I'm going on a walk in the gardens," Kamui began. Of course, it was mostly an excuse to escape this awkward conversation.

"No you don't, Kamui. We need to go over the wedding plans with you," Mother told her in a tone that only a queen could use. And that was how Kamui ended up spending five hours in her mother's room, going over guest lists, decorations, and refreshments. Kamui's only major request was that her wedding bouquet have red roses from their garden. Mother smiled and added it to the plans.

Father snuck away from the planning after the first ten minutes, so it was just the two of them. Kamui did enjoy spending one-on-one time with her mother. She realized with a heavy heart that this would probably be one of the last times they had this special time together. After she was married, Kamui was moving to Nohr and would only see her family during visits.

Of course Mother recognized her melancholy mood. She set aside the papers she'd been working on. She cupped Kamui's chin in her hand and looked into her daughter's eyes. "Sweetie, what's the matter?"

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm just going to miss you so much, Mother."

Mother pulled her into one of her warm hugs. "I'll miss you too, my sweet Kamui."

Kamui wept into her mother's shoulder like she had as a child. "I'm going to miss everyone so much. I love you."

Mother stroked her hair gently. "It's not like it's goodbye forever." Kamui realized with a start that Mother was also in tears. "We'll have lots of opportunities to visit. And I'll write you as often as I can." Now she was crying into Kamui's shoulder. "My baby girl is all grown up and getting married. I still can't believe it. I'm so proud of you, my daughter." Her words warmed and tore at Kamui's heart at the same time. Why did good things have to hurt so bad sometimes?

They stayed in each other's arms for a long time. They didn't need words to communicate, just the presence of each other was enough.

"I love you so much, sweet Kamui," Mother finally said, pulling away.

Kamui's tears had stopped. She smiled. "I love you, too, Mother."

Mother got a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "So, have you mentioned to Leo where you'd like to spend your honeymoon?" Mother knew that Kamui would be uncomfortable.

"H-honeymoon?!" Kamui honestly hadn't even considered that. "Can't we just skip that part?"

Mother chuckled. "Consider it an opportunity to take a vacation and travel. I think a honeymoon would do you both some good."

Kamui blushed at the hidden implications. She knew what newlyweds were expected to do on a honeymoon. "Well, I haven't had contact with Leo since Cyrkensia, so no, I haven't told him anything."

Mother grabbed Kamui's shoulders. "Write him, then. You have to put effort into this relationship, just like you do with all your other ones."

"But…" Kamui couldn't figure out how to voice her thoughts.

"But what?"

Kamui sighed. She needed to be open with her Mother about this. "I'm worried that I won't love him like I should. I know that it isn't important to achieve peace, but…"

Mother put a finger to Kamui's lips. "Sh. If loving your husband is necessary for your happiness, then it is important. Don't sacrifice your happiness in the name of peace. If this arrangement is making you unhappy, well, you're not married yet, so there's still time to change your mind."

Kamui looked away. "No, I'm going through with this, Mother. Like you said, it will work out."

Mother smiled. "If you're going to listen to my premonitions, then listen to what I have to tell you as your mother."

"Okay."

"It's true that I've never had an arranged marriage, so I don't know exactly what it's like for you, but I have been married twice, so I do understand that you're nervous about the wedding and being able to connect with your fiancé. But I know that if you both put effort into this, then you'll both be just fine."

"What if we don't?"

"Then it will be a very difficult marriage for you. That goes for anyone who's married and doesn't do anything for their relationship." Mother stroked Kamui's hair. "Write to Leo. Staying in contact with him is really important. I think you might be surprised by the results."

Kamui nodded. "Okay. I'll do it." She hugged her mother one more time. "Thanks for listening, Mother."

"Anytime, sweetie. Anytime."

Kamui quickly found  out that writing to a fiancé she didn't know very well was easier said than done. She really had no idea what to tell him and that made her feel foolish. For starters, she didn't even know how to address him. She didn't want to sound too formal  or, even worse, too sappy. After almost an hour of tossing her failed attempts  on the floor, she decided to stick with "Dear Leo."

After staying up much later than she should have, Kamui had written the following (and was quite embarrassed by it):

Dear Leo,

This is Kamui. I wanted to know how you're doing. I hope you're well. Me, I'm doing all right. My mother spent the entire afternoon doing wedding planning with me. It was kind of exhausting, but I'm glad I got to spend time with her. She wanted to know if we were going on a honeymoon after the wedding. I'm fine either way, really. But I figured I should probably know if that was happening. I like warm places, if you want my input. Whatever is fine, though. I look forward to hearing from you.

-Kamui

Kamui was tempted to crumple this one up into a wad of paper as well, but she knew that she really didn't have anything better to say. She rambled way too much and most of it was about a potential honeymoon that she didn't have an opinion on. Well, if you're writing about it, then of course you have an opinion, she thought. Shut up, brain! I'm doing the best I can! Oh no, I'm having a conversation with a voice in my head again. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was half past two in the morning. She had stayed up half the night to write one measly paragraph to her fiancé. It was too late for her to think straight. She only hoped that Leo wouldn't think too badly of her for her silly letter.

Kamui got a reply three days later. Unfortunately, Orochi was the one who saw it first. "Oh, Kamui! Guess what you got in the mail," she taunted, waving the letter under Kamui's nose.

"What is it?" Hinoka asked.

"It's  a letter from you know who." Orochi winked at Kamui.

Kamui held out her hand. "Look, just give me the letter, Orochi." She really did not want to play this game with her sister-in-law.

Orochi stepped back. "Oh no, I need to practice my divining skills on it first. I need to see if I can know the contents before it's read." Kamui knew that was a bunch of kinshi poo.

"Heh. You should read it out loud to us, Sister," Hinoka added.

Kamui felt her face burn. "No, it's personal! Goodness, you two wouldn't want me reading your personal letters from your husbands."

"Big Sisters, be nice to Kamui," Sakura said after she heard the end of the argument. "It's to Kamui, right?"

"Aw, Sakura, don't tell me that you don't want to know what it says," Orochi pouted.

"Wait, who is it from?" Sakura asked, looking between her older sisters.

"It's from her lover!" Orochi practically shouted.

"He- he's not my lover; he's my fiancé," Kamui corrected her.

"Ah, but  if you're going to marry him, then he's going to be your lover." Orochi's grin was too wide for Kamui's liking.

Kamui felt her face grow warm at the thought of having a lover. She snatched the letter out of Orochi's hand. "I'll take this." She turned and ran out of the sitting room before Orochi could try to stop her. She heard all of her sisters burst into laughter. They were enjoying this way too much.

Kamui didn't stop until she found her favorite spot by the roses. She was out of breath from her run. After glancing back about fifty times, Kamui finally decided that she was alone. Her heart fluttered as she broke the seal on Leo's letter.

It was written in neat handwriting. Kamui was glad that Leo didn't have horrible handwriting, at least. She wouldn't have to decode it like she had to with Ryoma's handwriting.

Her hands trembled as she read it.

Dear Kamui,

I received your letter yesterday. I am glad to hear that you are "all right," as you phrased it. I am doing quite well myself. I've been studying some treatises on botany in my spare time. And no, they are not as boring as everyone makes them out to be. I find them quite fascinating and educational.

As for your question about a honeymoon, I personally think it would be good to get away from our families, even for a few days. As I'm sure you noticed, my siblings can be a bit overbearing. Since you don't mind, let's plan on a honeymoon. I don't have anything specific in mind yet, so I'll just surprise you.

Feel free to write if you have any more questions.

-Leo

His letter was straightforward and organized, unlike the rambling paragraph Kamui had written him. Reading it gave her some new insights into his personality. He seemed level-headed, but sarcastic at the same time. Maybe Mother was right; writing Leo would help them get to know one another.

Kamui felt butterflies in her stomach as she read the part about a honeymoon. She'd half hoped they could skip it, but she could understand wanting a break. She wondered if Leo's brothers and sisters teased him relentlessly like hers did. Although, as soon as they heard that Leo and Kamui were going on a honeymoon, that would just add kindle to the fire. Maybe Kamui should keep that part a secret from her siblings. She felt she could share that tidbit with Mother, since they'd already discussed her feelings about a honeymoon. And as for Father, well, she'd tell him if he asked. Otherwise, she just wouldn't bring it up.

She supposed she should respond to Leo's letter, but like before, she still had no clue what to write. Leo didn't seem to have a problem with that. Stop comparing yourself to him, she told herself. You are your own woman! And so, Kamui wrote another letter that was all over the place.

Dear Leo,

Thanks for writing back! You'll have to tell me more about botany; I don't know much about it, unfortunately. I love flowers, though, so that's kind of related. Red roses are my favorites. What's your favorite flower? And thanks for letting me know about the honeymoon. I guess I'll just have to trust you to pick out a good spot. Do me a favor and don't mention to my family that we're going on a honeymoon. I'm only telling my mother about it for now. I want to surprise everyone. Also, my sisters tease me enough as it is, so telling them would just make it worse. Speaking of the wedding and such things, are there any sorts of Nohrian foods you'd like? I'm afraid I don't know much about Nohrian cuisine. I'm excited to try new food though! I'm sure your food is really good. I hope to hear from you soon!

-Kamui

Like with her first letter, Kamui was second guessing herself after every sentence she wrote. Why did you ask him what his favorite flower is? Most boys aren't even interested in flowers. And Kamui realized that she was a little hungry, which would explain why almost half of the letter was about food. Well, she'd written it in about a quarter of the time her first one took, so she gave it to the couriers as soon as she'd finished. Otherwise, she'd probably stay up half the night again.

A few days later, Orochi insisted on reading Kamui's fortune. Orochi had cornered Kamui in her own room, so there was no easy escape.

Kamui shook her head. "No, I don't want my fortune told," she insisted. Orochi would probably over embellish the details about her married life, and Kamui did not want that.

Orochi pouted. "But Orochi is reading them for everyone in the family. Something special is going to happen."

Kamui couldn't resist those puppy dog eyes. "Fine, but please don't embarrass me."

Orochi grinned. "You're going to be an aunt later this year!" she blurted out. She didn't even use any of her usual divining techniques.

Kamui gasped. "Wait, are you…"

Orochi giggled. "Yes, I'm pregnant! Ryoma and I are going to have a baby."

Kamui squealed and hugged her sister-in-law. "That's great news! I am definitely okay with that fortune."

"And now your kids will have a cousin to play with!"

"K-kids?! Orochi, I'm not even married yet," Kamui countered. Why did she have to bring that up?

"Oh I think you'll have a baby within the next few years," Orochi hinted.

"Orochi, stop!" Kamui actually covered her ears. "I don't want to think about that right now."

"Well, you do want to be a mother, right? I seem to recall having a conversation about this once."

That was true. "But that was before I knew I was going to have an arranged marriage," Kamui protested.

"So? That doesn't mean you won't have kids."

Kamui didn't even want to think about what would lead to her having a baby. "Let me just focus on the wedding first, and then I'll deal with that part. Enough about me. Tell me when your baby is due!"

"I think I'm about two months into the pregnancy, so sometime this fall. I haven't be able to divine the exact details of the birth yet."

This news was unexpected, but it warmed Kamui's heart and gave her something to look forward to.

Ryoma and Orochi's news helped move some of the attention away from Kamui's upcoming wedding, which she was grateful for. Of course, the preparations for the wedding were still a priority because it was less than a month away.

The plan was to hold the wedding at a Hoshidan shrine near the capital. Takumi's retainer, Oboro, was hard at work on Kamui's wedding dress. Kamui hadn't see the dress yet, but she knew it would be perfect.

Leo's reply arrived with the mail. Kamui raced off to the garden to read it in private, before her siblings could tease her about it. The letter was brief and just answered her question from her last letter.

Dear Kamui,

I don't think anyone has ever asked me what my favorite flower is, but after giving it some thought, I would say my favorite is the lady's slipper orchid, which is one of the few flowers native to Nohr. If you aren't familiar with them, the lip of the orchid is shaped like a slipper, which helps force insects to pollinate the flower. I won't bore you with more details, unless you want me to.

-Leo

Kamui hadn't heard of lady's slipper orchids before, but they sounded interesting. She was a little embarrassed to not even know what the lip of the flower was. I should probably read up on botany, so I have a hope of understanding what he's talking about. Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in the library. Kamui didn't mind studying, as long as the topic was of interest to her. She wondered how much time Leo spent studying. It seemed like a lot.

Like in their few face to face conversations, Kamui couldn't think of an interesting reply to Leo's letter, so she put off writing a reply for days. And days turned into a whole week.

Mother noticed; she'd probably been keeping track of Kamui's correspondence with Leo. She brought the topic up during one of their walks around the gardens. "Have you heard from Leo recently? The wedding is only two and a half weeks away now."

"Well, I keep forgetting to write him back, and he hasn't written me since a week ago, so no," Kamui admitted. "And we'll be married soon, so I'll be able to just talk to him then." Not that we have that  much to talk about.

Mother raised an eyebrow, which seemed to imply that she knew that Kamui was just coming up with excuses to not write her fiancé. "Well, just be diligent, sweetie. Now would be a good time to write him," she suggested.

Kamui didn't like being told when to do things, so she was even less motivated to write Leo. It must have shown in her face because Mother didn't drop the topic. "Kamui, did something happen between you and Leo?" She asked with a mother's concern, and Kamui knew Mother wasn't just being nosy.

Kamui swallowed. "No, not really. Honestly, I don't know what to tell him. I just tend to ramble whenever I write him, and our conversations are… Well, I don't know if they're really conversations," she confessed. Mother always had a way of getting Kamui to speak her mind. "I just feel like we're forcing ourselves to make small talk. Maybe it's awkward because I feel like we're obligated to get to know each other." She shook her head. "I don't think I'm making any sense."

Mother just nodded in understanding. "Well, would you like my advice?"

Kamui shrugged. "I guess so."

"I know that you didn't choose Leo as your companion, but think of it as making a new friend. A spouse is a lover, yes, but he is also your friend. And you're good at making friends, Kamui. Just apply those skills here." Mother made it sound so simple. Kamui doubted it would be that simple, but she thanked her mother for her advice anyway. Mother left her alone in the gardens after that.

After some time to herself, Kamui worked up the courage to write another letter to Leo. Hopefully he wasn't too annoyed by her writing him. She didn't want to be a bother. And perhaps this would get easier with practice.

Dear Leo,

I have not seen lady's slippers orchids before, so you will have to show me when I come to Nohr. They sound interesting. Sorry for not responding for a while. Things have been very busy around here. Oh, I found out that my sister-in-law Orochi is expecting a baby, so I'm excited about that. It will be fun to have a baby in the family. I love babies. How are you and your family?

-Kamui

Like her previous letter, Kamui sent it before she could second guess herself. Of course, when she thought about it some more, writing about how much she liked babies might give him the wrong impression. She worried that Leo would think she wanted to have kids as soon as possible, which was not what she wanted. We're going to have to talk about that at some point. Kamui shuddered at the idea. That wasn't something she felt comfortable writing about, in case someone else got a hold of the letter, so she'd just have to wait until they were married. Just thinking about that subject made her uncomfortable; she didn't know how she could actually talk about it with Leo.

To take her mind off of babies and marriage, Kamui joined Ryoma at the training grounds. She enjoyed training with the sword, so that's what they worked on. They didn't talk, but their sibling bond was strong enough that it wasn't awkward. When dusk fell, Kamui relaxed in the hot springs bath and let her worries wash away.

Chapter Text

Leo was still not entirely comfortable with the fact that he would be getting married in less than three weeks now. Not that he had anything against Princess Kamui personally; from their limited interactions, she had seemed like a decent young lady. It was more that Leo himself didn't feel prepared to take that step, especially with someone he hardly knew.

Kamui's letters had helped him get to know a little more about her, which he appreciated. She jumped between topics without any transition and mostly wrote about things that she liked. Some of the things she wrote about took him by surprise.

First, there was her question about going on a honeymoon. Camilla and Charlotte had hinted that he should plan for one, but he hadn't really considered it until Kamui brought it up. He didn't mind an excuse to get some space from his family, so he'd told her they would have a honeymoon. They'd probably just go to one of the royal family's summer homes, preferably one with a library. That way, he'd have something to look forward to, even if the whole thing ended up being extremely awkward.

Then, she'd wanted to know what his favorite flower was. No one had ever asked Leo that question before. It was so out of the blue that it made him chuckle. Leo hadn't thought about it before, so he spent some time researching flowers. In the end, he'd decided that the lady's slipper orchid was the one that intrigued him the most. He knew that Kamui probably didn't want an essay about a flower, so he kept his answer brief. He had learned a lot of interesting things about flora that he hadn't known, so he found the time was well spent.

Then, there was her latest letter. It had been interesting, to say the least. She told him the news that her sister-in-law was going to have a baby, and then wrote about how much she loved babies. It was most certainly a hint that she wanted to have babies of her own. There went Leo's hopes of having a platonic relationship with Kamui, which he'd already known was out of the question. As her husband, he was supposed to make her happy, so he'd give her what she wanted. He wasn't against the idea of having his own children, but he was not prepared for this. He'd never actually kissed a girl before. He was nervous about even kissing her at the wedding ceremony; being more intimate with Kamui terrified him. Maybe I can talk her into taking things slowly, he hoped. Leo knew she'd end up getting her way, regardless.

The worst part about writing Kamui was that his siblings were constantly badgering him about the letters. Xander was the only one who left Leo in peace this whole time. They had their differences, but Leo appreciated that about him. Camilla, Elise, and Charlotte were just dying to tell him exactly how to woo Kamui. And of course, Niles just had to join in, too. It seemed picking on Leo was their new favorite pastime during family meals. Azura just sat in the background and listened in, so she was a passive participant in it all. Although, she was the only one of them that actually knew Kamui, so Leo wouldn't have minded if she'd contribute more to the discussion. Father and Queen Arete didn't dine with the siblings, so at least they weren't part of problem.

Unfortunately, Kamui's latest letter arrived on Charlotte's birthday. The way Charlotte acted depended on the situation. Today, she was acting sweet, but Leo knew that she could lose her temper if someone pushed her too far. As soon as he entered the dining room, she pounced on him.

"Leo, dear." She did that high-pitched giggle that annoyed him. "Do tell me what Princess Kamui says."

Leo sat in his seat at the table and rolled his eyes. "I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Now, Leo. Be nice to the birthday girl," Camilla chided.

"Tell us what she said, Big Brother," Elise demanded.

"Oh ho! What secrets are you hiding, Lord Leo?" Niles teased.

Leo flushed at all of the attention. He had to tell them something, or else they'd never leave him alone. "She just wrote that her sister-in-law is expecting."

"Expecting what?" Niles prompted. Leo was certain Niles knew exactly what Princess Orochi was expecting.

"A baby," Leo replied flatly.

Elise actually jumped out her chair. "Ooh! I'm so excited! You know what this means, Big Brother? You're going to be an uncle! Aw, Uncle Leo. It's so cute."

"Elise, don't call me cute," Leo grumbled.

"I think that's lovely news," Camilla commented.

Xander cleared his throat. "So is this Prince Ryoma's wife?"

Leo nodded once.

Fortunately, the servants brought out the first course of Charlotte's birthday dinner, so no one pestered Leo for a few moments. The first course was stew with a green salad. Leo was happy that there were tomatoes.

Tomatoes… Leo suddenly remembered that Kamui had asked him about food for the wedding in one of her letters. He'd totally forgotten to tell her he wanted tomatoes! As long as there were tomatoes, Leo would be content. I'll have to write her and tell her, he mused.

Tonight was going to be a late night. Since it was Charlotte's birthday, she had asked for an evening birthday ball. That translated to having an all-night party with drinks and dancing. Leo was not looking forward to that particular brand of torture. His one consolation was that since he was engaged, no one would force him to dance with any of the eligible bachelorettes.

Leo didn't realize that Charlotte had addressed him until Elise poked his shoulder. "Charlotte asked you a question, Big Brother. Stop being a dummy and answer her."

Leo looked over at Charlotte. Her blue eyes were too bright. "Leo, what are you planning for your honeymoon? It's got to be absolutely perfect!"

Not this again. "I'm still working out the details."

Camilla tittered. "I'm surprised, Brother. You usually plan everything out well in advance."

"We've got to help plan!" Elise interjected.

Leo decided that protesting wouldn't do any good in this situation, so he just tried to tune their plans out. He caught snippets about tropical islands and beaches. Now they're just trying torture me. They know I hate tropical islands.

Leo snapped when his sisters moved on to romantic activities he and Kamui could do on said tropical island, such as swimming in the ocean or taking walks on the beach. He slammed his hands on the table and stood. "Enough! I'm not in love with her, so I'm not doing any of those things! And I hate tropical islands, so I'm not taking her there!"

Everyone got really quiet. Six pairs of eyes stared at Leo. He cleared his throat. "My apologies, I lost my composure for a moment."

"Leo…" Camilla began.

"Please excuse me," he muttered and hurried out of the dining room.

He made his way to the library, of course. The library was one of the few places that Leo felt like he could be alone. He didn't feel like studying, so he picked up a novel he'd been reading recently and curled up in a corner.

After a few hours of solitude, Camilla approached him. "Leo, can we talk?" She sat next to him, not bothering to wait for an answer.

Leo sighed. She probably wanted to talk about what happened at dinner. "What is it?" He didn't put down his book, but he'd listen.

"We're all sorry for upsetting you at dinner," Camilla apologized.

"I'm not mad anymore." Leo wouldn't pretend that he hadn't been angry at dinner; he'd made it blatantly obvious how he felt.

"It's perfectly normal to be nervous about getting married," Camilla began. "I know that you aren't marrying Princess Kamui because you're in love. I can only imagine how difficult that is, darling. We're all proud of you for going through with this to help make peace between our countries."

"It's not like Father gave me a choice," Leo grumbled.

"Get your nose out of that book at look at me, Leo," Camilla demanded. She snatched the novel out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"I'm trying to talk to you, and it's hard when you're distracted like that." Camilla tucked his book under her arm.

Leo crossed his arms. "You have my attention, Sister." The sooner they finished this discussion, the sooner he could get his book back.

"Tell me, if Father had given you a choice in the matter, would you have agreed to this arrangement? "

Leo sighed. "I honestly don't know. I know that the point is to help strengthen our bonds with Hoshido. And I knew since I was young that I would probably have an arranged marriage."

"So what's bothering you?" Camilla murmured.

Leo always struggled with explaining his feelings. "I'm not ready for this. I don't think I'll be able to do my part as a husband. I don't love Kamui, but I don't want to hurt her or make her unhappy." He recalled how he'd offended her within five minutes of meeting her. She'd forgiven him, but it was likely that he would upset her again in the future.

"And that's how I know that you're ready," Camilla commented.

"What? Were you listening to anything I said?"

"Yes, I heard you. You're putting her needs above your own. And that's exactly what you're supposed to do as her husband."

Leo didn't know what to say about that. They sat in silence for a moment.

"I believe you can fall in love with her," Camilla finally said. She squeezed his shoulder. "Give it a try." She got up."The ball is starting soon. We'd love it if you came."

The last thing Leo felt like doing was going to a ball, but he supposed he should go support his family. "Give me back my book, and I'll come."

As Leo had expected, Charlotte's ball had gone on all night long. She dragged poor Xander onto the dance floor more times than Leo could count. I hope Kamui isn't like that. Leo himself kept to the edges of the room and read his book. Around midnight, he left and went to bed.

He got up later than normal the next morning. After getting ready for the day, he wrote his reply to Kamui's letter. If he put if off for too long, then his siblings would get on his case.

Dear Kamui,

My family is doing well. Yesterday was Charlotte's birthday, so we hosted a ball at her request.

Leo paused. He couldn't think of anything interesting to say about the ball. And he couldn't just lie to her and say he was doing great. This was going to be a very short letter.

The ball was tiring, and I'm glad it's over. It ended much too late for my liking. But Charlotte was happy, so I suppose that's what matters.

I realized last night that I forgot to answer your question about refreshments at the wedding. I would like to have tomatoes, if that's possible. Other than that, I'm pretty indifferent. It's unlikely that I'll have much time to eat anyway. From my observations of my siblings' weddings, the bride and groom hardly get any time to themselves.

Leo paused again. Should he mention her comment about babies? It was a subject he'd rather avoid, but it was something that married couples needed to discuss. Well, the least he could do was congratulation her on the news of Orochi's pregnancy.

That's wonderful news that Orochi is going to have a baby. Speaking of, how many children do you want to have? Since we're getting married, I think this is something we should discuss.

Leo felt his face burn while he wrote those words. He'd started writing about it, so he might as well finish. Besides, writing about this would probably be easier than talking about it in person.

I haven't given it much thought, personally. I think I'd be okay with a couple of kids, but I'm fine if we don't end up having children. We don't need to rush anything, though. I'm just curious about what your expectations are.

-Leo

As usual, Leo reread his letter. He was mortified by its contents, especially the last part about having kids. I can't send her this! He considered burning it, so that no one would read this disaster of a letter, but decided against it. He would keep the letter, if only for reference in the future. He would have to hide it from everyone, though.

He grabbed a new sheet of paper and wrote a less embarrassing letter. It was basically a shortened version of his first draft, minus the part about children. There really wasn't a need to discuss that yet.

Dear Kamui,

That's wonderful news that Orochi is having a baby. Please congratulate her for us.

My family is well, thank you for asking. Yesterday was Charlotte's birthday, so we had a ball in her honor.

I realized that I forgot to answer your question about refreshments for the wedding. I would like tomatoes, if that's possible. I'm mostly indifferent, since it's unlikely I'll have much time to eat.

I suppose we'll see each other again in a few weeks, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss things then.

-Leo

Leo made a copy of the letter for his own records, then sent his letter off to Hoshido.

The next morning, Elise pulled Leo away from the library for an "important" activity. Leo hoped it wasn't one of her tea parties again. Maybe he could talk her into a game of chess. Although, he always creamed her at chess, so she'd probably say no.

"So what is this important event, Elise?" Leo asked as she dragged him through the corridors of the castle.

When she answered, Leo actually wished they were having one of Elise's tea parties instead. "We're getting your new rooms ready today!" Elise said cheerfully.

"What?! What's wrong with my old one?" Leo complained. He'd had that room since he was a child; he didn't want to move. At least you're not moving to a different country like Kamui. When he thought of it that way, Leo was impressed by Kamui's courage. He certainly wouldn't look forward to moving to a new country.

"Well, there's not enough room in your old room for you and your wife," Elise explained. "Unless you want to squish two people into a one person room." She wrinkled her nose. "I don't think Kamui would like that though."

Leo shuddered at the thought of having almost no personal space. As much as he hated to admit it, Elise did have a point. "I wouldn't like it either."

"Yeah, you'd just be even more of a grouchy pants, and we've got to protect Kamui from that," Elise commented. "No one wants a grouchy husband."

"Will you please stop calling me that?" Leo grumbled. "Surely I'm not that bad."

Niles suddenly stepped into the hall. "Ah, but you are, Lord Leo." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "You are a force to be reckoned with when you don't get your full eight hours of sleep."

"Ugh," Leo groaned. "Why are you even here?"

"Niles is going to help get your rooms fixed up," Elise said.

"Why?" Leo asked. He was suspicious of Niles' motives.

Niles smirked. "Surely you know what married couples do in their rooms. As your retainer, it's my job to make sure everything is just right for you two lovers."

Leo flushed. "Ugh. Could you not make that sound so disturbing?"

Camilla stepped out of a door that Leo assumed led to his new room. "Is Leo already complaining? You haven't even see your new suite yet, dear." She grabbed Leo's hand and pulled him into a sitting room.

There was a wooden coffee table in the middle of the room. The love seat and sofa were both made of gray fabric. "This is your sitting room," Camilla explained. She pointed to a door opposite them. "That leads to your bedroom, and the door to the right is your wash room. That door," she nodded at the one on the left, "leads to Kamui's sitting room."

"There's also a door connecting your bedrooms," Niles put in. He snickered.

"Niles," Leo hissed.

Elise was still too pure for her own good. "Well, why's that a bad thing? You guys could have sleepover parties!"

Niles smirked. "That's one way of putting it, yes. Although I can think of some other activities-"

"Niles," Leo warned.

"Never mind." Thanks goodness Niles stopped whatever innuendo he was going to say.

Camilla took over the discussion again. "So Leo, we can have the servants move all of your things in today, if you'd like. That way you're settled in before Kamui moves in."

Leo really didn't want to move, but he knew that if he got it done, then his siblings would most likely stop pestering him about it."Let's just get this over with," he said.

With the servants doing most of the moving, it took considerably less time than Leo expected to move all of his things to his new room. After filling three bookcases in his bedroom, Leo had to put his remaining books in his sitting room.

Camilla shook her head. "My, my, little brother. I knew you had a lot of books, but six bookcases full?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Leo countered.

"Just don't neglect your wife because you spend so much time with your nose in a book," Camilla commented.

Kamui seems to be the only person important enough to fuss over nowadays, Leo couldn't help but think. No one cares if I'm unhappy; everyone only cares that I don't upset Kamui. Leo had told her that he didn't resent her when they'd met, but that was before his siblings had decided that Kamui's happiness was the single, most important thing in the world. Leo knew the situation wasn't Kamui's fault, but even hearing about her was starting to grate on his nerves. He was certain the situation would only get worse once they were married.

Chapter Text

The cherry blossoms were in bloom when the Nohrian royals arrived in Hoshido for the wedding of Prince Leo and Princess Kamui. The sight of pink flowers growing on trees was a novelty for Leo, and he couldn't help but stop and study the cherry blossom trees. They were only about thirty minutes away from Castle Shirasagi and they had made good travel time, so Leo felt that taking a break like this was fine.

Of course, Niles found Leo's fascination with the trees quite amusing. "Lord Leo, if you look at Princess Kamui the way you look at those trees, then-"

"Shut up, Niles," Leo interrupted. "I'm studying the flora for research purposes, nothing more."

"Ooh, you should give some to Kamui!" Elise suggested. "It would be so romantic."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she's seen thousands of cherry blossoms already this spring. And do we even know if it's okay to pick the cherry blossoms?"

"But Leo, they would be flowers from you, so that makes them special," Camilla commented. "Trust us. We're women, so we know what we're talking about."

Queen Arete must have overheard the conversation because she joined in. "Oh, it's all right if you pick a few flowers, Leo. Go ahead and do it." Well, since her sister was the queen of Hoshido, Leo would have to trust she was telling the truth.

Charlotte broke off a small branch of flowers and gave them to Leo. "Give these to Kamui, or else I'll kick your butt later," she muttered. Leo knew that it wasn't an empty threat from personal experience.

Leo sighed. "Fine. I'll give her the flowers. Although she told me that her favorite flowers are roses," he mused.

Elise pressed her fist into the palm of her hand. "Well, we're just going to have to find some roses, then."

"Wait, Elise. That's not what I was implying," Leo grumbled. Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?

"Well, you should get her some roses, too," Elise insisted.

Leo rubbed his forehead with his gloved hand. This discussion was starting to give him a headache. "Look, I'll go see a florist when we get to the city, okay?"

"Yay!" Elise cheered.

When they got in the city, Leo made good on his promise and bought a bouquet of red roses for his fiancée.

The florist was a cheerful middle-aged woman with dark hair. "Are you the lucky man who is marrying Princess Kamui?" she asked. Obviously, he was a noble from Nohr and he was buying roses, so it was a logical conclusion.

"That is correct," Leo replied.

"Well, best of luck to you, milord! She's a wonderful young lady," the florist said.

Leo nodded. "Thank you." He tried to pay for the flowers, but the florist refused his money.

"Oh, no. These are for Lady Kamui, right?"

"Yes."

"Then consider them a gift, milord." The florist winked at Leo, and he knew the discussion was over. A bell chimed as he closed the door to the shop.

Camilla and Elise were waiting for him by a fountain in the plaza. Elise arranged the cherry blossoms and roses artistically into a bouquet. "There, that should do it," she said.

Leo's throat felt dry. Actually giving Kamui flowers was a little intimidating. He swallowed. "So I've got cherry blossoms and roses. Am I missing anything?" As much as he didn't enjoy his sisters' interference, he might as well take their advice in giving flowers to a lady.

"Hmm, well you're just missing one thing, but I can't put my finger on it," Camilla said. She pinched his cheek, and Leo swatted away her hand.

"What was that for?" he grumbled.

Camilla just laughed. "Well, don't forget your smile, little brother."

"Yeah, no one wants a grumpy pants giving them flowers," Elise added.

Leo just ignored her, since he knew she wanted a reaction.

Father approached the siblings. "Children, it is time to go now," he informed them in his deep bass voice. "Are those flowers you have, Leo?"

Leo blushed and cleared his throat. "They're for Kamui," he said sheepishly.

Father just chuckled. He rested a heavy hand on Leo's shoulder. "I'm pleased to see you're learning how to court a lady," he said. "You're taking after your father, for sure." Father left before Leo could respond to that.

Well, that was just great. Practically all of Nohr knew about Father's dalliances with women. Leo did not want to follow his father's example in that area. I'll be faithful to Kamui, even if I'm not in love with her. I won't make the same mistakes that Father did, Leo promised himself. Since he was born out of wedlock and knew how difficult that was on a child, he would make sure that no child of his came into the world that way.

"Well, Father was always popular with the ladies," Camilla stated. "Oh, get rid of that sour face, Leo. You're going to be just fine."

Leo released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Let's just get this over with."

All of the Hoshidan royal family members were in the courtyard to welcome the Nohrians. Leo's eyes were instantly drawn to Kamui. She was standing next to her sisters, Hinoka and Sakura. She wore a turquoise dress, which Leo believed was called a yukata. Her silver hair fell down to the middle of her back in gentle waves. A black headband kept her locks out of her face. Her crimson eyes widened when they met Leo's, and her cheeks took on a rosy hue.

Leo was sure his face was as red as hers, but since they'd made eye contact, he couldn't ignore her. He approached her, flowers in hand. His hands were sweating in his gloves.

"Lady Kamui," he said formally. He brushed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand. She wasn't wearing gloves, and her skin was soft and warm.

"L-Leo," Kamui stuttered. Her face got even redder. She was just as nervous as he was.

Leo couldn't help his smirk. She was kind of cute when she was flustered like that. "You look lovely," he whispered.

"Oh, um, th-thank you," Kamui squeaked.

Leo released her hand and offered the flowers. "These are for you."

"Thank you." She gathered the bouquet in her arms and tried to hide her blush in the flowers. Perhaps Leo had almost no experience with flirting or courting, but her reactions were worth it. Maybe it wasn't the best thing that he was flirting mostly just to get her flustered, but he was enjoying it.

Princess Hinoka nudged Kamui and smirked. "Heh. You're adorable when you're flustered, Little Sister."

Kamui glared at her sister and her blush deepened even more. Her cheeks were getting close to the shade of her eyes. "Hinoka, stop," she hissed. It would seem that Kamui got just as much grief as Leo did. She met Leo's eyes again. "It's good to see you again. Would you like me to show you to your rooms?" She wasn't stuttering anymore, but her cheeks were still flushed.

Leo nodded. "Certainly."

He heard Niles snicker behind him. He probably shouldn't have flirted with Kamui like that in front of all of their siblings and parents. Leo would never hear the end of it now. "Niles, please take my things up for me," Leo ordered. Niles might be his brother-in-law now, but he was still Leo's retainer.

"Of course, milord," Niles said. Leo hoped that he would keep his suggestive comments to himself.

Kamui led them through a maze of corridors, until they reached a room on the second floor. She slid a door open and entered the room. There was a sleeping mat on the floor; Leo recalled that Hoshidans didn't sleep in beds. There were a couple pieces of wooden furniture, but other than that, the room was mostly empty.

"This is where you'll be staying, obviously" Kamui said. "Your family have rooms in this same hall."

Niles lugged in Leo's trunk. He observed the room with his good eye.

"You're Niles, right?" Kamui asked.

Niles grinned. "That would be me. Leo's faithful retainer and brother-in-law."

Kamui smiled warmly. "Nice to officially meet you."

She turned to Leo. "There's a hot springs pool by the north wing of the castle." She bit her lip. "I don't remember what time the men's baths are, but I'm sure the servants can tell you."

Niles couldn't resist that opportunity. "So you might be joining us in the baths, then, milady?"

Kamui blushed. "Of course not. That wouldn't be decent, after all." She sighed and turned back to Leo. "So anyway, this is your room for the next few days. If you don't have any questions for me, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"You could spend the night here," Niles suggested. "I'm sure you have plenty to discuss."

Both Leo and Kamui blushed at the implication. "Niles, be respectful," Leo ordered. "You're dismissed for the evening. Go bother Camilla."

Niles smirked and closed the screen door behind him. "Have fun."

Leo sighed. "Sorry about that. Niles talks a little rough sometimes, but he's a good man."

Kamui nodded. "Well, do you need anything before I leave?"

Leo shook his head. "No, thank you."

"Okay. Well, goodnight then. And thanks for the flowers," Kamui said as she hurried out of the room, bouquet still in her arms.

"Goodnight, princess."

The men's time for the hot springs pool was in the morning, so Leo went to the pool with Father, Xander, and Niles at that time. The water was warm and soothing after their journey to Hoshido.

The Nohrians weren't the only men in the pool at that time. King Sumeragi and his two sons were already there, along with other Hoshidans Leo didn't know. Prince Takumi left the water as soon as the Nohrians arrived, muttering something about "Nohrian scum." And this guy is going to be my brother-in-law? Just wonderful. At least King Sumeragi and Prince Ryoma were courteous to the guests. They made small talk, but no one seemed interested in having a deep conversation. This was a time to relax, after all.

When Leo heard the footsteps of another person entering the pool, he instinctively turned to look at them.

And then he quickly averted his eyes. Kamui stood before all of them, only clad in a black bikini. He hadn't expected that. And staring would just make this even more awkward, especially since Kamui's father and brother were there.

Sumeragi stood and shook his head. "Daughter, did you forget what time the women's baths are again?"

Ryoma frowned. "Kamui, it's our turn right now."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kamui squeaked. "I'll leave right away." Leo heard her feet splash through the water as she ran out of there.

Ryoma shook his head. "Father, we really should get someone to guard the entrance when it's the men's time to bathe."

Niles raised his eyebrow. "Is this something that happens often, milord?"

King Sumeragi answered with a sigh. "My apologies for that. Sometimes my daughter forgets when she can come in here."

"Ah. I thought she wanted to give Lord Leo a peek before their wedding night," Niles commented before anyone could stop him.

Leo felt his face burn. "Niles, be quiet," he hissed. The last thing he needed was Niles being, well, Niles in front of Leo's future in-laws. They were trying to strengthen relationships with the neighboring nation, not offend the royal family.

King Sumeragi raised an eyebrow at that comment. "I assure you that was not her intention. As I said, this is not the first time this has happened."

Leo left soon after that incident. Things had gotten a little too uncomfortable after Kamui had shown up.

Leo dressed in brown slacks and a white button-down shirt. He towel dried his hair, then put his usual headband in place.

Kamui approached him soon after he left the hot springs. She must have been waiting for him. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing her black bikini anymore and had changed to a light pink yukata with a pattern of tiny red flowers on it. "Leo, I'm sorry for showing up like that," she apologized. She focused on her bare feet, and her cheeks were flushed. "I promise I didn't mean anything indecent by it; I honestly forgot it was the men's turn in the baths."

Leo sighed and ran his fingers through his damp hair. "I know. Your father told us this isn't the first time it's happened."

Kamui still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I'm still really embarrassed. I hope this doesn't make things awkward between us."

Things are already awkward between us, Leo thought, but he kept that thought to himself. "It's fine. I'll just pretend that didn't happen." Of course, he couldn't get the image of Kamui in her bathing suit out of his mind. Before he realized what he was doing, he was eyeing the curves of her figure. Don't think about that! Leo averted his eyes quickly, blushing.

"Thanks for being understanding," Kamui said.

Leo nodded. "Of course. Everyone makes mistakes, after all."

Both of them were quiet for a moment. Leo was the one who broke the silence. "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?" If they were going to stand there awkwardly, then Leo would rather just leave.

Kamui flushed again and took a deep breath. "If you're not busy, would you like to go on a walk with me through the gardens?" Her words were slurred together. "Only if you want to, of course."

"Certainly," Leo replied. The wedding was only in four days now, so spending more time together was a good idea. And being with her was much more enjoyable than having his siblings pester him about her.

He offered Kamui his arm, and she took it tentatively. Kamui led the way to the gardens in silence.

Flowers of every color were in bloom in the garden. Leo noticed purple chrysanthemums, white lilies, blue hydrangeas, yellow tulips, and many more varieties. He'd read about Hoshidan flower gardens, but seeing it in person was something on an entirely new level. And the scent of the flowers was sweet and refreshing.

"I love coming here," Kamui said softly. "It's so beautiful and peaceful. I always feel really happy when I'm here."

"I agree. This is beautiful," Leo replied. "I'm sure you're going to miss it when you come to Nohr, though."

Kamui looked up at Leo. "You said there were flowers in Nohr, though."

"Well, yes, but nothing like this. Plants don't grow very well in Nohr; the soil isn't as fertile as Hoshido's," Leo explained.

"Hm. Well, I'm still excited to see Nohr, though. I've heard it's so different from Hoshido," she said brightly.

Leo nodded. "It is."

They fell into silence again. This silence was comfortable, not awkward, however.

Kamui was the one to break it. "Leo?"

He looked down at her. "Yes?"

Her cheeks were rosy. "Um, I was wondering… if you could tell me what the plans are for after the wedding." She let go of his arm and held her hands up defensively. "It's just that you said you'd plan a- a honeymoon for us…" Her face reddened when she mentioned their honeymoon.

Leo's face also felt warm. He coughed into his fist. He'd been so nervous about the wedding, that the thought of what would happen after the wedding was strange. "Well, I thought we'd leave for our… destination after the reception," he said. "The servants can move your things into Castle Krakenburg while we're… gone." Ugh. I sound like such an idiot!

Kamui nodded quickly. "That sounds good to me… About how long will we be gone?"

"Forever," Leo said before he could stop himself.

"F-forever?!" Kamui's eyes widened. "Whatever do you mean?" Her bewildered expression was comical.

Leo smirked. "Didn't I tell you? We're eloping and never coming back." To be honest, sometimes the thought was tempting. Well, the never coming back part, at least.

Kamui shook her head, but Leo caught a small smile. "Oh, very funny. Now tell me, how long are we really going to be gone?"

"About a week, I suppose." Normally Leo planned things in great detail in advance, but with this, he wasn't sure what to do. And he certainly didn't want to force Kamui to do anything that made her uncomfortable. So he figured it was best to play this by ear.

Something in his expression must have betrayed Leo's thoughts. Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You do have something planned, right?"

Leo raised a finger in objection to her doubt. "I thought I told you it was a surprise. If I tell you any more, it would ruin the surprise." The "surprise" aspect was really just an excuse not to have to talk about a honeymoon before they went on one. Why did I think this was a good idea again?

Kamui's eyes sparkled like rubies. "All right. I'll stop asking." She giggled. "This must be some surprise you have planned." She's going to kill me when she finds out that my plans for the honeymoon are actually really pathetic.

"Just don't expect too much," Leo cautioned. Because I don't have much planned. He at least knew where they were going and about how long they would stay, but other than that, he didn't really have any plans.

"Well, like I said, I'm fine with whatever," she said. "So don't worry too much, okay?" She flashed him a soft, reassuring smile. His nervousness about everything must be blatantly obvious, but Leo took some comfort in knowing that he could also sense how nervous she was.

Leo couldn't help messing with her some more. "So you're fine with whatever, then? Perhaps I'll make some changes-"

She held up her hands again. "Well, not whatever. Just anything that's reasonable," she clarified. "When I said that, I kind of doubted you'd plan something like camping out in the Woods of the Forlorn for a week. That's what that creepy forest is called, right?"

"Creepy? Whoever said it was creepy? It's probably my favorite vacation spot. And it very well could be our destination."

Kamui laughed. "Yeah right. Although I guess it would be quite the adventure to spend a whole week in the Woods of the Forlorn," she mused.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you want to go on our honeymoon in the Woods of the Forlorn? That can be arranged."

The Hoshidan princess giggled. "No, I think I'm good. I'm just saying it would definitely be memorable."

Leo chuckled. "That it would be."

Her eyes were bright with amusement, and her cheeks were still rosy. The corners of her mouth were turned up in suppressed laughter. Her silvery hair seemed to shimmer in the spring sunlight. In that moment, Leo thought she looked more like an angel than a mortal princess. His mouth felt dry when he realized he'd been staring at her like a fool.

"Well, I'm sure you have a lot to do today, so I'll take my leave of you now," Kamui said. "Thank you for accompanying me."

Leo swallowed. "My pleasure," he said.

Kamui gave him a little wave as she walked away. "I'll see you at dinner tonight," she called over her shoulder. Then she was gone, and Leo was left alone among the bright hues of flowers.

Chapter Text

The day before the wedding arrived sooner than Kamui expected. The last few days since the Nohrians had arrived had been almost completely chaotic. Takumi's retainer, Oboro, had insisted on making almost everyone's outfits all by herself. The poor girl was about to break from the stress that she had put upon herself. When Kamui kindly offered to assist her, Oboro immediately refused. "Lady Kamui, no offense, but we both know that your skills as a seamstress are lacking, to put it mildly." That was true; Kamui hadn't ever shown much interest in sewing, so naturally she didn't develop that talent.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help you, Oboro?" Kamui offered as she watched Oboro put some finishing details on Takumi's kimono. "I feel bad that you're so stressed…"

Oboro smiled softly. "Thank you for your concern, milady, but I really am excited to do all of this." She nodded to the rack of completed outfits.

Kamui shook her head. "This is your third time making all of the outfits for a royal wedding. Your work is amazing, Oboro, but I worry that you're doing too much."

"Well, if you want to help me with something, you can try your dress on again, milady." Oboro nodded to a long white dress hanging on the rack. "I want to make sure it fits you perfectly for tomorrow."

Kamui sighed. This was about the tenth time this week she'd had to put on the dress. But if it helped ease Oboro's stress, she would do it for her friend. "I'll get Mozu to help me get changed," she said.

It didn't take long to track down Kamui's retainer, who immediately set aside her work in the kitchen to assist Kamui.

"Mozu, you can finish what you're working on," Kamui began.

Mozu shook her head. "It's fine, milady." She grinned. "Besides, helping you get ready for tomorrow is a real treat for me. Weddings were always exciting in my village, but a royal wedding is on a whole new level. And it's your wedding, Lady Kamui, so I can spare a few minutes to help out."

They returned to Oboro's workshop, and Mozu helped Kamui change into her wedding dress. The bodice was of a kimono style with long sleeves, but the skirt flared out like the Nohrian style dresses. A sheer silver obi was tied around her waist. Kamui couldn't help but smile at how the dress complimented her figure when she saw herself in the full length mirror. She stood still while Oboro made her measurements and adjustments.

Mozu was on the verge of bursting from her excitement. "You're so pretty in your wedding dress, Lady Kamui. Your fiancé won't be able to keep his eyes off you," she squealed.

Kamui felt her face grow warm at the compliment. "It's just Oboro's handiwork. I'm not a world-class beauty or anything."

Mozu shook her head. "That's not what I've heard. Didn't Prince Leo call you lovely the other day?"

Kamui's face reddened even more. "He- he was just being polite," she squeaked.

Mozu put her hands on her hips. "Nah. He was saying how things are, Lady Kamui. Deny it all you want, but you are a very lovely princess. And I beg your pardon for saying so, but maybe you should accept that your fiancé might actually find you attractive."

Kamui's heart fluttered even at the mere thought of Leo finding her attractive. She laughed nervously. "Well, we'll see about that."

Oboro smirked. "She's not going to admit it, Mozu, so don't waste your breath."

Kamui glanced nervously around the room. "Look, can we talk about something else, please?"

Oboro and Mozu shared a wicked grin. Kamui gulped, knowing that she wouldn't like what they were about to say. "Well, has Lord Leo told you what you're doing for a honeymoon yet?" Oboro asked innocently.

Not this again. "He said it was a surprise." Kamui sighed. "Oboro, are you finished with your adjustments? I have some business I need to take care of." What she really needed was to escape this awkward conversation.

Oboro finished up her adjustments on the shoulders of the dress. "I suppose that will have to do for now," she sighed.

"Oboro, it's perfect, okay? Don't worry," Kamui insisted.

"You need to stop worrying, Lady Kamui," Mozu commented. "Let's get you changed, then you need to do something relaxing. We can't have the bride being a nervous wreck on her special day."

Kamui sighed. "Alright. I'll take a walk around the gardens after this."

The dark soil was damp underneath Kamui's bare feet. Since she'd have to bathe again before tomorrow, she figured she could get as dirty as she wanted, so she treaded barefoot through the gardens. There was just something about being out in nature that soothed Kamui's spirits. She lay back in the dirt, not caring that it was improper for a princess. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of roses.

It was strange to think that today was the last day that Kamui would be a single woman. Tomorrow, she was getting married. The whole thing had felt surreal up until now. She was excited about the new chapter in her life, but also terrified. Leo and I hardly know each other. And now we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. I just hope everything works out…

Kamui didn't realize she'd dozed off, until someone called her name. "Kamui? What are you doing here?"

Kamui's eyes flew and met the speaker's gaze. Leo stood over her, a puzzled expression on his face.

Kamui flushed. He probably thought she was crazy for taking a nap in the dirt. "Leo, I didn't hear you approach," she managed to say. She sat up and tried to brush dirt off of her back. She was covered in the stuff and soon gave up.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to find you here," Leo said defensively. "My apologies for disturbing you. I'll leave you to napping in the dirt." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Leo," Kamui called out. I don't want him to think I'm a madwoman. "Will you join me for a moment?" Perhaps she could explain her odd behavior.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You want me to sit in the dirt with you? That's an odd request." Yep, he thinks I'm nuts.

Kamui started to stand. Leo offered her his hand, and she took it. He pulled her to her feet without much effort. "No, you don't have to sit in the dirt," she said. "That was silly of me." She grimaced when she noticed the dirt under her fingernails and all over her arms. She was going to get a lecture for getting so dirty again, especially on the day before her wedding.

"Well, it was unexpected, I'll admit," Leo said. He folded his arms behind his back, which straightened his posture. He's so tall, Kamui realized. She barely came up to his shoulders.

"So why are you out here, Leo?" Kamui asked.

He ran his fingers through his fair hair. "I just needed some fresh air. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm very introverted, so being around people for long periods of time can be draining," he admitted.

Kamui glanced down at her bare feet. They were so dirty that they looked almost black. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry I interrupted your solitude." Being around her was probably exhausting for Leo, and she felt bad for annoying him.

"You didn't interrupt anything, Kamui," Leo said. He was probably just being polite again. "I am the one who interrupted your nap."

Kamui sighed and met his gaze. "I shouldn't be napping right now anyway. There's still so much to do for tomorrow."

Leo nodded. "So what are you doing out here, besides napping?"

Kamui bit her lip. "Well, to be honest, I'm super nervous about tomorrow. And being out here is calming for me."

Leo chuckled nervously. "You're not the only one who's nervous," he admitted. "I am relieved that you feel the same way I do."

Kamui fidgeted with a strand of her hair. "Leo, can I ask you something?" she blurted out.

"You can, but I can't promise that I'll be able to answer."

Kamui's face grew warmer and warmer as she spoke. "Sorry if this question is a little strange, but have you ever kissed anyone before?" Her heart was pounding in her chest at her boldness.

Leo wouldn't meet her eyes, and his cheeks were red again. "No… no, I haven't ever kissed anyone before." Okay, so they were in the same boat. "Why do you ask?"

A nervous giggle escaped Kamui's lips. "I've never been kissed, so I'll admit that I've been scared silly of having my first kiss in front of a bunch of people."

Leo absentmindedly tousled his hair again. "I'm right there with you."

Kamui took a deep breath. She needed all the courage she could muster to ask her next question. "Do you think we could practice?" she blurted out.

Leo cleared his throat. "What exactly do you mean?"

Kamui couldn't look at his face and explain this, so she focused on a cluster of white lilies near them. "Well, maybe we could practice kissing ahead of time, so that we don't make fools of ourselves in front of everyone." Her heart was beating much faster than normal by the time she got the words out of her mouth.

"Oh… well…" Leo was at a loss for words.

Kamui reddened in shame. "Sorry, it was a dumb idea."

 She startled when Leo's gloved fingers cupped her chin and raised her face to look at his. His dark eyes were filled with an emotion that she couldn't identify. "No, I think it's a reasonable suggestion," he said slowly. "Shall we kiss now?"

Kamui didn't trust herself to speak, so she just nodded. Her breath caught when Leo leaned in closer and slowly brushed his lips against hers. She jerked away in shock at the sensation. Kamui winced when she saw the hurt look in Leo's eyes. She had been the one to suggest this, and she was the one who had pulled back like a coward. "Sorry," she breathed. "You took me by surprise."

"I apologize. I'm not very good at this," Leo said softly.

Kamui shook her head. "No, it's my fault for pulling back so quickly." She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. "We could- we could try again, if you don't mind. I'll try to not do that again." I really can't kiss him like that tomorrow. That would be so embarrassing!

Leo laughed nervously. "Well, that is why we're practicing now, instead of tomorrow, right?"

Kamui smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah. I- I think I'm ready now, if you want to…" She trailed off as he cupped her cheek in his gloved hand. This time, she leaned closer to him as he drew close. Her eyes fluttered shut when their lips met. His kiss was hesitant, yet gentle. Kamui's first impulse was to pull away again, but she restrained herself. After a moment, his lips left hers, and she could breathe again.

Kamui opened her eyes and giggled. "That was much better."

Leo sighed. "That was nice," he commented. He surprised Kamui when he pulled her closer and kissed her again. This kiss was more determined than before. Kamui gasped when he moved from her lips to her jaw. Leo's kiss was more passionate than their other attempts, and that frightened Kamui.

"Leo," Kamui mumbled. "Leo, please stop." To her relief, his lips stopped caressing her face.

Leo took a step back from her. He was still a little breathless. "My apologies. I got carried away," he confessed. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Kamui."

Kamui sighed. "I just need some time to get used to this," she admitted. "But at least tomorrow shouldn't be as awkward."

Leo nodded. He took her hand and brushed a kiss to her knuckles. Her heart fluttered at the contact. "We don't need to rush anything, Kamui. I don't want you to be uncomfortable or scared of me. We'll take things at your pace."

Kamui smiled softly. "Thank you, Leo, for being so patient with me." In a moment of boldness, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Leo's cheek.

His dark eyes widened at the contact, and he touched his check where she'd kissed him. "You should probably get cleaned up. I doubt your seamstress would be pleased if you got dirt all over your wedding dress," Leo observed, after a moment of silence. "I- I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Kamui responded meekly.

Leo turned and quickly walked away. Normally being in the flower gardens was soothing, but right then, Kamui's heart was still racing in her chest. I can't believe I just had my first kiss, was foremost in her thoughts.

Getting a good night's sleep the night before the big day was nearly impossible for Kamui. She felt so jittery about tomorrow that her body couldn't relax. It didn't help that her mind kept replaying her first kiss with Leo. She really hoped she hadn't hurt Leo's feelings by being so nervous about his affection. She wasn't disgusted by his kisses, but she was scared of taking that step with someone, especially someone she hardly knew. And after we're married, he'll only want to get more intimate with me, she thought. Of course thinking about that only worsened her insomnia. If I can't even handle a few kisses, how am I going to do anything else with him? Kamui's heart pounded much too quickly in her chest. She wasn't ready for this. No amount of practice would prepare her for tomorrow night.

She threw off her blanket and put a robe over her nightgown. Maybe Mozu or Kaze could give her something to help her fall asleep. Both of her retainers were knowledgeable about herbs and such things, so they could probably help her.

Mozu wasn't in the hall, so Kamui assumed Kaze was on guard duty, hidden in the shadows. "Kaze," she called quietly.

He appeared by her side so quickly that she couldn't tell where he'd been hiding. "Lady Kamui, is something the matter?"

"Well, I'm having trouble sleeping, so I was wondering if you knew of any tonics that could help me."

"Certainly. Would you like me to bring it to your chambers when it's ready?" Kaze asked.

"Actually, I'd like to go to the parlor, if that's okay. I don't want to be in my chambers right now," Kamui admitted.

"Of course. I can escort you to the parlor, then prepare the tonic."

The parlor was a room reserved for members of the royal family. It had a fireplace, some cushions, and a bookcase. To Kamui's surprise, it wasn't empty when she got there.

"Mother? I didn't think you'd be in here," Kamui noted.

Mother patted the cushion next to her. "Come, join me." She was also wearing her night robe.

Kamui joined her mother by the fireplace, and Kaze gave them some privacy. Mother and daughter sat in a companionable silence.

Mother was the first to break it. "Kamui, how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"Nervous. Well, I'm excited too, of course, but I'm mostly just nervous. I haven't been able to fall asleep," Kamui admitted.

Mother chuckled softly. "It's perfectly normal to feel that way the night before your wedding. Would you like to tell me what's on your mind?"

Kamui sighed. "A lot of things. I worry that I won't meet Leo's expectations of me as his wife." This was something hard to talk about, but she needed to get it off her chest, and her mother was probably the only person Kamui could share this with. "He kissed me for the first time today, and-"

A huge grin came across Mother's face, and she clapped her hands together. "Did he really?"

Kamui felt her face grow warm. "Yes. Well, I kind of asked him to… Anyway, I couldn't even handle a simple kiss. And I don't think I'm ready for anything more intimate than that." This is so embarrassing to admit out loud.

Mother was still smiling. "Have you talked to Leo about how you feel?" It was something she had often suggested. Write to Leo, talk to Leo, be open with him.

"Sort of. He said we didn't need to rush anything, but I feel like I'll just disappoint him."Leo had seemed all too eager to kiss her once he'd started, and Kamui felt bad for pushing him away.

"Leo's happiness isn't the only thing that matters in this relationship," Mother reminded Kamui. "You need to be happy as well. It seems like he's willing to take things at a pace that you're comfortable with, so I wouldn't worry too much. Just be open with him, and I know you'll be just fine."

Kamui sighed. "I know, I know. Communication is key for any relationship. This is just so embarrassing to talk about with him. I can't even believe I asked him to kiss me today, and then I pulled away. I'm acting like a complete fool, Mother. And I've embarrassed myself in front of Leo way too many times these last few days. He probably thinks I'm crazy."

Mother giggled. "Sweetie, you're being too adorable. You'll get used to each other. Just give it some time." Kamui yawned, and Mother raised an eyebrow. "Now, you need to get all the sleep you can before tomorrow."

Kaze returned right then. "Queen Mikoto, Princess Kamui, I've prepared a sleeping tonic, just as Lady Kamui requested."

Mother took the tonic and thanked him. "Kaze, will you escort Kamui back to her chambers after she's had the tonic?"

"Of course, your highness."

Mother pressed the teacup into Kamui's hands. "Drink up, dear." Kamui sniffed and made a face at the strong, bitter scent coming from the concoction. The liquid was dark colored and had the consistency of molasses. Kamui gulped it down as fast as she could. She almost gagged at the bitter flavor, but managed to get it all down.

She coughed. "Kaze, could you bring me a glass of water, please?" She had to get the terrible taste out of her mouth.

"I have one right here, milady," he said as he offered her the glass. "I figured you wouldn't find the sleeping tonic very appetizing."

Kamui gulped down the water quickly. Her eyelids started to feel heavy. "How strong is that stuff?" she mumbled. "I think it's already starting to work." She leaned her head on her mother's shoulder and found herself quickly drifting off. The last thing she was aware of was Kaze picking her up in his arms. After that, she slept soundly through the night.

Mozu was the one who got Kamui up the next morning. "Rise and shine, Lady Kamui! You're getting hitched today!"

Kamui groaned, rolled over, and covered her head with her pillow. She'd never been a morning person. "Just five more minutes, Mozu," she moaned.

Mozu just ripped the pillow out of her liege's hands. "Not today, milady. We have to get you ready for the wedding ceremony."

"Who's we?"

"Me, Queen Mikoto, your sisters, and Oboro," Mozu said. Kamui wasn't surprised by that. "And the Nohrian ladies want to help out, too."

Kamui sat up and blinked at Mozu. "So who does that include?" It seemed like way too many people were intent on helping her prepare for today.

"Queen Arete, Lady Charlotte, Lady Camilla, Lady Azura, and Lady Elise," Mozu answered. "Golly! I just realized that you'll have two queens helping you get ready today! What an honor!"

Kamui laughed quietly. "Well, it's not all that surprising when one of them is my mother and the other is my aunt." She paused as she thought about this information. "But all of Leo's sisters want to help, too?"

"Yep. Well, they are going to be your family after today, so it's not too strange. Back in my village, the women of the groom's family attended the bride on the wedding day." Mozu smiled at the memory of her village. "But they're all waiting for you, and you're still covered in dirt from yesterday. What is it you were doing?"

Kissing my fiancé… Oh no! I was covered in dirt during my first kiss. I'm so embarrassed! "Uh, I was out in the gardens and fell asleep on the ground," she admitted. There was no way she was going to mention what had happened between her and Leo. Only Mother knew, and Kamui intended to keep it that way for now.

Mozu shook her head. "Now I like gardening as much as you do, milady, but now isn't the best time to be doing so. Well, let's get you to the baths."

Kamui frowned. "It is the women's time to bathe, right?" She really didn't want to repeat that particular mistake again. At least not in front of her fiancé. And her future brother-in-laws and the king of Nohr. She'd really blundered that day.

"Of course! I wouldn't tell you to go bathe with the men!" Mozu giggled. "I did heard about what happened the other day from Lord Ryoma. You must have been mighty embarrassed, milady."

Kamui's face reddened. "It was an accident, and yes, I was super embarrassed. Can we please drop the subject now?"

"Sorry, milady," Mozu mumbled. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Kamui got up and followed Mozu to the hot springs bath. "It's fine, Mozu. If I were you, I'd find it funny as well." Just how many people did Ryoma tell? And that Niles character, I bet he doesn't have a problem sharing that incident with anyone. I'm never going to live this down.

The baths were vacant except for Mozu and Kamui. Kamui would have preferred to soak and relax a while longer, but Mozu made sure that she was bathed in record time. Kamui put on a simple peach yukata to return to her chambers, and Mozu wrapped her damp hair in a towel.

Oboro was waiting for them when Kamui and Mozu returned. The wedding dress was laid out on the futon mattress, along with her veil. "Took you long enough," Oboro commented. "Mozu, help me get her dressed." The two retainers quickly helped Kamui change into the wedding dress.

"I'll go let the royals know that she's ready for them," Mozu said. "Be back in a moment, Lady Kamui."

Kamui turned to Oboro. "Since I'm already dressed, what are the others going to help me with?" she wondered.

Oboro laughed. "While the dress looks fabulous on you, you're not getting married looking like that." She gestured to Kamui's face.

Kamui frowned. "What's wrong with my face?"

"Lady Kamui, you should have your hair styled and your makeup done," Oboro reminded her.

"Oh, yeah." That hadn't even crossed Kamui's mind. If she was in charge, she'd just wear the dress, have the ceremony, and call it a day. But this was a royal wedding, one that symbolized an era of peace between Hoshido and Nohr, so things would have to be done properly.

Mozu returned shortly with all of the royal ladies filing in behind her. Kamui mentally counted how many people were there. Including the two retainers, there was a total of eleven people preparing Kamui for the ceremony. Well, at least it's getting the two royal families to work together, she mused.

Elise was the first one to reach Kamui. She threw her arms around Kamui's waist. "Big Sister! You look so beautiful today!"

"Thank you, El-"

"And Leo is going to faint when he sees you!" Elise concluded with a giggle.

"I certainly hope he doesn't," Camilla commented.

Kamui laughed nervously. "Yeah, let's avoid any fainting today."

Mother pulled Kamui into her warm embrace. "You are so lovely, my dear Kamui. I'm so proud of you," she whispered in Kamui's ear. "You've grown up into a wonderful woman."

Kamui teared up when she remembered that today she would be moving away from her family. "Thank you, Mother," she whispered.

Hinoka raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you're already crying, Little Sister."

"D-don't cry, Big Sister," Sakura added. "This is supposed to be a happy day."

Kamui wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled. "I know. I am happy. It's just a little overwhelming right now." Well, that comment had everyone patting her and giving her hugs. All of the attention was a tad overwhelming, but Kamui tried to ignore her discomfort for now.

After much more discussion than they needed, they finally came up with a plan. The Nohrian princesses would work on Kamui's makeup, the Hoshidan princesses would work on her hair, Charlotte was assigned to do the manicure, and the queens would supervise. The whole ordeal was chaotic, and Kamui just tried to sit still while her friends and family gave her a makeover.

Finally, they deemed their makeover good enough. Elise and Sakura pulled Kamui over to a full-length mirror. "Tada!" Elise cheered.

Kamui gasped. They really had gone all out. The makeup wasn't too much, but just enough to emphasize her red eyes, cheeks, and lips. Camilla had only put on a dab of lip gloss, claiming that Leo probably didn't want to get lipstick all over him today. (Kamui did not like the implication in that statement; Camilla was almost as bad as her husband.) And her sisters had done an amazing job on her hair. They had braided some of it back and pinned it up, leaving the rest of it in waves down her back. Little white jasmine flowers had been woven into her locks.

All of the women giggled at Kamui's shocked expression. "Well, what do you think?" Elise asked enthusiastically.

"That's… um… wow, you all did an amazing job," Kamui managed to stutter out. People told her that she was beautiful, but today she could actually believe it was true.

Hinoka smirked. "Just admit it already, Kamui: you're beautiful."

"I suppose you're right," Kamui said softly.

The sky was overcast by the time everyone arrived at the shrine for the ceremony. Kamui was relieved that it wouldn't be too ridiculously hot, but she did wonder if it was going to rain. She personally didn't mind the rain, but she knew that others didn't feel the same way about getting wet in their formal attire.

The actual ceremony was held inside the shrine, with only family members present. The reception would be held back at the castle and was more after Nohrian tradition. Blending Nohrian and Hoshidan culture was a little over Kamui's head, to be honest. She just knew that the ceremony would be more Hoshidan and the reception more Nohrian. She didn't really care, as long as everyone was content.

Well, she hoped mostly everyone was content. She knew that Takumi still had strong feelings of animosity towards Nohr, and Oboro was even worse. Kamui couldn't blame Takumi's retainer for her feelings, though. Her parents had been brutally murdered in front of her by Nohrian bandits when she was a small child. The poor girl had been scarred for life. Kamui was relieved that she was at least enthusiastic about designing the clothing for the wedding. And she didn't really know how all of the Nohrians felt about Hoshido, but Kamui hoped that things would mostly go well.

That's why we're getting married- to show our people that our nations can coexist without hatred and war. Kamui really shouldn't worry so much about the romance aspect of marriage; this was a political union, after all. She needed to focus on making peace between Nohr and Hoshido.

Father would be the one to walk Kamui down the aisle; the father of the bride giving his daughter to the groom was more of a Nohrian tradition, but Kamui had liked the concept and insisted that they do that for her wedding. Before Kamui knew it, Father offered his arm to her.

"Are you ready, daughter?" Father asked quietly.

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes again. Perhaps he wasn't her birth parent, but King Sumeragi had been a father to her since she was a baby. "Not really, but let's get this over with." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Father offered her a handkerchief. "Hey now, dry those tears, little princess. You're going to be just fine."

Kamui wiped her tears and hoped she didn't smear her makeup too much. "Thanks, Father." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, careful not to crush the bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I love you so much, Papa."

Father chuckled. "I love you, too, Kamui. Now, shall we?" He wrapped his arm around hers.

Kamui nodded. "Yeah." She made sure her veil was in place and covering her face, then proceeded down the aisle with her father at her side. She tried not to look around too much at her surroundings. Everyone would have their eyes on her, and it wasn't very princess-like to gape at everything like this was her first time in a shrine. She did notice that the Nohrian and Hoshidan families were seated on opposite sides of the aisle, much to her disappointment. This is going to take time, she reminded herself. At least no one was openly glaring.

Leo was waiting for them by the altar. He wore the white and gold suit Oboro had designed for him. His fair hair was held back by his normal black headband. He was quite dashing. His dark eyes widened when he saw her. Fortunately, Elise's prediction was false, and Leo did not faint upon seeing his bride. As it was, Kamui couldn't tell what he was thinking at that moment.

Kamui passed her bouquet off to Hinoka for the ceremony and took her place opposite Leo at the altar. For some reason, Hinoka's queer retainer, Azama, was officiating at the wedding. He was a priest, so he had the authority, but he had always seemed a bit odd to Kamui.

Kamui's mind kept wandering during the actual ceremony. Azama spoke about love, unity, and their future posterity. Both Leo and Kamui sipped the sake, then exchanged their vows. Kamui was relieved she didn't cry or stutter when she vowed to love Leo for the rest of her life. I don't love him yet, but perhaps someday… Then, Azama pronounced them husband and wife.

Leo lifted her veil and pressed a brief kiss to her lips. Kamui was proud of herself for not pulling away like she had yesterday. Then, it was over, and their families came up to congratulate them.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Kamui. They returned to Castle Shirasagi for the reception, and, as Leo had predicted, she didn't have hardly any time to eat, since she was at the center of attention. There was food, music, and dancing. They'd even invited the common people to the celebration, so the place was packed.

At some point, Leo's sisters pointed out that the newlyweds hadn't danced yet. "Leo, dear. You should ask your wife to dance," Kamui heard Camilla whisper in his ear. Leo just shook his head ever so slightly.

Elise was a bit more forward about what she expected. "C'mon, you two! You're going to dance together," she insisted and pulled both of them to their feet. The girl was much stronger than she looked.

"Leo doesn't have to dance, if he doesn't want to," Kamui found herself saying. She personally wouldn't mind a dance, but she didn't want to force her husband to dance with her. My husband… that's going to take some getting used to.

Leo looked down at her. Kamui still wasn't great at reading his emotions, but she felt like he was a tad annoyed. "Would you like to dance, Kamui?" he asked politely.

Kamui opened her mouth, but no words came out. She would like to dance, but she sensed that Leo didn't want to, so that put her in a tight spot.

Orochi answered for her instead. "Of course, you'd love to dance, right, Kamui?"

Kamui flushed at the attention. "I- I guess so," she said quietly. It seemed both Leo and Kamui had peer pressure from their sisters. If they danced, then they'd probably get some peace.

"Shall we then?" Leo asked, offering her his hand. His face was an expressionless mask.

She nodded and let him lead her onto the dance floor. He led them in a waltz, but they didn't speak at all during the dance. After the song finished, Leo dropped her hand and strode back to their seats without waiting for her. Something has upset him, Kamui noted. She hoped she hadn't done anything to annoy him again.

Fortunately, Father claimed her as his partner for the next dance, so she didn't end up standing there like an idiot. "May I have this dance, princess?" he asked.

Kamui smiled up at her father. "Of course."

Her mind wandered again during their dance. She was no longer just Father's little princess; she was now the wife of Prince Leo of Nohr. The change in status was still a lot to take in. Especially when her new husband seemed upset with her.

"What are you thinking, Kamui?" Father asked. "You seem lost in thought."

Kamui met her father's eyes again. "Oh, just stuff. I don't want to talk about it."

Father's dark eyes were sad. "Alright. But I'm here for you, even though you're a married woman now. You'll always be my daughter, no matter what your future brings."

Well, that got Kamui choked up. Tears rolled down her cheeks, most likely ruining her makeup, if it hadn't been ruined already.

"Hey, it will be okay," Father tried to comfort her.

Kamui quickly wiped away her tears. It wouldn't do to fall apart in public on her wedding day. People would talk, and it could dampen their international relations. All she wanted to do at that moment was cry and be held by her Father. But she wasn't a child anymore and needed to be strong. "Sorry, Father. I'm fine, I promise."

Father didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the issue.

Mother and Aunt Arete were waiting for her when she returned to her seat. "It’s time for the bouquet toss," Arete reminded her.

Kamui forced a smile and went along with the tradition. Of all people, Azura caught the bouquet of red roses and white camellia. She giggled. "Looks like I'm next, then."

Eventually Leo spoke to her again. "We should probably leave soon. We have a few hours of travel time this evening," he told her. "Let me know when you're ready to leave."

Kamui nodded. She didn't want to leave her friends, family, and home, but all of the attention was getting to be quite draining. She wished she could just collapse in her own bed, instead of leaving with Leo for their honeymoon. "We're going to the Woods of the Forlorn, right?" she mumbled sleepily before she could stop herself.

Leo smirked. "Not tonight, no." Well, if he smiled, maybe he wasn't that upset with her after all.

Eventually Kamui managed to say all of her goodbyes to her friends and family. At that point, she was so exhausted that she felt like she was dreaming, so the details were vague.

Leo guided her to a waiting carriage, then the newlywed couple embarked on the beginning of their life together. Leo pulled out a book once they were situated. Kamui was too tired to be annoyed that he was ignoring her again. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder and eventually drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

Chapter Text

Kamui fell asleep as soon as they departed Castle Shirasagi and slept during the three hour journey to Izumo. Leo was relieved to have some time to himself for the first time all day. Being constantly bombarded by everyone's attentions was extremely draining. Kamui was more outgoing than Leo was, but she was obviously exhausted from the day's events as well. As soon as they'd gotten in the carriage, she rested her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep. After a while, his arm started to fall asleep, so he moved her head to rest in his lap. She didn't stir at all. Either she was a very deep sleeper or this day had worn her out more than Leo had expected.

The book Leo was currently studying was on human anatomy. Since he was now married, he figured that it would be wise to brush up on his knowledge about women, so to speak. Of course, the fairer sex seemed to baffle men since the beginning of time, but Leo would learn what he could. In his experience, when he understood more about a subject, the less apprehensive he felt about it. Still, he was glad that Kamui was asleep so he could read the chapters on human reproduction without her asking about his book. Although, based on their interactions the last couple of days, Leo highly doubted they would do anything tonight, which he was just fine with. It was still good to be informed, just in case they ever made it to that step in their relationship.

Leo had decided to spend their honeymoon in Izumo because it was fairly close to Castle Shirasagi and he had never visited the country before. There were enough cultural events to keep Kamui entertained, and Leo wanted a look around the library. It wasn't that tropical island that his siblings had fantasized about, but at least it was a step up from the Woods of the Forlorn. Leo actually couldn't tell whether or not Kamui was teasing when she asked him if that was their destination tonight. She had actually seemed quite serious, but that was probably just due to her exhaustion.

When they arrived at Izumo, night had fallen quite some time ago. Leo debated whether or not he should wake Kamui, but he didn't really want to carry his sleeping bride to bed, so he gently shook her shoulder. "Kamui," he said. "We're here."

She stirred and slowly opened her crimson eyes. "Where's here?" she mumbled.

"Guess."

"Mm. Somewhere with a bed?" She closed her eyes again, as if she wanted to go back to sleep.

Leo snorted. "Well, yes. You might enjoy sleeping in the dirt, but I certainly don't."

Her eyes widened and she suddenly sat up, as if she had just realized something. "Wait. Did I fall asleep on you?" She covered her face with her hands. "I'm so embarrassed," she moaned.

Leo chuckled softly. "You're cute when you're sleepy," he said before he could stop himself.

Kamui flushed and looked away. "C-cute?" she squeaked.

Leo smirked. Gods, she was adorable. "You heard me correctly."

Her blush only deepened, and she shook her head. "You're just teasing me."

"Kamui, I'm being dead serious," Leo told her in the straightest voice he could manage.

She swatted his shoulder. "Leo, you're the worst!" she groaned.

"Heh. Sorry, I'll keep my thoughts to myself, if you prefer." I won't tell you how beautiful you are. In her white wedding dress and white jasmine flowers in her silver hair, she looked like a princess from a fairytale. And Leo was the lucky man who could call her his wife now. Where are these thoughts coming from?

Kamui caught him staring again and frowned. "Please do so," she told him. "I'd like to go to bed now, so I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me where to go, since you're the one who planned this."

"Of course." Leo helped her out of the carriage, then led her to the archduke's palace. Izana was the archduke's name, and he had agreed to allow them to stay for the week. Leo hadn't met the man yet, but he'd heard that Izana was a bit eccentric.

Kamui looked around at their surroundings as they walked. "So Izumo was our destination after all," she noted.

"Have you been here before?"

She nodded. "Sometimes we come here on vacation. It's a nice place. How about you?"

"No, I haven't been east of the Bottomless Canyon much because Nohrians aren't exactly welcome in these parts," Leo admitted.

Kamui gave his hand a squeeze. "Leo…" He could hear the pity in her soft voice.

Leo gave her a rueful smile. "It's fine, really. So I'll admit that I might be using our honeymoon as an excuse to visit new places."

Kamui giggled at that. "No worries. My mother said to think of this like a vacation anyway."

"You're very close to your mother, aren't you?" Leo envied her that. His relationship with his mother had always been sour, and then she had passed away while he was still young. And he'd never gotten close to Queen Arete, his stepmother, so he'd never really had a mother in his life. Camilla was probably the closest thing he had to a mother, but she was still just his older sister.

Kamui nodded. "Yes, we've always been close. I- I'm going to miss her so much," she confessed. Leo was alarmed to see the start of tears in her eyes. Great, now I'm making her cry. This is just a great start to our married life.

"I imagine this is very difficult for you. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Leo hoped that he could at least keep her from crying. He'd never known what to do when his sisters cried, and with a wife it would only be worse.

"It's fine. Besides, it's not like I'll never see her again. We can still write letters to each other and visit, so it will work out." Her usual enthusiasm was back in her voice. "So, um…" Her face reddened like it did whenever she wanted to bring up something about their relationship that would be awkward.

Leo arched an eyebrow. "So, what?"

She looked down at her bare feet again. "I can't believe I'm asking this, but… what are our… sleeping arrangements for tonight?"

"You want to know if we'll be sleeping together," Leo surmised. This discussion was bound to come up at some point.

Kamui still wouldn't meet his eyes. She fidgeted with her hair. "Yeah, that."

Leo personally would have been fine sharing a bed with her, but anything beyond that was most certainly not going to happen tonight. They were both terribly exhausted. And it was obvious that Kamui wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of even sharing a bed with him.

Leo ran his fingers through his hair. This was one of their most awkward conversations yet. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do, Kamui," he began.

Kamui bit her lip. "I'm so sorry. I must be such a disappointment to you," she whispered. Where was this line of thought coming from? Leo couldn't think of anything he'd said or done to make her feel that way.

"Kamui, I'm not disappointed in you," Leo insisted.

Her miserable expression said that she didn't believe him, but she didn't say anything out loud.

The uncomfortable silence between them stretched longer than Leo liked. Leo sighed. "Kamui, did I do something to upset you?" he finally asked. He knew that he was often tactless and offended people that way without intending to.

Kamui just shook her head. "No, you're fine." She sighed. "I think I'm just overly tired." Leo wasn't sure whether or not that was the complete truth.

"Okay. Well, I apologize if I did do something to upset you." He took her hand again. "And let's sleep separately tonight, and then we can discuss this again after we've rested," he proposed. "Does that sound acceptable to you?"

Kamui relaxed ever so slightly. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea to me." She smiled again, but it didn't totally reach her eyes. "Well, let's go meet Izana." She pulled him into the entrance of the palace with her. "You have met him before?"

"No, but I did write to tell him we were coming."

Kamui snickered. "Oh, this will be interesting, then. I don't think we'll be going to bed anytime soon." Leo wasn't sure if he wanted to ask what she meant.

Leo was momentarily distracted by the inside of the palace. The ceiling of the entrance was tall and arched. The architecture was more similar to Hoshidan buildings than Nohrian buildings. Leo would have spent more time studying the room, but his attention was immediately taken by a man with long white hair.

The man wore a long white robe and he had a huge grin on his face. "Hello there! Welcome to my not-so-humble abode, Lord Leo and Lady Kamui," he said cheerfully.

Kamui smiled pleasantly. "Thanks for the warm welcome, Izana. We're glad to visit, but we're a bit tired…"

"My pleasure," Izana said. "But I haven't introduced myself to your esteemed husband yet!"

"Izana, can we save the introductions for tomorrow?" Kamui cut in. "Please," she added as an afterthought.

Izana was certainly an energetic lord, and he was so casual that Leo was having a hard time remembering that Izana was a nobleman. "Oho, but it will just take a moment, Lady Kamui!" Izana didn't wait for her response and turned his attention to Leo. "I am Archduke Izana, first heir to the divine bloodline, descendant of the gods… keeper of prophecies, and winner of best hair six times running." He winked at Leo. "Not to brag. It's so nice to meet you!"

"Izana, that's what you tell everyone that's new here," Kamui commented.

How is this man able to run a kingdom acting like this? Leo couldn't help but wonder. He's so disgustingly casual. If Father behaved like this, nothing would get done in Nohr.

Izana continued to chatter on, without waiting for Leo to even acknowledge him. "Oh, but it's only good manners to introduce myself, Lady Kamui. It would simply be rude if Lord Leo didn't know who I was. Come, I have a feast ready for both of you. And then I have some games that I want to play. You will join me, right?" Izana didn't seem to think 'no' was even a possible answer.

Kamui sighed. "Is everything already prepared?"

"Of course! I'd have to be silly to start preparing the feast when you got here. Oh we're going to have such fun tonight!" Izana reminded Leo of Elise; they'd probably be the best of friends in no time.

Kamui answered before Leo could think of a way to stop her. "We'd love to, Izana. Thank you." She smirked at Leo. If they were alone, she would probably tell Leo that he had brought this upon himself.

Izana bounced on his feet and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Follow me to the dining hall, then!"

Leo motioned for Kamui to walk behind Izana at a distance with him. "Is he always like this?" he whispered.

Kamui was shaking with suppressed laughter. "I bet he's been waiting for us all day, so he might be a little more excited than usual, but this isn't too out of the ordinary for Izana. I can't believe you chose to spend our honeymoon with Izana." Well, at least she was in a better mood now.

Leo didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled dinner. To his chagrin, his stomach rumbled loudly.

Kamui's eyes flickered down to Leo's belly, and she patted it with amusement. "Aw, are you hungry, Leo's tummy? Don't worry; we'll feed you soon."

"Why are you talking to my stomach, Kamui?"

Kamui shrugged. "Well, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," she said matter-of-factly.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Who told you such a ridiculous thing?"

"Your sister." Well that explained it. Leo could see any of his sisters telling Kamui such nonsense. "And I expect your sister knows you better than I do, so I bet it's true."

Leo groaned. "Please don't believe everything my sisters tell you. Yes, I like food, but my stomach is not the way to get through to me." As if it objected, his stomach audibly growled again.

Kamui snickered. "I don't think your stomach agrees with that statement."

 "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"Because you're hungry."

Leo sighed. "You're not making any sense right now."

"Hm. So if your stomach isn't the way to your heart, then what is the way to your heart?" Kamui mused.

 Is she asking how to romance me? To be honest, Leo didn't even know that answer to that himself. He'd never been in a relationship before, so it wasn't like he'd know from experience. He was certain that his stomach did not play a role in that, though.

Fortunately for Leo, Izana interrupted them before he could figure out a response to Kamui's question. "Come. Sit down, sit down, you two lovebirds." He gestured at two empty spots at a long dinner table. Leo pulled out a chair for Kamui before he sat down himself.

The meal was a bit over the top for just the three of them, but Leo didn't mind. The table was covered in dishes of fish, rice, cooked daikon, mixed berries, tomatoes, and an assortment of other Hoshidan-type foods.

Kamui snickered when Leo went straight for the tomatoes. "You really like tomatoes, don't you?"

Leo waited until he'd finished chewing to reply. "Is there a problem with that? I'm sure you also have food that you really enjoy."

Kamui tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess it's a little endearing," she commented. Wait, is she saying she thinks I'm cute? The thought was slightly unnerving. "But I'm quite fond of strawberries and carrots. Oh, and rice," she decided.

"Together? Is that a traditional Hoshidan dish I'm not familiar with?" Leo teased.

Kamui made a face. "Ew, no. That would be super weird." She noticed his smirk. "Hey, now I know you're making fun of me."

Leo shrugged. "Well, how am I supposed to know what you like? Everyone has their idiosyncrasies, after all."

"Ah, young love," Izana sighed. "You two make quite the happy couple." Leo had forgotten for a moment that their host was watching the entire interaction. Izana waved his hand. "Oh, don't mind me. You two go right on."

Of course, that had the effect of silencing both Leo and Kamui. Izana didn't seem to mind or notice and filled the silence with chatter about all sorts of oddities during the meal. Leo tuned most of it out, but he caught snippets about parties, competitions, and hair. This archduke is very full of himself. What does he spend every day doing? If he goofs off like this all of the time, how does anything get done around here?

Kamui kicked him under the table.

"Ow," Leo hissed. "What was-"

Kamui had a smile plastered on her face; she knew he hadn't been paying attention. "Leo, Izana wants to give us a wedding gift." She leaned closer to him. "So please don't ignore our host," she muttered in his ear.

Leo cleared his throat. "That's very thoughtful of you, Izana, but it's not necessary." From what he had inferred about Izana, his gift was bound to be something silly.

"Oho! I insist! I think these will come in handy," Izana said cheerfully. He presented each of them with a small wooden box. "Well, don't just sit there. Open them! Open them!"

Leo lifted the lid on the box and found a white silk pouch with traditional Hoshidan characters on it. He noticed Kamui had received a similar gift. They didn't mean anything to him, but Kamui's cheeks were pink.

"Ah, thank you, Izana," she stuttered. "This is very… thoughtful of you."

Izana laughed, clearly pleased with her gratitude. "Of course, dear Kamui. I had an inkling that fertility charms would come in handy for you two."

Fertility charms. Oh. Leo had a bit of a coughing fit to hide his embarrassment. Kamui patted his shoulder gently.

"Oh, that's right: Nohrians don't use fertility charms, do they?" Izana observed. "Well, let me explain to Prince Leo-"

"Izana, that's not necessary. I can explain it to him later," Kamui cut in. She pushed the wooden boxes to the side. "Didn't you say you had a game in mind for this evening?"

Leo didn't really want to play any of Izana's silly games, but that would be better than having Izana explain fertility charms to him.

Izana clapped his hands. "Oh, yes! I have this great one in mind called the Laughing Game!" Leo wanted to groan; even the name sounded pathetic.

After Izana took them to a sitting room, he explained the game to the couple. The Laughing Game turned out to be a game to see who could resist laughing. The participants took turned saying 'ho', 'ha', or 'hee.' Whoever laughed first was out. So naturally, Izana was the almost always the first one out, and Leo won every round. He did not find these childish antics amusing in any way. Kamui seemed to enjoy the game for whatever reason, so she kept bursting into giggles. At least she was happy, even if Leo would have preferred a more productive activity. Actually, he just wanted to go to bed or get back to reading his book.

After so many rounds of the silly game, Kamui got a mischievous gleam in her bright eyes. "You know, I think Leo needs a little encouragement. We can't have you dominate the entire game after all." She wiggled her fingers. "Are you ticklish?"

Leo automatically scooted away from her on the couch and cursed himself for giving away his apprehension so easily. Elise was another person fond of tickling him, and he'd learned early on to keep fingers away from his sensitive skin.

 Kamui smirked. "I think I'll take that as a yes."

"Kamui- AH!" Her menacing fingers quickly found his sides, and Leo couldn't hold back his awful laughter. He tried to grab her hands and keep them away from him. "Kamui, stop!" he begged breathlessly.

Of course the archduke found this all too amusing. "Kamui, dear, I think that would be considered cheating," he noted, but his giggles said he didn't care.

Leo managed to wrap his arms around Kamui and pin her hands to her sides. She squirmed in his tight grip, and somehow her fingers managed to tickle his belly. By reflex, Leo flinched, but maintained his hold on her. He pinned her to the couch and held her hands down away from his body.

"Oh my. Should I give you some privacy?" Izana asked.

Leo realized what position they were in and felt his face grow warm. He was sitting on top of Kamui, using his weight to hold her down. Her bosom rose and fell with each breath. What am I doing? This is okay with Elise, but with Kamui? She- she's my wife. The thought that Leo had a wife now was strange. And, this was something he could do with his wife, he realized, but not in front of the archduke. Or anyone, for that matter.

He released Kamui and moved  a chaste distance away from her. "My apologies, Izana."

Kamui was breathless, but sat up anyway. "Well, does that mean I won that round?"

"Will you keep your hands to yourself if we declare you the winner?" Leo asked.

Kamui giggled. "I didn't realize you were so ticklish, but yes, I'll stop for now." Leo sensed she had every intention of tickling him again in the future. Wonderful. I get to look forward to a lifetime of tickle attacks. Just my luck, I suppose.

Kamui suppressed a yawn, which prompted Izana to finally show them to their rooms. Izana wished them a 'wonderful sleep,' then practically skipped down the hall, leaving the two of them alone in front of two bedroom doors.

Kamui looked as exhausted as Leo felt. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. Leo moved one hand to rest between her shoulder blades and the other to the small of her back. The fabric of her wedding dress was silky, and Leo could easily feel the warmth of her body in his arms. Her hair smelled sweet, and Leo realized it was the jasmine flowers still in place in her wavy locks. He had the sudden desire to hold her like this all night, while she slept like an angel in his arms… His heart beat faster as he realized where this line of thought was going. I'm too tired to think straight. She doesn't want that anyway.

"I'm sorry," Kamui whispered.

Leo frowned. Not this again. "What are you apologizing for?" he breathed in her ear.

"For making you play that game," she said, then continued through her mental list of what she'd done to wrong him. "For tickling you, for… a lot of things." She pulled away. "Sorry, I don't think I'm making much sense." Her eyes weren't bright and playful anymore; they were sad and regretful. She was struggling to keep them open.

Leo didn't want her to blame herself for whatever she thought she'd done wrong. He tried to think of the words to comfort her. "Kamui, you haven't done anything wrong, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you. Get some sleep. We're both exhausted and not thinking clearly." Without thinking, he brushed a kiss to her full lips.

Her eyes widened, and she pulled away. Idiot. You know she's not comfortable with that. She gasped. "Ah, this- this is what I'm talking about. You're my husband now, and I won't even let you kiss me." Her voice trembled. "I'm turning out to be a really pathetic wife."

"No, I'm sorry. I know you don't want me to do that and I should respect that. It's not your fault that you're practically irresistible." Leo's eyes widened. What am I saying? That's just going to make her more uncomfortable. I need to go to bed before I do anything else stupid.

Sure enough, she gasped and brought trembling fingers to her lips. "I- I…"

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the night," Leo said hurriedly. "Goodnight, Kamui."

His heart was still pounding after he shut the door. He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. I can't believe I want her like this. I'm acting like a complete fool. Leo prided himself on his excellent self control, but in regards to Kamui, he kept finding himself acting without thinking. He needed to pull himself together if this marriage alliance was going to succeed.

Chapter Text

Kamui slept in late the morning after they arrived in Izumo. Her hair was a tangled mess with flower petals from yesterday. She'd been too tired last night to bother taking the flowers out of her hair, and now she would have to deal with the consequences of her laziness. She did have enough sense to have a maid help her change from her wedding dress to a red sleeveless nightgown and wipe the makeup off of her face, at least.

She felt well rested after a good night's sleep. Leo was right: that's what she really needed. She was mortified at how she had acted last night, especially when she had tickled her new husband relentlessly like they were small children. And then, she didn't even let him kiss her goodnight. I'm either childish or cold around him. He probably finds me so annoying.

Leo said that he wasn't upset with her, but Kamui couldn't help but feel that deep down Leo was disappointed in her. He had seemed irritated again last night, and Kamui thought she knew why. Before going to bed, Leo had called her "practically irresistible." Obviously he was annoyed that she wasn't ready to be intimate with him. And he wanted that intimacy.

Kamui remembered her mother's advice to be open with her husband. She sighed. As much as I don't want to bring it up, Leo and I need to talk about this. I don't want to hurt or disappoint him.

She changed into a turquoise katana and went to get breakfast. After a late breakfast in the kitchens, she went in search of Leo.

Of course, Izana tracked her down before she was successful. Izana approached her in the great hall. "Hello, hello! Good morning to you, Lady Kamui," Izana said. "Or, should I say 'good afternoon' now?"

"Hello, Izana," Kamui replied politely. "Do you happen to know where Leo is?"

"Hmm… Yes, yes, I think I interacted with the young Nohrian prince this morning. I would search for your husband in the library." My husband… that's going to take some getting used to.

Kamui thanked him and hurried to the library before Izana could drag her into one of his activities again. She pushed open the wooden doors and entered the room full of books. After wandering around the shelves of books and scrolls, she found Leo seated at a table with a large pile of books. He wore a pair of dark brown trousers and a white long sleeved, button-down shirt. The sunlight streaming through the window made his flaxen hair look even lighter.

She suddenly felt shy. He looked very occupied, and she didn't want to disturb him. Well, at least say hello to him, she chided herself. What is wrong with me? Normally I don't have trouble approaching people, regardless of the situation.

"Hello, Leo," she said as she approached his table.

He looked up from his book and regarded her with those dark amber eyes. "Ah, Kamui. Good day. How did you rest?"

"Very well, thank you. How about you?" Kamui found herself absentmindedly fidgeting with her hair.

Leo's eyes followed the movement of her hands. "Fine, thank you."

"Well, I…" Kamui trailed off, not knowing what to say. And now we're back to the awkward silences every time we're alone together.

Leo waited politely for her to finish her thought, but when it seemed she was done, he spoke again. "Was there something I could help you with?"

Kamui didn't know how to bring the topic up, and he seemed to want to return to his studies. "No. I'll be going now. Sorry to disturb you," she said hurriedly.

Leo's face was still expressionless. "Kamui, I can tell something is on your mind."

Kamui's shoulders fell. "That obvious, huh?"

His lips curved into a smirk. "You're practically an open book, so yes." He was quiet for a moment, and his eyes grew serious again. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked slowly.

Kamui grimaced. "Maybe? I don't know."

"Well, that's a definitive answer," Leo remarked dryly. "Am I supposed to guess, then?" He was staring at her again, searching her face for something. Kamui felt her face growing warm. After a moment of silence, Leo spoke again. "Here's my guess: you don't want to talk about whatever it is, but you feel that you need to talk about it. And I have a hunch that it has something to do with me. Am I right?"

Kamui was still at a loss for words, so she nodded nervously.

Leo sighed and shut his book. "Kamui, if you don't say anything, then this is going to be a very one-sided conversation."

Oh, no. He's upset that I'm wasting his time just standing here like a complete fool. What do I do? I don't know how to bring up this topic. And he's staring again. "Sorry," she managed to say. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Leo frowned. "I'm not upset, just… confused." He stood and joined Kamui, who was standing by one of the bookshelves. He cupped her chin with his fingers and tilted her face up to meet his gaze. His eyes were warm and gentle.

Kamui's heart started thudding. He's going to kiss me… Don't freak out. You can do this. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

"Kamui, I want you to feel like you can talk to me, so please tell me what's on your mind," he said instead.

Kamui opened her eyes. His dark eyes were warm and sincere. He's so patient with me. Kamui felt her face burn with shame. "I'm so sorry for making this difficult for you," she began. I still don't know how to talk about this. "I don't know why I feel so… intimidated by you." Intimidated? Are you trying to insult him? Ugh. This is coming out so wrong.

The corners of Leo's eyes tightened, but he didn't say anything.

"Maybe 'intimidated' isn't the right word. I guess I'm just nervous because I've never done this before and I'm scared." Her words were coming out in a rush now. "I'd like to be friends with you, but I know that we can't just be friends. I don't know how to act around you." She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I can tell that you want to be… intimate with me, but I keep pushing you away. You tell me that it doesn't bother you, but I think it does. And I don't want to hurt you. I just want to be a good wife, but I don't know how…"

She would probably have continued rambling, but she stopped when Leo placed his hands on her shoulders and exhaled slowly. "Kamui… I'm glad you told me how you feel." He was quiet for a moment. "I suppose since I made you share your thoughts with me, I should be open with you as well. That is, if you wish to listen to me."

Kamui nodded silently. She was feeling calmer now that she'd gotten all that off her chest. And she was curious about what Leo was thinking.

"Okay," Leo began. "So I also have no idea what I'm doing as your husband. I wouldn't mind if you had a book that would just tell me what to do and what not to do, but people don't come with instruction manuals, do they? I'm still not used to the idea that I have a wife now, but I consider myself lucky that you are my wife. But I really don't want you to be unhappy or feel coerced into doing something you don't want to do."

He glanced away and blushed. "I- I will admit that I find you very beautiful, more so than I thought I would initially."

Kamui's breath hitched, and her heart started racing at his confession. "You- you think I'm beautiful?" she whispered.

Leo let out a shaky laugh. "You seem surprised."

Kamui shook her head. "I wasn't expecting you to say that."

"I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but I figured that you should know." His face was flushed from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "However, I am in no rush to… consummate our marriage, so please don't feel pressure from me to do so. I apologize if I make it seem otherwise. I know I've said and done some things recently without thinking them through. I'd like to think that I have more self control than this, so I'll try to work on that." He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced.

He really needs a hug. This has been hard on both of us. Kamui took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his heart beat in his chest.

 Leo inhaled sharply, and his heart started beating faster. He's just as nervous as I am. After a moment, he relaxed and returned her hug.

"I like hugs," Kamui commented. "Maybe I'm not entirely comfortable with… kissing at the moment, but you can hug me."

"Are you sure about this?"

Kamui giggled. "Yes, silly, otherwise I wouldn't say so."

"Thank you," Leo breathed into her hair. "You're very sweet."

Kamui's heart warmed at the compliment. "I should thank you for being so patient with me."

Leo chuckled. "I wouldn't mind if you showed a little more gratitude."

"Uh…"

"Sorry. I shouldn't tease you like that." He didn't sound very remorseful, though.

They were both quiet for a moment. Kamui recalled that she had read somewhere that hugs were beneficial for the soul, which she completely believed. She felt her body relax the longer Leo held her like this, and his heartbeat returned to a resting rate. She realized that she felt safe in his arms. Maybe she wasn't completely comfortable with the fact that they were married and didn't know each other very well, but in that moment, she had faith that they could make this work.

Perhaps I can fall in love with him. She felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought. I still want to take this slow, though. He said we didn't need to rush anything, but I want to make sure we're on the same page.

She broke the silence. "Leo, I've been thinking…"

"Ah, so that's what you've been doing with that brain of yours. I was starting to wonder."

Kamui groaned. "Leo…"

His body shook with quiet laughter. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"Well…" How do I put this? "You meant what you said earlier, right?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific."

Kamui pulled back to meet his gaze. For the first time today, a small smile graced his features. She couldn't resist teasing him back. "I thought I was an open book, so you should be able to just look at my face and know what I'm thinking."

Leo smirked. "I hate to break it to you, but I can't read minds, Kamui. I'm flattered you would think me capable of such a task. However, your emotions are written all over your face, so it's pretty easy to figure out how you're feeling in any given moment."

"Hmm. So how am I feeling at this moment? Demonstrate your powers of deduction." Kamui tried to keep her face expressionless, but it was something she'd never been good at.

Leo called her out on it. "Kamui, your poker face is terrible."

"You're just avoiding the question, Leo," she replied, even though what he said was true.

Leo tucked one of her curls behind her pointed ear. Kamui's heart skipped a beat at his touch. It's just that I'm not used to being touched like that. That's all. At least that was how she tried to justify her body's strange reaction.

Of course Leo noticed the change in her demeanor. He frowned. "Am I making you feel uncomfortable?"

Kamui shook her head. "No, you're fine. I'm just… trying to sort out my feelings," she admitted. She hugged him again, hoping that would convey that he wasn't making her uneasy. "Sorry, I'm still trying to adjust to the fact that we're married now," she mumbled into his chest.

Her husband stroked her hair. "Don't forget that we've been married all of one day," Leo reminded her. "And we haven't really had any time alone since the wedding… so don't be so hard on yourself. We have plenty of time to figure this out." He paused. "May I request something of you?"

Kamui looked up at him. "What is it?"

Leo blushed a little. "Will you let me know if I do something that makes you uncomfortable?"

Kamui nodded hesitantly.

"Good. And… will you let me know when you're ready to… be more intimate as a couple?" His face was bright red now, and Kamui was sure she was just as red.

"Yeah, I'll let you know," she promised. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"Well, you said earlier that you wished I came with a manual or something," she began.

"Kamui, I was joking."

She covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't interrupt me," she chided. When he didn't say anything, she continued her thought. "I'm not going to write a book on how to be my husband, but maybe we could set some boundaries for now, just so we're on the same page. Does that sound okay to you?"

Leo grasped her wrist and moved her hand away from his mouth. "Yes, I think that would be beneficial for both of us. You said you're fine with hugging, but what about other things?"

"Well, I'm not entirely certain yet. I don't think I'm ready to share a bed with you," she admitted. "I'm sorry, I-"

Leo put a finger to her lips. "Hush. If you don't feel ready to do that, then we won't sleep together until we both feel ready, okay?"

Kamui flushed. "Right. And as for kissing, I do want to… uh… get more used to that. It's not that I dislike it-" I can't believe I'm saying all of this out loud. "But I'll admit that I'm still not very comfortable kissing you." Gods, that sounded harsh. "I- I don't want to make you feel bad, so please don't take this the wrong way," she hurried to correct herself. "I just…"

She trailed off when he rested his hands on her shoulders and gazed intently into her eyes. "Kamui, don't apologize for how you feel. I want to know what you're thinking, so please don't be afraid to tell me how you really feel."

"Does that make you sad?" she whispered. "That I'm scared to kiss you?"

Leo shook his head. "Don't worry about it. This is new territory for me as well, so I understand your reservations. We can figure that out when we're ready."

"Do you like it?" Kamui blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you like kissing me?" she clarified. I can't believe I'm being this bold.

Leo still seemed surprised by her upfront question. He wet his lips nervously. "I… yes, I do enjoy kissing you," he admitted. "However, don't feel pressured to kiss me, just because I like it."

Kamui released a shaky breath. "Well, how about we keep it simple for now? Nothing too passionate, but we can kiss some."

Leo nodded like she was being perfectly reasonable. "Of course. And can I ask something of you in return?"

"Anything," she said automatically.

Leo smirked. "You haven't even heard what I'm asking yet. But I would appreciate it if you didn't, uh, tickle me." He glanced away sheepishly. "It's not something that I really enjoy."

Kamui giggled. "That's it? Sure, I think I can keep my hands to myself for now."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Are you implying that you think I'll want to be tickled in the near future?"

"No, but you might deserve it." She wiggled her fingers threateningly.

He took a step back and bumped against the table he'd been studying at. "You know, Elise is also very fond of tickling, so might I suggest getting your wiggles out with her?"

"Or maybe we could join up together against you," Kamui taunted.

Leo glanced up at the ceiling as if supplicating the gods for help. "Please don't."

Kamui laughed. "Just kidding. I'll be good, I promise."

"You don't have your fingers crossed behind your back, do you?" Leo asked suspiciously.

Kamui held up her hands. "I promise I won't team up with Elise to tickle you. Seriously though, do you think I'd deceive you like that?"

Leo shrugged. "You are very much like Elise, and that's something that she would do."

Kamui crossed her arms. "Hey, don't think of me as a little sister."

"Oh, I don't." His eyes glinted mischievously. "Shall we do something that I would never do with a little sister?"

Kamui gulped. She could think of plenty of things that Leo would do with his wife, but not his sister. "What did you have in mind?" she asked nervously.

"Don't look so worried, Kamui. I gave you my word that I would respect the boundaries we agreed on." He leaned closer to her. "May I kiss you?" he whispered. "You don't have to say yes."

Kamui just nodded dumbly. She could feel her body start to tremble when Leo brushed his thumbs across her cheekbones. Then, he pressed his lips against hers, cradling her face in his hands. True to his word, it was a simple kiss, but it was kind of sweet.

Leo rested his forehead against hers. "And that is something I would never do with my sister," he whispered.

"Were you just trying to prove a point, then?"

"Mm. Perhaps."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm wounded, Kamui," Leo scoffed. "I had to show you somehow that I don't think of you as a sister."

"No, you just used that as an excuse to kiss me," Kamui countered.

"Hey, I did ask for permission this time, so you should thank me."

Kamui sighed. "You're right. Thank you for your patience and for listening to me. I really appreciate it."

Leo kissed her again, but it was just a peck on the lips.

Kamui gasped when he pulled away.

Leo grimaced. "Sorry. I should have asked first."

In a moment of boldness, Kamui pressed her hands to his cheeks and kissed him back. She giggled at his shocked expression. "Leo, it's not a crime to kiss your wife. You just took me off guard again-"

A bright voice interrupted what she was going to say. "Peek-a-boo!"

Both of them jumped at the sudden interruption. Kamui let out a small yelp.

Leo frowned and glared at their host.

 Kamui pulled out of her husband's arms and addressed Izana before Leo could say anything. "Oh, hello there, Izana," she said breathlessly. "I didn't hear you approach."

 Izana laughed. "Oh, you flatter me. I wasn't even trying to be stealthy."

"What do you want?" Leo said harshly. Okay, now he's angry.

Kamui tried to shush him before Leo insulted Izana. "Was there something you needed, Izana?" she asked politely.

"Oh no. I was just checking in to see how you liked the library." His grin widened. "It seems you're both really enjoying it."

Kamui felt her face flush with embarrassment. He'd seen them kissing. Not that they were doing anything wrong, but it was still awkward to know someone was observing them doing that. Why on earth did Leo think coming here was a good idea? It was amusing at first, but now this is just getting embarrassing.

"Well, thank you for checking on us. We are a little occupied, though, so if you'll excuse us," Kamui said quickly, then turned to Leo, who was still obviously ticked off.

"Leo, would you mind if I joined you at your table?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Izana. She took a seat opposite of where he'd been seated earlier.

Leo sighed and sat across from her.

Izana finally took the hint. "Well, ta-ta, you two." He waved at them cheerfully, then left them alone.

Kamui  buried her face in her hands. "That was so humiliating," she moaned. "I can't believe I was so careless."

"No, it's my fault that happened," Leo countered. "I'm the one who started that." His face darkened again. "But, ugh, does he really have to interrupt us like that?"

"That was also your fault. You're the one who decided to spend our honeymoon with Izana," Kamui reminded him sweetly.

Leo shook his head. "No, the plan was to visit Izumo, not spend our honeymoon with him."

"Well now you know: when you visit Izumo, you're just signing up to spend a lot of time with Izana," Kamui informed him.

She glanced at the books on the desk. "Now, tell me about what you're reading," she said, changing the topic.

Some emotion flashed in Leo's eyes before he controlled his expression. "I've been studying about human anatomy recently."

"Oh, Sakura is really into that as well! Is there a particular part of the body you're focused on, or are you just studying anatomy in general?"

To her surprise, Leo stiffened in his seat, and his cheeks reddened ever so slightly. He coughed. "Just in general."

"Hmm. Well, do you mind if I have a look at your books?" Kamui reached out for the top one on the pile.

"They're really quite dull, scientific books. I doubt you'd find them interesting," Leo said quickly.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "If they're dull, then why are you reading them?" I know you're trying to hide something from me.

He hadn't explicitly told her not to look at the books, so Kamui pulled a book towards herself, before he could stop her. She read the title aloud. "Anatomy of Women: An In-Depth Study. That sounds quite interesting to me, actually, since I am a woman."

"Yes, I'm quite aware that you're a woman, Kamui. Thank you for stating the obvious." Leo rolled his eyes. Well, if he was being sarcastic again, then he couldn't be too nervous, right? His face was still red, though. What is he worried about?

Leo jumped up suddenly. He took her hands and pulled Kamui to her feet. "You know, I am tired of being in the library. Let's go on a walk, shall we?"

"O-okay," Kamui stuttered. She let him lead her out of the library.

Her mind was still working on deducing why Leo was so nervous about her finding out what he was reading. It's just a science book on anatomy, so there's nothing wrong with that… Maybe I'm being too nosy… Or, did I do something to upset him? Maybe he's still annoyed about Izana.

Leo broke the silence between them. "Kamui?"

"Hmm?" She glanced up at his face. She couldn't quite tell what emotion was on his face, but he didn't seem upset anymore.

"Since you've visited Izumo before, do you mind showing me your favorite spots? I don't really know my way around here still," Leo said.

The question caught her off guard. "Oh, sure. Why don't we go outside? I can show you the gardens. I'll admit that I am a little tired of being indoors all day. Some fresh air would be good…" She trailed off when she realized that she was just rambling.

"You know, you don't have to sit in the library with me all day," Leo reminded her.

"I know. But it's our honeymoon, so we should spend time together," Kamui said quietly. "Or do you not want to spend time with me?" She was ashamed that tears started to form in her eyes. It's a political marriage, so we really don't need to spend time together…

Leo seemed shocked by her question. "What? No, Kamui that's not it at all. I- I like being with you. I just don't want you to feel obligated to be with me. I know I'm not always the most pleasant person to be around."

Kamui was sad that he thought that of himself. She stopped and faced him. She cupped his face in her hands. "Leo, I want to spend time with you." She smiled softly. "You're a good person, and I do like being with you, even if I might not always show it. So please don't doubt yourself."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, leaning into him.

He pulled her closer to him and wrapped her in his warm embrace. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Kamui pulled away, and her eyes widened. "Oh, we probably shouldn't do that in the middle of the hallway. Sorry."

Leo pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't apologize," he murmured. "You haven't done anything wrong. Kamui, I…" he trailed off.

"Hmm?"

Leo's expression was soft, and his cheeks were flushed. "Let's go see those gardens you were talking about," he suggested. "And whatever else you want to do. I'm at your disposal today."

Kamui smiled up at him and grabbed his hand. "Alright, if you insist. Don't complain about this though."

"I think as long as no tickling is involved, I should be just fine."

"Aw, that was totally my plan for the afternoon." Kamui pouted.

Leo flicked her nose playfully. "Oh I'm sure you have some backup plans in that pretty little head of yours."

Kamui smirked. "More games with Izana, then?"

"Gods, no," Leo groaned. "Surely you have something better in mind."

Kamui grinned as she led the way to the gardens. "Oh, I'll just surprise you, then. But, I have to forewarn you: we'll most likely being playing games and dining with Izana again this evening. That's just how things go around here."

"Ugh…"

Chapter Text

Before Kamui knew it, their honeymoon was over, and it was time to leave Izumo. She'd actually really enjoyed it in the end. Leo was naturally a more reserved person, but he'd seemed to warm up to her during their time together.

He still was obviously not fond of their host, who continued to drop by at inconvenient times. Leo was all too eager to bid Izana farewell at the end of their stay. "Thank you, Izana, for allowing us to stay in Izumo," was the politest thing he managed to say.

"Oho! My pleasure," Izana said brightly. "Do come again soon, and bring that little sister of yours, too. There's some games I have that I think she'd love to play." Izana had heard several times from Leo how Elise would enjoy visiting Izana. (Not that Leo himself had enjoyed it.)

Izana gasped. "Oh, and don't forget to use your fertility charms!" he shouted, within earshot of anyone on the castle grounds. "You'll have a little one before you know it, if you do."

Now it was Kamui's turn to get frustrated with their host. She felt her cheeks burning at the thought of what he was implying. "Yes, we'll keep that in mind," she said sharply. "But please let us decide when the time for that is."

"Oh, but I have premonitions about the future, so I might know more than you think I do," Izana hinted.

Kamui shuddered at the thought of Izana knowing when they'd have children. No one is telling me when I'm having children. That is strictly between Leo and me… Children?! We've only been married a week- why am I thinking about children all of a sudden?!

For a split second, Kamui had a mental image of her holding her infant in her arms. The baby was warm and soft, beautiful… Kamui pushed such thoughts out of her head. No, I shouldn't be fantasizing about this. But now that the thought had entered her mind, she couldn't easily get the image of her potential baby out of her head.

"Well, keep your premonitions to yourself in this matter," Leo snapped. Izana just knows how to push all of his buttons, it seems.

Kamui was in agreement with Leo, but she wanted to leave on a good note with Izana. "Leo, be polite," she muttered.

She turned back to Izana. "We'll take our leave of you now. Thank you, once again, for your hospitality."

And with that, Leo and Kamui were finally free of Izana's overbearing attention.

Their coachman was a dark-haired Nohrian of medium build named Tennyson. Kamui could sense that the poor man was terribly nervous being around them, probably because they were royalty.

She flashed him a bright smile. "We're ready to leave, Tennyson. Thank you for driving the carriage."

Tennyson bowed his head respectfully. "M-my pleasure, milady. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable."

"I'll make sure to do that. And if you need anything, please let us know."

"Of course," he stuttered. He went to finish preparing the horses.

Kamui sighed in relief after she and Leo were in the privacy of the carriage.

"Already planning on falling asleep on me again?" Leo asked as he sat next to her.

"Mm… maybe," Kamui mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around her. It felt so natural to her now. "What, did you not sleep well last night?" he asked. "The day just started."

Kamui had felt tense with nerves all of last night and this morning. Today she would arrive in Nohr and begin her new life there as Prince Leo's wife. She was excited, but also terribly nervous. And she felt even more jittery after Izana had brought up the subject of children again. She realized that her hands were trembling ever so slightly.

"I'm just really nervous," she admitted. "I don't sleep well when something is on my mind, so no, I did not sleep well last night."

Of course Leo asked the obvious follow-up question. "What's on your mind? If you don't want to talk about it, don't feel obligated-"

"No, I don't mind talking about it," Kamui cut him off. She glanced up at him. "Are you sure you want to listen to all this? There is a lot on my mind right now."

"Well, it's not like we have an entire day stuck in a carriage to talk about it," Leo remarked dryly. Then more seriously, he said, "I'd be happy to listen if you want to talk, but you don't have to."

Kamui giggled softly. "Admit it: you're curious. Maybe I don't know you super well yet, but I at least know that it kills you if you don't know something."

"You're making it sound like this is some sort of game."

"Well… am I wrong?"

Leo's fingers idly played with her curls. "No," he admitted. "But I do respect your privacy."

Kamui felt her heart start to beat faster in her chest. He's just touching my hair; there's no reason for me to react like this.

The couple sat in silence for several minutes. Leo continued to play with her hair; he was probably waiting for her to speak again, but her mind couldn't function properly with him doing that. She shivered involuntarily when his fingers brushed against the back of her neck.

Leo instantly withdrew his hand. "Sorry," he muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"It's okay," she said. She winced when she heard the trembling in her voice.

Even after their discussion in the library the other day, this exchange had been going on for the whole week now. Kamui was okay with some of his displays of affection, but there were certain points when it got to be a bit much for her. She tried to hide it, but she couldn't always control her immediate reactions. He'd apologize, as if it was all his fault, then would be extra cautious around her the rest of the day. It was a cycle that Kamui knew neither of them were comfortable with. She just wished she knew how to stop it.

Leo cleared his throat nervously. "Kamui, if you don't want me to touch you like that, just say so." He'd been very patient with her trepidation around him, but Kamui sensed that he was starting to get annoyed with it.

The worst part was that she couldn't blame him for how he felt. She was his wife now, so he should be free to do… things with her. She was the one being the problem.

"I'm s-" Kamui stopped herself. That was another thing. Leo told her that she apologized too much. So now she was trying to overcome the habit.

She tried again. "I'm not sure how I feel about it, so not for now."

"As you wish," was Leo's reply.

And… here's another awkward silence… What is wrong with me today?

"You know, I think I might actually try to sleep for a little bit," she decided. "I'm not thinking very clearly right now."

"Alright."

Kamui wanted to rest her head in his lap, like she'd do on long trips with her siblings. Except Leo isn't my sibling, so I don't know how that will come across. I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask.

She pulled away from him so she could read his face expressions. "Leo?"

Leo met her gaze calmly, as if she hadn't just made things awkward between them again. "Yes?"

Kamui's face grew warm. "May I rest my head in your lap?" she managed to blurt out.

Leo's eyes widened slightly before he controlled his expression again. "You may," he answered.

"Thanks." Kamui curled up on the seat, laying her head in Leo's lap and closing her eyes. He's warm… Kamui felt vulnerable doing this, but she felt safe with Leo. Maybe sometimes his nearness made her nervous, but she trusted him to watch over her while she slept.

"Are you cold, Kamui? You're trembling," Leo noted.

"Mm… maybe a little," she mumbled. She wasn’t sure if she was cold or if it was her nerves again.

Leo draped a blanket over her. "Is that better?" he asked.

"Yeah…Thank you," she mumbled.

Even with the movement of the carriage, Kamui was tired enough that she eventually dozed off.

Leo had learned a lot about his new wife during the last week together. For instance, she was fond of over sleeping in the mornings. Half of the time, she got up after noon. Leo couldn't help but wonder what she was staying up so late doing. He couldn't fathom Kamui going to bed at a reasonable time and then sleeping for half of the day.

And that was just one of her many idiosyncrasies. Aside from her tickling attacks (which she'd stopped at his request) and running around barefoot all of the time, she liked to sing to herself when she thought no one was listening. On the one rainy day, she dragged Leo outside to play in the rain. And of course, she seemed able to take a nap basically anywhere.

Leo had decided by this point that Kamui just always slept in carriages. She'd slept on their journey to Izumo, and now she was sleeping on the journey to Nohr. She was breathing deeply, so Leo knew she was fast asleep now.

Today she wore a light pink gown, patterned more after a Nohrian style, rather than the Hoshidan dresses she normally wore. Leo suspected that Elise had picked it out for her before the wedding. (If Camilla or Charlotte had picked out a dress, it would certainly not be this modest.) It was different, seeing her in Nohrian clothing, but Kamui still looked as lovely as ever.

He contemplated playing with her soft hair again, but thought better of it. It seemed that was one of the things that she was not okay with. Even after discussing this several times, Leo still was at a loss as to what things he should and shouldn't do with her. He did wish she could just give him a list of what was okay to do with her, but people were more complicated than that, especially women. Sometimes she was fine, and at other times, she'd freeze up, and Leo knew that he had crossed a line. It seemed like that line changed every day, though.

Leo sighed. This was most likely the last time he'd have a break for a while. He could only imagine the welcoming they'd get tonight at home. Camilla and Elise would definitely be waiting up for them. And well, Niles was Leo's retainer, so he'd be there, too. Leo figured Xander wouldn't bother to be there, but Charlotte would probably make him. And Azura just kept to herself normally, but she was Kamui's cousin, so she'd most likely be there, too. And Queen Arete was her aunt, so she'd wait up for them as well. At this point, Leo wouldn't be too surprised if Father took the time to greet them, too. Or even the entire court.

One thing was certain: tonight was going to be complete chaos. Leo considered taking a nap as well, seeing that he probably wouldn't get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. He decided against it, though. Sleeping in a carriage was uncomfortable, and Leo's lap had basically become Kamui's pillow, so he was kind of stuck.

Leo had managed to finish all of the books he'd brought, but Kamui had lent him one of her books, entitled Promises Under the Cherry Blossoms. It was a romance novel, which was not a genre Leo usually read, but he agreed to read it, since she'd insisted. (Also, he wasn't one to turn down a book just because of its genre.)

He pulled out the novel and continued reading about the nauseatingly sappy love story. Some of the lines were so ridiculous, that Leo had to smile in amusement. Seriously, did any man actually tell his lover things like "I won't sleep just so I can watch you sleep tonight"? Or did women tell their significant others things such as "I can't breathe without you"?

Well, Leo had never been in love, so he wouldn't know from personal experience. It all sounded like a bunch of rubbish to him, though. Honestly, who in their right mind would stay up all night just to watch someone sleep? (So maybe Leo didn't mind watching Kamui sleep, but doing it all night would get boring after a while. And he didn't know about this fictional character, but Leo needed his rest.) And he couldn't even imagine Kamui telling him that she couldn't breathe without him. That sounded just a little too clingy. (No personal space would drive Leo crazy.)

After a while, Kamui stirred and blinked up at him with those crimson eyes.

Leo realized with a start that he had been absentmindedly stroking her hair again. He pulled his hand away, since she probably would not appreciate him doing that.

"Good evening, sleepy head," he told her.

Kamui's eyes widened. "It's already evening? Don't tell me I slept all day!"

"Okay, I won't."

Kamui sat up and peeked out the window, the bright daylight blatantly obvious. "Leo, you're the worst," she groaned.

Leo snickered. "Sorry. I actually wouldn't be surprised if you managed to sleep all day."

Kamui moved closer to him. "You know, it's times like this when you deserve to be tickled." She grinned wickedly. "Should I inflict your punishment on you?"

Leo couldn't escape since he was trapped in the carriage with her, but he still scooted away from her. "Kamui, we're in a moving carriage. I hardly think this is a reasonable place for you to do whatever you're scheming."

Kamui giggled. "You're scared of me." She moved even closer to him, so that she was almost sitting in his lap. "Admit it." Her eyes sparkled like rubies.

Gods, she's beautiful.

Leo cursed himself for blushing. He was tempted to pull her against him, to kiss her, and caress her, but he knew that would just make her uncomfortable again. As it was, he couldn't stop himself from running his fingers softly across her cheek.

Her breath caught, and her eyes widened ever so slightly, but she didn't pull away from him. Her full lips were parted, inviting him to press his lips against hers and...

"Leo?" she whispered, bringing him back to reality.

"Ah, sorry, I got distracted for a moment," was Leo's hurried excuse for staring at her again like an idiot from that romance novel. He cleared his throat nervously. "I, uh, started reading that book you lent me."

She finally got out of his personal space. Not that he minded her closeness, but it was terribly distracting sometimes.

She grinned. "Really? What do you think so far?"

"Well… have your brothers read this book as well?"

"Well, no… but you said you ran out of things to read, and that's what I had with me," Kamui said defensively. "It's okay if you don't like the book. I know it's mostly for teenage girl audiences."

"I'd have to agree with you there. As a grown man, I think it's complete rubbish," Leo blurted out before he could stop himself.

Her smile faded. Oops. "That's okay. I know it can be a little silly at times." She blushed and looked away. "I guess it helped me feel not so lonely when I was younger. Hinoka was dating Subaki, and I had no one." Her voice was quiet now.

Leo rested his hand on top of hers. "Kamui… I don't want you to feel lonely anymore." He swallowed. "I know that this isn't what you'd hoped for in a relationship, but I promise I'll do my best to make you happy." Ugh. Now I sound like the male lead in her book… But I mean every word of it.

Kamui met his gaze and smiled gently. "I know. A political marriage wasn't what I had in mind growing up, but I think I lucked out with you." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and giggled. "I mean, not just any man would willing read a romance novel, if his wife asked him to. Even if you don't like it, do you plan on finishing it?"

"Of course. I always finish any book that I start." Leo was slightly offended that she didn't think he would finish the book. "And I have enjoyed some parts, I suppose, so it's not too awful," Leo admitted.

Kamui laughed. "You're just saying that to be polite. Don't feel obligated to finish the book on my account."

Leo arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you don't think I could manage finishing one romance novel? Challenge accepted, then. And for the record, I have been completely candid about my opinion on the book. Some of these lines are so sappy that they're humorous." He raised a finger. "However, don't expect me to speak to you like that. And I'm not going to say up all night just to watch you sleep, just so we're clear," he added.

Kamui giggled. "Yeah, that would be kind of weird. And a little creepy, now that I think about it."

Her expression brightened. "Hey, I know! I can read one of your books, since you're reading mine. How about that book on women's anatomy? It sounds pretty interesting actually."

Why did she have to bring that book up? Leo regretted ever having it in her presence. She'd probably just think he was a big pervert after she read the book, since it was quite… detailed.

He didn't have a good reason to refuse her request, though. "If you insist." He pulled it out of his bag. "Its plot isn't nearly as… exciting as your book's plot."

Kamui grabbed the book eagerly. "Well, it is a scientific book, so that's no shocker." She snuggled closer to him. "Thank you." To Leo's surprise, she kissed his cheek. "You're the best."

"I thought you said I was the worst earlier."

"Oh, hush. Stop talking and let me read."

After an hour of quiet reading, Kamui was still on the second chapter of the anatomy book, which happened to be about breastfeeding, of all things. The subject was interesting, but slightly uncomfortable to read about. That's probably why Leo was trying to hide it from me. Why on earth did Leo even read this book? It's not like he'll ever be breastfeeding… I'd be the one doing that… Wait, what am I thinking? It's way too early to be thinking about that.

"I'm finished," Leo said abruptly, closing Promises Under the Cherry Blossoms.

Kamui was grateful for the excuse to take a break from Anatomy of Women. She set the book aside; she'd finish it later, maybe. "So, what did you think?" she asked.

Leo stretched his arms above his head, then put his arm around her shoulders. "It was… enlightening, I suppose," he said slowly.

Kamui stifled an unladylike snort. "Enlightening? Are you sure we're talking about the same novel? I'm quite aware that it's a trashy romance novel. I'd hardly consider it enlightening."

"Well, trashy romance novels aren't something I normally read, so it was enlightening to read something from that genre, just so I know what it's like," Leo clarified. "But the story itself was hardly enlightening. I knew from the first chapter that Aya would end up with Rei in the end. And the dialogue? Ridiculous… but sort of amusing. It's not the worst thing I've ever read."

"Thank you for that profound book review, Professor Leo. Perhaps I'll have you review all of my other trashy romance novels…" she teased.

"I'd prefer not to. I think one is enough for me."

The thought of making Leo read another one of her romance novels was amusing. She moved in closer to him and pouted. "But what if I insist? Please?"

His breath caught, and his checks were flushed. He seemed at a loss for words for some reason. "I… uh…" He swallowed. "I'll consider it."

Kamui giggled. "Really? I was only teasing, you know."

Leo glanced away. "Yes, I know." He sighed and met her gaze again. "Enough about that. How do you find your book?"

Kamui shifted away from him and looked at her lap, instead of him. "It's interesting, to say the least," she began. She suddenly felt too hot. "Wait, do you actually want to talk about breastfeeding with me?" she blurted out. She blushed furiously.

"What?! No, of course not," Leo gasped.

Kamui forced herself to look at him again. His face was bright red like a tomato.

"Why did you read it, then?" Kamui tucked one of her curls behind her ear nervously. "You're a man, Leo, so you wouldn't be breastfeeding our kids…" She clamped a hand over her mouth. Did I just say our kids? It's only on my mind because everyone keeps bringing it up.

Leo turned even redder, if that was possible. "I know that. I'm not an idiot, Kamui," he snapped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I like to be informed on a variety of subjects. Is there anything wrong with that?" Kamui couldn't tell if he was actually angry with her or just horribly embarrassed.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that," she said. "It's just surprising, is all. I do agree that it's important to be well versed about a variety of topics." She touched his hand tentatively. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Leo sighed and opened his eyes again. "No, I'm sorry for even reading that stupid book. You probably think I'm such a disgrace." He grimaced.

Kamui felt sad to hear him talk about himself like that. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, turning him to face her. "Leo, you are not a disgrace. Please don't say that about yourself." 

She gave him an awkward hug, seeing that they were sitting next to each other in a moving carriage. "I'm the one who reads trashy romances, so who am I to talk? At least you're seeking knowledge and trying to learn about something."

Leo hesitated before returning her hug. "You're too kind, Kamui."

"And you're too smart, Leo."

"Hmm, I don't think there's such a thing as being too smart," Leo countered. "Now, if you're too kind, people might take advantage of your kind heart."

"I'm not sure if you're trying to compliment me or insult me," Kamui noted, pulling out of his embrace.

"I'd like to think of it as compliment with a warning," Leo explained. "Your kindness is one of your greatest qualities, Kamui, but I don't want other people to hurt you because of that." He paused for a second. "I don't know exactly what the Hoshidan court is like, but the Nohrian court is pretty vicious. There are plenty of nobles that wouldn't hesitate to use you for their own purposes."

Kamui frowned. "You're saying that you don't think I could handle it?"

"I  just want you to be on your guard." Leo placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his fervent gaze. "Just promise me that you'll be careful about who you trust, Kamui." His grip tightened on her shoulders.

He's really concerned about this. Kamui felt a sinking feeling in her gut. "I promise… but I'll need your help in adjusting to the Nohrian court. You need to tell me who is trustworthy, who your enemies are… everything."

Leo nodded. "I'll make sure that Camilla fills you in as well. She's more knowledgeable about the happenings of the court than I am. I tend to keep to myself, to be honest."

"Well, could I just do that initially? Keep to myself?" Kamui asked. She was still adjusting to being married and moving to a new country. She didn't need the extra stress of integrating into the Nohrian court, if she could avoid it for now.

"If only," Leo murmured. "But that won't be an option for you, I'm afraid. First off, you are a princess of Hoshido, so you'll be sought out for political reasons. And not everyone in Nohr is friendly to Hoshido. Actually, I'd say most of the court is not in favor of our marriage. Second, I am the second prince of Nohr and third in line for the throne, so people will try to use you to get through to me, since you're my wife. And there a lot of nobles that make a lifestyle out of manipulating others as a way of gaining power. I could keep going on, but I think you get the picture."

"Yeah... Thanks for the heads up," Kamui said solemnly.

"Of course. I'm not just going to throw my wife to the sharks and leave her to fend for herself."

Kamui laughed softly. "Well, that's reassuring. But in all seriousness, thank you for looking out for me. That's very sweet of you."

Leo flushed and glanced away. "Do me a favor and don't call me sweet in front of anyone, okay?"

Kamui grinned. "But I'm just stating the truth. What's wrong with that?"

Leo ran his long fingers through his hair. "Well, it's not good for my image as a Nohrian prince, and it's not true, so-"

On impulse, Kamui tilted her head up and licked his cheek.

Leo actually jumped at that. "Agh! Kamui, what are you doing?!" He rubbed the spot her wet tongue had touched.

Kamui's heart was racing as she realized how stupid she was acting. Her reasoning for licking him was pretty pathetic. She'd wanted to prove to him that of course he was sweet. What, were you going to tell him? That he tastes sweet? No one wants to be licked. Her face reddened as she thought about how flawed that logic was.

"Sorry, that was dumb," she gasped. "I wasn't thinking straight." She scooted as far away from him as she could and pushed back the curtain to look out the window.

The scenery outside was mountainous and rocky. The skies were clear and a lovely shade of blue. There wasn't a whole lot of shrubbery besides small plants trying to grow through the cracks in the rocks. It wasn't anything like the lush Hoshidan landscape. They must be in Nohr now.

"I think we should stop for lunch soon," Kamui stated, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between them again. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, so is that why you licked me? Am I to be your lunch then?"

Kamui gave him a dirty look. "Ew, gross!" She shuddered. "The thought hadn't even crossed my mind until you brought it up."

Leo was smirking again. "Sorry, but you set yourself up for that one. Just be glad Niles wasn't here for any of that. I shudder to think what he'd say. Word to the wise: be careful what you say around my retainer; he has a tendency to point out the more… obscene things in a situation."

"So I've noticed," Kamui remarked dryly. "I'm still going to ask Tennyson if we can take a break."

She moved to the opposite seat and slid open the small hatch to talk to their coachman.

"Tennyson, how are things going for you?" she asked.

The young coachman glanced back at her, slightly startled. "Oh, Lady Kamui, things are going just fine."

"Is it okay if we stop for a lunch break? I bet you and the horses could also use a rest." Kamui wanted to lighten his load. "If I could, I would take over for a bit so you could have a break."

"Of course, milady," Tennyson replied, then he flushed. "Well, I meant about stopping for lunch, that is. It isn't really proper for a princess to drive the coach anyway." He gasped. "Oh, Lady Kamui, please forgive me. I didn't mean to be rude to you."

Kamui laughed. "I don't think you were rude. You were just stating the truth. I wouldn't know what to do, so letting me drive the coach would be a very bad idea. I'm willing to learn, though."

Tennyson didn't seem to know how to respond to that. Kamui felt bad; she wasn't trying to put him on the spot.

Fortunately for him, Leo cut in. "As entertaining as it would be to watch you lead the horses, I do want to get home at a somewhat reasonable hour tonight."

Kamui spared her husband a glance. "Fine, I'll wait until later to have my lessons. But I do want you to teach me, Tennyson."

Tennyson guided the horses to the edge of the road and reined them to a stop. "If it pleases you, milady," was his polite reply.

Kamui opened the carriage door and hopped out before Tennyson even got off the coachbox. She wiggled her toes in the dirt, glad to get out of that stuffy carriage.

The poor coachman paled. "Lady Kamui, I'm so sorry. I should have helped you out," he began.

She waved him off. "Don't worry about it. We're all friends and fellow travelers anyway. So, what can we do to help you?"

His jaw dropped. "N-nothing, milady. I'm the one that's supposed to serve you," he stammered.

"Just give her something to do, Tennyson," Leo remarked, as he climbed out of the carriage. The dirt crunched under his boots. "It's easier than trying to talk any reason into her."

"I am being reasonable, Leo," Kamui insisted. "What's wrong with helping out a little?"

"Nothing. However, I don't think there's much you could do while wearing that dress," Leo replied. "You probably don't want to arrive in Nohr covered in dirt and grime. That wouldn't make a very good first impression, dear." He looked pointedly down at Kamui's bare feet, which were already caked in dirt.

Kamui flushed a little. He did have a point, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of admitting he was right.

She turned back to Tennyson, but he had already laid out a blanket and placed their lunch of rice cakes and strawberries on it. She sighed. "Well, at least let us help clean up afterwards."

"As you wish, Lady Kamui," was the coachman's only reply.

"Wait, 'us'?" Leo interjected.

Kamui turned back to her husband with a sly smile. "Yes, you're going to help out with the chores as well, dear."

It was late at night when they finally arrived at Castle Krakenburg. Kamui had fallen asleep again, and her head was resting in Leo's lap. Leo didn't want to wake her because it had been a long day for all of them, but he knew that at least some of his family was expecting them. If he didn't wake her now, while they were still en route, someone else was bound to.

He shook her shoulder. "Kamui, we're home," he murmured.

She moaned in her sleep, but her eyes remained closed.

Leo sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he'd expected. He pulled her up into a sitting position. "Kamui, you need to wake up." He spoke a little louder, but he didn't really want to shout at her.

Her head lolled against his shoulder, and she groaned. "W-what?" she mumbled. She blinked up at him with sleepy eyes. Her bewildered expression was kind of cute.

"We're finally home, at Castle Krakenburg," Leo repeated.

She collapsed against him again. "I just want to sleep, Leo," she mumbled into his chest.

Leo wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer to him. "I know, but you can't spend the night in the carriage."

She mumbled something incoherent.

"Sorry, but I don't understand gibberish, Kamui."

"Carry me?" she whispered.

Leo rolled his eyes. "No. You're perfectly capable of walking, Kamui."

"Please?"

Leo ignored her plea. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He moved her out of his lap, so he could at least get up.

The carriage stopped, and a few moments later, Tennyson opened the door. He bowed politely. "Milord and milady, welcome home."

Leo had barely exited the carriage, when he was suddenly attacked by a blur of pink. Elise crashed into him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Leo! You're back! You're back!"

"Elise, I can't breathe," Leo gasped. When she hugged him, it felt like she was trying to squeeze him in half.

"But I'm so happy to see you again," his little sister squealed. To Leo's relief, she let go of him, and he could finally breathe again.

Leo took a deep breath to make up for the momentary loss of air. "You don't have to crush my ribcage to tell me that."

Elise snorted. "You're so weird. I would never do that to my favorite big brother named Leo."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I'm your only big brother named Leo."

Elise grinned up at him. "That's why you're my favorite one!"

She turned towards Kamui, who was still seated in the carriage. "Big Sister Kamui! I'm so glad you're finally here!" She climbed into the coach and embraced her sister-in-law. "I hope Leo wasn't too annoying for you."

Leo's attention was diverted by another set of warm arms that embraced him from behind. "C-Camilla, not you, too," he groaned.

Camilla chuckled. "It's good to see you, too, darling. But you look absolutely exhausted."

"Hm. I wonder why that could be?" Niles mused with a knowing smile. "Did you two have fun on the honeymoon, Lord Leo?"

Leo flushed at his implications. "I don't see why that's any of your business, Niles."

"It was an innocent question," Niles remarked. Leo knew it was anything but that.

"Yeah, right, Niles," Charlotte interjected. "We all know what you're insinuating."

"Everyone, give them some space," Xander said, approaching the rest of his family. Leo mouthed him a thank you.

Elise had pulled Kamui out of the carriage and paused in whatever she was saying. "Sorry, Big Brother. We're just so excited they're home!"

Leo groaned. "We were only gone one week. That's not very much time." He actually would have been fine spending more time away from home, just not with Izana.

Azura embraced Kamui gently. "Let's get you to bed, cousin. You look so tired."

"A little," Kamui murmured. Well, that was the biggest understatement ever. She was practically falling asleep while standing up.

Eventually, Leo's siblings escorted them to their suite. After his sisters had shown Kamui her rooms, they finally left Leo and Kamui alone in her sitting room.

She leaned against her bedroom door and giggled into her hands.

"What's so funny?" Leo mumbled. He was too exhausted to really interact with anyone else tonight, even his wife.

Kamui shook her head. "Sorry, it's just I didn't expect all of your brothers and sisters to wait up for us. I'm surprised Elise didn't make us play games with her, like Izana did when we got to Izumo."

"Just wait until tomorrow. I don't think Elise is going to let you sleep in," Leo commented wryly.

"Well, I should get to bed, then." Kamui wrapped her arms around Leo and gently embraced him. "Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, Kamui."

Leo watched her enter her bedroom before returning to his own. He was asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

Kamui was disoriented when she woke up in her bed in Nohr for the first time. The mattress was higher off the floor than she was used to, but it was so comfortable that she didn't want to get out bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled into the blankets again.

There isn't anything important going on today; I can sleep in just a little longer.

As if to prove her wrong, there was a light knock at the door to Kamui's sitting room.

She sat up and pushed her tangled hair out of her face. "Come in," she called.

A pink-haired maid entered the room with a tray of tea in her hands. "Good morning, Lady Kamui. I'm your new maid," she said.

Kamui smiled at her. "Good morning to you, too. What is your name?"

The maid gasped, and the tray shook in her hands "Oh, I'm so sorry for not introducing myself properly, milady. I'm Felicia and I'm from the Ice Tribe south of here."

Kamui waved away the apology. Why were all of the servants around here on edge? "It's good to meet you, Felicia." She stifled a yawn. "I should probably get up, shouldn't I?"

"Well, I'm here to help you, if you- whoa!" Felicia had started to walk over to the bed, but her foot caught on the rug and she fell on the floor. The teapot went flying and crashed on the bed. Hot liquid seeped into the blue comforter.

Kamui hoped out of bed and crouched next to the maid. "Are you all right, Felicia?" She helped Felicia get to her feet again.

"I-I'm  all right," she stuttered, as she straightened her uniform. "Lady Kamui, I'm so sorry that I spilled tea on you. I beg for your forgiveness for my clumsiness."

"Felicia, I'm just glad that you're okay," Kamui said gently. "The bedding can be washed, and the floor can be cleaned up. And I'm sure that there are plenty of tea sets in the castle, so it's no big deal. Accidents happen."

Felicia sighed and hung her head. "Accidents seem to happen to me more often than other people." She met Kamui's gaze with wide blue eyes. "But I do want to be a good maid, Lady Kamui."

Kamui smiled at her maid. "I'm glad to hear that. You seem to be a very dedicated and kind person, Felicia. I'm glad you're my maid."

Felicia's cheeks went pink. "You're just as kind as everyone has been saying. Thank you for being so nice to me."

"You're welcome." Kamui's smiled faded. "But you mentioned rumors about me? What are people saying?" She shouldn't be surprised that she was a subject of gossip around the castle, but she hoped it wasn't too cruel.

Felicia started picking up the shattered tea set on the floor. She placed the pieces on the tray. "Are you sure you want to listen to gossip about yourself?"

Kamui knelt next to the other girl and helped mop up the tea  with a cloth. "Yes, I think it would be beneficial to know what people here think of me."

"Well, they say that you are the kindest Hoshidan and are an absolute sweetheart," Felicia said. "Also, that you are a rare beauty."

Kamui felt her face growing warm. "D-do they really?"

"Mhm."

"Well, I'm flattered, but as you can see, I'm no 'rare beauty.' I try my best to be kind to others, so I suppose that part is somewhat true," Kamui remarked. "But is that all that people are saying? Usually there's negative gossip as well."

Felicia busied herself with cleaning up the mess. "You don't need to hear that, milady. There's gossip about all of the nobles in the court, so don't worry about it."

She stood with the tray in her hands. "I'm going to take this back to the kitchens. Would you like me to bring you more tea, Lady Kamui?"

Kamui shook her head. "Before you leave, could you help me change? It seems I slept in my clothes last night." She tried to smooth out the wrinkles on her light pink gown from yesterday.

"Oh, of course. What would you like to wear today?" Felicia set down the tray and went to Kamui's closet.

Kamui joined her at the closet, which was full of dresses of all sorts of colors. "What would you recommend, Felicia? I don't really know what's in style in Nohr right now."

"Well…"

There was another knock at the door.

Kamui turned. "Come in!"

Leo entered the room, wearing a dark, formal suit. His dark amber eyes surveyed the room before they rested on Kamui. "I'm impressed, Kamui. You managed to get up before noon today." There was an undercurrent of amusement in his voice. Kamui didn't understand what was so entertaining about her sleeping habits, but Leo had made several observations about it in the last week.

Well, she thought his bluntness could be amusing at times as well. "Did you just come in here to tell me that?" Kamui inquired.

Felicia poked her head out of the closet. "Oh, should I leave now? I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Felicia, you aren't interrupting anything," Kamui told her. "If anyone is interrupting anything, it's Leo. You were here first."

She turned back to her husband, whose face was expressionless. "I'm trying to get dressed for the day, so could we talk after I change?"

His cheeks reddened ever so slightly, and he glanced away. "Well, that's what I need to talk to you about."

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "Getting dressed? I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Father wants you to be presented to the court this afternoon, so you'll need to wear something formal for that," he explained. "But wear whatever you like for now. I'm sure my sisters are dying to help pick out your outfit for the afternoon."

He noticed the tea spill on her bed. "What happened here? It's still damp."

"Oh, I just spilled my tea this morning," Kamui answered. "It's no big deal." She would take the blame for the mess if it kept Felicia out of trouble.

Leo regarded her skeptically. He'd probably sensed that she wasn't being truthful. "Wait… who did you say your maid was again?"

Kamui noticed Felicia lurking in a corner of the bedroom. The poor girl looked so ashamed.

"Leo, this is Felicia. Felicia, Leo." She gestured at each of them for introductions.

Felicia quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Lord Leo, it is an honor to meet you. Um… Lady Kamui wasn't the one who spilled the tea. It was me," she admitted. "I'm terribly sorry and I promise to clean it up."

"Hm. I think we've been introduced before, Felicia," Leo remarked. "I'm not surprised that you were the one who spilled the tea. You've made plenty of messes in the past, and this won't be the last one. I'm surprised you're still employed as a maid at all."

Poor Felicia looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Kamui crossed her arms and glared at her husband. "Leo, that was rude. Apologize to Felicia."

Leo seemed confused at her request. "What for? I was merely stating a fact. I don't see why there's a problem with that." How dense can he be? There is absolutely a problem with what he said!

"Well, it was rude, and you upset Felicia. I personally see a problem with hurting someone's feelings. If you're going to insult my maid, you can just leave." Kamui pointed to the door.

Leo frowned. "Kamui, I think you're overreacting. It's common sense that a person should do a task suited to them. Attending you is not something Felicia is suited for-"

"That's it! Get out, now!" Kamui snapped. That was too cruel!

"Lady Kamui, please don't fight over me," Felicia whimpered.

Kamui froze. Wait, are we having an argument? I didn't mean to yell at him…

"Leo-" she began, but he was already headed out the door.

She heard him mutter something about emotional women under his breath. Then, he shut the door behind him. It was more like he slammed it, truth be told.

The silence in Kamui's bedroom was unsettling. Her heart was pounding in her chest. All she could do was stare at the door in shock. She felt sick to her stomach. She'd never, ever wanted to shout at her spouse, and now she'd definitely upset him. Well, he's the one that started it. He has no right to speak that way about my maid. I could have handled it better, though. She was so disappointed in herself.

Felicia was the one who eventually broke the silence. "L-Lady Kamui, are you all right?" She came over to check on her liege.

Kamui released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I- I'll be fine," she managed to say. "Thank you for your concern, Felicia." She forced a smile. "Show me what you picked out."

"Well, to be honest, I couldn't really decide, milady. Perhaps you should have Lady Camilla help you pick something out. I can go retrieve her if you like."

Kamui nodded. "I would appreciate that, thank you."

"Hmm. Elise, which dress do you think complements Kamui's complexion more: the scarlet one, or the violet one?" Camilla asked, holding up the two gowns.

"Ooh… they're both so pretty," Elise sighed dreamily. "I think you should model them for us, Big Sister Kamui."

The three women were in Kamui's bedchamber. Both Camilla and Elise had come to help Kamui pick out her outfit for the court. The two sisters kept going over different options, as delighted as young girls playing dress up.

Kamui claimed she had a headache, so she wasn't feeling very energetic. It was true; after her brief argument with Leo, she'd developed a splitting headache. She laid on the bed, only offering her option when directly asked. At least the bedding was fresh. Kamui had a sneaky feeling that Elise had picked out the comforter; it was hot pink. Regardless, it was comfortable. If she wasn't careful, she could easily take a nap without meaning to.

"Kamui? Kamui, are you listening?" Camilla asked.

Kamui sat up. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

Elise pushed a silky scarlet gown into Kamui's arms. "We want you to try this on, Big Sister! Then, you can go back to resting. Are you sure you don't want me to use a staff to help alleviate the pain?"

Elise had offered her services as a healer multiple times, but Kamui refused each time. She wasn't actually physically ill, and she deserved to taste the bitterness of her guilt.

"I don't need a staff, Elise, but thank you. Will you both help me change into the dress?" Kamui asked quietly.

The dress was sleeveless with a v-shaped neckline that was lower than Kamui was used to. It didn't show too much, though. The a-line skirt was floor-length and covered her feet, so at least she wouldn't have to wear shoes. Small roses had been embroidered into the skirt of the gown. The scarlet gloves were made of the same material as the dress and came up to her elbows. It was perfectly tailored to fit Kamui's body.

Elise squealed in delight. "Kamui, you are so gorgeous!"

"Oh, it's so lovely on you," Camilla cooed. "The color really brings out your eyes."

"Camilla, did you get my measurements before I moved here?" Kamui wondered.

"That's all you can say about this dress?" Camilla asked. "I think this one is a no go, Elise."

"What? No, that's not what I meant. It really is a beautiful dress," Kamui stated, turning to see herself in the mirror. "I was just wondering is all."

"It is a beautiful dress on you," Camilla emphasized. "And to answer your question, I got your measurements from Queen Mikoto just after you and Leo got engaged."

"Oh. That makes sense. Did you have all of these dresses made for me? They're all so beautiful," Kamui noted.

Camilla chuckled. "Yes, dear. Consider it a wedding gift for both of you from me."

Kamui frowned. "But they're only for me, unless you had dresses made for Leo as well."

Elise giggled. "I'd love to see someone try to get him into a dress."

Camilla just smiled knowingly. "Oh, I think Leo can appreciate the dresses as well, dear, especially if you're the one wearing them. After all, you are a very attractive young lady. And I've seen the way my brother looks at you."

Kamui didn't need to look in the mirror to know that her face was burning up. If she understood correctly, then Camilla was saying that… No, she wouldn't think about that.

"Big Sister, your face is almost the color of the dress!" Elise exclaimed.

Kamui hid her face in her hands. "Wasn't there another dress you wanted me to try on?"

"Yep! It's a dark violet one," Elise replied cheerfully.

This dress was strapless with a low sweetheart neckline. It was made of a soft material that Kamui didn't recognize. At least it was also floor-length, so she could forgo shoes. She didn't like how she could see her bosom rising and falling with her every breath; it brought more attention to her chest than she was comfortable with.

Of course, Camilla and Elise thought it was stunning on her.

"Um… it is also very lovely," Kamui said. "I think I'd rather wear the red one, though."

Camilla chuckled. "Alright, darling. The red one it is, then."

Kamui wished she'd made up with Leo before being presented to the court. She would have felt better knowing that he was supporting her or, at the very least, that he wasn't upset with her. Well, it was too late for that now, since the royal court was already in session, so everyone would already be in the throne room.

Everyone except for Kamui, that was. Her presentation to the court was somewhere on the daily agenda for the court, so she would have to just wait for now. She sat in a plush chair in an antechamber. Felicia wasn't supposed to attend to the matters involving the court, since she was a maid, so a butler named Jakob was charged with escorting her to the correct places at the correct times.

Jakob was tall and dignified. He wore his long silver hair in a low ponytail, and his purple and gray uniform was in perfect condition. He'd probably get along well with Subaki, Kamui mused. I wonder how everyone is doing back home…

"Milady," Jakob interrupted her thoughts. "Would you like a cup of tea while you wait? It is my own special brew, which I have refined over the years. It might help soothe the nerves."

Kamui sighed. "Is it that obvious that I'm nervous?" she muttered.

Jakob's lips twitched in the hint of a smile. "Perhaps a little, but that is to be expected. My offer for tea still stands."

Kamui flashed him a thankful smile. "Yes, please. I would love some tea."

Jakob bowed. "I live to serve. I shall return with your tea in a few moments."

"Thank you, Jakob."

She watched the butler leave through a side door, then observed the other people waiting in the antechamber. There was a variety of people. Some of them were noblemen. Others were townsfolk and peasants come with petitions for the king. Kamui couldn't help but feel that she stuck out like a sore thumb in her scarlet gown. Well, Camilla and Elise told me I should wear this, so it should be fine. Camilla also insisted on Kamui wearing red lipstick and black eyeliner, which seemed a little over the top to her. At least she could keep her hair down and wear her black headband.

An older couple approached her. The man was dressed in a gray suit, and the woman wore a lavender dress. By the way they held themselves, Kamui knew that they were definitely not peasants. The man gave her a slight bow, and the woman a tiny curtsy.

"Milady, do I have the pleasure of addressing Princess Kamui?" the man asked politely.

Kamui nodded. "Yes, I am Princess Kamui." She remembered to smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir-"

"My name is simply Theo, and my wife is Emma. I have not been knighted, so there is no need to address me as 'sir'," he explained politely.

"Oh. Well, may I help you with something?"

His wife spoke up. "We wanted to congratulate you on your marriage to Prince Leo, milady. That's a very brave thing you've done. We just wanted to tell you that we appreciate what you're doing." She smiled softly at Kamui.

Kamui returned the smile bashfully. "Thank you, Emma and Theo. I appreciate your kindness. Would you like to tell me more about yourselves? I'm still learning all I can about Nohr and I'd love to get to know you better."

The couple exchanged a glance. "What would you like to know, Princess Kamui?" Theo asked.

They ended up chatting about the couple's life on their estate in western Nohr. They had come to petition for more guards to be sent to the western border to protect the people from outlanders. The duke of the region had refused their petitions, so they came to appeal directly to the king.

Jakob eventually returned with her tea, and Theo and Emma were ushered into the throne room then. What a kind couple. Kamui smiled to herself. I'd love to be like them when I'm older. That's a ways off, though.

Jakob brought her out of her reverie again. "Lady Kamui, it is time for you to be presented."

Kamui stood and straightened  out her skirts. "Am I presentable?"

"You are the image of a lovely lady of the court. Now, please follow me."

Kamui padded barefoot after Jakob. She had to hold up her skirts because his stride was much longer than hers. She was slightly breathless when they arrived at the doors to the throne room.

Jakob looked down at her. "Remember to wait until after I've presented you, then proceed to the throne and curtsy for the king and queen. Remain in that position until the king acknowledges you, then you may join the other members of the court. Are you ready, milady?"

Kamui forced a nervous smile. "Let's get this over with… And Jakob?"

"Yes?"

Kamui beamed up at him. "Thank you for helping me out so much today."

Jakob cleared his throat. "It is my duty, milady."

"Well, I certainly appreciate you fulfilling your duty."

"Well, now it's time for you to fulfill your duty, Princess Kamui."

Jakob opened the large doors leading to the throne room. "Presenting her ladyship, Princess Kamui, wife of Prince Leo of Nohr," he announced loudly. He glanced back at her, subtly cuing her to proceed to the throne.

The throne room was spacious and slightly intimidating. It wasn't as open and warm as Father's throne room back home. Well, Nohr is a very different kingdom and it's known to be a bit harsh. There were so many people, too. Kamui reminded herself to keep eye contact with King Garon. It wouldn't do to gawk like a village girl visiting the castle for the first time.

King Garon watched her with no visible emotion. Queen Arete gave her niece a small smile. Her golden eyes were sparkling. At least someone here is glad to see me.

Kamui swept into a low curtsey and waited for the king to speak.

"You may rise, Lady Kamui, and join the members of the court," was all Garon said.

Kamui did as she was told. The members of the court were standing about the throne room, and she wasn't quite sure where to go. Fortunately, Elise waved her over to the edge of the room.

The younger princess embraced Kamui. "You were so amazing," she whispered. "You looked like you really belong here, a real lady of the court!"

The tension left Kamui's shoulders, and she genuinely smiled for the first time since that morning. "Thank you, Elise. I was quite terrified, to be honest."

Xander came over and hushed them. "Please pay attention, sisters. Now isn't the time for chit chat," he chided them softly.

"Sorry," Kamui whispered.

She tried to pay attention to the rest of the proceedings of the court, but her mind kept wandering back to her worries. She remembered what Leo had told her yesterday, to be careful who she trusted in the court. And that not all the nobles were pleased with their marriage. I have my new family to support me, so I can get through this.

Kamui scanned the room for her husband and she eventually spotted him on the opposite side near the wall. Their eyes met briefly, and he quickly turned away.

So he's still upset about this morning. I wish I could ask Mother for advice on what to do. I suppose I'll have to just do my best to make reconciliation with him and hope it all works out.

Chapter Text

Leo hated being at court. He didn't mind the affairs of running the kingdom, but Father's court was known for scandals and rivalries for a reason. Of course, Father and Queen Arete would handle affairs of the kingdom at court, but it was just about everyone else there that grated on Leo's nerves. It was a breeding ground for deception and betrayal. Everyone was friendly to one another on the surface, but there were so many secret animosities that Leo couldn't possibly keep track of.

And Kamui was being thrown right into the middle of it all.

She was the essence of regality as she was formally presented to the court. Leo could tell that Camilla had a hand in picking out her vibrant red gown. It suited Kamui, emphasizing the ruby red of her irises and the natural curves of her body. (Leo tired to ignore how his pulse sped at that thought.) The dress was obviously supposed to draw attention to her, and it worked, just not in a way that Leo liked.

After she had joined Elise on the other end of the hall, Leo caught whispers from the other noblemen.

"…Lord Leo's wife is hot…"

"…wouldn't mind having a turn with her myself…"

"…just a political marriage, so she's totally available…"

And those were the more decent things that they were saying.

Leo ground his teeth in anger. Yes, she was certainly attractive, but she was his wife. He hated hearing other men talk about her like she was some kind of plaything or a trophy to be won over. And they had the audacity to talk about her like that within Leo's earshot.

He was half tempted to storm over to Kamui and drag her away from the court that instant. But he knew that doing that would cause more problems than there already were. Not to mention, it would cause quite a scene.

Kamui's eyes met his, and they widened. Leo realized he was scowling at her and quickly looked away in shame. He wasn't angry with her; he was furious with all those imbeciles that would dare speak of her as they had.

She was probably angry with Leo, though. After she had snapped at him that morning, Leo figured that giving her some space was the best course of action. He really hadn't meant to upset her and was still trying to figure out what exactly he did wrong. And from Xander's stories about Charlotte's temper, Leo knew better than to ask Kamui outright; she'd expect him to know precisely what he did wrong without being told.

"Careful, Lord Leo. You might just commit a mass murder with that glare of yours," a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

Leo was startled; he hadn't heard Niles approach. "Just be quiet, if you know what's good for you," he muttered to his retainer.

"Oh? And how were you planning on inflicting your punishment?"

Leo glared at the rogue. "Just shut up, Niles," he hissed. He was certain that other people could hear their conversation, and that would start rumors like wildfire. "We'll talk later, okay?" he added as an afterthought.

"As you wish, milord."

Leo noticed a young lord staring at them and glared back. The man had been one of those fools talking about Kamui inappropriately; Leo would make sure he knew that was a huge mistake.

After another hour or so, Father concluded the affairs of the court, and the nobles were allowed to disperse. Of course, there was a ridiculous amount of people clamoring for Kamui's attention, including many young men, some of whom were married.

Leo wanted to join Kamui, but he didn't know if she was still upset with him and getting through that crowd would be a difficult task. So he just watched her smile and make small talk with the nobles. After spending a whole week with her, Leo could see the fatigue in her eyes. Her smile also seemed a little forced. Elise stayed by Kamui's side, eagerly introducing her to the members of Father's court.

Kamui noticed Leo staring at her. She bit her lip and glanced away. Yep, she was still upset with him.

Leo got bored of observing the people interact with his wife, so he left the throne room after a few minutes. Kamui seemed to be doing fine without him there anyway.

Kamui's headache returned with all of the nobles swarming around her. She did want to meet all of the members of the royal court, but this was slightly overwhelming. There were way too many introductions. To make matters worse, she was bombarded questions that ranged from Hoshidan politics to how her honeymoon was.

At least Elise stayed by her side during the whole ordeal, unlike a certain someone who had promised not to leave her to fend for herself at court. So much for my husband's support, she thought grimly. Well, she'd just have to do the best she could with what she had. It would have been easier if Leo wasn't standing at a distance, just staring at her again. It was like he knew that he was treating her terribly, but didn't care at all. That realization hurt more than Kamui thought it would. She'd thought they were at least starting to become friends.

At some point, Camilla made her way over to Kamui. "I apologize to everyone, but Lady Kamui and Lady Elise have a pressing engagement to attend to." She turned to the princesses. "Come, let's get you out of here." Kamui didn't care what this 'pressing engagement' was. She was just grateful that Camilla had rescued her from all that.

 Elise and Camilla looped their arms through hers, Elise on her left, and Camilla on her right.

"So sorry you had to deal with that, darling," Camilla whispered. "You did so well, by the way."

Kamui laughed softly. "Thank you, Camilla, but all I did was walk across the throne room. Nothing too exciting there."

"But you looked so cool doing it!" Elise interjected.

"Hm. I think you sell yourself short, dearest Kamui," Camilla mused. "Give yourself more credit for the good that you do."

Kamui smiled. "Thanks. Camilla, where are we headed?"

Camilla led the princesses through the castle corridors, making so many turns that Kamui felt like she was lost in a maze. "To dinner, dear."

"Oh." Kamui realized that she had forgotten to eat lunch, and now hunger was gnawing at her stomach. Maybe that was part of the cause for her headache.

"Are you hungry, Big Sister?" Elise asked.

Kamui's stomach growled audibly, and she flushed. "Very."

"Well, there's always tons of food at dinner! I think we're having pork chops and roasted potatoes tonight," Elise said brightly, then she looked at Kamui with concern. "Oh, how are you feeling, Kamui? Is your headache any better?"

Kamui sighed. "I'm better than earlier, but I still have a slight headache. I think eating something will help."

"And drink lots of water, too," Elise advised. "And if you're still not feeling well this evening, please let me help you with a staff. I don't want you to feel miserable."

Kamui smiled at the blonde princess. "Thank you, Elise. I might take you up on that offer after all."

"No problem!"

Camilla stopped by a dark oak door. "This is where the royal family's dining room is," she explained. "We all dine here for meals when we're able to."

Kamui nodded. "Is there somewhere I'm expected to sit?" She really didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of royal family. Again.

"Your place would be to Leo's left, since you're his wife. We only really worry about those formalities at dinner, though," Camilla answered.

"You get to sit next to me!" Elise smiled like her birthday had come early. "This is going to be so great!"

Kamui returned her smile. "Yes, I'm glad we get to spend more time together." At least I'll have someone to talk to without it being awkward.

The rest of the royal family, minus the king and queen, was already seated and working on a first course of salad when they arrived.

"Sorry we're late," Camilla said. "Kamui's fans wouldn't let her go. She's already quite popular with the court."

"You're a bigger deal than Niles or I were, since your foreign and all that," Charlotte commented. "How does it feel to be in the spotlight?"

Absolutely terrible. Kamui forced a small smile. "I don't know if I would call it the spotlight, but I am eager to get to know the people of the court," she said diplomatically.

Charlotte giggled. "Oh you sound so much like a royal right now. It's obvious you were born into it."

Kamui couldn't tell if Charlotte was spiteful because of that, or if she was just making an observation. She's going to be queen someday, so I don't see why she'd care. "I do my best," was all she could think of as a reply.

Leo hardly glanced at her when she took her seat to his left. She didn't feel like forcing a conversation with him at the dinner table, so she turned to Elise, who was more than happy to tell Kamui all about her hobbies.

Kamui barely paid attention to the general conversation of the family during the meal and just slowly ate her food. She didn't really feel like talking much.

After a dessert of berry cobbler, Kamui decided that it was an appropriate time to excuse herself. She stood and everyone looked at her. "Thank you for the wonderful meal. I'm very tired, so I'm going to retire early for the night," she said politely.

There were a few goodbyes and goodnights said as Kamui left the room.

Drat. I don't remember how to get to my room. Kamui didn't want to go back to ask for directions; that would be too embarrassing.

She turned towards the sound of quick footsteps behind her. "Elise? Was there something you needed?"

Elise's usual bright smile was absent. "I wanted to make sure you're doing okay, Big Sister. And be honest with me; don't just tell me that everything is fine when it isn't." Kamui hadn't ever seen the girl this serious before. "Is it your headache again?"

Kamui sighed. It would be nice to talk to someone after her rough day. "My head doesn't hurt as much now," she said, which was true. "I just-" She swallowed, trying to hold back tears. "I just miss home," she admitted. "Not that Nohr isn't great; I really do like it so far. I'm just a little homesick, I guess."

I wish I could talk to my family again.

Elise was quiet for a moment. "It's okay to miss home. I can only imagine how hard this is for you," she finally said. "You left your family, came to a foreign country, and you're stuck married to my dumb brother who didn't even speak a word to you at dinner."

Kamui grimaced. That was the other thing on her mind: Leo's cold treatment of her all day. "So you noticed that?"

"Yeah. But don't worry too much; Leo's always been like that with basically everyone." Elise rolled her eyes." Big Brother is just a big old grouchy pants most of the time."

Kamui gave a choked laugh at that. "Elise, you are too precious. Thank you for talking to me."

"Anytime. We're family now, so we've got to look out for each other," Elise said. "I love you, you know?"

Kamui started weeping at those words. It felt like ages since someone had last told her that they loved her. "I know, Elise. I love you, too." She choked back a sob.

Elise pulled Kamui into a warm hug. "Hey, it's okay." She stoked Kamui's hair gently. "It's okay to cry. I'm here for you, Kamui, whatever you need."

Kamui cried into her sister-in-law's shoulder for a few minutes before regaining her composure. She pulled away and wiped her tears. "Thank you, Elise. You've been an angel for me today."

Elise giggled. "I do my best! Now, what can I do to help you? Do you want to go to bed, or we could play a game… or whatever you want to do."

"Um… could you show me how to get to my room, actually? I don't remember the way…"

Elise brightened up. "Of course! Just follow me!"

Leo went to the library after dinner for some solitude.  Kamui had gone to bed early, and he didn't want to disturb her, so there went his chance of talking to her tonight. She had seemed pretty tired at dinner, but he could tell there was something off about her. She didn't seem angry anymore, but she was definitely not happy.

He was relieved that Elise had gone to talk to her; she was better at dealing with emotions than Leo was. If anyone could cheer Kamui up, it would be Elise. Or perhaps Camilla. Definitely not Leo, though.

Leo sighed when he realized that he'd been staring at the same page in his book for the past several minutes. It appeared that reading wasn't going to distract him tonight.

Maybe I should just go to bed early, too. Gods know it's been a long day. And I'll talk to Kamui first thing in the morning.

Leo had just come to that decision when Elise burst into the library, practically yelling his name. "Leo? Leooo!"

He closed his book and approached his little sister. "Elise, we're in the library," he hissed. "There's no need to shout."

Elise crossed her arms and glowered up at him. What did I do this time? "We gotta talk, Big Brother. And it's important, so whatever you're doing can wait."

She was one of the most persistent people Leo knew, so he just gave in. "Fine. What did you want to tell me?"

Elise glanced around at the few people still in the library at that hour. "It's private, so we can't talk here where people can listen in." She grabbed his hand. "We'll go to my room! C'mon!"

She dragged Leo all the way to her room, then ordered him to take a seat once they were in her sitting room. She perched on an armchair and stared at him with those bright eyes of hers.

"Okay, Elise. Will you please tell me what's going on?" It better not be something dumb.

Elise rested her chin in her hands. "It's Kamui."

Leo felt a sinking feeling in his gut. "What's wrong?"

"She's so sad right now, and you won't even say two words to her," Elise accused. "Don't you even care that she's unhappy?"

Leo felt sick. This was not a discussion he wanted to have with his little sister. "Of course I care."

"Well, you have a terrible way of showing it. It's her first day here in Nohr, and you've been ignoring her all day." She paused. "I think you hurt her feelings."

Leo blanched. "Is that what she told you?"

"She didn't say it outright, but I have a sense about these things." Elise's brow creased with worry. "She's been crying, Leo. I hate seeing her so upset."

Leo grimaced; Elise knew he hated it when girls cried, even though he would never admit it out loud. "Look, I'll talk to her tomorrow. I was actually already planning to, if you really must know."

"Good. And try to be nice to her, okay? I know it's hard for you, but I know you can do it!"

Leo shook his head. "I'll take that in the spirit that it was meant." He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed, Sister."

Elise raised an eyebrow. "You're not even going to thank me for helping you?"

"I suppose I should thank you," Leo replied.

"Well, aren't you going to?"

Leo smirked. "Nope." He dodged the cushion that went flying at his head. "Goodnight, Elise," he called as he dashed for the door.

"Get back here, you jerk!" Elise called out. "If you don't thank me properly, then I'm going to tickle attack you! And we both know that you're super ticklish. And then tomorrow you're going to play hide-and-seek with me. And after that, a tea party-"

"I get it, Elise," Leo interrupted. "Thank you."

His little sister smiled brightly. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Hm. You're the one who was making a big deal out of it."

"Because it's important to tell people 'thank you', obviously." Elise rolled her eyes. "Honestly, didn't you learn anything about being polite as a child?"

Leo tried to hide his grin. "Yes, but that doesn't apply to little sisters."

Elise stormed up to him and pouted. "Take that back, or else I'm going to tell Xander that you were picking on me again."

"Then I'll tell him that you were throwing things at me again," Leo countered.

"Well, you deserved it," Elise replied sweetly.

"I beg to differ. Older brothers never deserve to have projectiles thrown at them."

"Ugh. Why are you so weird?" she groaned. She pushed him towards the door. "But I'm going to sleep now, so you need to get out of here."

"What do you think I've been trying to do this whole time? You're the one who's been holding me hostage here."

"Well, I've released you, so get going, Leo."

Leo couldn't fall asleep, so he ended up pacing around his dark bedroom. His worst fear about marriage was coming true: he was hurting his wife. She'd only been in Nohr for one day, and he'd already blown it. He pushed his pale hair out of his face, since he'd taken off his headband for the night, and tried to figure out what to do. It was tempting to just wake Kamui that instant and get all this off his chest, but he knew she wouldn't appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night.

What am I even going to say to her? 'Sorry I'm such a pathetic husband'? 'You deserve better than me'? Leo groaned; he really wasn't cut out for being married. Why did anyone think this was a good idea? She's practically an angel, and I'm dragging her down to hell with me.

These dark thoughts plagued his mind until he eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

A knock at the door woke him in the morning. His heart started racing when he realized that it was at the door to Kamui's bedroom. I'm not prepared for this. I don't have a plan, and I'm just going to mess this up again.

He pulled himself out of bed and settled his headband in his hair to keep it out of his eyes. There was no point in getting dressed at the moment.

"L-Leo? Are you awake?" Kamui's voice was trembling. "I'd like to talk to you, please."

Leo opened the door and came face to face with his wife.

She wore a black nightgown with long sleeves and a v-shaped neckline that dropped to her bosom. Even though there were more pressing issues on his mind, Leo still noticed how the gown hugged the curves of her figure. Her silvery-blonde curls were tangled around her shoulders. It didn't look her hair had been brushed yet today. Her lovely crimson eyes looked up at him with such sadness. Despite her low spirits, Kamui was still breathtakingly beautiful.

"Leo," she breathed.

"Kamui," Leo whispered her name. "Would you like to come in?"

She nodded. "If you're okay with that."

"Of course." Leo moved out of her way and gestured to his unmade bed. "You can, uh, sit on the bed, if you'd like, or whatever you're comfortable with."

She sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Thanks."

They just stared at each other in silence for a few heartbeats.

Kamui was the one to break it. "Leo, I want to apologize for yesterday," she began. She fidgeted with her hair, unable to look him in the eye. "I overreacted and I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did." She closed her eyes and grimaced. "I'm so sorry and I promise to do better. Can you forgive my lapse of judgment? I know you're angry with me- and you have every reason to- but I… can't stand this anymore." Her breath caught. "It hurts." Her face was pinched as she tried to hold back tears.

Leo swallowed. "What hurts?"

She released a shaky breath. "The guilt of knowing that I wronged you, not speaking to each other all day yesterday… I know it's all my fault, but I felt… abandoned. Maybe it's silly of me, but I kind of hoped you'd be there for me while I adjust to things here." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm so, so sorry…"

Leo felt like his guilt was going to consume him; he'd really hurt her. He sat next to her and pulled her against his chest. "Kamui, you have nothing to apologize for. I had no idea that you were hurting like this. And… I'm sorry for causing you this pain."

She sniffled and pulled him closer. Leo could feel how her body trembled as he held her. He ran his hand soothingly up and down her back.

"I'm a pretty pathetic excuse for a husband, I'm afraid," Leo continued. "I didn't mean to ignore you like that yesterday. I thought you were mad at me and needed some space."

She pulled back and met his gaze with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Wait, you weren't mad at me?"

Leo couldn't lie to her, but he tried his best to be tactful in answering her question. "I admit I was a little frustrated after our… disagreement, but I got over it fairly quickly. I thought you were mad at me and I didn't want to make things worse." He grimaced. "Looks like I ended up doing that anyway."

Kamui laughed through her tears. It would have been more endearing if she hadn't been crying. "I thought you were mad at me all day, and that's why you were giving me the cold shoulder. I figured you'd finally lost all patience with me and were done putting up with me- that you hated me."

Leo's heart sank at those words. She'd thought he hated her? "Kamui, I don't hate you." He paused briefly. "I actually really care about you," he admitted. He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks at his small confession, and his heart started pounding like a drum in his chest again. "I'm sorry I made you think otherwise yesterday. Can you forgive me for my incompetence?"

"Of course I forgive you," she said without hesitation. "I think we're just really bad at reading each other still. I honestly kind of forget why I got upset in the first place."

Leo thought back to yesterday morning. It had something to do with what he'd said about Felicia, but he didn't really know what specifically. "That's water under the bridge now… right?" he clarified.

Kamui smiled softly. "Yeah, let's just move on from that."

Leo felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "So, we're good now?"

Kamui threw her arms around Leo's shoulders and hugged him so tightly that he thought he could feel her heart beating against him. "We're good," she agreed. She kissed him on the check. "Thank you, Leo."

Chapter Text

Three days after her arrival in Nohr, Kamui finally heard word from home.

She was reading on her bed when there was a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called. She quickly got off the bed, since laying on her stomach wasn't decent in the company of others.

Felicia opened the door. "I hope you're not busy, milady; there's some visitors here for you," she said with a grin.

"Visitors? But, I wasn't expecting anyone…"

"They're from Hoshido, Lady Kamui," Felicia added.

Kamui gasped. "Really? Are they here now?"

"Yes, I showed them into your sitting room…" Felicia began, but Kamui pushed past her.

She didn't care that she was barefoot and wearing a simple sky-blue dress; she just wanted to see her visitors from home. She practically squealed with delight when she saw who had come.

"Mozu! Kaze! You came!" Kamui dashed over to embrace her retainers.

Mozu returned the hug gratefully. "Lady Kamui, I'm so happy to see you again! I've missed you so much."

Kaze was less enthusiastic about the hug, but he'd never really liked physical contact. "It's good to see you, milady. How have they been treating you?" he asked.

Kamui released them and grinned. "Oh, I've been fantastic! I mean, things have been crazy, but a good kind of crazy. Nohr is very different from Hoshido, but I like it. Enough about me, though. How was your journey? Can I get any refreshments for you?"

Mozu and Kaze glanced at each other. "I'll take some tea, if that's alright with you, milady," Mozu replied.

Kamui called Felicia over. "Felicia, will you please go prepare some tea for us? And bring yourself a cup, too; you're going to join us."

"Right away, Lady Kamui!" Felicia said cheerfully. "I'll do my best not to make it too bitter or drop it."

Kamui smiled in encouragement. "Thank you. I believe you can do it, Felicia."

Kamui focused on her retainers again. "So, tell me what's been going on in Hoshido?"

Mozu had gone back to her village during the week of the honeymoon, so she chatted about how her mother and friends were doing. "…And I got to help with the veggie patch, so that was dandy." Mozu grinned. "I can't thank you enough for letting have this break, Lady Kamui!"

Kamui giggled. "You deserved it, Mozu. You're been so good to me the last two years."

She turned to Kaze. "And you, Kaze? Tell me about your week."

Kaze wore a small smile. "Well, there's not a lot to tell, milady. I went home, to Igasato, so that was nice. Other than that, I spent time with Saizo when he wasn't busy protecting Lord Ryoma."

"Well, I'm so glad you both had a good week!" Kamui was beaming; she was just so happy to see her friends again.

"And how was your week, Lady Kamui?" Mozu asked with a knowing smile.

Kamui suddenly felt warm. "It was good," she said. "You heard we went to Izumo, right?"

"Yep! Lord Leo told your parents before you left, so they wouldn't worry," Mozu said.

"Oh, he did? That was thoughtful," Kamui mused. She wrapped a lock of hair around her finger.

"Lord Leo seems very responsible from what I've observed," Kaze added. "I think he's a good spouse for you."

Kamui was certain that she was blushing now. "He's been very good to me," she said softly, glancing away.

Fortunately for her, Felicia returned with their tea just then. Kamui was relieved that she didn't drop or spill anything; she did not want a repeat of her first morning in Nohr. The tea itself was slightly bitter, but not too horrible.

They exchanged pleasantries, then Kamui cleared her throat. "Anyway, how is my family doing?"

"Well, we actually brought letters with us, so you can read what they said," Kaze replied.

"But they're doing well," Mozu added. "They all miss you at home."

Kamui felt like tearing up. "I miss them, too," she murmured.

There was a moment of silence.

Kaze was the first to speak. "Would you like your letters, milady?"

"Yes, please."

Kaze pulled a stack of letters from his pouch. "Would you like some privacy to read them?"

She nodded. "That would be nice. And you probably need time to settle into your new rooms, so you don't need to perform your duties to me for today."

Mozu and Kaze had both opted to move to Nohr to watch over Kamui. She was proud of their dedication and courage. And she was a little relieved that she wasn't the only Hoshidan at the castle now.

She turned to her maid. "Felicia, would you please make sure Mozu and Kaze have everything they need?"

"Of course, milady," Felicia said brightly. "Enjoy your letters."

After they left, Kamui curled up on her bed to read her letters. Both Mother and Father had written, as well as all of her siblings, including Orochi and Subaki, much to her surprise. She was missed at home, but things seemed to be going well for the most part. Not a whole lot of interest had happened since the wedding, but Kamui didn't care; she was just happy to hear from her family.

She eagerly penned a letter to the whole family, since writing eight individual letters was a bit daunting.

Dear Mother, Father, Ryoma, Orochi, Hinoka, Subaki, Takumi, and Sakura,

I was so happy to receive your letters today! They made me feel so loved! I'm glad things are going well at home. I miss Hoshido, but Nohr has been exciting so far. Well, and my time in Izumo with Leo. (Leo and Izana did not click very well. It was pretty hilarious actually.) And I made Leo read one of my romance novels, so he is officially the best! (Even though he didn't like it very much.) I think Ryoma and Takumi should read one; it would be an enlightening experience. Leo's family has been very welcoming, especially his sisters Camilla and Elise. I don't know if I could cope without their support! Please keep writing me often! I miss you all and I love you so much!

Love,

Kamui

She sealed the letter, but realized that she didn't know where to go to send it. She pulled her messy curls into a ponytail, then went in search of Leo. She hadn't seen him yet today, so it would probably be a good idea to at least say hi to him.

He wasn't in his rooms, so Kamui went to the most likely place to find her husband: the library. She ignored the glances and whispers from the servants in the corridors; she knew that she was the main topic of castle gossip at the moment. She was proud of herself for finding the library without having to ask for directions, which was a first.

Sure enough, Kamui found Leo at his usual table with a stack of books near him.

"Leo!" she greeted him brightly.

He looked up at her and smiled at her enthusiasm. "Kamui, you seem to be in a good mood today," he observed.

She grinned. "Yep! Oh, I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything. You seem kind of busy."

Leo leaned back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head. "Kamui, I'm almost always busy," he pointed out. His lips curved into a smirk. "But, I suppose I can spare a minute or two for you."

"Great!" Kamui plopped in the chair across from him. She rested her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands. "So, how has your day been?"

"Fine so far," he answered. "But it's not even noon yet, so there's still plenty of time left in the day. Now, what has you in such a good mood?"

"My retainers finally got here today, and they brought letters from my family!" she said happily.

Leo returned her smile. "I presume from your cheerful demeanor, that they are well."

Kamui nodded. "Yeah. They miss me, but things are well at home." She gave a short laugh. "Well, Takumi tells me that things have vastly improved since I left, but I know he secretly misses me."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Actually, I wrote my family a letter, but I don't know how I'm supposed to send it," Kamui admitted. "I was hoping you could help me?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "I should have known there was something you wanted from me, other than just to chat."

"If you don't want to, I can always go find Camilla or Elise. I just haven't seen you yet today, so I thought..." Kamui shrugged.

"I never said I didn't want to," Leo countered. "Did you want to go right now?"

"Please. But only if now is a good time for you. I don't want to interrupt anything."

Leo stifled a yawn. "Well, I think your two minutes are about up, but I guess I can give you a time extension."

"Leo, I'm your wife," Kamui scoffed. "I think I have every right to monopolize as much of your time as I want."

"Hm. That's debatable," Leo said as he got up.

He offered Kamui his hand, and she took it. He pulled her up and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Leo led the way through the castle. "We have a mail room," he explained. "If you want to send letters within the castle, the servants will get it to the right person, even if the sender is anonymous. And if you want to send mail outside the castle, we have messengers that leave every morning to deliver them."

"That sounds very organized. In Hoshido, it's similar, but we don't have an in-castle mail system," Kamui noted. "It's probably a good thing because I could totally see some people manipulating the system."

"Oh, people definitely use the mail system in unorthodox ways here." Leo paused. "Well, it is the Nohrian royal court, so there shouldn't be a surprise there."

Kamui looked up at his expressionless face. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Leo sighed and lowered his voice. "It would be better to discuss this particular subject in private. We can go to my room after you send your letter. There's no knowing who could be listening."

Kamui felt a chill run down her spine. What's going on here?

The servants running the mail room were friendly and eager to help Kamui send her letter. Leo was still holding her hand and didn't seem inclined to let go. After that, he led the way back to his bedroom.

His bed was made this time, unlike the mess it had been yesterday morning. The bedding was various shades of black and blue. He also had several bookcases in the room. There was a desk covered in papers. The curtains were drawn, and it felt like Kamui had stepped into a cave.

"It's really dark in here," she observed. "Do you mind if I open the curtains?"

Leo shrugged. "Whatever you'd like to do."

Kamui felt like she was intruding on his privacy. This was definitely Leo's personal space. "Um, it's fine," she said quietly.

Leo rolled his eyes and went over to the window. "Kamui, I'm okay with letting some natural lighting in here. I'm not some vampire that can't stand the sight of daylight."

Kamui giggled at that comment.

 He pushed back the curtains, allowing daylight to stream into the room. Leo's hair looked like pale gold in the sunlight.

Kamui smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"You can take a seat, you know?" Leo pointed out. "We don't need to worry about formalities in here. This is just my bedroom."

Kamui sat on the edge of his bed. Her face felt flushed. "I know. It is your room, so I don't want to intrude or anything."

Leo sat next to her. "Kamui, if I thought you were intruding, I wouldn't invite you in here."

Kamui felt her heart pounding. Logically she knew that nothing was going to happen, but the fact that it was just the two of them alone in his bedroom put her on edge.

Leo seemed to know what she was thinking, unsurprisingly. "You don't need to worry; I gave you my word that I wouldn't do anything until we were in agreement on it. Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable here."

Kamui let out a nervous laugh. "I know, I know. Sorry for being weird about it." To her chagrin, she noticed her hands had started shaking; she clasped them in her lap.

Leo shrugged. "This is still new territory for both of us, so it makes sense that you'd feel that way." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we didn't come here to discuss that. You asked me about the court."

Kamui nodded. "Yes. I remember what you said the other day about people trying to use me, but I'd like a little more explanation."

Leo ran his fingers through his fair hair. "What have you heard about the Nohrian royal court?" he asked.

Kamui thought for a moment. "Mm. I know that King Garon- your father- had a lot of concubines in the court, and-" She gasped as she realized what she'd just said. That's probably a touchy subject. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Leo cut her off. "Kamui, it's fine. Really. As you most likely already know, Camilla, Elise, and I are all children born to those concubines. So, yes, Father had sexual relations with many women that he wasn't married to."

"R-Right," Kamui stuttered. "And are you really okay with that?"

Leo laid back on the bed with his hands behind his head and sighed. "Well, it's how my life is, whether or not I like it. Talking about it doesn't really bother me, though."

Kamui looked down at him. "And your mother? Is she still..." Come to think of it, she didn't know anything about Leo's mother.

"My mother passed away when I was a child," he said bluntly.

"I'm sorry. That must have been really difficult," Kamui whispered. She couldn't imagine losing her mother at a young age, or even at this point in her life. That would break her heart.

Leo shook his head. "I was never close to my mother. She mostly saw me as a tool to gain favor in the court and with Father. She never showed me any love, and the sentiment was mutual." His tone was bitter now.

Kamui felt tears well up in her eyes. How could a mother be so cruel to her own child? "Leo, that's horrible! I'm so sorry you had to go through that." A single tear slid down her cheek, and she tried to wipe it away before he noticed.

Nothing seemed to get past Leo, though. He glanced at her in concern and sat up. "Are you okay, Kamui?"

Kamui bit her lip. "I-I'm just so sad to hear that your mother would be so heartless to you." She sniffled and tried to hold back more tears.

Leo's dark amber eyes were pained. "Please don't worry about it; it's in the past now."

But it still hurts you, even if you won't admit it.

On impulse, Kamui wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. "Leo…" she breathed in his ear. Her tears quietly rolled down her face, dampening his warm skin.

Leo gasped before he relaxed and enfolded her in his arms. Kamui felt his fingers run gently through her hair. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured.

They held each other like that for several moments, neither of them breaking the silence. Kamui hoped that it conveyed the things she couldn't put into words. It didn't sound like Leo had received much love in his life, and she desperately wanted that to change. She wanted him to know that she was here for him, that he wouldn't be alone anymore. She wished she could just take away his pain. I… I don't know if this is love, but I really care about him, she realized. She shivered involuntarily at that thought, and Leo held her closer. Not for the first time, Kamui noted how warm and safe she felt in his embrace. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she thought she could feel his steady pulse beating in his chest.

Kamui pulled back and laughed nervously. "Sorry for being overly sensitive." She wiped the remaining moisture from her eyes.

Leo sighed softly. "I'm getting used to it now. But… thank you for your concern, Kamui." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I… appreciate it."

Kamui's heart warmed at that, and she couldn't help smiling up at her husband. "Of course." Without really thinking about it, she cupped his cheek in her hand. "Thank you for confiding in me."

She had the sudden urge to kiss him. Well, why not? We are married, after all. She leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his. Her eyes fluttered shut the moment their lips met. Leo embraced her again and gently kissed her back. Kamui realized after a moment that somehow she had ended up sitting in his lap.

She laughed breathlessly when they broke apart. "Sorry, I don't know why I did that," she mumbled. Her face felt flushed again.

Kamui noticed that Leo's cheeks were also red. He gave her a genuine smile, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. "I'm not complaining. That was nice," he noted.

Kamui's cheeks felt warmer when she recalled how he had admitted that he liked kissing her the other day. She giggled. "Well, I think I really derailed that conversation, so sorry about that."

Leo pressed a brief kiss to her lips. "There's no need to apologize for that." He sighed. "But I suppose you are correct; we do need to talk about the nature of the court, for your sake."

Kamui nodded. Her heart was still fluttering from his kisses. She moved out of his lap and sat next to him instead. She was less likely to get distracted if there was a little more space between them. As it was, she still found herself resting her head on his shoulder. What is wrong with me today? I'm acting like a complete fool. She took a deep breath to get her bearings again. "Okay, I'm listening," she said.

Leo wrapped his arm around her. "Right. So as I was saying, Father took many concubines when he was… more youthful, let's say."

"Wait, does your father still have concubines?" Kamui asked. She personally couldn't see why he'd bother when he was married to Queen Arete, but there was a lot about the man that she didn't understand.

"If he does, he's gotten a lot better about keeping it a secret. I personally don't believe he has lovers other than Queen Arete now," Leo mused. "Although, there are still power-hungry women that would jump at the chance to catch the King's attention."

Kamui wrinkled her nose. "Seriously? That is pretty sick, actually. He could be old enough to be their father." She placed her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I probably shouldn't talk about the King like that." And especially in front of his son. Pull yourself together, Kamui. Think before you speak.

"Normally, that is probably not something you should say," Leo agreed. "But I promise whatever you tell me within these walls won't leave this room. And don't worry about insulting me because he's my father; I am quite aware that Father has many flaws. But yes, mind what you say about him outside of this room."

"I'll be careful," Kamui promised. She was relieved that her insensitive comments hadn't upset him.

"Good. You should always be on your guard around the members of the court. Anyone might use what you do or say against you."

Kamui nodded. "Right. Is there anything else I should know about the court?"

Leo sighed before answering. "As we were discussing, Father's had multiple concubines and lovers in the past. You should probably know that he isn't the only member of the court that has had multiple lovers on the side. Both lords and ladies frequently engage in these relationships, even if they are married. It's actually a pretty commonly accepted practice and a hot topic for gossip circles."

Kamui gasped. "That's so horrible! What about their wedding vows?"

Leo shrugged. "Obviously they're breaking their vows of fidelity. I personally feel that there is a stigma in the court that wedding vows are just a formality anyway."

Kamui wanted to ask what he thought about keeping wedding vows, but she was too afraid to hear the answer, so she didn't bring it up.

"Infidelity isn't the only issue with our court," Leo continued. "People also form social alliances and rivalries. I don't really listen to gossip, but from what I've heard from my sisters, it can get quite vicious." He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't think anyone trusts each other anymore. The court has been pretty corrupt my whole life, so I don't things will change anytime soon. Maybe when Xander is king, things will be different," he mused. "But for now, that's how things are around here."

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so they had direct eye contact. "That's why you need to extra careful about who you trust and what you share with other people. I don't want anyone to hurt or betray you." His grip tightened on her shoulders. "If you stick close to Camilla, I think you should be mostly fine. She's the one who really understands all of the intricacies of court life. And I trust her, so I know she wouldn't harm you in any way. She's quite fond of you, you know?"

Kamui smiled softly. "Yeah, she's a good sister-in-law and friend… What about the rest of your family?"

Leo frowned. "What I'm about to tell you should never leave this room," he warned.

Kamui nodded. "I won't tell a soul."

"Good. So, Xander and Elise are trustworthy and very loyal. However, Elise has a tendency to unintentionally share things that she shouldn't, so I would be careful with what you share with her. As for Charlotte and Niles… Well, Niles is my retainer and I trust him with my life. Since you're my wife, you can count on his loyalty. However, he is Niles, if you catch my meaning, so be careful what you tell him."

Kamui snorted. "Don't worry; I think I know exactly what you mean. He makes some very… different comments."

Leo let out a short laugh. "That's a mild way of putting it. Do me a favor and never mention any details about our relationship to him," he commented. "And with Charlotte, I personally think it depends on her mood. She can keep secrets when she wants to, but she does have a tendency to gossip. You already know Queen Arete and Azura fairly well, since they're your relatives, so I don't need to say anything there. And you probably won't interact much with Father, since he's so busy." He shrugged. "That's my take on it, though. I recommend getting to know my family better, so you can make your own judgment calls."

Kamui nodded in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind… And, Leo? Thank you for taking the time to tell me about all this."

"Of course. Although, this took a lot longer than your allocated time, so you'll have to pay me back somehow." Leo smirked, so Kamui knew he wasn't being completely serious.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?" In a moment of boldness, she added, "A kiss?"

Leo laughed quietly, and his smile widened. "Well, if you're offering…"

Kamui felt butterflies in her stomach. "That's what I said, right?"

Leo leaned in closer. "Then, I accept your offer."

Her breath caught when he pushed the hair back from her face. He cupped her chin in his hand and ran his thumb over her lips. Then, he kissed her tenderly. Kamui wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She kissed him back and ran her fingers through his hair. It was soft and silky, and Kamui was secretly happy that her touch didn't seem to bother him.

Without warning, Leo's bedroom door opened, and they broke the kiss abruptly. Leo glared over Kamui's shoulder. "Niles," he growled. His cheeks were still flushed, but his expression hardened with anger. "What have I told you about knocking before entering?"

Kamui turned to see the visitor. She was absolutely mortified that Niles of all people had walked in on them kissing. She felt her blush deepen when he grinned at her. There was no way that she could look Niles in the eye right now without having a panic attack of some sort. Without thinking about how it would look to Niles, she pulled herself closer to Leo and hid her face in his chest. She felt Leo's steady arms wrap around her.

"Sorry, milord. Must have slipped my mind." Niles didn't sound sorry at all. "And good afternoon to you, Lady Kamui. It's nice to see the two of you spending some quality time together. I am a little surprised to find you in the bedroom in the middle of the day. You do know that the honeymoon is over now, right?"

Well, that embarrassed Kamui to no end, but Leo was infuriated. He tightened his hold on Kamui, and she could feel the tension in his body. "Get out! That's an order!" he snapped.

Niles didn't seem fazed. "You didn't tell me when to get out, but I can see that you two are… occupied at the moment, so I won't stay long. Although I'm sure it would be fun to watch."

Kamui was glad no one could see her face at that moment; it felt as red as a ripe tomato.

Leo was also displeased with Niles's comments. "Niles… As your lord, I am ordering you to leave this room this instant!"

Kamui gulped; she hadn't seen Leo get this angry even with Izana.

"I need to deliver my message first," Niles countered.

"Do you want me to practice casting curses on you? It can be easily arranged…" Leo threatened. And seeing him this angry, Kamui believed he'd go through with that punishment.

She pulled away from Leo and looked up into his face. "Wait, it was just an accident, Leo. Don't punish Niles for something he didn't intend to do," she pleaded.

"See? She doesn't want you to do that to me, Lord Leo," Niles commented.

Leo frowned. "You don't know Niles like I do, Kamui. I am positive he wanted to see us…" He flushed and didn't finish that statement. "But, fine. Niles, deliver your message, then get out of here."

"Camilla wants you both to come to lunch now," Niles said.

Leo groaned. "That's it?! That is a pathetic reason to barge into my room without permission!"

Kamui gripped his forearms. "Leo, calm down," she said firmly.

He took a deep breath. "I am calm, Kamui," he said coldly. He returned his gaze to Niles. "Well, you've delivered your message, so please leave my room now."

"Do you two need a little privacy?" Niles hinted.

Leo went red. "Y-Yes! There are some matters I need to discuss with my wife without my retainer hovering over my shoulder."

"Okay, okay. I get the picture, milord. I'll let Camilla know that you're not to be disturbed for the rest of the day," Niles commented.

"Just leave," Leo huffed.

"As you wish, Mr. Grouchypants," was Niles's snide remark before he hurriedly closed the door.

"Niles!"

Kamui cringed. "Leo, don't yell in my ear," she chided.

Leo instantly let go of her. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

Kamui fidgeted with her hair. "It's okay… Um… were you actually going to curse your retainer?" Perhaps that was a common punishment among Nohrians, and that was why the servants seemed nervous all the time.

Leo scoffed. "I wouldn't do anything permanent or too extreme; Camilla would kill me if I did."

Kamui frowned. "So you would?"

"Only if he kept disobeying me." He said it like harming another person wasn't an issue at all.

Kamui narrowed her eyes. "But he's your friend and brother-in-law," she protested. "Why would you do such a thing?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to let Niles walk in on us at any time?"

"That's not what I said," Kamui retorted. "Now answer my question: why would you curse your own retainer?" She couldn't imagine doing anything to harm Kaze or Mozu.

 Leo crossed his arms defensively. "Niles needs disciplining when he disobeys me. He may be married to my sister, but he is still my retainer."

Kamui's hands balled into fists in her lap. "So he's like a slave to you, then?"

His eyes widened. "What? No, why would you say something like that?"

"That's what you seem to be implying."

Leo was quiet and searched her face for something. "Kamui…" he began slowly. "Are you… are you mad at me again?" He almost looked worried to her.

Kamui bit her lip. Yes, she was mad, but she realized she was not handling the situation very well again. Instead of acting like a responsible adult, she was behaving like a defiant child. "Leo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you again."

Leo frowned. "Forgive me for asking, but would you please tell me why you're so upset with me?"

Kamui took a deep breath before answering. "You really don't have any idea what could be bothering me?"

Leo grimaced. "Well, I have some theories, but I'd like to hear it directly from you, instead of making this a guessing game."

Kamui flopped back on the bed and buried her face in her hands. She really didn't know how to put this into words. And she was probably blowing things out of proportion. She just hated it when other people weren't treated very well. Her mother had raised her to be compassionate and patient with others' faults... Well, I'm doing a terrible job at that right now, she realized. I haven't been very patient with Leo lately.

"Kamui?"

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

"What was that? I can't understand you when you talk into your hands."

Kamui uncovered her face, but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Leo… I'm such a hypocrite," she moaned.

Leo sighed in annoyance. "What are you talking about? That doesn't help me know why you're upset."

Kamui opened her eyes and gazed up into his. His brow was furrowed, and his mouth was drawn down in a frown.

Great, now I'm making him mad.

"Um… I'm mad at myself now, so don't worry about it… Hey! Did you just roll your eyes at me?!" Kamui pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Leo gave her a dirty look. "Yes, I did. Kamui, you're being… absolutely ridiculous! How am I supposed to fix this if you won't tell me what the problem is?" he demanded. "You tell me that you're mad, but won't tell me why. And then, you say I shouldn't worry about it." He grabbed his hair. "You're not making any logical sense right now."

Ridiculous… Not making any logical sense… He thinks I'm a complete idiot! Perhaps he had every reason to think that, but it still hurt.

Kamui bit her lip and fought back the sudden urge to cry. She turned away from Leo and wiped the angry tears from her eyes before they fell. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "I've been treating you horribly and I'm sorry." She stood to go. "I'll leave you alone. Sorry for wasting your time."

Leo grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the bed. "No, you don't. We are not repeating what happened the other day."

"Leo, you're hurting me," she muttered.

"Sorry."

He instantly let go of her wrist, and Kamui rubbed it soothingly. She sat on the bed and turned to him. His expression was neutral, and she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I got mad at you. That wasn't very mature of me. Will you forgive me? I promise I'll do my best to be more patient in the future."

Leo just gazed at her. "Why are you upset? Please tell me. I don't want to make the same mistake again."

Kamui focused on her hands folded in her lap. She laughed bitterly. "I think I'm mostly upset with myself right now. But the reason I got mad in the first place is that I just can't believe you would harm your own retainer just because he didn't follow orders. Surely there's a better way to discipline Niles." She looked up at him. "But I realized that I'm in the wrong because I'm jumping to conclusions and not being very patient." She smiled sadly. "Like you said, I'm probably not making much sense right now." She watched Leo with wide eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.

He sighed. "I do have more experience dealing with Niles than you do," he pointed out. "However, I have never caused any serious harm to come to Niles. Please understand that I'm not a cruel person, Kamui. I know I may come off that way sometimes, but I'd like to think that I'm better than that. My apologies for upsetting you again."

Kamui bit her lip. I don't want him to see himself as a cruel person- he's not! "Leo, I know you aren't a cruel person; I've never even thought that," she began. She touched his cheek softly and smiled. "You're a good person. You've been so patient with me and… and you still put up with me, even though I haven't been very patient with you…"

She trailed off when Leo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close again. "L-Leo?"

A playful smile danced on his lips. "I believe we were interrupted earlier. I'll forgive your impatience if you'll let me finish what we started." He was looking at her lips, and Kamui knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't do anything, and Kamui realized that he was waiting for her consent.

She nodded hesitantly. "Okay… but I don't want to miss lunch."

Leo laughed at that. "We won't be long," he promised. "So… shall we?"

Kamui giggled. "Yes." She leaned in and gave him a kiss, running her fingers through his hair once again.

Leo was all too eager to return the kiss. He kissed her lips, her face… But when his lips wandered to her neck, Kamui started to panic. This was much more intimate that they'd been before, and she was scared. "Leo… Leo, please stop," she gasped.

For a horrible moment, she worried that he wouldn't listen to her, but he released her. "Sorry," he muttered. "I got carried away, didn't I?"

Kamui was still a little breathless. "Y-Yes… I just don't think I'm ready for this yet." She closed her eyes in shame. "Forgive me," she whispered.

"No, forgive me. I… I shouldn't have done that." Leo probably wouldn't admit it out loud, but Kamui could tell that his feelings were hurt.

She looked over at him and did her best to give him a smile. "It's okay. Thank you for listening to me. I…"

The door swung open without warning once again.

Leo growled under his breath and glared at Camilla. "Seriously, Camilla?! I'm certain I told you to knock before barging in here," he snapped.

At least we weren't kissing this time… Kamui was still embarrassed at the intrusion of their privacy, though.

Camilla just grinned and looked between them. "Oh, you two are so cute together!"

"What do you want?" Leo groaned.

"It's lunchtime, dears," was her answer. "I didn't believe it when Niles said that you were in here with a certain someone, so I had to come see for myself." Camilla clapped her hands. "I'm so glad to see it's Kamui and not some other woman…"

Kamui felt cold with horror. Camilla thought that Leo would have another woman in his bedroom?

Leo was seething. "As you can see, Sister, nothing of the sort is going on." He stood and helped Kamui up from the bed. "We'll join you momentarily." His eyes were hard with suppressed fury.

Camilla giggled. "Well, don't take too long," she called out before leaving them alone.

Leo sighed in frustration. "I think I'll need to get a lock for that door," he muttered.

Kamui sighed. "I guess we should go to lunch, then." There was still so much she felt like she needed to discuss with Leo, though.

Leo nodded. "Agreed." Kamui took his offered arm, and he led her to the dining room.

"Hey, Leo?" Kamui asked timidly as they walked.

"Yes?"

"After lunch, can we go back to your room?"

Leo glanced down at her. "Why?"

"I want to continue our discussion… if you have time, of course."

Leo smirked. "Enjoying my company that much?"

She giggled. "Well, that and there's some more things we need to talk about."

"I guess if you insist, I can spare a little more time for you," he drawled. "Of course, I'll need some sort of compensation."

Kamui pinched his arm. "I thought you liked spending time with me. That should be compensation enough."

"Oh, I do," Leo replied without missing a beat. "How about you spend time with me in the library tomorrow, then?"

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "As a date?"

Leo spluttered. "Uh, sure," he said when he regained his composure. "We'll make it a date. How about five in the morning?"

Kamui glared at him. "There's no way I'm getting up that early, and you know that."

Leo snickered. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Does ten in the morning sound more reasonable to you?"

"Yes, much more reasonable. We are still going back to your bedroom after lunch, right?"

Leo lowered his voice. "Yes, but don't say that so loud; Niles might overhear, and then we'll never hear the end of it."

Kamui grimaced. "I can't disagree with you there."

Chapter Text

Lunch seemed to drag on forever. Camilla, Elise, Charlotte, and Niles had a lively conversation, but Leo couldn't pay attention. His mind was almost entirely focused on the young woman seated next to him. Not only was Princess Kamui breathtakingly beautiful, but she was also one of the kindest people he'd ever met. Being with her was calming, and he anticipated being alone with her again soon.

Leo hadn't planned on spending the majority of the day conversing with his wife, but he couldn't complain. He still didn't quite understand why she wanted to spend time with him today. His chest felt warm when he remembered her caresses on his face, the way she held him tightly, and how she'd kissed him tenderly.

When she touched him like that, it was no wonder that he'd started losing control with her. Leo was learning that attraction was a potent force, one that overrode his logical judgment. And that worried Leo. He'd always been in control of his emotions and desires, but with Kamui he kept finding himself slipping up more frequently. Well, what he did and what he wanted to do weren't wrong, but he hated seeing the fear reflected in Kamui's ruby red eyes. He'd told her he would be patient and here he was, almost forcing himself on her.

Kamui nudged him. "Are you finished?" she asked quietly.

Leo cursed how his heart started pounding at her touch. "Uh, yeah. I'm not hungry anymore," he answered.

She grabbed his hand under the table. "Let's go, then. We have a lot to talk about."

Leo didn't let go of her hand until they were in his room again. After they sat on the bed, Leo could no longer restrain himself. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her into his lap, and held her against his chest. He buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair.

Kamui's breath caught, but she didn't pull away.

"Sorry, but I need this right now," Leo murmured in her ear.

Kamui didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "O-Okay. That's fine."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you." He relished the feel of her slender figure in his arms and her warmth against his chest. He was tempted to lay down next to her, but he knew that was definitely pushing the boundaries they'd agreed on.

After a moment, Kamui spoke again. "Um, Leo?"

"Hm?"

"Can we talk?"

"Mhmm."

"You are paying attention to me, aren't you?" she demanded.

"You're the only thing on my mind right now," Leo murmured without thinking. Ugh. That sounds so sappy. What is wrong with me today?

"R-Right." Kamui sighed. "So I wanted to ask you: what are some things that I do to upset you? You're very patient with me, but we have had a few rough patches." When Leo didn't reply immediately, she added, "Please tell me. I want to make things better between us."

Leo really didn't want to talk about this right now, but he knew it was something they needed to discuss. Their quarrels never lasted long, but they still had their disagreements. If Kamui was willing to listen, then Leo should take this opportunity to improve their relationship. They were going to be spending the rest of their lives together, after all. He exhaled slowly. "I wish I understood why you react the way you do," he began.

"What do you mean?" Kamui asked quietly.

"Sometimes you get upset, and I don't know why. Or sometimes you get scared when I touch you, but I don't know exactly what I did wrong." Leo cringed. "And I… I want you, but you don't want me, and it's maddening." He felt so horribly vulnerable admitting that to her.

Leo felt her freeze in his arms and instinctively tightened his hold on her. After he did this, he realized that might not have been the best thing to do. "I'm sorry, I-"

Kamui pulled out of his arms and looked up at his face. Her eyes weren't fearful, but they were full of concern. "What are you apologizing for?"

Leo grimaced. "Are you really going to make me say it?"

Her eyes hardened. "Yes, I am." She softened her voice. Leo felt shivers run down his spine, when she brushed her thumb across his cheekbone. "Please tell me what you're thinking right now." Her full lips were parted ever so slightly.

"I want to kiss you," was what came out of Leo's mouth. Ugh. Stupid, stupid! I'm coming on like a wyvern in heat.

"Oh," she mouthed. Her lips formed a bashful smile, and her cheeks were rosy. "You may, if it's my permission you're asking for." She paused. "Just not like earlier; I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Leo knew they were trying to have a serious discussion; kissing her right now wasn't the best idea. He shook his head. "No, it was an errant thought, nothing more." He swallowed. Yes, it was tempting, but he needed to have some self control.

Kamui's cheeks got rosier. "Okay." Her teeth nibbled her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, but I'm still really confused, Leo."

Leo winced; he was really terrible at talking about these things. "Maybe you should do the talking, and I'll listen for now."

She laughed softly. "All right. But let me rephrase my earlier question: you'll pay attention to what I'm saying, not… just on me, right?"

Leo flushed. It was pretty obvious what was on his mind right now. "Yes, I'll focus on our conversation, not… well…" He cleared his throat and glanced away in embarrassment.

She giggled and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. Leo thought his heart skipped a beat when he felt her soft hair caress his skin. "You're being way too adorable right now," Kamui said. She gave a small gasp when Leo embraced her and pulled her against his chest again.

"This is okay, right?" Leo asked her. "You did say that you were fine with hugging."

Kamui shifted in his arms. "This is perfectly fine, as long as you'll stay focused on the discussion."

"Hey, I promised I would and I always keep my promises."

"Okay, okay," she said. "I get it." She sighed, and Leo felt her breath brush against his neck. "So, where to begin?" she mused.

"At the beginning?"

"Oh, very helpful, Leo." He could almost hear her roll her eyes. "Okay, I'll start with what's worrying me."

"Sounds like a good starting point," Leo commented.

"Okay, how do I put this? So, I guess it's mostly the same things we talked about last week. I'm… frustrated with myself because I can't seem to figure out what I want out of this relationship." She sighed. "Part of the reason I… Well, the thing is…" She groaned. "This is really hard for me to put into words, but I think it needs to be said."

"Okay," he replied. Leo was scared about whatever she was going to admit, but he would hear her out.

"I'm… scared of intimacy," she whispered. Leo felt her shiver. "It's not that I don't want it, but I'm not ready for that yet. And, I still can't figure out what I'm comfortable with," she admitted. "You said that  you're confused, but that's because I'm confused. And, well… I feel bad because I know that you want it and I'm making you wait."

Leo sighed. "And I'm probably making you feel pressured to make up your mind about it."

"Mm. Maybe a little," she confessed. "But we're married now, so it only makes sense that we would… well, you know. And I know that you're frustrated with me, but believe me, it can't compare to how frustrated I am with myself."

Hearing her talk like that was unsettling. "Kamui…"

Her voice was choked. "You probably think I'm so pathetic." Was she crying?

Leo stroked her hair gently. "No, Kamui, I've never thought you were pathetic… I can only imagine how difficult it is to be forced to marry me, of all people," he noted with dark amusement.

Kamui gasped. "That's not what I meant, Leo."

Leo kissed the crown of her head. "Oh, I know that. This is simply my own observation from what I know about myself. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with and I apologize for that. What I'm trying to say is that I have a lot of respect for you for doing this."

Kamui sniffled. "Well, I think you're pretty amazing for putting up with me."

Leo held her closer and brushed a kiss to her cheek. "Trust me, you are very easy to put up with. You're kind, smart, happy, gentle…" Warmth coursed through his veins. Yes, he was very lucky to be married to Kamui. "You are an incredible woman, and I…" He cut off when he realized what he was about to say.

I love you.

He simultaneously felt giddy and ill at the thought. Is it true? Do I actually love her? This is way too fast to fall in love with someone.

Kamui lifted her head and pulled back to look into his face. Her lovely eyes were full of concern. "Leo? What's wrong?"

Leo's mouth felt too dry. There was no way he could think properly with her looking at him like that. He looked away. "Nothing. Was there anything else you needed to discuss?"

Her hand touched his cheek and forced him to look at her again. "Leo, I can tell that something has upset you," she said seriously.

Leo shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it right now." She'll think I'm mad at her again. "But I'm not upset with you, so please don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong," he added quickly. He pushed her away and stood up. He felt slightly dizzy and clasped his hands behind his back to keep himself in control. "I have several things to attend to, so if that'll be everything, I'll take my leave of you."

"Okay. I'll leave you be, since this is your room," Kamui said quietly. She touched his shoulder lightly. "But if you want to talk to me about whatever it is, I'm happy to listen." She dropped her hand and left his bedroom.

After she closed the door, Leo sat back down on the bed and buried his head in his hands. He removed his headband and let his unkempt hair fall in his face.

Gods above, this can't be happening. Leo most certainly couldn't deny how much he wanted her- Kamui herself was well aware of that- but Leo knew that was attraction, not love. And he was aware that he had become quite fond of Kamui, but that didn't necessarily equate to love. But being around her made him happy, he realized. Very happy. I've never felt this way about anyone before.

Regardless, Leo wouldn't dare tell Kamui anything about this. He wanted to be absolutely sure that he really was in love and not just imagining things. And he'd probably just scare her if he admitted his feelings, since there was no way she reciprocated these feelings, whatever they were.

This was definitely going to make things even more awkward between them, though.

After some time, someone knocked on his door. "Leo, are you in there?" That was Kamui's voice. "It's time for dinner, and everyone is wondering where you are."

It was dinnertime already? How long had it been since he'd made her leave?

"Um, I'm coming in," she said sheepishly. "I hope that's okay."

Leo jumped to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. Hopefully that would hide their trembling.

Kamui opened the door and popped her head in the room. "Oh, you are here. I thought you would have gone to the library by now." She approached him and touched his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

She's so kind and gentle… He shouldn't be this pleased that she cared about him enough to ask after his wellbeing. Leo hoped his face didn't look as warm as it felt. Leo looked over her shoulder. "I'm fine, thank you for asking."

"I'm glad to hear it." Leo gasped as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, over his heart. There was no doubt she knew his heart was pounding at this point.

Leo carefully wrapped his arms around her slender body, but didn't hold her tighter. He didn't trust himself not to do something stupid again.

Kamui stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "Let's go to dinner. Elise wanted to come chase you down, but I volunteered to look for you. Even if you're not hungry, I'm sure she'll come bug you if you don't show up." She held his hand and intertwined their fingers.

Leo sighed. "It doesn't sound like I have a choice."

Kamui shook her head as she led him to the door. "Nope. But I'd imagine you're hungry. Lunch was a while ago now. Have you been in your room this whole time?"

"And why is that your concern?" That came out harsher than Leo had intended.

Her shoulders dropped ever so slightly. "Well, I was just wondering."

Leo grimaced; the last thing he wanted to do was upset her again. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I have a lot on my mind right now, so I'm not in a very talkative mood at the moment."

She shrugged. "Okay. I did monopolize most of your time today, so I'll leave you to your thoughts. Just… thank you for spending time with me." She smiled up at him shyly. "I appreciate it."

"My pleasure." He smirked. "Just don't make a habit of it, please."

She giggled. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises. We are married, after all."

Leo was all too aware of that fact, but he didn't comment on it.

Leo wanted to kick himself for asking Kamui to join him for a study date the next morning, but there was no way he could gracefully get out of it. And since this was their first official date, poor Leo was a bundle of nerves. To make matters worse, he was worried that he was starting to have actual romantic feelings for her- feelings that he knew she wouldn't reciprocate.

Leo didn't want to get advice from Niles or his sisters, so he found himself going to Xander for help. He and Xander had their differences, but at least Xander's mind wasn't in the gutter half of the time. And Leo was pretty certain that Xander wouldn't get overly involved, like Camilla and Elise would do.

Leo took a deep breath before knocking on Xander's door after dinner.

"Come in," Xander's voice boomed.

Leo let himself into Xander's bedroom, which was pretty similar to his own. Instead of bookshelves, Xander just had neatly organized piles of paperwork everywhere, including on his bed. He probably sleeps with Charlotte in her bed, Leo guessed.

Xander glanced up from his desk, where he was working on even more paperwork. "Ah, Leo. It's good to see you, Little Brother." He smiled slightly. "It's been a while since we last talked."

Leo nodded. "My apologies, Brother. I've been quite busy ever since the engagement and wedding. Do you have time to chat right now?" A thought crossed his mind. "Actually, Charlotte isn't here, is she?" Leo murmured.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "No… Was there an issue with her?"

Leo shook his head. "No. I just don't want her privy to this conversation."

Xander set aside his work. "Now you've got my attention. What do you want to discuss?"

Leo gestured to the bed. "May I?" He sat after Xander nodded his permission. "So, I wanted to talk to you… to ask you about dating," he awkwardly began.

Xander's expression was one of total surprise. "Dating? Why? Are you thinking of having a mistress already?" He frowned in disapproval; Leo knew that Xander took vows of any sort very seriously.

Leo was taken off guard by that question. "Of course not," he snapped. His face burned with anger. "I have every intention of remaining faithful to my wife."

Xander relaxed. "Good. Sorry for asking, but I had to make sure. Not only is it dishonorable, but it could destroy relations with Hoshido."

"I can't believe you had to even ask such a thing! You should know after everything that I've gone through, that having a mistress is the last thing I intend on doing!" Leo shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm talking about." He took a deep breath. "I'm just having a… date with Kamui tomorrow, so I was looking for some pointers." Now he was blushing with embarrassment. Why did I think going to Xander was a good idea? I must be pretty desperate.

Xander coughed, as if he also found this horribly awkward, which he probably did. "Haven't you done things with Kamui before? I mean, you did spend a whole week with her in Izumo. Surely you spent some of that time with your bride."

Leo groaned and massaged his temples. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I really know how to..." He stopped talking when he realized that Xander was trying not to laugh at him. Leo folded his arms across his chest and glared at his older brother. "Xander, this is not a laughing matter." He stood and started for the door. "You know what? Forget it. Sorry for wasting your time."

"Hold it, Leo. I am well aware this isn't a laughing matter."

Leo let go of the doorknob and turned around.

"I'm just surprised you'd take an interest in dating," Xander noted.

Leo frowned. "I think it would be prudent to improve my relationship with Kamui, especially since this is a political marriage. And, we didn't really have much of a courtship before getting married," he pointed out.

Xander rubbed his chin. "Hmm. That is a valid point." He started pacing around the room. "But wouldn't Camilla give better advice on dating?"

"Camilla tends to get overly involved," Leo muttered. He sighed. "Just tell me what you did on dates with Charlotte while you were still courting her."

For once, Xander was at a loss for words. "Well, I…" He stopped pacing and cleared his throat. "I invited her to dinner a few times. And we conversed about various topics. And she accompanied me to several formal balls."

Leo simply nodded. That sounded very much like how Xander would court someone.

"Just treat her like a lady, Leo, and I don't think you have any reason to be worried. Remember to help her get seated, to compliment her on her appearance, perhaps give her some flowers… things like that."

That sounded simple enough, and Leo thought he'd actually be able to manage that. "Thank you, Brother."

Xander nodded. "No worries, little brother. I was once in your shoes, too."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You've been in an arranged marriage to a foreign princess you barely know?"

Xander cleared his throat. "Well, no… But I was once worried about dating, as well."

Leo had to chuckle at that. "That seems hard to believe. What lady wouldn't want to go on a date with the future king of Nohr? And you excel at everything, so I doubt it would have been a problem for you." He didn't mean to sound so bitter, but some crept into his voice anyway.

"Leo, you give me far too much credit," Xander replied cordially. "And you'll get better at this with time… By the way, what exactly are you planning for tomorrow, if you don't mind my asking?"

Leo tried to sound more confident than he felt about this. "A study date in the library."

Xander nodded. "Ah. That does sound like something you'd enjoy." He gave Leo's shoulder a squeeze. "Best of luck to you, Leo."

"Thank you, Xander."

Leo and Kamui's study date did not go as Leo expected. Leo himself was on time and realized his collar was on backwards before he left his room, so he was spared that embarrassment.

Kamui, however, was almost thirty minutes late. Leo was starting to wonder if she'd forgotten about their date when she dashed into the library. Her hair was slightly damp, and she was out of breath.

"Leo, I'm so sorry," she started breathlessly.

"Let me guess: you overslept again," Leo said with a slight smirk. With anyone else, he'd be annoyed at her tardiness, but he'd come to find her habit of oversleeping to be sort of endearing.

She blushed and looked down. "Sorry. I hope you weren't waiting for me too long."

"I've only been here all morning," Leo replied offhandedly. "I was expecting you at five this morning."

Kamui rolled her eyes and sat down on Leo's left. "You know very well that we agreed on ten," she reminded him. She straightened up and clasped her hands on the table. "Anyway, how did you want to do this? Did you want to study something together, or just read quietly? Or something else?"

"What would you prefer?"

She shrugged. "Whatever is fine, I guess." She grinned. "At least this time we won't be ambushed by Izana."

Leo wouldn't forget that incident anytime soon. He'd been mortified when the archduke found them kissing in the library. And several other times during their stay in Izumo. "I certainly hope he doesn't show up."

Kamui gave him a playful smile and leaned in closer. Leo caught a whiff of her rose-scented hair. "So, tell me about what you're reading," she prompted.

Leo was glad for the excuse to look away from her; he kept losing his train of thought whenever he stared into those bright, beautiful eyes. He pulled a couple of books over. "I've been studying about the history of Hoshido, actually," he said. Perhaps he'd picked that topic in hopes of getting on her good side, but Leo wasn't about to tell her that.

"Oh, I hope you're reading about an interesting part. The stuff on the economics always bored me, but I think learning about the individual people is fascinating…"

Leo mentally went over the things Xander had told him to do. Help her get seated… No, I forgot about that... Give her flowers… I forgot that, too... Leo was really doing terribly at this whole dating thing. He remembered that Xander told him to compliment Kamui on her appearance. That much he could do.

"Hey, Kamui?" Leo turned and looked into her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"You, uh… I forgot to tell you that you look really beautiful," Leo stuttered. And perhaps she wasn't elegantly dressed this morning, but he still found her pretty. And it was polite to say it, nonetheless.

She just laughed at his pathetic attempts to compliment her. "Leo, I'm wearing a plain dress, and my hair is still air-drying. You flatter me, but even I'm aware that I'm not at my best this morning."

Leo felt his cheeks grow warm. He was really botching everything this morning. He tried again. "You're still beautiful, Kamui…" And she was. Even if she wore rags and had wet hair, her beauty went deeper than looks. Her beauty lay in her heart of gold, her bright smile, her patience and compassion. Leo had recognized her beauty from the moment he first laid eyes on her. "The most beautiful woman I've ever met," he accidentally said out loud.

Kamui's reaction was immediate. Her face turned a deep shade of red, and she just gaped at him in stunned silence.

I can't believe I just said that to her. His tongue seemed to have a mind of its own around her, and it was not a good thing. Usually all it did was make Kamui- and Leo- feel very uncomfortable. Leo meant what he said, but he hadn't meant to actually say it. At least I didn't almost tell her that I love her again. That had been too close of a call yesterday. And Leo didn't even know if that was true. His heart beat wildly, and his throat felt too dry. This was not going well at all.

Kamui was the one to finally break the uncomfortable silence. "Th-Thank you, Leo. That's very kind of you to say," she murmured.

Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. "How about we study our own things individually for now?" he suggested. Silence was probably the best way to continue this disaster of a date.

Kamui nodded vigorously. "That sounds great. Then we can discuss what we learned later. Perhaps over lunch?"

"I like that plan," Leo agreed.

He did try to read his book, but his thoughts kept circling back to the young woman sitting next to him. She caught him sneaking glances at her a couple of times, and each time she blushed. Leo didn't realize how much time had passed until he heard Kamui's stomach rumble.

She blushed and placed a hand on her stomach. "Uh, Leo? Do you mind if we call it a day? I think I'm a little hungry…"

"So I noticed," Leo commented wryly. He was actually quite relieved that their date was over now; it had been much more awkward than it needed to be.

Chapter Text

Leo didn't see much of his wife until court the next afternoon. And it was horribly obvious that Camilla had had a hand in choosing Kamui's outfit again. This gown was silvery blue with a low neckline. It was backless and exposed her pale skin from her shoulders down to her waist. Of course she looked beautiful in it, but Leo was furious that Camilla would make Kamui wear such a thing at court, especially in front of all of these men who saw her as a pretty plaything. Leo knew it was highly unlikely, but he did worry if one of them would steal her from him.

As if she could sense his underlying concern, Kamui came straight over to him. She smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

Leo shrugged. "If you insist."

Her smiled widened. "Thanks." She hooked her arm through his. "So, can you get me up to speed on everything? Elise didn't give me a ton of explanation the other day," she whispered.

Leo swallowed, remembering why it had been Elise by her side instead of him during her first session of court. Well, he'd make it up to her now. "Of course," he replied. "Father usually opens the court session with a speech and whatever announcements he wants to make. Then, petitions and cases from nobles are presented. After that, if someone new officially joins the court, that's the time they are introduced formally to the court. Then, affairs with commoners are handled. That's pretty much it, at least of what happens on the surface."

"And what happens under the surface?"

Leo leaned closer to her and lowered his voice even more. "Mostly what I told you about before. Court intrigue- alliances are made and broken, gossip spreads… Camilla could give you more details. But the majority of nobles don't actually pay attention to the proceedings of the court."

Kamui frowned slightly. "That's ridiculous. Why do they even bother showing up, then?"

"Honestly, it's just a social gathering disguised as a means of governing the kingdom. It makes me sick," Leo muttered. "Like I said, things are really messed up around here. Sorry you got dragged into this."

Kamui shrugged. "It's fine, really." Her brow furrowed. "Well, not that this corruption is happening, but it is interesting to see how other kingdoms govern their land. What do you usually do when court is in session?"

"Contrary to what you may think, I do try to pay attention to the proceedings of the court.  I am a prince and though it is unlikely, I could end up ruling the kingdom someday. And these are my people; it is my duty to serve and listen to them."

Kamui's lips curved into a sweet smile, and her warm eyes met his. Leo couldn't figure out how to breathe for a moment. "That's very responsible of you. I can tell that you really love Nohr and your people." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I really admire that about you," she added quietly.

Leo wasn't quite sure how to respond to that comment. Hopefully she couldn't hear how his heart was hammering in his chest. He released the breath he'd been holding. "Speaking of, I'd appreciate it if you'd allow me to focus."

"Oh, sorry. I'll be quiet now."

Leo would have much rather given Kamui his undivided attention, but that would be a very poor decision right now. He needed to set an example for Kamui of what it meant to be a royal of Nohr. Also, he wanted Kamui's faith in him to be justified.

The petitions of the noblemen today were mostly about getting more financing for their lands. (In most cases, Leo felt that was just an excuse to steal money from the people.)

Kamui seemed especially interesting in one of the later petitions. This petition came from a lesser nobleman from the western border named Theo. He and his wife had come in the other day with a petition for more border guards. Today was the follow-up on whether or not troops would be sent to the border.

"Oh, I met Theo and Emma the other day," Kamui whispered excitedly. "They're so kind." She looked up at Leo. "Do you think your father will grant their petition?"

Leo sighed. No, he did not think Father would. He didn't want to crush Kamui's hopes, though. "We're about to find out," he murmured.

Lord Theo bowed before the King, and his wife swept into a low curtsey. "Your Majesty," Theo addressed the sovereign.

Father gestured for the couple to rise. "Lord Theo, after consulting with my advisors, I have decided not to grant your petition for more guards at the western border. Our neighbors on that front do not present enough of a threat."

Kamui let out a soft gasp. "No, why would he do that?"

Lord Theo humbled accepted Father's decision and was dismissed from the throne room. The next nobleman was admitted to speak with the King.

Leo leaned closer to Kamui and whispered in her ear, "Father prefers to keep the troops near the capital to keep the nobles in check." He glanced around them to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "It would be better to discuss this in private," he murmured.

Kamui frowned. "Are you serious? Instead of protecting the people, your father uses the military to… to… Ow!"

Leo subtly kicked her shin. "Kamui, this is not the time or place to talk about this. Please keep your voice down."

"Aren't we allowed to voice our opinions, though? So as to offer more perspectives and ideas for the King to consider," Kamui insisted.

"I understand what you're saying," Leo replied. "But trust me, countering the King in court like this is not a good idea. You don't want to get on Father's bad side."

Kamui pursed her lips, but said nothing.

After court concluded, she spoke again. "Leo, I'd like to have a word with you in private," she murmured.

Leo suppressed a sigh. It looked like he'd upset her again. "I have some business to attend to, but I have time this evening after dinner."

She nodded tersely. "I'll hold you to that." Her eyes narrowed. "And in the future, please don't kick me."

Oh. That's why she's mad.

"My apologies, Princess," Leo whispered. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He gave her a slight bow before approaching a few noblemen whom he had promised to meet with.

She was waiting for Leo in his bedroom that evening after dinner. She wore her black nightgown again. Her arms were folded across her chest. Without consciously doing it, Leo's eyes looked her up and down, admiring her figure. His cheeks warmed. Stop that. You're here to talk, no stare at her like a lovesick fool.

"Leo," she greeted him in a steady voice.

"Kamui, I see you've made yourself comfortable," he noted.

"You're the one who told me to make myself comfortable here," she said defensively.

Leo sat next to her. "Yes, I did. I'm glad you listened to me."

She met his gaze levelly. "I did. Will you do me the favor of listening to me?" She seemed to have calmed down a little since the afternoon. That was good.

He nodded. "Of course, my dear. I'll always listen to you."

She searched his face with wide eyes. "Really? What about earlier?"

Leo swallowed nervously. He thought he knew what she was referring to, but he had to be sure. "Earlier?"

Her lips quivered. "You kicked me," she accused. "When I tried to talk to you in the throne room."

His heart sank. Yes, he had definitely upset her. He took her hands in each of his. "Kamui, I'm sorry for doing that." He sighed. "Looking back, I could have handled that better. However, if it keeps you safe, I'd do it again."

The corners of her mouth turned downward. "Keep me safe? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe I wasn't clear enough before about the situation here. You have to be careful what you do and say in court. Everyone is watching and listening. If anyone heard you doubting Father's decisions, it wouldn't be good for you or for relations with Hoshido." He gave her hands a squeeze. "Can you see why that would be the case?"

Kamui was quiet for a moment. "It would make it appear that I don't support the King or Nohr. And people here associate me with Hoshido. Everything I do reflects on my home. It could sour relations between Nohr and Hoshido."

"Precisely. I'm glad you can see as much," Leo replied. "And if you're too vocal in your opposition, you could invoke Father's wrath," he warned.

She inhaled sharply. That obviously hadn't crossed her mind.

Leo continued, "He does have a bit of a temper. And if Father got angry with you, I don't know if there's much I could do to protect you." He cringed at the thought. What would happen if she got on Father's bad side?

Her eyes hardened. "But I still think your father's reasoning for withholding troops from the border is not sound. Your people need to be protected. And if what you told me is true, then your father is only keeping the troops here to keep the court in check. I simply cannot remain silent when I see injustice."

"I know, Kamui, but it is my duty as your husband to ensure your safety," Leo said gently. "And speaking out against Father, especially in court, will endanger you."

"But-"

Leo pressed a finger to her lips. "However, I respect your opinions, Kamui, so please feel free to share anything with me, but only in the privacy of our rooms." Without a second thought, Leo pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He needed to feel her, to know that she was safe.

I love her. The thought came unbidden.

"I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you," he murmured in her ear. "So please be careful."

Kamui gently wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers tickled the hair at the nape of his neck, and Leo swore his heart skipped a beat.

I really do love her. There was no point in denying it now. And it was terrifying.

"Leo…" she breathed. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I promise I'll be more careful in the future."

He held her tightly. "Thank you." He had the overwhelming desire to kiss her. He pulled back and looked into her face. He ran his thumb over her lips. "May I?" he whispered.

Kamui's cheeks turned pink. She just nodded and leaned closer to him.

Leo tilted her face up and then pressed his lips to hers. He closed his eyes and just kissed her tenderly. Perhaps that could convey how precious she was to him.

When they broke apart, Leo couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Kamui, I-" He caught himself at the last minute. I love you. Gods, he'd almost confessed again. He swallowed hard. "Thank you," he finally said.

Kamui giggled. "Leo, I didn't do anything."

"Stay with me tonight?" Leo blurted out.

Her eyes widened, and she held trembling fingers to her gaping mouth.

I'm such a fool! I didn't mean to scare her like that.

Leo pushed her away. "Kamui, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Kamui regained her composure. "Leo, it's okay." She glanced away. "I don't think I'm quite ready for that, though." Her cheeks were rosy again. "I don't think I'd get much sleep if I did that. Um… Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"No, I don't believe so," Leo replied slowly. "You're probably tired. I'll let you get some sleep."

Kamui nodded. "That's probably for the best." To Leo's surprise, she gave him a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, Kamui."

The young woman left the prince alone, totally oblivious to what she was doing to his heart.

I'm not going to tell her, Leo decided. She has enough to deal with right now, and I'd only frighten her. Besides, there was no way Kamui would reciprocate any of these feelings. Hopefully Leo could keep this a secret from her and from everyone else.

Kamui struggled to fall asleep that night. Leo's invitation to spend the night with him had set her heart racing, and she couldn't seem to calm herself down. She'd hoped after their discussion the other day that he wouldn't be quite so… bold.

Apparently that wasn't going to change any time soon. She wasn't against the idea of being more intimate with her husband, but she was scared silly. She'd always imagined that when that time came, she'd be in love with her husband, that she'd have more of an emotional connection with him. And while they'd gotten to know each other better over the past months, she didn't feel like their relationship was at that level quite yet.

Leo had made it quite clear that he had every intention of consummating their marriage, but he'd wait until she felt ready. Since he'd asked her to stay with him tonight, it was now up to her to decide if they'd take that next step. She didn't think Leo was angry or too disappointed with her refusal to sleep with him. Actually, he'd seem horrified that he'd even suggested it.

I think we're both just scared silly.

Their date the other morning was evidence of that. Kamui had certainly been nervous because this was their first date they'd planned in advance. And neither of them seemed to know what they were doing. In the end, they'd just quietly read next to each other, instead of actually interacting. They were practically hopeless.

And they'd had another argument today, which added to Kamui's distress. When they were in agreement, she felt like she got along with Leo just fine. But when they disagreed on something, she felt like they still struggled to resolve it. Their quarrels never lasted long, but they still left her feeling frustrated and hurt. Today especially since Leo had actually kicked her. He'd apologized, and she'd forgiven him, but a small part of her did wonder if something like that would happen again.

Leo doesn't seem like someone who would be physically abusive, though. No, he'd acted more out of fear for her safety than anything else; he hadn't meant to harm her in any way. Leo hadn't ever acted maliciously towards Kamui since she'd met him, and she trusted that he wouldn't intentionally hurt her. To be honest, their problems seemed to stem from stress, fear, and miscommunication.

Remember that you've only been married for… how many days again? Twelve? No, fourteen. That's only two weeks. It felt like the time had flown by, though. But it really hadn't been that much time, and they had come a long way since they'd first met. With time, they'd resolve their current issues; Kamui just needed to be more patient.

With that in mind, Kamui was eventually able to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

A couple of days later, Kamui woke up to the sweet scent of roses. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on the bouquet of red and pink roses on her nightstand.

There was a tap at the door. "Lady Kamui, may I come in?" Felicia asked. "I'm here to help you get ready for the day."

Kamui cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes, Felicia, please come in."

The bubbly maid bounded into the room with a spring in her step. "Good morning, Lady Ka-" She gasped when she noticed the flowers. "Oh! Someone gave you a bouquet!" She lightly stroked a pink petal. "They're lovely."

Kamui suppressed a yawn and rubbed her eyes. "You didn't bring them in, then?" she asked.

"Oh, no. I haven't been in here since I helped you prepare for bed last night." Felicia glanced at Leo's bedroom door. "Do you think Lord Leo left them for you?" she whispered.

That had been Kamui's initial thought. "Maybe," she answered just as quietly. She came closer to inspect the bouquet. "Is there a note?"

"Hmm…" Felicia picked up the bouquet to check, but the glass vase slipped from her fingers, and she struggled to maintain a grip on it. "Oh! Oh!" she gasped. The vase tipped in her hands, and the water and roses fell on the floor by Kamui's bed. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Lady Kamui!"

Kamui sighed. This was becoming a regular occurrence, unfortunately. "It's okay, Felicia. I know you didn't mean to drop it." She squatted on the floor and began to place the delicate flowers back in the vase. "At least the vase didn't break," she said positively. She spotted a piece of paper. Its corner was damp, but it was still legible.

Dear Kamui,

I want to apologize for the other day. It was never my intention to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. Please accept this gift from me.

-Leo

Kamui was delighted to receive flowers from her husband again, but she was sad that their disagreement was still weighing on Leo's mind, too.

"Well… does it say who they're from?" Felicia asked excitedly.

Kamui smiled softly and glanced at Leo's door. "They're from Leo."

Felicia clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, that's so sweet, Lady Kamui! He must have brought them in while you were sleeping."

"Yeah…"

Kamui wanted to speak to Leo as soon as possible, but she knew she ought to get dressed while Felicia was still here. Well, Leo could help me, but… Kamui shook her head; that thought wasn't going anywhere good, and it would just give him the wrong impression.

"Felicia, could you help me change into my red dress?"

"Of course, milady." Felicia talked while she helped Kamui change. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I'll see if I can speak to Leo, and then I'll go to breakfast." Kamui tried to remember what else she had going on today. "Oh, and I told Charlotte I would have tea with her, so I have that today, too… And I should probably go to court this afternoon." If she wanted to improve things in the government, then it was critical that she attended court as much as possible.

"Well, let me know if I can assist you in any way," Felicia said as she finished pinning up Kamui's hair.

Kamui turned in her seat and smiling up at her new friend. "Thank you, Felicia… I'll leave you to your duties now."

She took a deep breath before knocking on Leo's door. There was no answer.

"Um, Leo? Are you in there?" Kamui called out.

No response.

"Uh, I'm coming in, so I hope that's okay," Kamui continued. She hesitantly opened the door. To her disappointment, Leo was absent. His bed was made, so he'd probably been up for awhile again. She sighed. "I guess I'll talk to him later," she muttered before closing the door.

She plucked a red rose from her bouquet and twirled it in her fingers. Felicia had left, but if Kamui hurried, she could still catch her. She found the maid out in the hallway.

"Felicia, wait!" Kamui called.

Felicia stopped and turned around. "Lady Kamui, is everything all right?" she asked in confusion.

Kamui nodded. "Everything's fine." She held up the rose. "Um… I was wondering if you could help me pin this in my hair."

She was aware that other servants were eying their exchange curiously. They probably thought she was being silly for running out of her room to ask for help with something so trivial.

"Oh, of course," Felicia answered quickly. She broke the rose off its stem and carefully pinned it in her bun. "Is that good?"

Kamui felt the delicate rose with her fingers. "Yes, that's perfect. Thank you, Felicia. I'll let you get back to work."

Kamui was disappointed when she leaned that Leo had already eaten his breakfast. Actually, only Xander and Charlotte were there. She was surprised to see Xander at breakfast so late; normally, he tended to get an early start on the day, like Leo did.

"Kamui, won't you join us?" Xander asked politely.

She took her usual seat at the table. "Yes, thank you." She started dishing up scrambled eggs and toast on her plate. She'd actually taken quite a liking to the Nohrian cuisine.

"How are you, Kamui?" Charlotte asked brightly. "You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress."

Xander glanced at his wife. "Charlotte, you can be yourself around Kamui; remember, she's family now."

Charlotte visibly relaxed at that. "Good. I was getting so tired of keeping up the appearances." She rolled her shoulders. "I try to act more ladylike around most people," she explained to Kamui. She wrinkled her nose. "But I'm really no lady. Court life just feels so fake sometimes," she grumbled.

Kamui blinked in surprise. Charlotte's "true" personality was drastically different from the façade she showed the world. "I can agree with you there," she commented after a moment. "I've only been in the Nohrian court for about a week, and it can be quite exhausting."

"See? I told you that you'd get along with Kamui," Xander told his wife.  He turned to Kamui, who had started eating her meal. "So how are you adjusting to life in Nohr?" he asked.

Kamui finished chewing before answering. "I'm getting along. There are so many people to keep track of, and it can be a lot to take in. Leo has been helping me, though."

Charlotte snorted. "So he's actually paying attention to you? That's a relief. Leo can be such a pain in the butt sometimes." Kamui was shocked that she would speak so negatively about Xander's brother in front of him.

Her shock must have been evident on her face because Xander leaned closer and said, "Charlotte and Leo have gotten into a few disagreements."

"Oh," was all Kamui could say.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them after that. Xander was the one to break it. "So, Kamui, what do you like to do?"

Kamui was grateful for the change of topic. "Well, I like reading-"

Charlotte made an unladylike snort. "I bet Leo loves that," she muttered.

She fell silent when Xander gave her a look. "Please continue," he said politely.

Kamui nodded. "Right. I also like visiting new places and being out in nature, sparring, spending time with my family-"

Xander was the one to interrupt her this time. "You say you like sparring?" There was an excited gleam in his eyes.

Kamui nodded. "Yes. Ryoma- my brother- helped me train with the katana since I was a child." She smiled slightly. "I should probably get into a routine again. He said that he'll test my skills when I see him again."

"Keeping your skills up is probably wise," Xander commented. "I am also trained in combat, but in long swords. Perhaps you'd like to show me how to properly use a katana sometime?" he offered. "I think it would be beneficial for both of us."

Kamui smiled. "Of course. I'd be delighted to. And could you help me with long swords? I've practiced some, but I'm not very proficient."

Xander chuckled. "I wish my siblings would show the same enthusiasm for learning swordsmanship." He glanced at Charlotte. "It would be good for you to learn, too, dear."

Charlotte grinned. "You looking forward to having your butt whipped again? You're the one asking for it…" She kind of reminded Kamui of Hinoka, except she seemed to care about maintaining a ladylike persona more than Hinoka did. Or at least, Charlotte was better at faking it.

"I think that would be fun," Kamui said. It would be a good opportunity to get to know her in-laws better, especially since they were the future king and queen of Nohr.

Charlotte snickered. "You think it would be fun to get your butt whipped?" she teased.

Kamui realized how silly her remark had been. She shook her head. "No… I think it would be fun to watch you cream Xander," she replied with a smirk.

Charlotte nodded appreciatively. "I like her," she told Xander.

"Oh! And maybe I can talk Leo into joining us," Kamui suggested.

"That would be excellent if you could," Xander replied. "I haven't trained much with my brother since he was about thirteen."

Kamui cocked her head to the side. "Wait, doesn't he train regularly? He doesn't seem the sort of person to slack off…"

"Not with the sword, he doesn't," Xander said. "He focuses most of his training on magic."

Kamui nodded. "That doesn't surprise me too much. Well, I'll do the best I can to convince him." She knew that Leo would only train with them if he wanted to; there was no way she could force him to do it.

Charlotte laughed. "Just use your feminine charms on him, and you'll have him eating out of the palm of your hand." She winked at Kamui.

Wait, is she implying that I seduce him? The scary thing was that if Kamui actually tried it, she'd probably succeed. Not that she was going to even attempt to seduce Leo.

Charlotte giggled at Kamui's befuddled expression. "Don't worry. You're married now, so it's not like you're doing anything wrong."

Kamui's blush deepened. She wondered if Xander and Charlotte suspected that she and Leo still hadn't consummated their marriage. Camilla probably knows, she realized with a wave of horror. Oh, this is so embarrassing…

"Shall we plan on training tomorrow morning?" Xander suggested, tactfully steering them away from that disaster.

"Yes," Kamui agreed gratefully. "I'll talk to Leo about it today." She stood to leave. "It was nice having breakfast with both of you. We're still having tea, right, Charlotte?"

"Oh, most definitely," Charlotte answered. "I'm looking forward to it."

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Kamui. Now that Charlotte was warming up to her, Kamui felt like they were becoming friends. Court was pretty similar to the other sessions she'd attended, but Kamui noticed that Leo was absent. That's odd. I wonder where he is… She would have gone looking for him after court ended, but she got into a deep discussion with a duchess from up north.

Kamui was finally leaving the throne room when a dark-haired mage approached her. "Princess Kamui, may I have a word?" He bowed. Kamui had the feeling he was mocking her.

She smiled politely. "Of course. I don't believe we've met yet…"

The mage gave her an eerie grin. "My name is Iago. I am one of King Garon's most trusted retainers."

Kamui inclined her head slightly. "Pleased to meet you, Iago."

"Truly a pleasure." Iago sounded as if speaking with her was anything but pleasant. "Well, I just thought I ought check in on King Garon's newest daughter-in-law… Also, a word of warning, Princess. There are those who wish to see you removed from Castle Krakenburg. Do try not to give them a reason to… dispose of you."

Kamui felt a chill run down her spine at the not so subtle threat. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied. "Was there anything else you wished to discuss?"

"Not at the moment, milady." Iago gave her another bow and left her alone.

That was weird. And a little creepy.

By that point, it was dinnertime, so Kamui abandoned her original plan of looking for Leo. To her relief, he was at his usual place at the dinner table. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he wore dark traveling clothes. Seeing him again made her heart soar, and she forgot about her unpleasant encounter with Iago.

"Leo!" She rushed to his side and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Leo paused briefly before returning her hug. She felt warm and safe in his arms. "Hello, Kamui," he greeted her.

"Where have you been? I've been wondering where you were all day," Kamui said in a rush. "Not that I was worried," she added. "I wanted to thank you for the roses. They're beautiful."

She felt Leo touch the rose in her hair. "I'm glad you like them," he said. She was a tad disappointed when he let go of her. "And to answer your question, Father gave me a mission, so I was out of the capital for most of the day." He lowered his voice. "And I'm a bit hungry, so if you'd permit me to eat dinner…"

Kamui got the hint and let go of him. "Oops. Sorry. I'm just really happy to see you."

His small smile made her heart skip a beat. "It's good to see you, too."

Kamui took her seat next to him and leaned closer to speak to him."Are you busy after dinner?" she whispered.

Leo sipped his wine. "I have a debriefing with Father and Iago, but after that, I'm free."

Kamui remembered her conversation with the King's retainer and frowned. "Iago," she repeated flatly.

Leo quirked an eyebrow. "Yes. He's Father's retainer and right hand man." He studied her expression. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" he asked quietly.

Kamui pushed peas around her plate with her fork. "I don't think Iago likes me very much," she muttered.

"Iago doesn't like anyone very much, except for Father," Leo told her. "Don't worry too much about it."

Kamui nodded. Leo did know Iago better than she did, so he was probably right. The man still put her on edge, though.

"What are you two whispering about?" Elise's sudden question startled Kamui. "I'm bored sitting over here by myself while you ignore everyone else."

Kamui felt terrible for making Elise feel excluded. "Sorry, Elise." She glanced over at Leo again. "We just have some things we need to discuss." She leaned over to Leo and whispered, "We can talk after your debriefing, right?"

Leo nodded. "Of course."

Kamui smiled. "Great." She returned her attention to Elise. "So tell me how your day was, Elise," she said, which sparked a conversation about artwork and music.

Leo's debriefing too much longer than Kamui had expected. And after her long day, she found herself starting to doze off on Leo's bed. Somehow she managed to keep herself awake until Leo arrived. He looked as exhausted as she felt.

He sat down on the bed and mumbled, "Hey."

Kamui yawned and sat up. "Hi." She rested her head on Leo's shoulder.

Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her closer. He rested his head on top of hers. He just held her like that for a few moments.

"How was your day?" Kamui asked.

Leo sighed. "Fine, but it was very long. I would have much rather have been here with you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Kamui's face warmed at his sudden affection, and she couldn't stop keep herself from smiling. "I missed you, you know," she murmured.

Leo chuckled deep in his throat, which Kamui found very attractive for some reason. "That's a relief. I'm surprised you even noticed I was gone."

She crawled into his lap and kissed him sweetly. "Of course I'd notice if you were gone," she said. "You're my husband, silly."

Poor Leo's face was as red as a tomato. He cleared his throat nervously. "That… that is true…" he stuttered.

Kamui giggled at his obvious discomfort and embraced him again. This time he was quick to return the hug, and she relished the warmth of his embrace. "Will you let me know when you're leaving again?" she asked quietly.

Her ear was pressed against his chest, and she heard his pulse start to quicken. "I'll do my best," Leo answered. "Today's mission was a last minute notice, so I didn't have the opportunity to. I apologize if I worried you."

"I wasn't too worried," Kamui said quickly. She didn't want him to think she was super clingy. "How often do you leave on missions?"

Leo shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes more often than others. This was my first mission since our engagement, though."

"Mm. What was your mission?"

Leo took a breath to answer, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Leo? Are you in there?" Xander called out. "I'd like to have a word with you."

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. "One moment, please!" he called to Xander. He returned his attention to Kamui. "You should probably head to bed," he murmured. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sorry for kicking you out like this."

Kamui gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Leo. I understand. And I am actually really tired." She kissed his cheek. "Goodnight."

Leo smiled wearily. "Goodnight, dear."

Kamui leaned against the door after she returned to her room. She couldn't keep the grin off her face and pressed her hand to her pounding heart.  I think I really like him. More than I've ever liked anyone before… I might actually be falling in love with him. The thought was thrilling, but terrifying.

Chapter Text

In the few weeks following her arrival in Nohr, Kamui slowly began to adjust to her new life. She attended the King's court several times a week. She was careful not to be too vocal about her opinions, at least within earshot of others. Leo got to hear plenty of that in their alone time together in the evenings. True to his word, Leo listened to everything she said.

It was soon obvious that they had very different viewpoints. Leo's approach to matters was pragmatic, whereas Kamui tried to find the more compassionate and peaceful solutions to problems. They both had a desire to do the right thing, so they at least had that as a common goal.

Aside from their chats in the evenings and during meals, Kamui didn't see too much of her husband. Leo was busy working on a couple of research projects with the Mage Academy, so he was away most of the time.

Kamui spent her time with his sisters, learning the ways of the Nohrian court, and meeting the nobles of the court. On the surface, people were fairly friendly to her, but Kamui still worried that she was inadvertently making enemies with the other nobles. Camilla and Elise were completely positive that everyone would adore her, but Kamui had her doubts. Leo's warnings about how people did not approve of their marriage kept coming back to her.

Before she'd realized it, Kamui and Leo had their one-month anniversary. Well, not that anyone made a big deal out of it, but it was evidence that time was passing. Leo did give her a bouquet of white lilies, which she thought was sweet.

It was a few days afterwards that Kamui received word from Hoshido again. She'd exchanged a few letters with her family over the last few weeks, but today was the first time Ryoma had written her since his first letter almost a month ago.

She was having tea with Camilla, Elise, and Charlotte when the mail came. Her sister-in-laws had also received letters and were reading them.

Kamui began to read Ryoma's letter:

Dearest Kamui,

I hope you are well, Sister, and keeping up with your training. You are sorely missed in Hoshido, but I am proud of your sacrifice to strengthen our relationship with Nohr.

I wish I could say all is well at home, but there is some news I must share with you. Now, I know that you tend to get emotional, so please sit down and read the rest of this letter in a private place.

Kamui suddenly felt very cold. She forced herself to fold the letter again, until she could read it in a more secluded location.

"Kamui, is everything all right, dear?" Camilla asked, looking up from her letters. "You've turned quite pale."

Both Elise and Charlotte focused on Kamui.

"Oh, are you ill, Big Sister?" Elise asked with concern.

Kamui stood. "I… don't know. I think I need some air, so if you'll excuse me." She left Camilla's sitting room before any of the other women could reply.

She walked quickly back to her room, sat on her bed, and opened the letter again. The paper shook in her trembling hands.

I hope you heeded my advice, Sister, because I have some unfortunate news about Orochi. She's going to be fine, but she lost the baby about a week ago.

Kamui covered her mouth and felt tears fill her eyes. She wiped them away and kept reading.

Orochi is recovering right now from the ordeal. It has taken a more emotional toll on her, as is unsurprising. The healers say she will make a full recovery and that we can try again for a child in the future.

Please do not be alarmed by this news. I know you, and I know you will take it harder than you should. Stay strong. Our family is going to be fine. Please write and let me know you  received this letter.

Your brother,

Ryoma

The letter fell listlessly from Kamui's hand. She covered her face with her hands and just sobbed.  She'd been so happy for Ryoma and Orochi, and their loss was painful. My little niece or nephew is… gone. Ryoma didn't tell me how he's doing; he only mentioned that Orochi is struggling, but I know he's hurting, too. I have to go home; they need me! I have to make sure Orochi and Ryoma are okay.

Kamui couldn't find it in herself to write a reply to her brother yet, and she didn't feel like reading her other letters from her mother and Sakura. She didn't attend dinner that evening, opting to remain alone in her bedroom.

At some point after she should have gone to dinner, there was a knock at her door.

"Wh-Who is it?" she called.

"Kamui, it's me," Leo answered. "May I come in?"

She sat up and tried to make herself look semi-presentable. She hoped she didn't look like she'd been crying. "Yes, that's fine."

Leo entered her room, carrying a plate with a ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich. He wore black pants and a casual dark shirt. "Hey, I… uh… brought you some dinner," he said quietly.

Kamui smiled wistfully. "Thank you, Leo. That's very thoughtful of you." She patted the spot next to her on the bed. "You can sit, if you like."

Leo sat next to her and offered her the plate. Kamui took it and nibbled at the sandwich. She didn't have much of an appetite tonight, but she didn't want to seem rude.

Leo cleared his throat nervously. "So… how are you feeling?"

Kamui finished chewing before answering. "I'm doing okay." Her throat tightened as she recalled the contents of Ryoma's letter. "I just heard some unsettling news from home."

Leo rested a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Kamui set aside her dinner and sighed. She balled her hands in her lap. "It's Orochi," she began softly. "I told you that she was going to have a baby, right?"

Leo gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "Yes, you did tell me about that." He seemed to know where this was going.

Kamui swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Well, I got a letter from Ryoma today, and he told me that Orochi lost the baby."

"Kamui…"

Kamui looked into his eyes. They were full of warmth, pity, and other emotions she couldn't read.

 "Orochi's fine, or at least she's going to be," she added quickly. "She's going to make a full recovery, so there's no permanent damage. And Ryoma's strong, so I know he can get through it. And he didn't mention the rest of the family, but I'm sure they'll be okay, so I'm… I'm…"

Be strong, like Ryoma told you to be, she reminded herself. You're just overreacting… But I need to talk about this with someone. She blinked and didn't hold back the tear that rolled down her cheek. "It hurts," she gasped before trying to stifle her sob. "Sorry, you probably don't want to hear about this right now, but I-"

She gasped as she was enfolding by the warmth of Leo's arms. "Come here," he said gently. "I'm here for you."

She collapsed into his embrace and buried her face in his chest. "L-Leo…" Her body shook with her sobs, and he held her closer. He ran a hand soothingly up and down her back. "Sh. It's going to be okay."

Kamui wrapped her arms around his torso and held him tighter. He grunted softly, but responded in kind, tightening his hold on her. Kamui's tears subsided after a couple of minutes, but she didn't let go of him. She just wanted to stay like that, safe and warm in his arms. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady beating of his heart.

"Thank you, Leo," she whispered, "for being here, for listening, for bringing me dinner-" Her stomach chose that time to remind her that she hadn't eaten said dinner yet.

Leo chuckled softly. "Hungry, my dear?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I should probably eat."

He let go of her, and she instantly missed his warmth. "Yes, you should," he agreed. "I know you'd probably prefer something from Hoshido, but I only know how to prepare Nohrian food."

Kamui turned to face him. "Wait, you made this?"

Leo's cheeks reddened, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't look so shocked. I'm no chef, but I can at least make a sandwich. I hope it's to your liking… Wait, why are you looking at me like that?"

Kamui couldn't hide her smile. "That's so sweet."

To her glee, Leo just got more flustered. He ran his hand through his hair and avoided her gaze. "It's just a sandwich, Kamui."

She giggled, but stopped when he shot her a glare. "Sorry, it's just…" She shook her head. "Never mind."

He sighed. "Just eat your dinner."

She took a big bite of the sandwich and hummed contentedly. "So good…"

Leo scoffed. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not. It is good." She would have argued her point further, but she was pretty hungry, so she just ate her dinner instead.

When she finished, she pecked Leo's cheek. "Thank you." She hugged him again and rested her head on his shoulder.

Leo gently returned her hug. "No thanks needed."

Kamui yawned. Leo pulled away. "You should get some sleep."

Kamui shook her head. "No, I'm not…" she suppressed another yawn. "…tired."

Leo chuckled. "You're not making a very convincing argument." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't worry: your family is going to be all right. I'll take my leave of you, so you can rest."

Despite the fact that Kamui was tired, she couldn't fall asleep. Thoughts of her family kept running through her mind. Leo's presence had helped calm her fears, but now she felt alone again. She was trying to make a new life here in Nohr, but she still felt so far away from the home she'd known her whole life. Nohr was a good place, but it didn't have the same warmth as Hoshido did. Except…

Except when she was in his arms. She felt warm just thinking about it. She imagined curling up close to him. Just being near him would being comforting. She shivered at the thought.

I… I could do it. I could go to him. He'd be in bed right now.

Without consciously deciding, she got out of bed and walked over to his door. She froze. What am I doing? Leo's going to get the wrong impression. She exhaled slowly. If I don't wake him, he doesn't have to know. I'd just stay for a little bit, then leave. We are married, so it's not like I'm doing anything improper.

With that in mind, Kamui quietly opened the door to his bedroom. It was dark, and she could hear Leo's steady breathing. Good. He's asleep. She padded barefoot over to his bed. He was sleeping on the left side of the bed, so she crawled under the covers on the right side.

She couldn't stop her trembling as she lay on her back. Her heart was beating much too quickly. This was a mistake. I should leave.

Leo rolled over in his sleep, and Kamui froze. The next thing she knew, Leo was sitting over her, his tome open, and violet magic ready in his hand.

She didn't speak, didn't dare to breathe. She felt like her heart was about to burst from her chest.

After several heartbeats, Leo slowly lowered his tome, and the magic dissipated from his hand, plunging them into the dark again. He spoke in a level voice. "Kamui. What are you doing here?"

She couldn't find the words to answer him. She was still shaking like a leaf in the wind, and her breath came out in jagged gasps.

This was a really bad idea. Of course he'd be angry with me for sneaking into his bed without permission.

After it was apparent that Kamui wasn't going to say anything, Leo sighed. "Kamui, I'm not going to hurt you… I've had assassins try to kill me in my sleep before, so I just assumed…"

Wait. He thought she was trying to assassinate him?

There was a tense silence, then he spoke again. "Kamui, are you okay?"

No, she was definitely not okay. She covered her mouth and tried to stifle the quiet sob that burst through her lips. She cried softly into her hands. Why did I think this was a good idea again? The answer was simple: she'd just wanted to be near him again, to have him hold her.

And he'd almost attacked her.

She hadn't expected her husband of all people to attack her. He'd explained what he'd been thinking, so she knew he hadn't meant to harm her. And he hadn't. So why was she so upset? Nothing had happened; it was just a little scare.

Leo inhaled sharply. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N-No…"

He sighed in relief. "Good. I don't think I could forgive myself if I…" He sighed. "Kamui, I'm sorry. I never meant to frighten you."

Kamui managed to stop her tears. "I know…" She sat up and sniffled. "Sorry for disturbing you… I'll go back to my room now." She'd been enough of a bother for him since coming to Nohr. The last thing he needed was her crying in his bed in the middle of the night.

Strong fingers grasped her wrist. "Kamui, what's wrong?" Leo demanded. She could hear the concern in his voice.

She automatically tried to pull her hand away, but he didn't release her. She suddenly felt too warm. How was she supposed to tell him something that she didn't understand herself? There was no way she could admit out loud that she just wanted to be with him.

She took a deep breath. "I couldn't sleep…"

His thumb rubbed soothing circles into her wrist. "Why not?"

"I was just… thinking about Orochi and Ryoma again," she mumbled.

"Kamui, they're going to be fine. You said so yourself," he reassured her.

She swallowed; her throat felt too tight. "I know. It still hurts, though." Her eyes stung like she was going to cry again, but she seemed to have exhausted her supply of tears for now.

"What can I do to help you?" His voice was soft and gentle.

She felt so stupid for asking this, but he wouldn't let her go until she told him something. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she blurted out.

He answered without hesitation. "Of course."

"Really?" Kamui whispered. She lay back down on the bed.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" He sounded slightly amused.

"Well…" Her heart started pounding again as she thought about the implications of sleeping in his bed.

"Kamui, you're trembling," Leo noted. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to." His thumb caressed her knuckles. "I won't be upset either way."

She glanced at him and could make out the outline of his face. "But…" She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore.

He let go of her hand, and her wrist suddenly felt cold. "I won't make you stay." She inhaled sharply when he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I just want you to be happy." His warm breath brushed against her face.

This is what you wanted, Kamui.

She took a deep breath. "I'll stay."

"Okay," was all he said. He relaxed back into the bed, resting on his side and facing her. "If you don't need anything else, I'd like to get back to sleep," he mumbled.

Kamui felt guilty at the reminder that she was making him lose sleep. "Yes, please go back to sleep." She didn't know if she'd get any sleep, but hopefully her husband would.

Leo sighed. " Goodnight, Kamui."

"Goodnight, Leo," she breathed.

She lay there in the silence that followed. She felt relieved that he hadn't kicked her out of his room. Despite his proximity, she still felt the chill of the Nohrian summer night, which reminded her of why she'd come in the first place. She scooted closer to him and sighed. Hopefully he hasn't fallen asleep yet.

"Leo?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Can you… can you hold me? I'm cold."

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Come here."

She moved into his waiting embrace and sighed. "Thank you, Leo." He pulled her a little closer to his chest, and she happily snuggled up to him. With his arms wrapped around her, making her feel warm and safe, Kamui easily drifted off into a deep sleep.

Her face was the first thing Leo saw in the morning. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure why she was still here. Last night had been… well, at the very least it had been memorable. Her sleeping expression was peaceful now, but Leo couldn't forget the image of her eyes wide in fear as he'd held Brynhildr in his hand, prepared to…

I almost hurt her. I could have killed her. He felt ill at the thought.

Despite that, Kamui had asked to stay with him. And she was still here. Leo's arms were still loosely wrapped around her slender body. Her silvery curls were splayed across the pillow. Her lips were slightly parted, and her bosom rose and fell with her gentle breathing. She truly was like an angel, and Leo was hopelessly smitten with her.

Normally he'd get up and get an early start on the day, but he was content just to stay like this for now. He didn't really have anything pressing this morning anyway. He'd much rather be here with his wife.

Careful not to disturb her, Leo drew closer to Kamui. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes. He was in no rush for this moment to end. When she was awake, Leo was cautious with her, so she wouldn't figure out the depth of his feelings for her. But when she was sleeping like this, he could drop his guard a little. He didn't have to hide the fact that he was in love with her.

It was getting harder to keep his feelings a secret. He kept almost slipping up and revealing his adoration for her. She'd certainly grown more comfortable with him, but Leo knew that confessing to her would only terrify her right now. She didn't need to deal with this on top of everything else.

Before he realized how much time had passed, Kamui stirred in his arms. She blinked at him a couple of times. Her eyes were confused at first, then they widened. Her cheeks flushed. "L-Leo," she gasped. He felt her start to tremble.

Maybe he should have left before she woke up. Well, it was too late now, and he didn't want to let her go just yet.

Leo smiled at her. "Good morning, Kamui. How did you sleep, my dear?" He quietly chided himself for calling her that. She's going to figure it out…

She blinked. "I… uh… I slept well," she stuttered. "And you?"

Unable to stop himself, Leo buried his face in her curls. "Quite well, thank you," he murmured in her ear.

"That's good." Her voice shook ever so slightly.

Leo sighed. I'm probably pushing her too far. He reluctantly pulled away from her and sat up.

She sat up, careful to arrange the skirt of her nightgown over her legs. Her crimson eyes were still wide. "Leo, I-" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why was she apologizing now? "I don't know what you're apologizing for."

She gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry for apologizing; I know you don't like that-"

Leo cut her off before she kept going on about that. "Kamui, it's fine. You don't need to apologize for apologizing." He laughed under his breath. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you'd think of doing that."

"Oh. Well, so-" She broke off before she finished saying it. She wouldn't meet his gaze. "I kept you up last night; I made you lose sleep. That was selfish of me."

Leo wanted to groan. Why was she always blaming herself for everything? "Look, don't worry about it. You're… you're my wife, so…" His face grew warm. What am I even trying to say? "There's no issue, whatsoever. Don't think that means you can keep me up all night," he added quickly. "I would not appreciate that."

She giggled. "I don't think I'd dare. Your siblings have told me enough about how you get when you're sleep deprived. I don't want to unleash Mr. Grouchypants on everyone."

"Ugh. Why does everyone keep calling me that?" He crossed his arms. "Surely I'm not that bad."

Kamui let out a genuine laugh. The sound was beautiful. "Sorry, sorry." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "You really aren't that bad. It's just your reaction is so-" Whatever she was going to say dissolved into a round of giggles. Well, at least she's laughing, not crying.

"It's still not a very dignified name for royalty," Leo argued. "It sounds like something Elise would name a temperamental cat."

She snorted. She tried to speak, but kept bursting into giggles every few words. "We… we could get a… a cat… and name him Mr. Grouchypants!" Her shoulders shook with laughter.

Leo groaned. "Please don't. Elise would never let me hear the end of it." Actually, it would make him the laughing stock of the whole court most likely. Leo didn't really care too much what others thought of him, but he did need to retain a dignified image as a prince.

Kamui pouted. "Aw, Leo, please…" she begged. Her beautiful eyes were wide and pleading. "It would make me really, really happy."

Perhaps her method was a little childish, but Leo's heart fluttered in his chest regardless. He glanced away from her gaze. "No." There was no way he would let a pair of pretty eyes sway him.

His traitorous heart started pounding in his chest when she crawled into his lap. She cupped his cheek in her hand and forced him to meet those pleading eyes. "Please, Leo." She didn't have to lean in much closer to kiss the corner of his mouth. She'd gotten a lot bolder in the month they'd been married.

When he didn't say anything, she kissed his lips. Without thinking about it, Leo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. When they broke apart, he spoke. "You don't need my permission to get a cat, dear."

Kamui kissed him again. "I want him to be our cat," she explained. She grinned mischievously.

Leo rolled his eyes. "And kissing me will make that happen?" he scoffed.

She pecked his lips. "I think so."

As much as he enjoyed her company, Leo extracted himself out of her arms and got out of bed. "That's not going to work."

She pouted. "But you like it."

He flushed. "Regardless, you're not going to get your way by trying to seduce me." He turned to his dresser. "I'm going to get dressed for the day. I suppose if you don't mind watching, you can stay here," he said before he could stop his tongue. Ugh. Niles must be rubbing off on me.

Without waiting for her response, Leo started to take off his nightshirt. That would probably get her to leave.

Sure enough, Kamui let out a little squeak. Her face turned bright red, and she hopped off the bed. "No, I'm good." She was out of his room in a flash.

Leo couldn't keep the smile off his face as he got ready for the day. There was no way they would have a cat named Mr. Grouchypants, but he was amused with her attempts to change his mind. He couldn't deny that Kamui was absolutely adorable, even when she was being stubborn.

"Camilla, do you know of any kittens that need a home?"

Leo couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his sister, but here they were, talking about cats in her sitting room. After having the whole day to think about it, Leo decided that maybe he'd get a cat for Kamui. She was still down about Orochi's miscarriage, and perhaps it would cheer her up.

Camilla perked up at that, of course.  "But of course, darling! Oh, Leo, are you thinking about adopting a cat?" Her smile was much too bright.

Leo leaned against the door casually. "I never said that."

Camilla smirked. "You're very bad at keeping information from me, little brother. I know everything about you."

Leo shuddered at the thought. The scary thing was that she probably wasn't too far off the mark. Camilla made it her business to know everyone else's business. "I don't see why you need to know that," he retorted.

Camilla just laughed. "Elise and I have a litter of kittens we're taking care of." She grabbed his wrist. "I'll show you them."

She dragged him along with her without waiting for his response. She pestered him about his personal life the whole way to their destination, which ended up being a broom closet by the kitchens. "Now don't be too loud- we don't want to startle them."

Leo gave her a pointed look. "Camilla, forgive me if I don't shout for joy at seeing a bunch of cats."

"Ah, Leo, you're so cute," Camilla cooed. "My precious baby brother."

Leo groaned. "A baby? Wonderful. In case you forgot, I am married now." It still felt weird to say that.

"You'll always be my baby brother, Leo," she remarked.

"Whatever," Leo grumbled. "Are you going to show me the cats or not?"

Camilla giggled. "Patience, little brother." She slowly opened the door and gestured for him to enter the closet.

The basket on the floor was full of a bunch of mewing kittens. There were four in total: two gray tabbies, one dark brown kitten, and one cream-colored kitten.

Camilla hurried over and knelt beside them. "Don't worry! Mommy's here," she cooed. "Leo, come meet your new kitties."

Leo rolled his eyes, but knelt next to her. "I might get one kitten, not a whole litter of them."

"I knew it!" Camilla's eyes were bright. "Why the sudden desire to have a cat?"

Leo stroked one of the gray tabbies between the ears. "Kamui wants us to get a cat," he murmured. Camilla was bound to find out anyway.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Camilla observed.

Leo felt his cheeks grow warm. "Isn't that my job?"

She laughed softly. "You're too sweet, Leo… Have you talked to Kamui recently?"

Leo glanced at her. "Yes," he answered slowly. "Why do you ask?" Was she implying that he wasn't paying enough attention to his wife?

Camilla frowned. "She's been down since yesterday. I'm worried about her."

Leo picked up the kitten and held it against his chest. He debated how much to share with Camilla. "Has she told you anything?" he asked.

Camilla shook her head. "I was hoping maybe she'd confided in you about it. She is your wife after all."

So Kamui hadn't told his sister about the miscarriage, but she'd told Leo. He remembered how she'd cried in his arms last night, and his heart ached at the memory.

He swallowed thickly. "She has shared some things with me," he answered.

"And?"

Leo gave his sister a cool stare. "Camilla, I don't know what she wants shared with others yet." And he wasn't about to share anything with Camilla. He had told Kamui that what she told him would be kept secret and he meant to honor that promise.

Camilla didn't like that answer. "But Leo, we're sisters now. And I can't bear to see any of my sweet siblings suffering… You haven't quarreled with her again, have you?"

Leo was offended she'd come to that conclusion. "Of course not," he snapped. He winced when the kitten dug its tiny claws into him. "Ouch." He held the kitten away from his body.

"I'm glad to hear that." Camilla smiled again. "It seems he's taken quite a liking to you," she noted.

"I was unaware that clawing someone is a way cats show favor," Leo remarked dryly.

"Oh, hush. He's just a few weeks old anyway," Camilla chided. "You should pick him. Kamui would absolutely adore him."

"I haven't decided if I'm getting a cat yet. I'm still considering it."

Camilla smiled knowingly. "I think we both know that's not true… Wait right here, dear. I'm going to grab something."

"Sister, what-?"

But she was already gone.

Leo eyed the kitten. "Well, I guess it's just you and me." He felt pretty silly kneeling in a broom closet, holding a baby cat, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do to change that.

Camilla returned quicker than he'd expected. She held up a round violet box with a bow. "Put him in here, then give the gift to Kamui." She beamed. "She'll be so excited."

Leo sighed. The things I do for her… "C'mon, kitty. You're going in here for a few minutes." He gently set the kitten in Camilla's box.

Camilla closed the lid and pushed the box into Leo's arms. "Hurry now. Go find your sweetheart."

Kamui wasn't in her room, so Leo waited in his room for the sound of her approach. He sat on his bed and let the kitten out of the gift box. Gods knew he wouldn't want to be stuck in some box for who knew how long.

The kitten began to claw Leo's bedding, of course. He mewed when Leo picked him up.

"No, I'm not letting you tear up my bed," Leo chastised quietly. He sighed. "Where is she?"

He still couldn't believe he was actually going through with this. Giving Kamui a cat was much different than giving her flowers; the kitten was a living creature and would actually require them to care for him. Hopefully Kamui hadn't changed her mind since this morning.

Leo's heart rate picked up pace when he heard someone enter Kamui's bedroom. He cursed himself for being as nervous as when he'd first given her flowers. That still didn't seem like it had been that long ago.

He placed the kitten back in the box. "Let's get this over with," he murmured. He knocked on Kamui's door and waited for her response.

"J-Just a moment. I'm getting changed," she called. After a few minutes, he heard her saying goodnight to Felicia.

Leo blinked in surprise when the door suddenly opened. Kamui wore a dark blue nightgown with lacy sleeves. Her long hair was pulled back into a single braid over one shoulder. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. "L-Leo. C-Come in," she said breathlessly. Her smile was too wide, as if she was faking it.

Leo stepped in and eyed her warily. "You okay?"

She nodded vigorously. "Mhm." She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her. "How was your day?"

Leo felt self-conscious sitting next to her with the box on his lap. He could feel the kitten moving inside. "It was fine," he answered. "Yours?"

"Oh, it was good! I got some sparring practice in with Xander and had tea with your sisters and some other ladies, although I don't remember their names…" She continued to rattle off details of her day in a rush. Why is she so on edge tonight?

Leo cleared his throat. "I'm glad to hear it went well… You seem a little nervous. Did something happen?"

She fidgeted with her hands in her lap and wouldn't meet his gaze. "Oh, everything's fine."

Leo was still skeptical, but decided not to push it. "Okay… If you insist."

She nodded. "Yep." Her eyes fell on the box in his lap. "What's this?" She finally met his eyes again. Hers were full of curiosity.

It was Leo's turn to get nervous. "Oh, this is for you." He pushed the gift into her arms.

She smiled softly. "Thank you…" There was a thump from within the box. "What in the-?" Kamui lifted the lid and gasped. Her eyes were shining. "Leo… you… you got me a kitten?!"

"I'm pretty sure that's what he is," Leo commented.

She cradled the cat against her bosom and stroked his fur. "I… I can't believe it. I didn't think you'd actually…" She beamed at him. "Thank you, Leo." Her joyful radiance took Leo's breath away.

"You're… you're welcome," Leo stuttered.

Kamui smirked. "You haven't named him yet, have you?"

"No. But we're not naming him Mr. Grouchypants." Leo was fine with having a cat, but there was no way he'd give their cat such a ridiculous name.

She laughed. "Oh, please, Leo? I think it's an adorable name."

He rolled his eyes. "No, I will not subject my cat to such a disgrace."

"Then what would you name our cat?"

Leo didn't have an answer ready. "Let me sleep on it tonight, and we can discuss it tomorrow," he suggested.

For some reason, she blushed again. "Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Leo folded his arms across his chest. "Kamui, I can tell something is bothering you. What's going on?"

Kamui nibbled her lip. "Um… Can I sleep with you tonight?" Her words were rushed, and Leo almost didn't understand her. She hid her face in the kitten's fur.

Leo blinked. "Of course." And then it dawned on him. "Is that why you're acting this way?"

Kamui let out an adorable squeak. "Maybe… yes? I didn't want to assume anything." Her face was crimson. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her this flustered.

Leo sighed. It seemed things were starting to change between them and neither of them knew where the boundaries were anymore. "Kamui, you're always welcome to spend the night with me." He tucked a lock of hair behind her pointed ear. "I quite enjoy your company." Truth be told, Leo wanted her to sleep in his arms every night, but he wasn't about to get his hopes up about that. He was just happy she'd come to him last night.

Kamui finally looked at him again. She looked so vulnerable. "I like being with you, too," she mumbled. She smiled softly. "So, should we go to your room, or-?"

Leo shrugged. "Whatever is fine."

Kamui stood, still holding the kitten in her arms. "Your room," she decided.

After they were in his bedroom, Kamui asked, "So, what are we going to do with Mr. Grouchypants for the night?"

"We are not naming the cat Mr. Grouchypants."

She just laughed again.

Chapter Text

In the end, Leo caved in and let Kamui name their cat Mr. Grouchypants. The compromise was that they would only tell others his nickname: MG. Leo still wasn't satisfied with the name, but it was a huge step up from Mr. Grouchypants. Well, MG, I did my best to save you from a dreadful name.

Leo was slightly concerned about what Kamui would want to name their kids someday. Not that they were having children for a while. As a father, Leo would need to make sure their mother did not choose any crazy names for them.

Would they use Nohrian or Hoshidan names for their kids? Knowing Kamui, she'd probably just make up her own names.

Leo frowned. Why was he thinking about kids? They had a cat to take care of, not children. That's why Leo had gathered all of the library books about cats, and that's what he was supposed to be focused on right now.

For some reason, Niles had opted to join Leo in the library for his study session. The retainer was having too much fun teasing Leo about how this was practice for later and that it wouldn't be too long before Kamui insisted on having an actual baby. Maybe that's why his thoughts kept going to his future children.

Leo was brought out of his thoughts by a gentle voice. "Leo, Niles, it's nice to see both of you." He glanced up and saw Kamui standing before him, wearing her turquoise yukata from Hoshido. She hadn't worn any Hoshidan clothing since she'd come to Nohr.

Niles grinned. "Princess Kamui, it's good you're here. Lord Leo won't stop going on about how much he misses you."

Leo grimaced; he had mentioned once that he missed Kamui's company in the library. That hardly counted for 'going on about missing her'.

Kamui giggled. "Miss me? But Leo, you saw me this morning. It hasn't been that long."

"But even minutes apart can be agony for two lovers," Niles put in. "I do so miss my dear Camilla right now."

Leo groaned. "Niles, stop. Nothing of the sort has been going on here."

Kamui smiled softly. "Leo, may I borrow you for a few moments?" She glanced at Niles. "There are some things I'd like to discuss in private."

"I'm flattered that you think you need to borrow your husband from little old me," Niles said with a smirk.

Leo waved him away. "Niles, go bother Camilla for a bit. You're dismissed."

Niles bowed his head. "As you wish, milord."

Kamui watched him leave before turning back to Leo. She gestured to the chair across from him. "May I?"

Leo nodded. He set his book aside; he wasn't really getting anything out of it anyway.  He eyed her Hoshidan outfit, which looked great on her, of course. "What's with the yukata?"

She shrugged. "I just felt like wearing it. It reminds me of home." Her eyes said the rest: she was homesick and worried about her family.

"How are you holding up, Kamui? I know there's been a lot going on lately."

She sighed and looked down. "I'm doing okay. Getting Mister Gr—MG—has been really nice. I see you're reading up on your felines," she noted, nodding at his stack of books.

"Well, yes. I need to be prepared to handle any situation that may arise." Leo eyed her seriously. "But you didn't come here to talk about cats with me."

She twisted one of her curls around her finger while she spoke. She still wouldn't meet his gaze. "So I was wondering… if I was absent for a few days, what would that do?"

Leo understood what she was getting at. "You're going back to Hoshido," he inferred.

Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened. "N-Not permanently. I was just thinking maybe I could go back to visit for a week or so," she explained hurriedly. "It's not that I don't like Nohr—"

Leo held up a hand to stop her. "Kamui, I understand. Hoshido is a beautiful place and it's where you grew up. It's only natural you'd be homesick. And you're worried about your family."

Kamui nodded. "Yeah. I'd be fine, if it weren't for Orochi…" She trailed off. "You- you haven't told anyone what I told you, have you? I don't think it's really been made public."

Leo shook his head. "Of course not. Although Camilla did try to pry it out of me the other day."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you… So, I was going to write my family and tell them that I'd come visit in a few days. I know that your birthday is in three days, so I'd wait until after that," she added quickly.

Oh, right. His birthday was that week. Not that Leo cared all that much.

"You don't have to stick around for that," Leo told her.

She frowned. "But it's your birthday…"

Leo waved away her concern. "I've never been a big fan of birthdays, so don't worry about it."

She leaned across the table and rested on her elbows. "Wouldn't that look bad if your new wife wasn't here for your birthday? I think there'd be rumors if I just left for Hoshido out of the blue."

She did have a point. "So, what do you propose?" Leo asked.

"I'll write my family today and tell them that I'm coming home the day after your birthday. That way, it will be planned ahead of time, and I can be here for your birthday." She glanced away. "I would like to have a couple of weeks with them, but would that be suspicious…?"

Leo considered it. "If you only stayed for two weeks, I don't think anyone would think much of it. Besides, we are trying to strengthen relationships with Hoshido, so it would be silly if you couldn't go home every once in a while. You're not a prisoner here, Kamui."

She smiled in relief, then said, "Do you want to come with me?"

Leo was taken aback. "Uh… I don't know if I could be gone for two weeks without much prior notice. Besides, having a Nohrian in the Hoshidan court would probably cause more stress than it's worth right now. Your family has enough to worry about without having to deal with me on top of it."

Her smile disappeared. "Yeah, you're probably right. But my parents really like you, so if you ever wanted to visit…"

He nodded. "We can plan for a time when it's less stressful. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on things here."

Her eyes brightened. "So it really will be okay if I go?"

"I don't see why not."

Kamui grinned and jumped up from her seat. She rushed over and threw her arms around him. "Thank you, Leo. You're the best!"

Leo rolled his eyes. "It took you that long to figure it out?" He tried to ignore how her embrace made his pulse race.

She flicked his shoulder lightly. "Leo, show a little humility," she chided.

"Sorry, sorry."

Leo's birthday came before Kamui knew it. To her surprise, he was still in bed when she woke up. Except for that first morning, he was always gone by the time she got up. (Leo claimed that she overslept every day.)

Of course, he was already awake and reading in bed. He glanced down at her when she stirred. "Good morning, Kamui. How did you sleep?"

Kamui moaned and buried her face in her pillow. She did not want to be awake yet. Just a few more minutes of sleep…

"I'll take that as not very well," Leo remarked dryly.

"What are you doing here?" Kamui mumbled.

Leo chuckled. "This is my bedroom, so I can be here whenever I want."

Kamui sighed and glanced up at him. "That's not what I meant. You never sleep in."

"True," he acknowledged. "But I didn't sleep in today; I've been up for about an hour or so now."

"Yeah, but you never stay in bed." Kamui buried her face in her pillow again. "I just want to sleep a little longer."

Leo stroked her hair. "If you want to sleep, I'll be quiet then."

"Mm. But why are you still here?"

He pulled his hand away and sighed. "I figure that since I'm married now, my siblings won't be as likely to burst into my room just because it's my birthday."

"Oh yeah, happy birthday, Leo," she mumbled as she closed her eyes. "I'm going back to sleep."

Leo laughed. "Why am I not surprised?" Kamui's breath caught when he brushed back her hair and kissed her cheek. "Sleep well, my dear," he whispered.

A shiver ran down her spine at his touch, but his words warmed her heart. After over a month of being married to Leo, Kamui was more used to his touch, but his tenderness still took her off guard. Leo had never outright told her that he loved her, but Kamui knew that he truly did care for her.

And she found that she cared for him, too.

Kamui's heart fluttered at that thought. She really had lucked out with her husband. He certainly had his flaws, but he was a good man and a friend. She was glad she'd married him.

Leo would have been perfectly happy to stay in his bedroom all day with a book, but he knew Kamui would not opt for that when she finally got up for the day. He'd just have to enjoy it while it lasted. Kamui didn't show signs of stirring again anytime soon.

A mew from the basket in the corner of the room pulled Leo out of bed sooner than he would have liked. He sighed and picked up the hungry kitten. "We'll get you breakfast soon, MG," he murmured.

Kamui sat up and blinked sleepily. "Oh, good morning, MG." She smiled. "Are you wishing Daddy a happy birthday?"

Leo gave her a pointed look. "Do I look like I'd father a cat?" He still didn't understand why she referred to themselves as MG's parents.

She giggled. "He's our adopted son." Her expression softened into a contemplative emotion that Leo couldn't identify. The look she gave him made his pulse race.

Leo flushed. "What?"

Kamui turned bright red. "Oh, nothing. It's nothing," she said hurriedly.

Leo arched an eyebrow. It was obviously not nothing, but she didn't seem inclined to share whatever her thoughts were. Leo couldn't help but wonder. He'd never seen her look at him like that before.

After a few moments of silence, Kamui spoke again. "Leo, what are your thoughts about having kids?"

The question took him entirely off guard. His heart lurched, and he forgot how to breath for a moment. "Wh-what?!"

She looked away. "Sorry, you probably don't want to think about that on your birthday."

Leo was still tongue-tied. "Uh… why- why would you ask me that?"

She flinched. "Pretend I didn't say that."

Well, she'd already said the words, so it was kind of hard to pretend otherwise.

He sat next to her on the bed, still holding MG against his chest. "Kamui?" He rested his free hand on her shoulder, and she let out a little yelp. "Kamui, I'm really confused right now."

She shivered. "I think I'm still kind of tired, so I'm not thinking straight." Perhaps, but children was a topic that they had both avoided, and it needed to be discussed.

Leo took a moment to gather his thoughts. "You asked me what I think about having children," he began.

Kamui was trembling and wouldn't make eye contact with him.

Leo pressed MG into her arms, hoping the kitten could calm her. He swallowed nervously. "Kamui, I… I would be happy to have children with you," he confessed.

She gasped, and Leo worried that he'd overstepped again.

"I don't want you to feel pressured," Leo told her gently. "You asked me what I thought, so I told you. But remember, I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"Do you really mean that?" she whispered.

"Of course. I apologize if I haven't been perfect at it, but I don't want to make you do anything against your will," Leo repeated.

Kamui shook her head. "Not that." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you really mean that you want to have kids with me?"

Leo felt his face grow warm. When she said it like that… "I do. Kamui, I…" I love you. He still couldn't get the words out. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't do it. I'm a coward.

She let out a shaky breath. "I… would like to get to that point eventually, too." She opened her eyes and finally met his gaze. At least she didn't seem repulsed at the prospect of having his children. "Right now, I don't think I'm quite ready for that… I'm sorry—"

Leo pressed a finger to her lips. "Kamui, I'm not ready for that, either. I can barely manage to take care of a cat, let alone a human baby."

She smiled softly. "Leo, I think you'll be a good father someday." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I just know it."

Poor Leo was a jumble of nerves. He'd said he wasn't ready, but when she talked like that… Well, he didn't want to wait. He pulled her close and kissed her passionately. He loved her, needed her, wanted her.

She pressed her hands against his chest. "Leo," she gasped. "Leo, wait."

He froze. What was he doing? He hadn't slipped up this much in weeks. And he realized that they were in a position that was a bit intimate. She was trying to push him off of her, he realized. He pulled away from her warmth and moved a chaste distance from her.

"Kamui… I'm sorry," he said in a hoarse whisper. He squeezed his eyes shut. He was doing it again: he was forcing himself on her, when she didn't want that. No, she'd said that she didn't feel ready right now, but in the future…

Trembling fingers brushed against his cheek. "Leo… I didn't mean to hurt you," Kamui breathed. "Just… can we not right this minute? I thought that's what we agreed on…"

No, she hadn't hurt him. Leo was furious with himself for not having any sort of self-control when it came to her. He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips. He opened his eyes to see hers full of concern. "You've done nothing to hurt me, dear." Her eyes widened; it was probably blatantly obvious how he felt about her now. "I just… I…" He sighed. He had no idea what to say or how to say it.

Kamui bit her lip. "You sure?"

Leo answered without hesitation. "Absolutely. I'm the one who's getting out of control."

She chuckled weakly. "I can't help but feel that I'm totally ruining your birthday, and we haven't even gotten up for the day yet."

Leo laughed quietly. "You ruining my birthday?" He kissed her forehead. "I don't think so."

"If you insist," she murmured.

"I do. Kamui, I…" He bit his lip. Nope, he was not going to confess his love right now. "You're really important to me," was what he ended up saying.

Kamui opened her mouth to respond, but MG chose that moment to start yowling. She turned to the kitten. "Oh, do you want your breakfast, Mr. Grouchypants?" she cooed. She scooped him up in her arms and turned to Leo. "I'm going to get him something to eat."

Leo stretched. "I should probably get up as well."

Kamui ruffled his hair with a grin.

"Hey!" Leo shooed her hand away.

She giggled. "Sorry, it's just your hair is so soft." Leo blushed at that statement. Her grin widened. "And your reaction is too funny!"

"Just get out of here, you goofball," Leo grumbled.

In the end, Leo's birthday wasn't too awful. Leo wasn't too thrilled about being the center of attention, but he was secretly happy that his family cared about him.

For the first time on his birthday, Camilla let him go to bed early. Her reasoning was that since Kamui was leaving for Hoshido in the morning, she would need a good night's sleep. And Camilla couldn't argue with Leo when he insisted on accompanying his wife. Sometimes it was nice to be married.

It was obvious that Camilla had a hand in choosing Kamui's nightgown again. This one was low-cut and periwinkle blue; it had lacy white sleeves that barely clung to her shoulders. Just looking at her got Leo's heart racing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gasped when he swept her up into his arms. She wasn't too heavy for Leo to carry, probably thanks to the physical regime Xander made him keep up with. Leo briefly kissed her lips before setting her down on the bed.

Her eyes were wide with surprise, but she didn't seem upset by any of that. She ran her fingers through his hair. "Did you have a good birthday?" she asked.

Leo lay down next to her and pulled her against him. "It wasn't too unpleasant."

She laughed. "You had fun: admit it."

"Perhaps. I think a kiss goodnight would be nice," Leo hinted.

Kamui grinned. "Just one kiss, dear husband. I do need to get some sleep tonight, you know." She pulled his face down to meet hers. Her kiss was gentle and sweet.

Leo was reminded once again how much he adored this young woman, his wife. He wanted to shower her with affection, to kiss her senseless, but he knew that she needed to rest. With a groan, he broke their kiss.

 He buried his face in her soft hair. "I'm going to really miss you, Kamui," he admitted. He didn't want her to go, but he knew this was important for her. She needed to spend time with her family again.

Kamui pulled him close. "I'll miss you, too, but it will only be for two weeks. And we can write each other." She stroked his hair soothingly. "It will be all right."

"It's not the same," he muttered.

She laughed gently. "Are you that attached to me already?"

Leo gave her a soft squeeze. "Yes," he said, before his brain could remind him that was a bad idea.

Kamui went rigid in his arms. "O-Oh…"

Leo was horribly embarrassed. He sounded way too clingy, especially for someone involved in a politically arranged marriage. But arranged marriage or not, he'd fallen in love with her and didn't want to be parted from her, even if it was only for two weeks.

He loosened his hold on her. "I'll let you get some rest. Goodnight, Kamui."

"Leo… I…"

"I said goodnight." Leo spoke in a harsher tone than he'd intended. He wasn't angry with her; he was just mortified with himself.

"Goodnight, Leo," she whispered.

Leo felt bad ending the day on that note, but he couldn't think of anything sensible to say for damage control.

"Leo?" Leo could barely hear Kamui speak his name.

"Yes?"

"Did I do something to upset you again? If I did, I want to fix it."

"No, Kamui. You've done nothing to upset me. I'm just really tired. I'm sorry for being short with you," Leo said. It wasn't a very good excuse for snapping at her.

"It's okay." Kamui rolled closer to him. Leo's lips tingled when she kissed them.

He sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be getting to sleep?" he murmured.

She caressed his face with her gentle fingers. "I want to make sure you're okay first."

Leo pulled her against him and kissed her again. "It's sweet of you to worry, but I'm fine," he breathed against her. Kissing her was pleasant, and he didn't want to stop. But he knew that she really did need to get some sleep. "Sleep well, my dear."

She pecked his lips again. "Okay. Can you hold me tonight? I'm cold."

"It's the middle of the summer, Kamui. You're going to freeze to death in the winter," Leo replied, but pulled her closer anyway.

"Mm. We'll see…" She relaxed into his embrace. "Thank you, Leo."

"I don't know what you're thanking me for…"

Kamui giggled. "Sh. I'm going to sleep now."

Leo pressed his lips to her cheek. "Goodnight."

This would be their last night together for two weeks, so he relished every moment of it.

Kamui was awakened by a knock at Leo's door at a ridiculously early hour of the morning. She lifted her head from its resting place on Leo's chest. To her surprise, he was still sound asleep.

"Lord Leo? Is Lady Kamui in your room?" That was Felicia's voice.

Kamui sighed. Looked like it was time to get up for the day. "I'm here, Felicia. I'll be there in a moment," she called.

Leo stirred beneath her. He squinted through eyelids heavy with sleep. "Kamui?"

She kissed his cheek before getting up. "I need to get up now. I have a lot to do to prepare for the day."

He sighed and pulled himself up. "I'll get up, too." He still looked completely exhausted.

"You don't have to," Kamui told him. "You need your sleep."

She pushed on his shoulder to keep him in bed, but he ignored her. "I want to see you off," he explained. He took off his nightshirt without warning, and Kamui gasped; she still wasn't entirely comfortable seeing him without a shirt on. Not that he looked bad, but…

"I'm getting dressed, so you might want to leave," Leo hinted.

Kamui didn't need to be told twice. She quickly darted back into her room to give him privacy.

Felicia was waiting for her with a simple maroon Hoshidan dress laid out on the bed. "Good morning, Lady Kamui," she whispered. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything. Did you sleep well?" She wore a knowing smile.

Kamui realized that she was still blushing from Leo starting to strip in front of her. Her blush deepened when she wondered if Felicia thought that they had...

"Yes, I did. I would have liked to sleep in more, but that can't be helped now," was Kamui's hurried answer. She yawned. "Now, please help me change. I have a long journey ahead of me today."

"Absolutely, Lady Kamui," Felicia said brightly. "Oh, is it all right if my sister helps prepare you for the day? I left her in your sitting room, just in case you didn't want her assistance."

"Mm. Her name is Flora, right?" Kamui tried to recall from one of their conversations.

"Yep! She's my slightly older twin sister. And she's an amazing maid." Felicia grinned.

Her happiness was contagious, and Kamui found herself returning the smile. "I'd love to meet your sister. Please, let her in."

It turned out that Flora looked very similar to her twin sister. They shared the same facial features and cool skin, but her hair was light blue, instead of pink. She curtsied politely. "Good morning, Lady Kamui. I am Flora," she introduced herself. She held herself with a confidence that her twin sister was lacking.

Kamui smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Flora. Felicia has told me so much about you."

Flora glanced at Felicia. "Felicia, you haven't been talking your lady's ear off, have you?"

Felicia quailed slightly at the question. "Well…"

Kamui cut in. "Oh, I love listening to Felicia's stories, so it's no bother whatsoever." And it wasn't. Kamui enjoyed the bubbly maid's company and chatter. She returned her attention to Flora. "Flora, would you help me braid my hair? Just something practical for travel will be fine."

"Of course, milady." Flora's fingers were cool, yet gentle against Kamui's scalp. "Do you want one braid or two?"

"Hm. Let's do two," Kamui decided. "I'm sure it will look great, since you're the one braiding it, Flora." She'd never really worn that hairstyle before, but there was always a first.

Flora was quick at her work and quite skilled, as well. "I like it," Kamui decided, as she looked her hairstyle over in the mirror. "You did a wonderful job. Thank you, Flora."

"I'm glad it pleases you, milady."

With both Felicia and Flora helping her prepare, Kamui was ready for the journey in record time. The only mishap was when Felicia got Kamui's hair tangled in the dress, but Flora helped her straighten out that mess. Once everything was ready, Kamui eyed herself in the mirror and straightened out the dress. "Alright, I guess it's time to go, now," she announced.

Kaze and Mozu were to accompany Kamui to Hoshido, and she met them by the stables. Leo beat her there, but she noticed that in his rush, he had put his collar on inside out.

She giggled. "Leo, did you get dressed while you were half asleep this morning?" she teased.

Leo's flustered reaction was definitely worth it. "I… what?!" He strained to check his collar, but without success. "Ugh. I'll fix it once you're gone," he grumbled.

Kamui laughed and kissed his cheek. His face just got redder. "What are you going to do without me for two whole weeks? This is the fourth time I've had to remind you to fix it, and we've only been married a little over a month now."

Leo gave her a dirty look. "Who's counting?"

Kamui grinned. "I am, of course. It's one of my wifely duties to make sure my husband is dressed correctly."

He rolled his eyes. "I survived most of my life without you; I'll manage just fine for two weeks, thank you very much."

Kaze cleared his throat. "Lady Kamui? It would be advisable to get on the road as soon as possible," he reminded her.

Kamui glanced at her retainer. "I'll be there in a moment, Kaze."

She gave Leo one last hug goodbye before she left. She could feel the steady beating of his heart and the warmth of his body. "I am actually going to really miss you," she admitted quietly.

Leo held her tighter for a moment. "Me too," he murmured. "But you already know that." He kissed her briefly on the lips. "Best be on your way now."

"I'll write you when I get there," Kamui promised.

"Kamui, I…" Leo cleared his throat nervously. "Be safe."

"Goodbye, Leo."

Chapter Text

Dear Leo,

Mozu, Kaze, and I arrived safely in Hoshido late last night. Nothing eventful happened on the road, so I don't have much to say about that. My family is doing well. They're a lot better than I expected, to be honest. But I have missed home. I do like Nohr, of course, but it's nice to come home again, you know? How are you doing? I hope all is well in Nohr. Please write me soon!

Yours truly,

Kamui

"What does it say, Lord Leo?" Niles was hanging over Leo's shoulder, trying to get a peak at the letter from Kamui.

Leo carefully folded the letter and put it in his pocket. "She arrived safely in Hoshido and is glad to be home," was his response.

Niles's grin grew. "Anything else?"

"That's none of your business, Niles," Leo retorted. There wasn't anything that Niles would find interesting, but Leo still didn't want to share everything about his wife's letter with his nosy retainer.

"Hm. You should tell her how much you miss her, how your bed was cold last night without her to warm it…" Niles began.

"Niles, stop it," Leo snapped. Perhaps those things were somewhat true, but he couldn't just put it down in writing for her; Kamui would think he couldn't handle being away from her for a day, which was a ridiculous notion. And if he wrote about how he missed sleeping next to her, he'd just scare her again. And that was the last thing Leo wanted.

Niles seemed to know what Leo was thinking. "Well, am I wrong?" he said with his usual smirk.

Leo tried to pretend he didn't hear that comment. Just as an excuse to get Niles out of the room, Leo decided to order Niles to get more paper, even though he had sufficient materials. "Niles, please get me a pen and paper. I'll need to post my reply before training with Xander this morning."

"Would you like my help with writing the letter, Lord Leo?"

"Absolutely not. I am perfectly capable of writing a letter to my wife by myself," Leo replied. "Just go get the materials."

"As you wish, milord."

Niles returned to Leo's room with the paper and pen, along with Camilla. Leo's sister looked much too excited about his correspondence with Kamui. She plopped down on Leo's bed without permission.

"Leo, darling, how is our sweet Kamui doing? Niles said you wouldn't tell him everything, but I must know." She gave Leo her signature pout.

Leo turned to his blank piece of paper. "She's fine. She arrived safely, and she's happy to be home. That's all it said."

"Well, can I read it anyway?" Camilla begged. "I do miss our Kamui so."

Niles snatched the letter out of Leo's pocket and passed it to his wife. Leo grabbed for it, but could not stop Camilla from reading Kamui's letter. Camilla read it quietly with a sly smile. "Aw, her family is doing well. You forgot to mention that part, Little Brother."

"It isn't that important to make note of."

"Of course it is! Kamui went home because her sister wasn't well, after all." Kamui had told Leo's siblings about her reason for going home so suddenly, but it still wasn't common knowledge.

Camilla went on about details from the last few days to include in the letter to Kamui.

"Camilla, why don't you write a letter to Kamui yourself and tell her these things?" Leo cut in. "I'll write mine, and you can write yours. Now will both of you leave my room?"

Camilla tittered, but stood to go. "Goodness, I hope you don't speak to Kamui like that," she commented.

Leo glared at her. "Of course not. She doesn't do anything to deserve it."

"Just don't write her a boring essay, milord," Niles added. "You'll put her to sleep."

Leo pointed to the door. "Out!"

To his relief, both of his unwanted guests left him in peace. Leo was secretly eager to write to his wife, but he didn't want anyone else to know that. He had to remind himself to not write about how much he was in love with her. That would only upset her, after all.

Dear Kamui,

I am glad to hear that you arrived in Hoshido safely and that your family is well. Thank you for taking the time to write me; I'm sure you have plenty to do now that you're with your family again.

You are missed here in Nohr. (Possibly because I no longer have an excuse to stay in my room for long periods of time. I jest, of course.) It's different not having you around; I've gotten used to your presence.

Camilla is planning our family's annual summer trip to the beach, so I figured I should warn you ahead of time. Although, I'm sure you'll be perfectly happy going to the beach. (I personally despise going to the ocean, but there's no point in fighting it at this point.) Anyway, the plan is to spend the last week of July at the Southern Isles. If you don't already have a swimsuit, I'm sure my sisters will be more than happy to help you find one.

MG is doing well. He still sleeps a lot, so he's been easy to take care of. I would still like to choose a more appropriate name for our cat. The one you forced on him is simply unacceptable. Perhaps your siblings can help you think of a suitable name. You have already rejected any suggestions that I had, so I will not bother listing any. I will admit that I am slightly concerned about your choice of names in the future. But we can discuss that in more detail when that time comes.

Anyway, I have rambled long enough about things around here. I'll spare you any more details about our pretty dull castle life. Aside from what I have mentioned, things are the same as they usually are, except that you're not here, obviously. I suppose we'll have to cope with your absence somehow.

Take care, Kamui, and I'll see you again in a couple of weeks.

-Leo

Kamui received Leo's letter a few days after her arrival in Hoshido. This letter was much longer than the other ones he had sent while they were still engaged. But they knew each other better now, so there was more to write about. And he hadn't outright said that he missed her, but Camilla had written about how much Leo was "moping" after she'd left. Camilla was probably exaggerating, but Kamui liked to think that her husband missed her. She knew she missed him. Well, he did tell me that he'd miss me before I left, she reminded herself.

Hinoka's voice broke her musings. "So what's the good news?"

Kamui looked up at her sister and fumbled with the letter in her hands. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Hinoka smirked. "You haven't been very good at hiding that smile ever since you opened his letter."

Kamui felt heat rush to her face and she glanced away sheepishly. "Well, it's nice to hear from him," she mumbled.

The Hoshidan sisters were relaxing in the sunny garden while Kamui read her letters. Orochi had been quiet the whole time, but she perked up when Kamui opened Leo's letter.

"So spill the details," Orochi said. "Tell us what has been going on between you and your new husband." Her grin widened. "I can tell that things have changed between you two."

Kamui let out a little squeak. Is it that obvious?

"You do seem a lot happier," Sakura noted. "I'm glad Lord Leo is treating you well."

"So, any kids on the way yet?" Hinoka asked with a grin.

"H-Hinoka! We've only been married a little over a month!" Kamui protested. And besides, we haven't… well, not yet, anyway...

Orochi's face fell a little at the mention of children, but then her usual cheerful demeanor returned. "A month is plenty of time for you to get pregnant."

Kamui tried to hide her blush behind her hands. "Can we please talk about something else?" she moaned.

"Well, if I'm not having a baby soon, I'd still like to have a niece or nephew," Orochi commented. Some of the sadness leaked into her voice again.

"Orochi…" Kamui pulled her sister-in-law into a hug. "You'll have another chance soon. And this time, it will work out."

"Oh, I know all about that," Orochi said loftily. "After all, they don't call me a diviner for nothing… But I still want a niece or nephew." She was not going to let the matter drop.

Kamui pulled back. "Hinoka's been married longer than I have. Talk to her about that."

"Oh, believe me, she does," Hinoka scoffed.

Orochi pouted. "But don't you agree that Kamui and Leo would have really adorable babies? They'd probably be fair-haired and…"

Kamui covered her ears. "That's enough, Orochi!"

Orochi let out a full laugh at that. "Okay, I'll keep my fortunes about your children to myself for now. Besides, it will be more exciting if you don't know what's coming."

Kamui really didn't want to know how much Orochi actually knew about that; it was a bit unnerving.

Sakura spoke up then. "M-Maybe we should talk about something else," she suggested. "Such as…" She glanced around, thinking of a topic. "Any plans for the summer?" The question was mostly directed towards Kamui; the Hoshidan princesses already knew what each other's plans were.

Kamui remembered the vacation Leo had mentioned in his letter. "Oh, nothing much, except Leo's family is planning a vacation to the beach later this month."

From there, the conversation moved on to talk of the beach and such things. It was a more pleasant topic for Kamui, but she was still a little rattled by the conversation about children. Just because we're married doesn't mean that we'll have a child immediately. We need more time to get to that point. She just wished everyone would leave the subject alone for now.

Kamui was not surprised when Takumi dragged her into his study for an entire afternoon to discuss the political relations between Nohr and Hoshido. This seems like something Leo would do, she thought fondly. Takumi was still antagonistic towards Nohr, but Kamui felt like he and Leo could become good friends. If only they'd give it a chance…

"You know, maybe this alliance is actually a good thing," Takumi commented, bringing Kamui out of her thoughts.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Kamui tried to pretend that she had been paying close attention the entire time.

"Your marriage with Prince Leo. I still don't like the guy, and I don't like that you're living in Nohr now, but it seems to have helped improve our relations with Nohr," Takumi admitted.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that it's a good thing I married Leo? You were so angry when it was first announced…"

Takumi crossed his arms and scowled. "Don't read too much into it. There might be some good that has come from it. That's all I'm saying."

Kamui smiled at that. "Well, that's a relief. I thought you'd hate me forever and brand me a traitor for marrying a Nohrian."

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Not forever. You're still my sister, so we've got to stick together, you know?"

"Thanks, Takumi… and just for the record, not all Nohrians are bad," Kamui replied.

"Of course you'd say that, Kamui… I've heard how smitten you are with that Nohrian husband of yours," Takumi teased.

Kamui blushed. "Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, I have my ways," Takumi answered vaguely.

Kamui rested her elbows on the table. "Hinoka or Orochi said that, didn't they?"

"Yeah, no. I'm not telling you."

"Oh, I'm sure they did. They've been pestering me about Leo ever since I got here."

Takumi leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on the table. "Of course they are. He's the whole reason you're in Nohr in the first place."

"Takumi, we got married for political reasons," Kamui reminded him. "To help strengthen Hoshido's relationship with Nohr."

Her brother shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

"Takumi, are you still upset about that?" Kamui asked hesitantly. He'd still been displeased about the marriage alliance at the wedding. And he'd only written her twice the whole time she'd been gone.

Takumi sighed. "Stop looking like a wounded puppy. I'm not mad at you; I know you're doing this for Hoshido."

"But…?"

Takumi looked away and was quiet for a moment. "You deserve more than this," he muttered.

Kamui cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Takumi returned his gaze to meet hers. "You shouldn't have gotten married just for political reasons. It's not fair. I don't want you to sacrifice your happiness for peace with Nohr." His lips pressed into a thin line. "We should have found a different way to do this."

"Takumi…" Kamui took a deep breath. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. And you may not believe it, but I am happy with my life right now. I do miss home, but Nohr isn't so bad. It has its own sort of beauty, and there are a lot of good people in Nohr."

Takumi's expression softened slightly at her words. "Maybe, but you didn't marry for love, and I know that was one of your dreams," he reminded her bluntly.

Kamui bit her lip and looked away. It was a little sad to think about her dreams of falling in love and marrying the love of her life. She and Leo had definitely not married for love, which was obvious by their awkward interactions with each other, but they didn't hate each other. And Kamui had grown to like him during their time together.

"I'm sorry. That was probably too harsh," Takumi said, interrupting her musings again.

Kamui jumped in her seat. "Oh, don't worry about that, Takumi… Like I said, I'm fine. You probably won't believe this, but Leo is actually a good husband for me. He's kind and smart and thoughtful and…" She felt herself start to blush again.

"Okay, I get the picture," Takumi cut her off. "I'm sure he's just wonderful."

Kamui frowned slightly. "You should get to know him better. I think you'd be good friends," she told him.

Takumi waved that suggestion away. "I'll pass on that, thanks… But I'm glad that at least you like him."

Kamui suddenly felt too warm and couldn't keep her eyes focused on anything in the room. "I didn't say that I liked him," she mumbled.

"Oh, please. You don't have to say it; it's written all over your face," Takumi scoffed.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked quietly.

"No," Takumi answered quickly. "Just because I don't like him, doesn't mean that you shouldn't like him. You are married to him now, so… it's good that you get along." Takumi shrugged. He seemed to have difficulty admitting anything positive about Leo or Nohr.

"Do you really mean that, Takumi? Or are you just saying what you think I'd want to hear?"

Takumi snorted. "You know I always speak my mind."

Kamui looked at him and smiled. "So you really think that this is okay?" She'd be elated if her brother would be more accepting of her marriage and new life.

"Eh. There're worse things that could happen. It's better than having a full-out war with Nohr. And if you're happy… I guess I can't complain too much."

Kamui got up and threw her arms around her brother. "Oh, thank you, Takumi. That makes me so happy to hear that."

Takumi squirmed out of her embrace. "Yeah, whatever. You don't need to hug me, though."

She giggled. "Yes, I do. You're my little brother, so of course I need to hug you." She ignored his protests and hugged him tightly again. "I love you sooo much, Takumi."

He sighed and patted her arm. "I love you, too, Sister."

Kamui released him after a moment and grinned. "So, enough about my life… Tell me all about your life, especially your love life."

"Seriously?! I don't want to talk about that with my sister," Takumi complained. "And it's not your business."

Kamui pouted. "Aw, I'm just asking because I care, Takumi." Her grin was back. "Now tell me all about her. I bet she's beautiful!"

Takumi stood and pushed her towards the door. "And that is your cue to leave, dear sister. You might be here on vacation, but I have work that I need to do."

"I'll make you tell me later," Kamui grumbled as she left the room.

Dear Leo,

I was so happy to receive your letter! I've only been gone for a few days, but it's so good to hear from you! There was so much that I wanted to tell you, but now that I sit down to write, none of it comes to mind. Oh, well. It wasn't all that important, I suppose.

Ah, now that I reread your letter, there are several things I need to tell you. First, I like Mr. Grouchypants's name, but if you really hate it, I suppose we can change his name. I don't want to, though! Make sure to give him lots of cuddles for me! I miss our sweet kitty. And I miss you, too!

The vacation to the beach sounds lovely. I'm excited to go! I love visiting the ocean—it's so beautiful! Even if it's not your favorite thing in the world, I'm sure we can still have an enjoyable time. I already have a swimsuit, but I have a sneaky feeling that your sisters will still insist on getting me a new one. I'm sure it will be cute, though! You probably don't care much about that, come to think of it, but I think it would be fun.

Oh, I just remembered what I wanted to tell you. I think you and my brother Takumi would get along really well if you both just gave it a chance. So I know you're probably against it, but please try to befriend him. For me, please? You'd be my favorite husband if you did! (Well, you're my only husband, but still…)

Well, I can't think of anything else to write, so I'll finish up here. I hope you're doing well.

-Kamui

Leo leaned back against his headboard and sighed. It had been about a week since Kamui had left for Hoshido; she'd be home in a little over a week now, not that he was counting the days or anything.

Leo jolted a little at the thought that Nohr was Kamui's home now. He didn't know how she felt about it, but it would make him happy if she could regard Nohr as a home for her, even though she hadn't been raised here. She seemed to be adjusting okay, but he worried that she didn't feel the same way.

Well, she says that she misses the cat… and me. But Kamui probably missed Leo as a friend, not as a lover. As much as Leo would like her to reciprocate his growing romantic feelings, he shouldn't expect it of her or get his hopes up.

Leo had been kept busy during the days during Kamui's absence, but Niles was right to a degree; Leo had gotten used to Kamui's comforting warmth and bright smile, and nights were when he missed her the most. Those few nights she had slept in his bed had been nice, and Leo hoped Kamui would consent to continue sharing a bed after her return. And perhaps they could start to take things farther between them…

What am I thinking? I shouldn't be fantasizing about her like this.

Leo shook his head to clear his thoughts and got off of his bed. He placed Kamui's letter in his desk, not wanting to leave it out as a temptation for his nosy sisters and retainer. Leo was all too much aware that those three would jump at the chance to read Kamui's personal letters to him. And this one had more things he'd like to keep private, so there would be major consequences if they got their hands on this letter.

It was the next day when Leo wished he'd safeguarded Kamui's letter with some hexes. He should have known something was up at dinner that evening from the way Camilla and Elise kept exchanging those mischievous looks.

Camilla was the one to bring up the subject of Leo's wife. "So… how is Kamui doing, Brother?" she asked as they were settling in for dinner.

"She is well, thank you," Leo said.

"So you named your cat 'Mr. Grouchypants', huh?" Elise blurted out.

Leo nearly choked on his bite of stew. "Wh-What… What are you talking about?" he gasped. How does Elise know about that? Kamui promised to keep it a secret between the two of us. Wait… oh, no. The letter. Kamui wrote the kitten's name in her letter to me. Darn, Elise probably got her hands on the letter somehow.

Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Elise, have you been going through my personal things again?"

Elise burst into a fit of giggles. "Why would you accuse me of doing something like that? I'm not interested in your boring junk." Her grin widened. "Except for a letter from a certain someone, perhaps," she hinted.

Leo tossed his spoon on the table. "Elise! How many times have I told you to not go through my stuff!" he snapped. "You snuck in my room and read Kamui's letter to me, didn't you?" He should have expected this immature behavior from his little sister, but that didn't mean he was pleased about it.

Camilla covered her own laugh. "Oh my, were we not supposed to look at that?"

Leo turned his glare on her now. "Do I have to answer such an idiotic question?"

Xander cleared his throat in warning. "Camilla, Elise…"

Camilla giggled. "Sorry, Leo, but we think it's so sweet. And Kamui's letter was a bit flirty, if I do say so myself," she teased.

Leo felt himself start to blush. Flirty? Had they read the same letter?

Niles joined the chaos now. "Yes, the letter was a bit… steamy," he said with his smirk.

Steamy? Flirty? What are they going on about?

Leo slapped his hand on the table. "I don't know what you two are going on about, but I assure you it was a cordial letter, a private letter," he emphasized.

Xander raised his voice. "Leo, calm yourself. And Sisters, you know better than to go through other people's private things," he chastised his younger siblings. "This bickering at the dinner table is unbecoming of royals."

Leo inhaled deeply. Xander was right; even though he was upset about the invasion of his privacy, his sisters had most likely done it to see his reaction, and here he was, giving them quite a spectacle. "Apologizes," he murmured.

Camilla was the first to apologize to him. "No, we're sorry, Leo. Amusing as it was, we shouldn't have gone through your personal items without permission." She laughed lightly. "But did you really not pick up on Kamui flirting with you in the letter?"

Leo felt his face turn red and he glanced down at his plate. "That's not your concern," he muttered darkly.

"On the contrary, I think it is," Camilla countered. "But we can talk about that after dinner."

It is not your business, Leo thought, but held his tongue. Actually he remained silent through the rest of dinner.

True to her word though, Camilla pulled him aside after dinner. "Leo, could you really not tell that Kamui was trying to flirt with you?" she began.

Leo turned to go. "We're not having this discussion," he grumbled.

"Oh, yes, we are. If not for your sake, then at least for your poor wife's sake. You'll only hurt her feelings if you can't recognize the cues she's giving you," Camilla lectured. "Tell me that you're at least curious about it."

Leo felt a mix of anger and embarrassment. Anger at his sister for invading his privacy, and embarrassment that he really didn't know what Camilla was talking about. If Kamui was flirting with him in her letter, then did that mean that she had some interest in him?

He sighed. "Fine, just tell me what you know."

Camilla smirked. "First, let's go get that letter from your desk. We were good and returned it after we were done with it."

Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes at his sisters' immaturity. He silently led the way back to his bedroom and retrieved Kamui's most recent letter.

Camilla snatched it out of his hand and quickly skimmed it over. "Alright, Leo. I'd say that this line is definitely a bit flirty when she asks you to be friends with her brother: 'You'd be my favorite husband if you did!' Isn't that cute?"

Leo frowned. "And how is that flirting?"

Camilla laughed and ruffled his hair. "Because I say so! I do have more experience with these things than you do. I'd say whenever she mentions her relationship with you positively or in a teasing way, that she's flirting with you, dear brother. Now, do you have any other questions? Let me help you come up with a suitable response for—"

Leo swatted her hands away. "No, that won't be necessary. I already told you to write your own letters to Kamui; you aren't going to write my letters for me."

Camilla pouted. "If you insist." She shook her head playfully. "My, my. When did my baby brother grow up on me?"

This time Leo did roll his eyes. "Yes, thank you for your insightful input. Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like some alone time, so you can leave now."

"Aw, you said 'thank you'!" Camilla cooed before leaving. "I must say, I think Kamui's kindness is rubbing off on you." She planted a big kiss on his cheek. "Good night, my little brother. Sweet dreams!"

Leo wiped the slobbery kiss off as soon as she left his room. He loved his sister, but he did not need the remains of such a wet kiss on his cheek.

Leo tried reading before going to bed, but he kept finding himself distracted by thoughts of Kamui. He could deny it all he wanted (and he had tried to), but his heart still yearned for his wife each night. He wondered what she was doing right now. Was she thinking of him? No, she was probably busy with her family, too occupied to think of him. But oh, how he missed her!

Leo was mortified when he found himself at his desk, writing a letter to Kamui—a love letter, of all things!—which he would never, ever send. But writing out his thoughts was something that had always helped him, so he assumed it would now.

My dearest Kamui,

I wish you were here right now. Ever since you left, you've been the only thing on my mind. Perhaps we didn't marry for love, but I think I have come to love you in the short time we've been married. You are so beautiful and compassionate. Your kindness seems to know no bounds, and I have much to learn from your example. I know you will probably never see me as anything more than a friend, but—

He paused and reread what he wrote. Ugh, this sounds like complete rubbish, he thought. Well, I'll just finish up my thoughts and hide this away. He'd have to make sure not to put it in his desk; perhaps under the mattress would work? Perhaps he could come back and write more later if he was so inclined. No, he should probably just destroy this sorry excuse for a love letter (which he was not going to send). Normally he didn't destroy anything he wrote, in case it could prove useful later, but there was no future use for this letter other than humiliation and shame.

Leo crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and cast the fire spell on it. Since it was his own magic, the flames didn't burn his fingers. Once the paper was charred beyond readability, he negated the spell and threw the remains in the wastebasket.

Out of curiosity, MG went over and sniffed the burnt paper. The kitten mewed when Leo picked him up.

"No, you are not going to play with the trash," Leo muttered. He sighed. Taking care of a kitten was a lot more work than he'd signed up for. And since Kamui was away, MG was Leo's responsibility. He just wished the cat wouldn't wander around his bedroom for half of the night. There wasn't much he could do about it, though.

After Leo placed MG back in his basket, he crawled back into his bed and blew out the single candle on the nightstand. It took some time to fall asleep, but Leo eventually drifted off to dreamland. He wouldn't remember his dreams in the morning, but he was pretty sure that Kamui was in some of them.

Kamui's last week in Hoshido was warm and sunny. She spent as much time as she could with her friends and family, and time just seemed to fly by. Before she knew it, it was almost time for her to go back to Nohr. She would miss her loved ones in Hoshido, but she was excited to be reunited with her new friends and family in Nohr.

Her mother invited her on a walk through the flower gardens the day before she left. It would be one of the last times they'd have as just the two of them for a while.

"Mother, I hope next time I come home, that Leo can come with me," Kamui remarked as they strolled by the rose bushes. This is where Leo and I had our first kiss, she realized. The memory was a little embarrassing, but also sweet.

Mikoto smiled at her daughter. "Yes, that would be lovely," she said.

Kamui giggled. "Mother, do you remember how I told you that Leo and I practiced kissing before the wedding?"

Mikoto laughed gently. "Yes, I remember you telling me about that."

"Well, that was here," Kamui recalled. "I'd fallen asleep in the gardens, and Leo happened to find me here. And, well…" She shrugged. "I asked him to kiss me."

"Ah, yes. I remember you were worried at the time," Mikoto said fondly. "Maybe it's embarrassing for you, but I think it's very cute."

Kamui blushed. "Right. Well, we've gotten better, I think. At kissing, that is." She was embarrassed that she'd admitted such a thing, but her mother just smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that, sweetheart," Mikoto said. "You deserve all the happiness in the world, and perhaps I'm bold to say this, but it seems to me that being with Leo makes you happy."

Kamui looked down at the dirt between her toes and smiled shyly. "Well, yes. I am happy with him," she said softly. "I'd like to think that we've become friends now." She glanced up at her mother. "Mother, is it wrong to feel this way?"

Mikoto tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Kamui took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can really explain this, but what if I actually like Leo, maybe just a little bit. I know it's an arranged marriage, so is it weird that I actually like who I married?" She tried to hide her blush. "I don't know if that made any sense, but…"

She trailed off when her mother took Kamui's hands in hers. "Kamui, it isn't wrong to be happy," she said gently. "The point of an arranged marriage is not to make you miserable. And even if you didn't get to choose your husband like in one of those romances you've read, that doesn't mean that you can't fall in love with him."

Kamui froze. Her heart was pounding, and thoughts were racing through her mind. Me? Fall in love? With Leo? That's…

Mikoto tucked Kamui's hair behind her ear. "My dear child, it is okay that you like Leo."

"M-Mother, I don't know if I l-love him," Kamui stuttered.

"But you are fond of him?"

Kamui nodded. To her surprise, her eyes filled with tears. "I like him, but I don't know if I love him," she managed to say. "Is it bad if I don't fall in love with him?"

Her mother just chuckled. "I think you're worrying about the wrong things, dear. Relationships take time to develop, and they can grow in ways we don't expect. 'Falling in love' with Leo isn't necessarily your goal here. Just be happy and see where things go with time. Take it one day at a time. I'm just saying that if you reach that point, it's a good thing. And it's perfectly fine, too, if you don't come to love him in a romantic way." She gave Kamui's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "For what it's worth, I think you don't need to worry about developing feelings for Leo." The queen smiled. "I can tell just by talking to you that things have changed from the time you two first met."

"Orochi said almost the same thing," Kamui noted. She wiped away a few stray tears. "I'm sorry for being an emotional mess. We're supposed to have some mother-daughter time, and here I am, crying." She sniffled.

Mikoto pulled her daughter into a tender embrace. "Kamui, you have nothing to apologize for. Thank you for opening up to me. I know this situation is a bit hard, but you're doing a wonderful job at adjusting."

Kamui rested her head on her mother's shoulder and smiled. "You know, I'm actually looking forward to going home," she said. Wait, did I just refer to Nohr as my 'home'? "Well, that is, Hoshido is my home, but…"

"Kamui, you can have more than one home. Hoshido will always be a home for you, but you should feel free to consider Nohr a home for you now, too. After all, that's where your husband is, and he is your family now." Her mother pressed a kiss to Kamui's forehead. "Do not worry. Everything will work out," she promised.

Kamui held her mother tighter. "Thank you, Mother," she mumbled. "I am really going to miss you when I leave again."

"Well, come back again soon, and next time bring your husband along with you. I can tell that you've missed him," her mother teased.

Kamui pulled away in shock. "M-Mother!" she gasped.

Mikoto just chuckled. "Don't try to deny it. And yes, it is a bit obvious, but that's because I'm your mother." She nudged Kamui back towards the castle. "Now, go get cleaned up for dinner. We need to eat early so that you're well rested for your journey tomorrow."

Mother and daughter continued to chat as they returned to the castle in preparations for Kamui's last evening in Hoshido. In her heart, Kamui knew that her mother was right; she was excited to return to her new home in Nohr, where she hoped a certain prince was waiting for her.

Chapter Text

The return trip to Nohr seemed to drag on forever for Kamui. She left early in the morning by carriage so she could get back home by nightfall, but it was still such a long day. She slept some in the carriage, but she mostly thought about her time with her family. Her discussion with her mother last night was at the forefront of her thoughts.

Mother said it’s okay that I like Leo, but I still don’t really know what it all means. I do want to come to the point where I can say that I love him, but I don’t even know if I’d realize it when—if—that happens.

Kamui sighed. All she knew at this point was that she liked Leo—as a friend, at least—and that she’d missed him more than she thought she would during her time in Hoshido. She missed his witty remarks and the smiles she could tease out of him. She’d actually been a little lonely at night since she’d gotten more used to sleeping in Leo’s bed with him. Hopefully he’d be okay with it if she had another sleepover tonight. She couldn’t recall how many nights they’d shared a bed, but it was at least three.

I don’t see why he’d have any problems with it tonight…

Kamui was relieved when they finally arrived at Castle Krakenburg. Night had fallen a few hours ago, but the castle was still alight with activity. Kamui knew that Nohr was much different than Hoshido, but it felt good to be back.

There were three people there to greet her: Azura, Elise, and Leo.

Elise was the first one to get to Kamui. She gave Kamui a huge hug and twirled around her. "Big Sister! I've missed you sooo much!" she squealed.

Kamui laughed. "Elise! It's so good to see you again!" She’d missed the bubbly girl during her time away.

Azura gave her a gentle hug. "Welcome, back, Kamui."

Kamui sighed. "It's good to be back."

She turned her attention to Leo. Her pulse quickened, and she felt herself start to blush. She'd really missed him, more than she'd expected. She'd anticipated this moment for days now, but now that it was here, she was suddenly very shy.

Elise was pushing Leo towards her. "Leo, go give you wife a hug. You haven't seen her in weeks." It kind of reminded Kamui of when they'd first met. They'd both been really shy then, too.

Leo didn’t seem inclined to initiate anything, so Kamui let go of her cousin and just ran into his arms. “Leo!” she squealed.

Leo caught her and held her tightly. "Kamui," he breathed.

The bought of shyness dissipated when he held her. It just felt right. She was with him again, in his warm embrace and steady arms. She felt like she belonged here.

"I really, really missed you!" She was embarrassed when her voice trembled with emotion.

"We should probably give them some privacy," she heard Azura say to Elise.

Leo ran his fingers through Kamui's hair, and Kamui relished his gentle touch. "I'm glad you're back safe," he murmured.

"I'm glad to be back. I've missed home."

Leo loosened his grip on her and gazed into her eyes. "Home?"

Kamui nodded. "Yes, Nohr is home for me now." She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. "My home with you."

She felt Leo's heart beat faster, and he took a deep breath. "With me?" he repeated.

“Well, yes. We’re a family now, aren’t we?” she replied. “It’s you, me, and MG.”

Leo sighed. “About MG…” he began.

Kamui didn’t like the tone of his voice. She pulled back and looked up into his face. “What happened?” she asked. “Is MG okay?” It would break her heart if something bad had happened to the kitten while she was away.

“Oh, MG’s fine,” Leo assured her. “It’s just…” He glanced around them. “How about we talk in the privacy of my room?” he suggested.

Kamui followed his gaze and was made aware of the servants that were probably eavesdropping. “Oh, right. That might be a good idea,” she agreed. “But MG is okay, right?” She just wanted to make sure.

“Yes, he’s perfectly fine,” Leo told her once again. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to sink his claws into you.”

Kamui nudged him playfully. “Gee, thanks. That’s just how I want my cat to greet me. Do you think he remembers me?”

Leo took her hand and shrugged. “I don’t know. Cats don’t have the greatest memory when they’re kittens—they’re sort of like babies.”

Kamui felt heat rise to her face at the mention of babies. It reminded her of the conversation with her sisters about having children.

“But I’m sure you’ll connect with him quickly enough,” Leo continued as he led her through the castle corridors. “You just have a way of attracting pretty much everyone to yourself.”

“Oh, thanks,” Kamui said, not sure how to reply to that. “You meant that as a compliment, right?” Knowing Leo, it was probably both a compliment and an insult.

“Of course I did,” Leo replied easily. “I don’t say things that I don’t mean.”

Kamui covered a yawn with her free hand.

Leo noticed, of course. “Tired? Or are you already bored in my presence?”

“I’m just sleepy, Leo. You don’t bore me,” Kamui told him. He was probably joking, but she didn’t want him to think that she considered him boring. He put up a tough front, but she could see that he was sensitive under the surface. She found it endearing really.

“Well, that’s a relief to hear,” Leo remarked.

When they got to his room, he held the door open for her. “After you.”

Kamui went in and flopped on his bed. She was just so exhausted after traveling all day, and his mattress felt so comfortable.

“You know, before you go to sleep, you really should change into some pajamas,” Leo commented after he shut the door. “If you’re sleeping here tonight, I don’t want you wearing your dirty clothes to bed.”

Kamui picked up on how he was giving her the option of spending the night with him again. “I’ll sleep here, if that’s okay with you,” she mumbled. Her stomach growled audibly, and she groaned.

“Hungry?” Leo noted.

Kamui put a hand on her stomach. “Yeah, but I’ll eat in the morning. I just want to sleep.”

“If you’re sure,” Leo remarked. After a few moments of silence, he said, “Do you want me to get your nightgown or whatever? It looks like you’re about to pass out on top of the blankets.”

“Do you know where to find one?” Kamui mumbled sleepily.

“It shouldn’t be too hard to find some clean pajamas, right? I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Kamui listened to him open the door to her room and walk in. There was some rustling as Leo went through her dresser.

“Oh, uh, do you need a change of, uh, underclothing, too?” Leo called out from the other room. “You’d best get that yourself because I—”

Kamui jumped up from the bed and hurried into her room, face burning with embarrassment. She was tired, but she was still awake enough to be mortified that Leo had seen her underwear drawer!

“I’ll handle it,” she told him quickly, closing the drawer.

She noticed that Leo hadn’t found her nightgown yet.

“I’ll just change in here, and then I’ll come back,” she told him, pushing him towards the door.

Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem. Right, I’ll just give you some privacy, then. I’ll change while you’re at it.”

Kamui quickly changed from her traveling clothes to a soft white nightgown. She knocked on Leo’s door. “I’m ready.”

“Okay, just give me a moment!” Leo called through the door.

About thirty seconds later, he opened the door and let her back in. He was also dressed in his sleepwear.

Kamui was about to go back to the bed when she noticed a ball of gray fur in a box. She practically squealed when she saw their sleeping kitten curled up in the box. She hurried over and gently stroked his back.

“Oh, MG,” she whispered. “Did you miss me while I was gone?”

The kitten didn’t open his eyes, but one of his ears twitched at the sound of her voice.

“I think he’s gotten bigger since I last saw him,” Kamui commented softly to Leo.

Leo’s comment about their kitty from earlier came to the forefront of her mind. “What were you going to tell me about MG earlier?” she asked.

Leo came and stood beside her. “Yes, that. Do you recall how you wrote his full name in your letter to me last week?”

Kamui nodded.

“Well, my lovely sisters went through my things without permission and got a hold of your letter,” he continued. “Of course they were thrilled when they read that you’d named the cat Mr. Grouchypants.”

Kamui stifled a giggle, so as to not wake the kitten. “Oh, that’s so funny,” she whispered. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Leo sighed. “Of course you’d think it’s funny,” he grumbled.

“Careful, dear husband. You’re starting to act like a Mr. Grouchypants yourself,” Kamui teased.

“Well, at least you’re happy about it,” Leo commented. Kamui could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

Kamui turned her attention to him. “So is that it? Your family found out that his name is Mr. Grouchypants? There’s nothing wrong with him, then?”

Leo shook his head. “As far as I can tell, he’s perfectly healthy.”

“That’s a relief, then,” Kamui remarked as she stood up again. “Now, I think I’d like to go to sleep now. I’ve had a long day.” She ran her fingers along the comforter shyly. “Would you like to join me?”

“Uh, yes,” Leo stuttered. “You can get in first, and I’ll turn out the lights.”

Kamui got under the covers on her side of the bed and sighed. “I really missed this,” she mumbled.

Leo was quiet for a few second before he asked, “Missed what, exactly?”

“Your bed,” she murmured as she tried to get to sleep. “It’s very comfortable.”

Leo got in the bed beside her and pulled the covers over her more fully.

Kamui relaxed at his attentive touch. “And I missed sleeping with you,” she continued softly, not realizing the implied meaning of her words.

She felt Leo stroke her hair gently. “I missed you, too,” he murmured. “Life’s just not the same without you now.”

“Good night, Leo,” she breathed, already mostly asleep.

Leo pulled her closer, and Kamui heard him say, “Sleep well, Kamui,” before she drifted off to a deep sleep.

Kamui woke up feeling refreshed the next morning. She stretched as she came to. Leo wasn’t in the bed anymore, and she was a little disappointed about that. She knew that he had things to do, and she’d probably overslept again, so she wasn’t shocked he was gone.

She sat up and covered a yawn, pushing her curly hair out of her face.

The first order of business today was to get some breakfast, and then Kamui would figure out what to do after that. She didn’t have anything scheduled for today, so she figured she’d just relax and readjust to Nohrian life again.

At least, that was her plan until she noticed a gray tabby cat sitting at the foot of the bed. The kitten stared at her with wide golden eyes.

“MG!” Kamui squealed, rushing over to pet the kitty. “Oh, how are you doing, Mr. Grouchypants? Are you happy to see me?” she cooed. “Because I’m happy to see you.”

MG came closer to Kamui, and she giggled as the kitten’s whiskers tickled her hand.

“Did Leo take good care of you?” Kamui continued talking to the cat. “Is Leo a good daddy?”

She practically squealed when the kitten gave a little mew.

“Aw, he is!” she gasped as if he’d responded to her questions. “Leo’s a good daddy? That’s wonderful!”

Kamui froze when she heard Leo clear his throat. She looked up to see him standing in the doorway, just watching her with a smirk.

“It seems like I caught you at a bad time,” he commented.

Kamui blushed. “How much did you hear?” she asked quietly.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Apparently you and Camilla both think that I am the father of a cat,” he remarked as he came over to the bed. “I’ll have you know that it is biologically impossible for me to father a cat.”

“Well, you’re his adoptive father,” Kamui insisted, embarrassed that Leo had caught her babbling such nonsense to their kitty. “And I’m his mommy,” she added as she picked the kitten up and cradled him against her bosom.

“Well, I just came to check on you, since no one has seen you all day,” Leo informed her, getting back to business.

Kamui frowned as she looked at him. It didn’t seem like he was teasing her. “All day? What time is it?”

“It’s after lunchtime, I’ll have you know,” Leo told her.

“You’re joking!” Kamui exclaimed.

Leo shook his head. “No, I’m not. It’s a good thing I could tell everyone that I’d seen you this morning, or else I’m pretty sure my sisters would have knocked down my bedroom door by now.”

“Oh. Sorry to inconvenience you, then,” Kamui said, all earlier mirth gone.

“I’m not inconvenienced, Kamui,” Leo told her. “Although I am grateful my sisters didn’t come barging in here again.”

Kamui grinned as she remembered Leo telling her that Mr. Grouchypants’ name had been revealed because his sisters broke in his room. “I wonder what they would have found,” she mused.

“You, playing with the cat, for one thing,” Leo pointed out. “And now that I’m here, who knows.” He shrugged. “If you recall, my family does have a tendency of walking in on us at…awkward moments.”

Kamui blushed at the reminder. There was no way she was going to forget Niles seeing them kissing on Leo’s bed a few weeks ago. That had been extremely embarrassing.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t think of any time Leo had kissed her since she’d come back. She thought it was odd, but there was no way to bring it up without it becoming extremely awkward for both of them.

Kamui got off the bed and stretched. “Well, I’m hungry, so I’m going to eat breakfast now,” she announced.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “It’s the afternoon; people don’t eat breakfast in the afternoon,” he pointed out.

“Well, I do,” Kamui replied firmly. “I’m sure if I ask the cooks nicely, they’ll prepare some eggs for me, right?” She was almost to the door when she caught Leo staring.

“Uh, are you going to change?” he asked. “I mean, I don’t mind seeing you in your nightgown, but I think it might be awkward around other people.”

Kamui looked down and realized that her husband was right. This was a lowcut silky white nightgown that was definitely indecent to wear in the company of others. Well, except for Leo, that is…

“Oh, I’ll go change right now,” she said. “I’ll just be a minute. Wait right here.”

She hurried off to her room before giving him a chance to really respond.

She combed through her closet of Nohrian clothing, looking for something decent to wear. Part of her wanted to find something attractive so she ended up going with a red dress. Maybe if she looked more attractive, things wouldn’t be so stilted between her and Leo. She kind of felt like the progress they’d made since the wedding had regressed during her time away. They were certainly friendly with each other, but she felt like there was something missing.

Why am I thinking about this? There are a lot more important things to do than worrying about having romantic moments with Leo.

It was then that she realized there was a little issue with the dress she’d chosen: the buttons in the back were practically impossible for her to do herself.

Kamui knocked on Leo’s door. “Hey, Leo?”

Leo opened the door. “Yes?” Kamui didn’t miss how his eyes looked her over from head to toe.

Kamui blushed and turned around. “Can you help me with the buttons in the back?” she asked. “I can’t do them myself, and Felicia isn’t here to do it.”

“Uh, sure,” he stuttered. She felt him move her hair aside before starting to work on the buttons.

She smiled to herself while she felt his fingers on her back. “Thank you,” she said.

“Gods, there are a lot of buttons,” Leo muttered as he worked. “Whoever designed this clothing should be fired for this unacceptable design.”

Kamui frowned. “So you don’t like the dress?” she asked, a little put out by his comment.

“What? Oh, the dress itself looks fine on you,” Leo assured her. “It’s just there are a lot of buttons to do so this is taking forever. Men’s clothing doesn’t take this long to put on.”

Kamui sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“What are you apologizing for?” Leo asked.

“Now that I’m back, you’re just wasting all of your time on me,” Kamui remarked sadly. “I know you’re super busy with all of your projects and things.”

Leo had finished doing the back of the dress by then. “You’re not wasting my time, Kamui,” he insisted. Kamui inhaled sharply when he rested his hands on her shoulders. “You’re my wife now, so time spent on you isn’t wasted.”

Kamui turned and looked into his eyes. “Do you really mean that?” she asked.

His amber eyes were warm and caring. “Of course I do,” he told her.

Kamui beamed. “Really?”

“The answer hasn’t changed in the last ten seconds, my dear.”

“Good,” Kamui breathed. With a bit of courage, she added, “If that’s the case, could we go on another date sometime? I’d like to spend more time with you now that I’m back.”

“I think I can arrange for that,” Leo replied. “How does tomorrow night sound?”

“Lovely,” Kamui told him. At least he was agreeing to spend time with her.

She grabbed his hand and led him towards the door. “Now c’mon. Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”

Chapter Text

“For the last time, Kamui, we are not taking the cat to the beach with us.”

Leo stood in the doorway of Kamui’s room, while his wife held their kitten close to her bosom.

“Oh, Leo, but he’ll be so lonely without us,” Kamui pouted. “And he’s never seen the beach before, so we have to take him.”

Leo sighed and did his best to stay patient with her. “Think about it logically, dear,” he reasoned. “If we take a cat to the beach, he could easily run away and never return. Or what if he falls in the ocean and drowns?”

Kamui gasped. “Don’t say such things!” she exclaimed.

“It’s true, though,” Leo continued. “And where would we put him for the journey there? Locked up in a cage on a carriage? Trust me, MG will be much happier if he stays here.”

Kamui’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Yeah, I guess you’re right…” she conceded, stroking the kitten between the ears. “I’m just going to miss him so much! I’ve only been home a week, and now I’m leaving him again!”

“You know, we could just stay here,” Leo tried, knowing it was futile. “We don’t have to go to the beach with everyone else. That way you wouldn’t have to leave the cat behind.” He would actually prefer that.

Kamui’s frown deepened. “But I want to go,” she said. “And it would be rude to skip when it’s my first time going on vacation with you guys. C’mon, it will be so much fun!”

‘Fun’ was one was to describe it. Leo could think of a few other adjectives to describe the beach.

“I…will come,” Leo relented reluctantly. “I have yet to miss a beach trip, unfortunately.” He knew there was no way he could skip out on their annual beach vacation; he’d already tried unsuccessfully in previous years.

Kamui beamed at him. “Good. I’d be really sad if I had to go on another vacation by myself,” she said, referring to her recent visit to Hoshido.

“You wouldn’t be by yourself, Kamui,” Leo pointed out. “You’d have all my siblings to keep you company.”

She shook her head. “It wouldn’t be the same without you,” she said softly. Her cheeks took on a pink hue.

Leo wouldn’t admit it, but he liked hearing her say that. It gave him a little hope that she actually liked him as a person and didn’t just put up with him because they were married now.

“Well, um, I should get in as many cuddles with Mr. Grouchypants as I can before we leave,” Kamui commented.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Whatever makes you happy, dear.”

Leo hated the beach, but perhaps it wouldn’t be as awful this year with Kamui there.

Camilla and Elise dragged Kamui off to see the seamstress later that day. Apparently Kamui’s black swimsuit was not up to their standards, so she was getting a new one.

“You are going to adore this swimsuit!” Elise squealed on the way there. “It’s super cute!”

Kamui looked at the two sisters. “Wait, did you already…?”

Camilla nodded. “Sorry, dear, but we had to get it started in time for the vacation, and you weren’t here. Don’t worry, though. I’m positive Leo will only be more head over heels for you when he sees you in this!”

Kamui felt herself blushing. “H-He’s not head over heels for me,” she stuttered.

Camilla threw back her head and laughed. “You and my brother are well-suited for each other,” she remarked. “I swear he has the worst time picking up on cues.”

Cues? What is she talking about?

Kamui feel even more awkward at this sudden change in the conversation. “Um…”

“So it’s a white swimsuit,” Elise cut in, rescuing Kamui. Or perhaps she was just excited about the new swimsuit. “That way you can accessorize however you want!”

“Let her see for herself,” Camilla commented.

Elise grabbed Kamui’s hand and ran ahead, dragging Kamui along with her.

“Whoa,” Kamui exclaimed, surprised by the younger girl’s actions.

Camilla laughed from behind them. “We don’t have to run there, Elise,” she remarked.

“Oh, but I just can’t wait anymore!” Elise explained. “I’ve been waiting to show Kamui for weeks now! And we have a lot to do before we leave, and I don’t want to waste time walking! C’mon, it’s just a short run.”

Kamui shrugged. “Well, I could get in some exercise,” she decided. “Lead the way, Elise.”

“You girls,” Camilla sighed. “Go on ahead. I’ll get there soon enough.”

“Are you sure?” Kamui asked. “I thought you wanted to be there when I see it.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Camilla insisted. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Great! Let’s go!” Elise said, running ahead of them.

The shorter girl was actually pretty fast, and Kamui had to work a little to keep up with her.

In a matter of minutes, they’d arrived at the tailors.

“Mary, we’re here!” Elise called out as they walked in. “Big Sister Kamui is ready to see her new swimsuit!” She turned to Kamui. “Oh, Mary is the seamstress,” she explained.

A short blonde-haired woman scurried over to the two princesses and curtsied. “My ladies,” she greeted them.

“Hey, Mary! You don’t need to curtsy,” Elise told her. “It’s just me and my new sister! Oh, and Camilla will be here soon too.”

Mary ended her curtsy and smiled at the princesses. “Lady Kamui, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Kamui replied politely.

“Mary here is the one who made you all those dresses Camilla gave you as a wedding present,” Elise explained cheerfully. “She’s the best!”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Kamui told the seamstress. “I’m sure you must have worked hard on such beautiful dresses.”

“Thank you, milady,” Mary said with another curtsy. “I am always happy to serve the royal family.”

Elise was bouncing with excitement. “Okay, okay. Can Kamui try it on now? I’ve been waiting for weeks now!”

“Yes, of course, Lady Elise,” Mary said as she went into a closet. “I’ll need to do some final adjustments to it once Lady Kamui has tried it on, but it’s ready.”

She came back with a two-piece swimsuit that was frilly and white. The black ribbons on the edges contrasted nicely with the rest of the outfit.

“Oh, wow!” Kamui gasped. “It’s beautiful.” And she wasn’t just saying that to be polite.

“Oh, I knew you’d love it!” Elise squealed. “Go try it on already! I want to see you in it.”

“Shouldn’t I wait for Camilla, though?” Kamui asked.

“I’m here, darling!” Camilla called out as she entered the room. “Go ahead!”

The seamstress showed Kamui into a changing room to give her some privacy.

The fabric was soft and stretchy, and the swimsuit fit Kamui nicely. She looked in the mirror and turned around, admiring how well it looked on her.

I wonder if Leo will like it… Besides the time Kamui had accidentally entered the bath during the men’s bathing time, this would be the most skin he’d seen since they’d met. She was embarrassed that she started to blush in the mirror. Oh dear…

“I’m ready now!” Kamui announced to distract herself from such thoughts.

She left the changing room to squeals of delight and compliments from her sisters-in-law.

Mary the seamstress came over and began to finish fitting it for Kamui. “You look stunning, milady,” she said with a smile. “It looks like I just need to adjust the straps, so if you’d give me a moment…”

Soon after that, Kamui left the tailors with her new swimsuit in a bag. She listened as Camilla and Elise chatted amicably about their upcoming vacation.

Perhaps Leo wasn’t happy about going to the beach, but Kamui herself was really looking forward to it.

The days flew by, and before Leo knew it, it was already the night before they left on their trip. Kamui was taking forever to get ready. While Leo had nicely packed his own bags within thirty minutes, she was still scrambling around her room the night before they left, trying to pack. It probably didn’t help that Felicia was there. Kamui alternated between throwing things on her bed and giving the clumsy maid instructions on how to take care of their cat while they were gone.

“Make sure to give him lots of cuddles for me and to give him lots of treats,” Kamui told Felicia. “He has a bed in Leo’s room, but we could move it in here while we’re gone.”

“Of course, Lady Kamui,” Felicia told her cheerfully. “Leave everything to me!”

Leo had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying something that he knew would upset Kamui. He just hoped that their cat would survive being in Felicia’s care for a whole week. He could just see something disastrous happening with her in charge of the cat. It was better than taking MG all the way to the beach with them, though. At least someone could escape the horrific trip.

After another fifteen minutes of this chaos, Leo decided to say something. “Shouldn’t you be about finished by now?” he asked.

Kamui frowned at him. “Don’t rush me, Leo. I don’t want to forget anything. You can just go to bed without me if you’re tired.”

Leo shook his head. “You should get some sleep, too. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow. Although I suppose you’ll just nap in the carriage all day.”

“Leo, don’t tease me,” Kamui whined.

Leo tried not to smirk. “My apologies,” he said. “But it’s probably true.”

“Leo!”

Leo nearly laughed at her indignant expression. When they first met, Leo hadn’t realized how fun she was to tease.

“Well, if you’re not going to bed yet, I might as well help you,” Leo commented as he came over to her bed. “That way, you’ll be finished sooner.”

“This is women’s clothing, Leo,” Kamui emphasized. She brought a hand up to her flushed face. “You can’t just pack my underwear for me!”

“Well, assign me to work on something that’s not your underwear,” Leo replied.

“Oh, that’s not necessary, Lord Leo,” Felicia said quickly. “Lady Kamui and I have this under control.”

“I can see that,” Leo remarked as he looked over the mess on her bed. “Having your clothing tossed all over the bed seems very under control to me. Wherever are you going to sleep tonight?”

“L-Leo,” Kamui gasped. “Not in front of Felicia, please!”

“Oh, well, we could clear off your bed if you’d like, Lady Kamui,” Felicia said helpfully. “That way you’d have somewhere to sleep tonight.”

Kamui bit her lip. It was then that Leo realized he probably shouldn’t have brought up the topic of sleeping arrangements in front of the maid.

“I-I’ll be sleeping with Leo tonight,” Kamui stuttered. Her face got even redder. “So it’s fine.”

Felicia looked between the two of them as it dawned on her. “Oh. Oh! I see. I just thought you wouldn’t, you know, the night before your trip.” She was waving her hands all over the place as she spoke. “Like Lord Leo said, you need a good night’s sleep.”

“I sleep fine in Leo’s bed,” Kamui mumbled. Leo wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her face this red. “Don’t worry about it.” She sighed. “Can we please talk about something else?” She turned and pushed Leo towards the door. “Just go back to your room before you make things even more awkward, okay?”

Leo held his hands up to show he meant no harm. “I was only trying to help…”

“Look, just give me thirty more minutes, and then I’ll be there, okay?” Kamui insisted. “Please?”

Leo just shrugged. “Okay, okay. I’m on my way out now. I can tell when I’m not wanted.”

He closed the door behind himself, wanting to give the girls privacy. Perhaps they’d move along more quickly if he wasn't there.

It was a lot sooner than thirty minutes when Kamui knocked on his door, much to Leo’s surprise. He’d expected her to stay up at least another hour packing.

“Hey, Leo?” she asked timidly. “Are you awake?”

Leo had just been relaxing in bed with a book about varieties of tomato plants. “Yes, I’m awake,” he called out. “Are you finished now?”

“Yeah. Can I come in?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Yes, you can come in. You don’t really need permission, you know.”

Kamui opened the door and entered, wearing a blue nightgown. “Sorry,” she whispered as she came over. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t changing or anything.”

Leo placed a bookmark in his book. He’d continue reading it in the carriage tomorrow.

“As you can see, I’m all ready for bed,” Leo commented. “I’m just waiting for you.”

“Oh, right,” Kamui said quickly. “Sorry that I made you stay up.”

Leo covered a yawn. “It’s fine,” he mumbled. “I do want to get to bed, though.”

Kamui crawled under the covers next to him and shifted closer to him. “I bet you do,” she said. “We don’t want to unleash Mr. Grouchypants on everyone tomorrow.”

“I thought that was the cat’s name,” Leo remarked as he blew out the candlestick.

Kamui giggled softly, and he felt her kiss his cheek. “You’re also Mr. Grouchypants when you don’t get your full eight hours of sleep,” she told him.

“Whatever,” Leo grumbled. He was too tired to argue with her on this.

Kamui apparently wasn’t done talking. “Hey, Leo?”

“Yes?”

“Um… Never mind,” she mumbled.

“Just say it, Kamui,” Leo told her. “I already told you that you can speak your mind with me.”

There was a pause before Kamui spoke again. “Right. It’s just, I was thinking about what Felicia said…”

“About what? Felicia said a lot of things tonight,” Leo reminded her.

“Oh, about us sleeping together,” Kamui blurted out.

Something in her tone caught Leo’s attention.

“What about it?” he asked. “You told me you were fine with this.” He was a little crestfallen at the thought that she didn’t want to sleep in the same bed anymore.

“Oh, I am!” Kamui assured him quickly. “It’s just… I was thinking… Maybe I’ll feel a little more ready to be intimate soon.”

Leo’s heart started hammering at those words. That was something he wanted, but for her to bring it up like this…

“Not-Not tonight,” she added quickly. “Just soon.”

Leo was excited at the thought, but he wondered if she was just doing it for him. “You’re not just saying this because it’s what I want, right?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it just to please me.”

“Um…”

“Kamui,” Leo sighed. “I want you to be sure about it before you commit.”

“I think I’m already committed,” Kamui said softly. “I did marry you, so that’s a lot of commitment right there.”

“You’re tired, dear,” Leo reasoned. “People say things without thinking them through when they’re tired.”

“But I have been thinking about this,” Kamui insisted. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. And… I think I’ll be ready soon.”

Leo swallowed. He wanted to believe her, but he also didn’t want to get his hopes up if she changed her mind. “Let’s sleep on it, and then we can talk about this later, okay?” he suggested. “I know I’m tired, and I don’t think it’s best to have serious conversations when I’m falling asleep.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Leo. I’ll let you get to sleep,” Kamui said. “Oh, and… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings tonight.”

Leo frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“When I made you leave my room,” Kamui explained. “I just felt so embarrassed to have you there when Felicia was there.”

“Ah, so I’m an embarrassment for you,” Leo surmised.

“What? No, that’s not what I meant!” Kamui exclaimed.

At this point Leo just wanted to get to sleep, but he knew she wouldn’t sleep until she was done talking.

“What did you mean?” he mumbled.

“I guess I just got embarrassed about talking about sleeping together in front on Felicia,” Kamui elaborated.

“Oh. I’m the one who brought it up, so there’s no need for you to apologize,” Leo replied. “I should have been wiser about my words in front of the maid.” He sighed. “I guess I’ve been around Niles too much.”

Kamui giggled. “It’s okay, Leo,” she told him as she snuggled closer to him. He could feel her warm breath on his ear. “Goodnight,” she whispered.

“Goodnight, Kamui,” Leo mumbled before he drifted off to sleep.

For once, Kamui woke up before Leo did the next morning. His arms were still wrapped around her, holding her close to him, and she could hear his steady breathing.

The sun was just starting to rise, but Kamui had enough lighting to make out Leo’s face and his blond hair. Kamui carefully ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the feeling. She hoped her actions wouldn’t wake him. She knew how Leo needed a full night’s sleep.

He’s so handsome.

Kamui thought back to their late-night discussion before they fell asleep. She hadn’t planned on talking about their physical relationship; it just sort of happened. Leo had been considerate, insisting that they didn’t need to do anything intimate until she was ready. But Kamui felt more ready, more certain about it. Sure, she was nervous, but that was probably expected, right?

And maybe we’d have a baby. Kamui felt all warm at the thought. She absolutely adored babies and would be thrilled to have one of her one. She’d always wanted to be a mother. And from her conversations with Leo, it sounded like he also wanted to be a father. Or at least, he was open to the idea.

Why am I thinking about this all of a sudden?! We have a long way to go before we’re ready to be parents.

Leo stirred next to her and opened his eyes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Kamui greeted him. She was glad for the distraction from these thoughts.

Leo yawned. “You’re already awake?” he mumbled. “What time is it?”

“Oh, it’s still early,” Kamui assured him. “I was just too excited to sleep. I haven’t been awake long.”

“Oh, yeah. The dreaded day has arrived,” Leo remarked sleepily.

“Leo!” Kamui gasped. “This isn’t a dreaded day! We’re going to the beach. The least you could do is try to be a little positive about it. Surely there’s something you like about the beach.”

Leo blinked as he thought about it. “Nope. I can’t think of anything,” he finally said. “But let’s get this day over with.” He shifted his position. “Can you get off of me? I’d like to get up,” he told her.

Kamui was embarrassed to realize that she was practically lying on top of him, preventing him from getting out of bed. “Yeah, sure,” she said quickly, giving him space. “Sorry about that.”

Leo sat up and moved to the side of the bed. “It’s fine,” he assured her. “If we didn’t have to go to the stupid beach today, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“We’ll share a bed there, right?” Kamui wondered. “While we’re at the beach?”

Leo turned and looked at her. “I don’t see why not, unless you don’t want to,” he said.

Kamui could feel herself blushing at the direction her thoughts had taken her again. “Oh, no. It’s not that. I want to…” She took a deep breath. “I think I’d like to try for a…” She shook her head. “Never mind,” she decided. She couldn’t believe she’d nearly told him that she wanted to try for baby while they were on vacation with his family. What was she thinking?!

Leo frowned at her. “You’d like to try for a what?” he asked.

“Never mind,” she repeated. She did not want to have that conversation right now.

Leo raised his eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. “Okay. Have it your way.”

Kamui hopped out of bed. “Where’s Mr. Grouchypants?” she asked. “I want to say goodbye to him before we leave.” She sighed. “Are you sure we can’t take him with us?”

Leo gave her an exasperated look. “We’re leaving today, and we don’t have food or anything ready for him. He stays here,” he told her yet again. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? There’s still time to back out.”

“For the last time, Leo, we are going to the beach, whether you like it or not,” Kamui replied with a grin.

Chapter Text

True to Leo’s prediction, Kamui fell asleep not long after the royal family was in the carriages for the journey. All of her excited energy must have worn off because she rested her head in Leo’s lap and went to sleep. So now he was stuck with Kamui sleeping on his lap and trying to tune his other family members out while he read his book.

Since their traveling group was so large, the family had split into two carriages for the journey. All of the girls had wanted to sit with Kamui, but there wasn’t room for all of them and Leo. (Kamui refused to be separated from Leo, which he was secretly happy about.) Camilla wanted to ride with Niles, and since Niles was Leo’s retainer, the two couples had ended up in the same carriage. Xander, Charlotte, Elise, and Azura were in the other carriage. Garon and Arete were too busy to come this year, so it was just the royal siblings and their spouses on this trip.

Camilla and Niles wouldn’t stop talking the entire journey, and it was getting really hard for Leo to focus on his book.

“Ugh, Leo, darling, how can you stand to read while we’re traveling?” Camilla moaned. “I’d be so sick if I were you.”

“I’m actually sitting, not standing,” Leo remarked dryly without glancing up from his book.

Camilla was probably rolling her eyes at that, but Leo didn’t bother to look.

“Lord Leo, are you actually reading about tomatoes, or perhaps something a little more exciting?” Niles teased.

“Tomatoes are plenty fascinating,” Leo commented. He turned the page in his book.

Camilla giggled. “Only you would find a book about tomatoes fascinating, dear brother,” she remarked. “Is that what put poor Kamui to sleep?”

“Ah, Camilla. Isn’t it obvious? She was probably up with Lord Leo last night and didn’t get a wink of sleep,” Niles countered. “If you understand my meaning…”

Leo knew very well what Niles was insinuating. “N-Niles!” he snapped, trying and failing to not blush. “Nothing of the sort was going on.” He groaned. “Ugh. It would be so much nicer if I could just have the carriage to myself and Kamui, and everyone else squeeze into the other carriage.”

“Why? So you and Lady Kamui can have a little fun?” Niles asked.

Leo glared at his retainer over the top of his book. “Of course not,” he grumbled. “Kamui is asleep, for one thing. And we have the decency to not do anything of the sort in a carriage, unlike some people.”

Camilla snickered. “Whatever are you implying, dear brother?”

Leo sighed heavily. “You know, this conversation is officially over. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my book.”

“As you wish, milord,” Niles conceded.

“Just make sure not to read the entire vacation, Leo,” Camilla added. “I don’t think your sweet wife would like that very much.”

Leo just rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to comment on that.

Camilla and Niles settled for talking to each other after that, flirting and whatnot. Leo just tuned them out while he kept reading. Tomatoes were truly more interesting than watching their antics.

Leo wasn’t sure how much time passed before Camilla started heaving. “Pull over,” she managed to get out. “I’m going to be sick.”

Niles managed to convey that to the coachman quickly enough, so they stopped in time for Camilla to step out before she threw up in the carriage. Listening to her gagging was still unpleasant, even if Leo couldn’t see it. Niles went out to help his wife, so it was just Leo and Kamui in the carriage now.

Kamui stirred in Leo’s lap. “What’s happening?” she asked sleepily. “Are we already there?”

Leo grimaced. “No…We’re just taking a break.”

Kamui sat up and looked toward the carriage door. “Oh, no,” she gasped as she heard the commotion. “Is Camilla sick?”

“She’ll be okay,” Leo assured her.

Kamui stood up and turned to face him. “Leo, she’s your sister. If you’re not going out to help her, then I will.”

“Niles has it under control,” Leo informed her. “There’s no need for you to…”

Kamui ignored him and opened the door. “Camilla? Are you okay?” she asked. “Can I do anything to help you?”

Leo sighed and made himself comfortable. With the fuss everyone was making, they were probably going to be here a while. He heard Camilla assure everyone that she was fine, and that was good enough for him.

Other people joined the commotion, Elise being the loudest. Apparently the other carriage had stopped, too.

“Big Sister!” Elise wailed. “Are you having motion sickness? I have some tonics that can help with it!”

“That would be lovely. Thank you, dear,” he heard Camilla say.

It took much too long for everyone to be satisfied that Camilla was going to be fine. And then it took even longer for everyone to get situated in the carriages again. Leo estimated that they were an hour behind schedule by the time they started their journey again.

It was going to be a long trip to the beach this year.

Kamui gave up napping after Camilla was sick the first time. She was worried about her new sister-in-law and wanted to help. Unfortunately, Camilla was sick two more times before they got to their inn for the night. Kamui wasn’t sure if Elise’s tonic was helping very much, sadly.

Regardless, Kamui herself was exhausted when they finally stopped for the night. They’d traveled to a land southwest of Nohr, and it would be about another half day travel before they got to the beach. Perhaps Camilla would be feeling better tomorrow so she could take a nap without feeling guilty.

Kamui and Leo were sharing a room tonight. Kamui changed into her white nightgown minutes after getting into their room. She flopped on the fluffy bed, not bothering to get under the sheets because it was still quite hot. She just closed her eyes and let herself relax.

She heard Leo sigh. “Going to sleep already, I see.”

Kamui yawned. “I’m so sleepy,” she defended herself. “It was a long day. And it’s so hot.”

“This is a warm country,” Leo acknowledged. Kamui felt him take a seat on the edge of the bed. “A lot warmer than Nohr is.”

“Mm. Do you like the heat, Leo?” Kamui wondered.

“No, I do not,” he replied. “I am a little surprised you’re complaining about it, though. I thought you would thrive in the heat.”

Kamui sighed and curled up with her pillow. “I don’t like being so hot that I can’t sleep,” she grumbled. “I’ll like it a lot more once I can get in the water.”

“Hm. I might be able to do something to remedy that,” Leo remarked. Kamui heard him get off the bed.

Curious, she opened her sleepy eyes and watched him.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Leo held up a hand. “Give me a moment,” he said as he went through his books. Kamui wasn’t shocked he’d basically taken a mini library with him on the vacation.

“Ah, here it is,” he announced after picking up a green book.

“Going to read?” Kamui guessed.

Leo shook his head. “Hush. Let me concentrate.” He leafed through the pages before he found whatever he was looking for.

He went over to the window and pulled back the curtains. His hand glowed with green magic as he whispered something she couldn’t make out.

A gentle breeze came in through the window, helping cool the hot bedroom.

“There,” Leo said, looking pleased with himself. “Does that help?”

 Kamui nodded at him.

He smiled and came back to the bed. “Just remind me to dispel it in the morning,” he told her. “I don’t think the next guests would be pleased if I forgot to.”

“What did you do?” Kamui asked.

Leo shrugged. “It’s a small permanent wind spell,” he informed her. “Simple enough if you know what you’re doing. You’re welcome, by the way,” he added as he got under the sheets.

“Oh, thank you,” Kamui mumbled, joining him. She naturally cuddled closer to him and smiled when he wrapped his arms around her. “Did I ever tell you how lucky I am to be married to a powerful mage?”

She felt Leo tense up a little at the compliment. “This was hardly powerful magic, Kamui,” he told her. “Like I told you, it’s a fairly simple spell. I bet if you studied magic a little that you’d be able to cast it, too.”

“Mm. Perhaps,” Kamui murmured. “But you’re a much more powerful mage than I could ever be.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Kamui,” Leo countered. “I’d imagine that you’d be pretty good at magic if you gave it a try.”

Kamui rolled on her side so she could see his expression in the moonlight. “Will you teach me?” she asked.

“Of course,” Leo told her. “I’d be happy to teach you magic. Just be warned that I’ll expect you to work diligently, even if you are my wife. Learning how to use magic requires hard work.”

Kamui giggled. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” she replied. “Just don’t go too hard on me, okay? I’m nowhere near as smart as you are.”

“I’m not making any promises,” Leo remarked. “You have to push yourself if you’re ever going to learn.”

Kamui groaned. She knew how hard Leo pushed himself. “Let’s worry about that after we get back from the beach. We’re here to relax and have fun, remember?”

“Who says learning isn’t fun?”

Well, Kamui did enjoy learning new things, but studying wasn’t necessarily what she had in mind for this vacation. She knew that she wasn’t going to convince Leo otherwise, though, so she didn’t bother arguing with him.

“Let’s just get some sleep, Leo,” she mumbled. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. “I don’t want to be tired when we get to the beach tomorrow.”

“You’ll just sleep in the carriage, so I’m sure you’ll have plenty of energy,” he pointed out.

“I don’t know if I will after today,” Kamui admitted. “If Camilla isn’t feeling better tomorrow, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“Camilla will be fine,” Leo replied easily. He’d told her that multiple times already. “Don’t worry about her.”

Well, Kamui was going to worry anyway. It’s just how she was. If someone wasn’t feeling well, she wanted to do everything in her power to make them feel better.

“I just want to make sure she’ll be okay,” Kamui mumbled. “I want to do my part to help her.” She was getting too sleepy to really focus on their conversation.

“You can do your part by going to sleep and not oversleeping tomorrow,” Leo told her bluntly. “You’ll be no help if you’re too tired to do anything tomorrow.”

Kamui sighed. Leo was probably right. “Goodnight, Leo,” she murmured.

Leo was awake before Kamui the next morning. To be honest, he never really slept well in a new bed, and last night was no exception.

Kamui herself was sleeping deeply, breathing evenly. She showed no signs of waking any time soon. Since she was curled up in Leo’s arms with her head on his chest, he wasn’t sure he could get out of bed without waking her, so he stayed put. They were technically on vacation, after all, so he could afford to sleep in a little.

Leo absentmindedly played with one of her curls with he watched Kamui sleep. Even after two months of marriage, he was still entranced by her beauty. Leo didn’t know if she loved him, but he knew that he loved her.

Maybe this beach trip wouldn’t be so bad if he got to spend it with her.

Leo let her sleep in a little longer before he decided it was time for them to get up. He was hungry, and if they stayed in bed too long, they might have to skip breakfast, which he had no intention of doing.

“Good morning, Kamui,” he murmured in her ear. “It’s time to get up.”

Kamui moaned softly and buried her face in his chest. He was pretty sure he heard her mumble, “Just five more minutes.”

Leo sighed. “Well, I want to get up, and since you’re mostly on top of me, I need you to get off.”

Kamui raised her head and blinked sleepily. “Oh.” She rolled off of him, giving him room to get up. “Sorry about that.” She sat up and stretched, yawning. “What time is it?”

“I already told you: it’s time to get up,” Leo repeated as he got out of bed. “You do want to get to the beach before nightfall, right?”

That got her more alert. Her eyes opened wide. “Oh, yeah! I almost forgot.”

She hopped right out of bed, clearly excited about getting to the beach. She went to her bags and started going through her clothes.

“What do you think I should wear?” she asked.

Leo shrugged. “Why are you asking me? I don’t care.”

Kamui turned and pouted at him. She held up a white frilly dress and a dark blue yukata. (At least, Leo thought it was called a yukata.) “I was hoping you’d help me decide,” she said. “I want to look my best.”

“You should ask Elise or Camilla,” Leo informed her. “I’m afraid I know very little about fashion.”

“Well, which one do you like more?” Kamui asked, clearly determined to hear his opinion. “I could try them both on for you, if you’d like.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Kamui, we don’t really have time for you to model all your clothing for me. And I honestly don’t really care. Whatever you’re more comfortable in.”

Kamui kept pouting at him. “Leo, please!” Her cheeks took on a pink hue. “I want you to think I’m pretty.”

“I already think you’re pretty,” Leo blurted out.

Her blush deepened. “O-Oh. Well, in that case, I’d still like you to pick,” she said shyly. “Please?”

Leo was a little surprised, but flattered, that she wanted his opinion on her outfit for the day. “Um…You should go with the white dress,” he decided. “But wear whatever you want.”

Kamui beamed at him. “The white one it is, then!” She tossed the other dress back in her bag and held the white dress up to herself. “Oh, um. I need to change, so could you…”

Leo turned away to give her privacy. “I won’t look,” he vowed. Even if he was a little tempted to.

“Sorry. I’ll be really quick!” she said breathlessly. “Um, you’ll need to get dressed too, right?”

Leo scoffed. “No, I think I’ll just wear my pajamas today,” he deadpanned. “Of course I’ll get dressed. I’m just waiting for you to finish.”

“Oh. I’m sorry!” she squeaked.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Leo reminded her.

“Oh, right. Sorry about—never mind,” she caught herself. “Thank you for waiting.”

“I don’t mind,” Leo assured her.

“Okay. You can turn around now!” Kamui told him a couple seconds later.

Leo turned and watched her spin for him, showing off the white dress.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Well, she was beautiful, of course. And the dress really did look good on her, complimenting her natural beauty.

Leo didn’t realize he was gaping at her until she said, “Um, Leo?”

He caught himself and forced himself to focus. “Oh, sorry. You look lovely,” he told her. There. That was an acceptable thing to tell her, right? He really wasn’t very good at clothing and complimenting girls on their looks.

Kamui seemed to like it, though. She giggled. “Now you’re starting to sound like me, apologizing all the time.” She smoothed out the skirt with her hands. “So, um…”

Leo raised an eyebrow. What was she suddenly so shy about? “Yes?”

“Do you want me to leave so you can, uh, change?” she asked sheepishly.

Leo felt a little embarrassed that she was asking. “Whatever you’d like,” he decided. “We are married, after all, so there’s nothing wrong with it if you want to stay.” His heart was hammering as he spoke those words.

Kamui buried her blushing face in her hands. “I-I’ll stay, then.” She looked down at her feet, clearly embarrassed about this, too.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Okay, then.” He went and grabbed some light clothing from his bag. He felt a little awkward, just having her watch him change. Or well, having her stare at the floor while he got dressed.

It’s progress, though.

Kamui talked while Leo got dressed. “So what is your favorite thing to do at the beach?”

“I already told you that I don’t like the beach,” Leo reminded her.

“But surely there’s something you enjoy, even just a little bit,” she pushed. “Swimming? Shopping? Trying new foods?”

Leo grimaced when his back was turned. He didn’t enjoy doing any of those things, really, unless it was shopping for books. “Reading, I suppose,” he decided.

Kamui laughed. “That sounds like you!” Her voice got a little quieter. “But you will spend time with me, right?”

Leo thought back on Camilla’s warning yesterday about not ignoring Kamui to read the whole time. Apparently his sister was more spot-on than he wanted to admit.

“Yes, I’ll spend time with you, too,” he assured her. “You did ask me for magic lessons, remember?”

“But we’re supposed to have fun,” Kamui complained. “I don’t want to study the whole time!”

Leo finished buttoning up his shirt before facing her again. She was still staring at her bare feet.

He put his hands on her shoulders. “Let’s make a deal, shall we? I’ll do some things you want to do if you dedicate a little time to magic. How does that sound?”

Kamui met his gaze and nodded. “Yes, that sounds like a good plan,” she agreed. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Leo.”

Leo was taken aback by the sudden show of affection. “What for?”

Kamui sighed and gathered her things. “I know you hate going to the beach, so it means a lot to me that you’re willing to do things with me, even though you don’t want to.”

Leo crossed his arms and frowned. “I never said I didn’t want to do things with you. I know I might not be good at showing it, but I do like spending time with you.”

Kamui turned and smiled at him. “Really?”

“Yes, Kamui. Haven’t I told you enough times in the past two months?”

She nodded. “Well, yes, but it’s still nice to hear it.”

She came over and started unbuttoning his shirt.

“W-What are you doing?!” Leo gasped, shocked that she would suddenly do this out of the blue.

Kamui blushed and didn’t meet his eyes. “Well, your shirt isn’t buttoned correctly, so I thought I’d just help…” She smirked. “And your collar needs help again, too.”

“Ugh!”

After Leo’s outfit was straightened out, the two of them joined the rest of the family for breakfast. Kamui was relieved that Camilla was there and looking well. She’d been worried that the purple-haired princess had come down with something while they were away from home.

“Camilla! How are you feeling?” she asked her sister-in-law. “Are you doing any better today?”

Camilla nodded and sipped at her juice. “Oh, I’m wonderful, dear. Thank you for asking.” Her gaze drifted to Kamui and Leo’s intertwined hands. “Do you two sleep well last night?”

Kamui felt her face get warm. She still wasn’t quite used to how open the Nohrians could be about these things. “Y-Yes, we did,” she stammered. “Leo wouldn’t let me sleep in, though.”

“Aw, Leo! Don’t make Kamui get up early!” Elise cut in loudly.

Leo flinched. “I didn’t. I let her sleep in, but I wanted breakfast, so we had to get up.”

“You could’ve just let her sleep in while you got breakfast by yourself,” Elise countered.

Kamui blushed as she remembered why Leo couldn’t really do that. There was no way he could have gotten out of bed without waking her this morning.

She noticed with a twinge of embarrassment that Leo was blushing, too. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Kamui needs to eat, too.”

“Ooh! You should have given her breakfast in bed,” Elise insisted. “That would have been soooo romantic!”

Kamui loved Elise—she was such a dear girl—but right now she didn’t appreciate all of the unwanted attention Elise’s comments was giving them. It seemed like all of the members of the family were staring at her and Leo.

“It’s fine, Elise,” Kamui said quickly. “I, uh, asked Leo to wake me up at a certain time,” she lied. There. That was plausible, right?

Leo raised his eyebrow at Kamui but didn’t contradict her.

“Elise, please don’t get into others’ business,” Xander chided. “Now, come eat your breakfast so we can leave at a good time.”

Kamui refrained from laughing when she saw Leo mouth a “thank you” at his older brother.

Xander just gave Leo a nod.

The rest of breakfast passed without much incident, and then it was time to get on the road again.

“Camilla, I want to ride with you today,” Elise insisted before they left. “I want to be there in case you get sick again.”

Camilla smiled and patted the girl’s head. “Oh, I would like that, dear sister, but I don’t know if we’ll have the room. We will be a little squished with five people.”

Kamui frowned. She knew that she should give her spot to Elise since the blonde girl was a better healer, but she didn’t really want to ride separately from Leo.

“I can go in the other carriage,” she offered. “That way Elise can be there if there’s a problem.”

“But what about Leo?” Azura asked in her quiet voice. “It would be a bit silly to ride separately from your husband.”

“Well, Camilla’s health is more important, right?” Kamui noted. “It will only be for a few hours.”

Azura shook her head. “No, you and Leo should stay together, so I’ll also ride with Camilla and Niles. That way you won’t be separated.”

“If you’re sure…” Kamui said hesitantly.

Her cousin nodded. “Yes. I’ll see you at the beach, Kamui.”

And with that, the new traveling arrangements were made.

Kamui thought she heard Leo mutter something about hoping Xander wouldn’t talk to him so he could read, but when she asked him, he told her it was nothing.

Riding in the same carriage as Xander and Charlotte wasn’t all that bad. At least, that’s what Kamui thought. She couldn’t really tell whether or not Leo was pleased with this arrangement, but he seemed content to just read his book about tomatoes.

Kamui chatted with Xander and Charlotte for a bit, but eventually rested her head against Leo’s shoulder and decided to take a nap. There wasn’t much to do, and the rocking of the carriage was slowly lulling her off to sleep.

She must have actually fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, Leo was waking her up, telling her that they were finally at their destination.

“Kamui, we’re at the beach,” he told her. “If you want to stay in the carriage and sleep, I won’t complain though.”

Kamui was instantly alert at the mention of the beach. It had been a while since she’d last visited the beach like this, and there was no way she was going to waste her time sleeping in the carriage.

“Leo, we’re not going to just sit in the carriage,” she informed him.

“Well, it was worth a shot,” Leo replied easily. He didn’t seem shocked by her response.

Kamui sighed. It seemed that Leo complaining about how much he hated the beach was going to be a recurring thing throughout the next week.

“Well, c’mon,” Kamui insisted, pulling her reluctant husband out of the carriage with her. She was here to have fun, and she wasn’t about to spend the entire week shut in the carriage with Leo while he read.

Leo sighed, but followed her lead without complaining. “What do you want to do first?” he asked.

“Hm. Can we go swimming first?” Kamui asked excitedly. “I’m dying to cool off in the ocean.”

She watched Leo’s expression turn into one of horror. “Oh, no,” he groaned.

“Hey, it’s not that bad,” Kamui insisted.

“It’s not that,” Leo explained. “I just realized I forgot to dispel the wind spell in the bedroom from last night.”

It took Kamui a second to figure out what he was talking about.

“Oh! I totally forgot to remind you, so it’s kind of my fault,” she told him. “I’m sorry.” Leo had asked her to remind him to dispel the wind spell, after all.

Leo shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

Kamui was curious, though. “So what will happen to your spell now?” she wondered.

Leo sighed and ran his free hand through his flaxen hair. “Since I didn’t dispel it myself, they’ll need to hire another mage to end the spell, which could prove difficult because I make sure my magic is hard to dispel. Or perhaps they’ll thank me for keeping the room cool.”

Kamui laughed. “Well, can you do that spell again tonight?” she asked. “It’s pretty hot out, so we’ll probably need it.”

Leo nodded. “Yes. It’s simple enough.”

Kamui flashed him a bright smile. “Thanks, Leo. You’re the best!” She turned back to the carriages, where their baggage was. “Now, let’s get changed so we can go swimming!”

This beach trip was slightly better than previous years because Kamui was here this time. With her bright smile and genuine excitement about everything, Leo could almost forget why he hated the beach so much.

Almost.

Kamui’s presence didn’t take away the searing heat of the sun or the constant thirst that plagued Leo. Nor did it change the fact that if Leo didn’t wear his cloak, he’d be burned from head to toe. Leo hated being sunburned. It was painful and embarrassing.

Kamui didn’t seem to notice that Leo was not having the time of his life, or she chose to ignore that fact. She headed into the changing rooms as soon as she could, and came out wearing a frilly white swimsuit, looking more stunning than usual. She ran over to Leo as soon as she saw him.

“Leo, hey!” she greeted him breathlessly. “Aren’t you going to get changed? You must be dying in all those layers.”

Leo looked down at his regular outfit and shrugged. He was in no hurry to get changed.

“Hey, before you change, could you help me with something?” Kamui asked, unfazed by his silent response.

Leo looked up at her again and saw that she was holding a small bottle. She held it out to him.

“Could you rub some oil on my back?” she asked, turning around to give him a full view of her exposed back. “I don’t want to get burned, but I can’t reach it.”

“You could always ask one of my sisters to do it,” Leo pointed out. “They’d probably do a better job than I’d do.”

Kamui’s shoulders fell a little. “But I asked you to do it,” she insisted. She looked back at him and pouted. “Please?”

Leo sighed. He couldn’t tell her no when she looked at him like that. “Very well,” he relented.

He took the bottle from her and squirted some oil onto his hands. He was going to apply it to Kamui’s back, but he realized her long hair was in the way.

“Um, could you move your hair?” he asked.

Kamui grabbed it and pulled her hair over her left shoulder. “Oh, sorry. Is that better?”

“Yes.”

Leo carefully rubbed the oil onto her back. Her skin was soft and warm, and he’d never really touched her like this before. He was secretly pleased that she was allowing him to do this.

“Oh, don’t forget to do under my straps,” Kamui told him after a moment. “They might slip, and I don’t want to get burned under them.”

Leo touched one of her straps and gulped. He knew it was a simple thing, but he was a little nervous to mess with that part of her outfit. With anyone else, it would have felt weird, but it was different with someone he was attracted to. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Kamui took the initiative and dropped the strap over her shoulder herself. “Here. Is that good?”

“Uh, yeah.” Leo carefully covered that spot with a layer of oil. If she got sunburned, it would be his fault for doing an incompetent job. He tried to ignore his other thoughts on the matter.

“Thank you for doing this,” Kamui said while he worked on her. She shifted a little. “I could do your back, too, once you get changed,” she said a little more quietly.

“I wear a cloak to keep the sun off my skin, so there’s no need,” Leo told her. “And I’ll stay in the shade, so I don’t need to slather oil all over my body.” He personally hated the feeling of the oil on his skin. He didn’t mind helping Kamui apply it, but he didn’t want it on his own body.

“I thought you were going swimming with me,” Kamui replied. “Don’t tell me you changed your mind.”

Leo sighed heavily. He wanted to stay out of the water, but he didn’t really want to let Kamui down. “I’ll go swimming for a little bit,” he conceded.

Kamui clapped her hands gleefully. “Great! And after we go swimming, maybe you could teach me that wind spell.”

“We’ll have to see what your current magical abilities are,” Leo informed her. “We might need to go over some more of the basics before you’re ready for that one.”

“Hey, you’re the teacher, and I’m the student,” Kamui replied. “I’ll let you decide what to teach me. But first, you have to go swimming with me and the others.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Leo muttered. If it made her happy, then he would join her for some of the obnoxious beach activities.

“Hey, are you guys ready yet?” Elise asked, running up to them. She gasped. “Leo! You’re not in your swimming suit yet!”

“I’m helping Kamui right now,” Leo told her.

Elise wasn’t taking that excuse, though. “Well, I can help her now, so go get changed, you big grump!” Before Leo could respond, Elise pushed him aside and took over applying oil to Kamui’s back.

Leo was slightly annoyed that she’d butt in like this, but he decided it was best not to have another argument with Elise. At least not when Kamui was around.

“Fine, fine. I’ll go change,” Leo relented. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy rubbing Kamui’s back with Elise hovering over his shoulder. He probably enjoyed it more than he should, to be honest. Maybe she’d let him do it again sometime.

Leo changed into his black swimsuit and placed his blue cloak over his shoulders. That way he wasn’t so exposed to the sun and everyone’s watching eyes.

Of course Kamui got on him when he returned from the changing room.

“Leo, you aren’t going to wear that cape in the water, are you?” she gasped. “You’ll get it all wet.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Well, isn’t that the point of swimming? To get your clothes wet?”

She just shook her head. “No, the point of swimming is to have fun. And you’re supposed to get your swimsuit wet, not the rest of your clothes.” She started to unclasp the cloak without permission. “Here, let’s get this off you, and then I can rub oil on your back.” She blushed and looked away. “That is, if you want me to.” She smiled. “And you put your cloak on inside out, so we need to fix that before you get teased anyway.”

Leo groaned. He’d been so distracted with his thoughts about Kamui that he hadn’t paid much attention when he got changed. “Fine,” he relented, pulling the cape off himself.

Kamui grinned and took it. “Great! Now turn around, so I can get your back.”

Leo did as she asked.

She talked while her rubbed oil on his back with her soft, warm hands. “I can do the rest of you, too,” she offered.

Leo choked at the mental image that came to mind. He probably wouldn’t tell her no if they were somewhere private, but he did not want her to do that in public, especially when Niles was probably watching.

“Uh, no. I can handle the rest myself,” he assured her.

Kamui seemed to realize what she’d said. “Yeah, that makes sense,” she stammered. “I guess I just want to get in the water sooner.”

Leo sighed. “You don’t have to wait for me,” he pointed out.

She laughed. “You’re just saying that so you can get away with not getting in the water,” she told him. “I know you well enough by now. You’re going to spend the next hour putting on oil and not get in at all.” She rested a warm hand on his shoulder. “No, I want to make sure you don’t back out on me. You did promise me, remember?”

Leo placed his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. “I am very aware of that,” he replied. “Just don’t forget that you promised to study magic, too.”

“I haven’t forgotten, Leo.” She giggled softly. “I can see now why your siblings tell me you’re a handful at the beach.”

“Well, they should stop dragging me along every year—then they wouldn’t have to put up with me.”

“Well, I want you here,” Kamui told him firmly. “I just want you to enjoy it, even a little bit. Surely there’s something you don’t hate doing.”

Leo sighed, finally giving in. If it was that important to her, he’d try not to absolutely hate every moment of this trip. “I suppose I don’t mind walking along the beach at night,” he confessed. “The sun has gone down, so I don’t have to worry about getting sunburned. And there are less people at night, so it’s quieter.”

“Hm. Do you think we could go on a walk on the beach tonight, just the two of us?” she asked softly. “Doesn’t it sound even a little romantic?” Her fingers tickled the nape of his neck.

Leo swallowed nervously at the word ‘romantic’. He’d never considered himself to be the romantic type, so the fact that she seemed to want romance terrified him. He was certainly very fond of her—was convinced that he was in love with her—but he worried that he’d let her down. Based on his performance over the last few months, he was terrible at being romantic.

Leo shivered when he felt her kiss his bare shoulder. It definitely didn’t have anything to do with the temperature.

“Just think about it for now,” she whispered in his ear. She raised her voice to a normal volume again. “For now, let’s go swimming! You have two choices, Leo: you can get in willingly, or else I’ll have to push you in.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Leo could play her game, too, if that’s how she was going to be.

“Not if I throw you in first.”

Leo scooped her up in his arms in a bridal carry.

“Leo!” Kamui gasped as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Put me down!” She was laughing, so Leo figured she probably didn’t mean it.

He marched over to the water with her, determined to see this through. “In just a moment, dear,” he promised her.

Kamui’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, you’re actually going to dump me in the water?!”

Leo paused. “Not unless you really don’t want me to. I don’t want you mad at me for the whole trip.” While it would be entertaining for a few minutes, he didn’t really want to deal with an angry Kamui afterwards.

Kamui sighed. “This is payback for making you go swimming, isn’t it?”

“Mm. Perhaps.”

She shook her head with a small smile. “Just do your worst, Leo.”

With her permission, Leo carried her into the water, grimacing a little as his bare feet touched the salty ocean water. He was well aware that the ocean didn’t have the cleanest water.

“This would be easier with a pool,” he noted sourly. “That way I wouldn’t have to get wet, too.”

Kamui laughed. “Leo, if this were a pool, I’d get out and push you in.”

Leo waded into the ocean until the water came up to his waist. Then, he dropped her.

Kamui gasped when he let go of her. She fell in the water with a big splash. Unfortunately, she was still holding on to Leo, so he went down with her.

Leo fell on his bottom with Kamui’s weight pushing him down. It was a good thing the water was shallow here, but he did briefly get submerged in the water. (He’d hoped to not get his hair wet, but it seemed that wasn’t going to be the case today.)

Kamui was equally soaked, but she was laughing. “Leo, are you okay?” she finally got out. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to drag you under with me!”

Leo pushed her off of him and stood up. He offered his hand to Kamui, which she took.

“I don’t know whether or not to believe you,” he replied. “But I’m fine.” He grimaced as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. “I’ll have to take a bath after this, though.”

Kamui giggled at that. “Leo, you’re already in the ocean. Why would you need to take a bath after this? It’s basically bathing.”

“Actually, this is salt water, so I would not consider it ‘bathing’,” Leo corrected her. “I don’t want salt drying on me, so I will need to take a bath with fresh water after we’re done with this.”

Kamui sighed. “Leo, you’re so—”

She was cut off when an excited Elise called out to them. “Leo! Kamui! That was crazy!” she yelled as she waded out to them. “Is that a new game? Do me next!”

Kamui exchanged an amused look with Leo. “I guess so, now,” she said. “I didn’t actually think you would do that, though!”

Elise laughed happily. “You got Big Brother to come in the water on his own this time, so I think you’re incredible, Kamui. It’s like you worked your magic on him or something.”

Funny she should put it that way, since Leo sometimes felt like he was under a spell around Kamui, a spell of love.

Kamui shrugged. “He’s just being a nice husband,” she said.

Niles had caught up to them by that point. “Oh, so a nice husband throws his wife into the ocean?” he observed. “Well done, Lord Leo.” He smirked. “Perhaps I’ll have to try it with my wife, too.”

“Only if you want a black eye, Niles,” Camilla yelled across the water.

Niles grimaced. “I’ll pass.” With only one good eye, Leo could understand why he would want to avoid getting a black eye more than most people.

“Do me next, Leo!” Elise pulled on his arm insistently.

Well, Leo wasn’t going to say no to dumping his baby sister in the ocean.

Chapter Text

Eventually the afternoon turned into evening, and things started to get a little cooler. They all changed out of their wet swimsuits after their time in the water. The temperature was still quite warm, but with the cool ocean breeze, it was very pleasant. At least, Kamui thought so.

Leo seemed to be in a better mood as well, so that was a good thing. Kamui was pretty sure he’d had fun in the ocean earlier, but he probably wasn’t going to admit that.

Kamui was planning on studying magic with Leo that evening, but the other girls dragged her off for some shopping, so they didn’t end up getting around to the magic. She felt terrible, but Leo just waved her apologies aside, saying that it would give him time to read.

Camilla seemed to notice Kamui’s reluctance in leaving Leo, though.

“Kamui, don’t get down about Leo, dear,” she said. “He’ll be just fine with a bit of alone time.”

Kamui nodded. She knew Camilla was right. Leo did seem to need a lot of alone time, but she still felt bad.

“It just that I promised him I would do something with him after we went swimming,” she admitted. “I don’t think there’s enough time for it now, though.”

“Hey, if you want to do something with Big Brother, you should go on a date!” Elise chimed in.

Kamui blushed a little at the forward suggestion.

Charlotte laughed at that. “It’s obvious he doesn’t want to be around the rest of us, so I’m sure he’d be thrilled,” she said. Kamui couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

“Oh, um…” Kamui wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“I think it’s a good idea, Kamui,” Azura told her quietly. “That way you’ll still get to do something with him tonight.”

Well, a date wasn’t exactly what Kamui had promised Leo, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.

“Maybe…” Kamui sighed.

“Oh, please,” Charlotte interrupted. “That boy is madly in love with you, so you have nothing to worry about!”

Kamui’s heart skipped a beat at those words. Leo was…madly in love with her? No, that couldn’t be. Charlotte must have been joking.

Charlotte seemed to realize her slip-up when Kamui was oddly silent. “Oh, whoops,” she giggled. “Did I say that? Oh, I was just teasing, honey.” Well, since she was trying to act ladylike, Kamui knew Charlotte was trying to hide something. And she’d seemed serious when she’d said it.

Kamui forced a small smile, even though Charlotte’s “joke” stung.

“Aw, don’t be mean, Big Sister,” Elise complained. “And Leo does love Kamui, so why would you say it’s a joke?”

Kamui’s heart started pounding, and she was at a loss for words. “Elise, Leo doesn’t…he doesn’t…” Well, she didn’t know, honestly. He’d never told her that he loved her, so she just assumed that he didn’t.

Camilla sighed. “I was going to let you figure it out on your own.”

Kamui turned in shock towards Camilla. “Camilla, not you, too!” she gasped.

Camilla giggled. “What, dear? He is my little brother. I can recognize the signs.”

Kamui wished the ground would open up and bury her. This was not something she wanted to discuss with Leo’s sisters, of all people!

“Yeah, Big Brother isn’t such a grouch when he’s with you,” Elise chimed in.

Kamui shook her head. “That doesn’t mean he loves me, Elise,” she pointed out. “And how are all of you so sure about this?” She swallowed. “Has Leo said something to you?” It hurt to think that Leo would confess his feelings for her to his sisters and not her.

Camilla snorted. “Of course not, darling. Come now, can you really see Leo telling us such things? He might not even realize it himself.”

Then why in the world are you telling me?!

“You’re reading too much into it,” Kamui insisted, although she was unsure what to think anymore.

What if they’re right? What if Leo really is in love with me?

“Think what you want, sweetie, but I at least know that he’s very fond of you,” Camilla said.

Well, Kamui herself could tell that Leo cared about her, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was love.

Azura finally spoke up for the first time since this whole conversation about love had started. “How about we let them figure it out on their own?” she suggested. “I don’t think Kamui is comfortable with this conversation. It is very personal, after all.”

Kamui sighed in relief. Thank you, Azura.

“Yeah, l-let’s talk about something else,” Kamui stuttered. “Like, what stores are we going to?”

Thankfully, Camilla, Charlotte, and Elise dropped the topic and focused on their shopping trip instead. But they had given Kamui a lot to consider.

What if he really does love me? And what do I feel about him?

She was certainly very fond of Leo, and considered him a friend, someone she could rely on. Sure, he had his shortcomings, but deep down he really was a good person. And he was sweet when he wanted to be, as well as adorably awkward at times. Kamui cared about him, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was in love with him.

I wish Mother were here to talk to. Or even Sakura or Hinoka. As much as Kamui liked Leo’s siblings, she still missed being with her own siblings, the ones she’d grown up with. Although she cringed internally at the thought of talking to Takumi or Ryoma about her love life. That would just be awkward.

Kamui didn’t realize how dazed she was until Azura pulled her aside in a clothing store.

“Hey, Kamui,” her cousin whispered. “Are you all right?”

Kamui shook her head to clear her thoughts. “What? Oh, um…I was just thinking.”

Azura nodded knowingly. “That wasn’t very considerate of the others to spring that on you like that,” she said. “I’m sorry. I know your situation isn’t the easiest.”

Kamui sighed. “Yeah. It’s okay, though. Really,” she added at Azura’s doubtful glance. “They’ve just given me a lot to think about.” She sighed again. “But what am I going to do?”

Azura gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“What if it’s true?” Kamui wondered. “What if Leo does l-love me?” Gosh, I sound like an idiot!

Azura smiled softly. “Then Leo is a very smart man,” she said. “And you are a lucky woman.”

Kamui took a deep breath. “And what if he doesn’t? What if they’re wrong?”

Azura gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Kamui, the only person who can tell you exactly how Leo feels about you is Leo himself.” Her words rang true. Leo was the only one who could tell her that; his sisters were just jumping to conclusions based on his behavior.

Kamui shook her head. “As if he’s going to actually talk to me about that,” she muttered. She felt like they were closer than when they’d first met, but it was still difficult to talk about their relationship.

“Well, if you’re that concerned about it, why don’t you just ask him?” Azura suggested.

“Ask him?!” Kamui gasped. “Azura, you can’t just walk up to your husband and ask him if he…if he…” She couldn’t finish that statement.

“Well, no, that would be very awkward,” Azura agreed. “Maybe if you open up about how you feel about him, then he’ll tell you how he feels about you.”

That made sense, but…

“Azura, I don’t know how I feel about him!” Kamui could feel her eyes filling with unshed tears. “How can I tell him how I feel about him if I don’t even know!”

Azura gave her a comforting hug. “Hey, it’s okay, Kamui. Take this in small steps. You don’t need to have this all figured out right now. Just take it a day at a time.”

Kamui nodded. That made sense. She could do that. “O-okay,” she agreed, sniffling.

Azura rubbed her back. “You can do this,” she murmured encouragingly. “And if you’re not ready to have that talk with Leo, that’s okay. But it would be wise to figure out your feelings for him, if only to give yourself peace of mind.”

“Right.” Kamui wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Azura. I needed to hear that.”

Azura giggled. “Of course, Kamui. I’m your cousin; I’m here for you when you need me.”

Kamui threw her arms around Azura in an enthusiastic hug. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“I’m glad, too, Kamui. I’m so happy you got to come with us this year.”

Kamui let go of Azura and took a deep breath. “So, I think I might want to see if Leo and I can have a date tonight,” she announced. “Can you let the others know? I don’t think I have the courage to face them right now.” She was going to need plenty of courage to ask Leo out on a date anyway.

“Of course,” Azura promised. “And believe it or not, we all just want you to be happy, Kamui. You have a fun date tonight, okay?”

Kamui nodded. “Okay.” This was assuming that Leo was open to the idea at all. She’d already dragged him off to the beach today, so he might not be up for a whole evening with her.

Kamui didn’t end up buying anything on the shopping trip, but Camilla and Elise loaded her with gifts anyway. It was mostly a lot of tropical dresses and hair accessories, along with some fancy jewelry.

“I’m sorry about earlier, darling Kamui,” Camilla told her quietly. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

Kamui sighed. “It’s okay. Besides, you don’t know for certain that you’re correct,” she pointed out.

Camilla chuckled and patted Kamui’s cheek. “Think what you will, sweetie.”

Before long, it was time for dinner, and it was time for Kamui to talk to Leo. She was shy when she saw him again, now that she wondered what exactly he felt for her.

“Hello, Kamui,” he greeted her, totally oblivious to her inner struggle. “How was the shopping? I can see you found lots of clothes.” He nodded at the bags of dresses and accessories in her hands. “You do realize that we’ll have to get all that back home somehow, right?”

Kamui felt herself blushing. “Oh, I didn’t really want anything, but Camilla and Elise thought these would look good on me.”

Leo smirked, and Kamui felt her heart skip a beat. Gosh, I’m a mess tonight!

“I see,” he said with a nod. “And you didn’t have the heart to tell them no, I presume.”

Well, that comment got Kamui distracted from her thoughts about him. She was horrified to even imagine refusing the gifts. “Leo, it’s rude to turn down a gift,” she told him. “That would be so mean!”

He shrugged. “Isn’t it best to be honest?”

“Not when it hurts someone’s feelings,” Kamui huffed. Honestly, sometimes this man needed to think about others’ feelings before he spoke.

Leo’s lips turned down in a slight frown. “Let’s get your things back to the hotel,” he said, grabbing some bags from her. He started walking, and Kamui hurried to follow suit.

“I seem to have upset you again,” he murmured once they were away from the others. “I should apologize.”

Kamui felt her annoyance ease. She knew by now how blunt Leo could be unintentionally. And he seemed genuinely contrite about upsetting her.

“It’s okay,” she told him. She couldn’t stay mad at him.

Leo sighed and ran his fingers through his hair with his free hand. “I’ll admit that I’m not entirely sure why you’re upset,” he confessed quietly. “Is it because I teased you about the new additions to your wardrobe?”

Kamui shook her head. “No, it’s that it makes me sad to think about turning down a gift from someone. I’d be so heartbroken if I gave something to someone and they told me that they didn’t want it,” she explained. “I don’t want to make anyone else feel that way.” She shrugged, adjusting her grip on her shopping bags. “And I think your sisters wanted to make up for earlier.”

Leo’s frown deepened at that. “What happened earlier?” he asked.

Darn, I forgot he didn’t know about that conversation.

“Um, it’s nothing,” Kamui lied, avoiding his gaze. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Kamui, if my sisters did something to upset you, I want to know about it,” Leo insisted.

Kamui felt herself blushing at the thought of telling Leo about their conversation. “That’s sweet of you, but really, it’s okay. We’ve made up, so we’re fine now.” She took a deep breath. “We just had a…difficult and awkward conversation earlier. I’d rather not talk about it.”

Leo grimaced. “If you had an awkward conversation with Camilla involved, I probably don’t want to know about it.”

Kamui nodded. “Yeah, it was, um…enlightening.” That was one word to describe it.

Leo laughed at that. “Now I really don’t want to know what you talked about.”

Kamui smirked. Trust me, you don’t. She could only imagine his horrified reaction if she told him that his sisters had said he was in love with her. He’d probably deny it, and that really would break Kamui’s heart.

“So, um…I was thinking that maybe we could have dinner together,” Kamui blurted out, desperate to change the topic.

Leo gave her a confused look. “I thought that was a given.”

She shook her head. “I meant just the two of us, like a date.” She could feel her cheeks getting warm and prayed he wouldn’t notice.

“Oh.” Leo cleared his throat. “Well, yes, that sounds like a nice idea.”

Kamui smiled, relieved that he’d at least agreed to that. “And afterwards, do you want to take a walk on the beach? We can look for seashells and admire the sunset…” She really hoped he’d say yes; it just sounded like the sort of thing a woman would do with her husband. “It won’t be as hot, so…”

Leo nodded. “I can agree to that,” he said.

Kamui’s smile widened. “Really?” She threw her arms around him and hugged him, momentarily forgetting that they were both carrying shopping bags. “Thank you, Leo!”

“I’m not sure what exactly you’re thanking me for, but you’re welcome, I guess,” Leo replied.

Kamui kissed his cheek. “For spending time with me, silly,” she informed him.

Leo cleared his throat. “So, um… What did you want to eat?”

Kamui considered it for a moment. She’d only gotten to the part about them having a dinner date in her mind, not what they’d actually eat. “What options do we have?” she asked. “You’ve been here before, so you probably know the best places.”

She felt Leo shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t really have a preference.”

Kamui sighed. “Leo, if we’re both indecisive then we’re never going to eat dinner.”

“Whatever you want,” was his oh-so-helpful answer.

Kamui reluctantly ended the embrace and grabbed his hand. It seemed she’d just have to see what the options were herself. “Let’s go take a look, then.”

Leo didn’t follow. “I hate to break it to you, but we’re not taking your shopping bags to dinner with us,” he pointed out, holding up a couple of bags.

“Oh, right.” Kamui had honestly forgotten about all her new clothing. It would be kind of stupid to take it to dinner. “Okay. So we’ll dump this stuff in our room, and then we’ll get dinner.”

They didn’t speak much on their walk back to the hotel. Kamui didn’t mind, though. It was just nice to spend some time with Leo again.

And it gave her a little more time to mull over what his sisters had said earlier—that Leo was possibly in love with her. She was half-tempted to follow Azura’s advice and just ask him, but she was too chicken to do that. No, if he did love her (and she secretly hoped he did), she would let him tell her in his own way, at the right time. She wasn’t about to force a love confession, especially if there wasn’t a confession to make. That would just be awkward for both of them.

Since Kamui couldn’t figure out what Leo’s feelings were for her, she should probably work on sorting through her feelings for him. She thought (and hoped) that she was falling in love with him, but she still wasn’t sure.

She sighed to herself. I’ll just have to think about it later. We’re at the hotel now. This isn’t the time to daydream about Leo.

Their suite here was much larger than the place they’d stayed last night. There was a washroom, as well as a closet for each of them.

Kamui was definitely most interested in the king-sized bed, though. She flopped on the white comforter and sighed contentedly.

“Oh, it’s so soft,” she said. “We’re going to sleep so well tonight.”

“I thought we were going to eat dinner,” Leo remarked from the foot of the bed. “Don’t tell me you’re going to sleep already.”

Kamui snorted and sat up. “No.” She ran her hands over the fluffy white blanket. “You know, I never realized how nice beds are before we got married,” she mused. “I mean, I grew up with futons, so it was weird at first, but they’re so comfortable.”

“Yes, I had forgotten that people typically don’t use beds in Hoshido,” Leo remarked as he sat next to her. “You’ve certainly had a lot to adjust to, moving to Nohr.”

Kamui nodded. “But I like it.”

Leo looked slightly taken aback. “You do?”

“Mhm. Nohr has its own special charm to it. I’ve always been interested in traveling and different cultures.” Kamui smiled. “I guess I’ve come to love Nohr after getting to know you all.” She shrugged. “It’s home now.”

Leo coughed into his fist, and his cheeks reddened. “I’m glad,” he managed to say. Kamui realized too late that she must have embarrassed him somehow.

Kamui grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Yep. Well, I’m starving, so let’s go eat!” she told him cheerfully.

Leo followed her as she made her way through the different shops, looking for a place to eat. Kamui held his hand the whole time, mostly because she liked it, but partially so he wouldn’t slip away and hide in the carriage with his book. She wouldn’t put it past him.

There were too many options for dinner, honestly. There was seafood, all kinds of meat, and a few dishes Kamui was not familiar with. Her attention was ultimately drawn to a sweets shop.

“Hm. What do you say to having cake for dinner?” Kamui asked Leo.

“Kamui, you can’t just have cake for dinner,” Leo lectured.

“Yes, I can,” she said cheerfully.

“Well I don’t want cake for dinner,” Leo informed her matter-of-factly.

“How about for dessert then?” Kamui asked.

Leo sighed. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yep,” Kamui chirped. “Now since I picked out what we’re doing for dessert, you get to choose the dinner.” The truth was that she couldn’t make up her mind, so it was easier to put it on Leo. And that way they’d get something that he’d probably like. She’d noticed that he tended to be a picky eater.

“Fair enough,” Leo conceded. “At this point I just want to eat and stop aimlessly wandering around.”

Kamui realized that he was probably not enjoying himself on this impromptu date. “Oh. Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t want to waste your time.”

Leo placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her towards him. His exasperated expression didn’t make her feel any better. “Okay. First off, you do not need to apologize so often,” he began.

Kamui opened her mouth to apologize for apologizing, but he continued, “And second, you are not wasting my time.” His stern expression softened a bit, and he lowered his voice. “Shall I prove it to you?” There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that made Kamui speechless.

She nodded quietly as he leaned in closer.

He cupped her cheek with one hand, and Kamui shivered despite the warmth of his touch. She knew what was coming at this point and instinctively closed her eyes as he kissed her.

It was a gentle, tender kiss, not like the awkward ones they’d practiced before their wedding so long ago. It was like magic, and in that moment, Kamui could actually believe that maybe, just maybe, Leo loved her.

I think I love him, she realized with a start. The thought came unbidden, but it felt right.

The kiss was too brief, and Kamui found herself wanting it to last longer. She wanted more time to process her realization, to know for certain that these feelings were love. But they were in public, and they shouldn’t get too carried away.

“Have I convinced you?” Leo asked softly after they broke apart.

“Hm?” Kamui was still a little dazed. “Convinced me of what?” she mumbled.

“That you’re not wasting my time,” he reminded her.

Kamui tried to hide a smile. “It might take a little more convincing,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “J-Just not here,” she added quickly. If she seemed too eager to kiss him, Leo was going to figure out that she’d fallen for him. And that would just be embarrassing, especially if he didn’t return these feelings.

Leo just smirked. “Later then?”

Kamui smiled back. “Later,” she agreed, heart pounding in her chest. Now that she realized her feelings for him had most likely developed into love, she suddenly felt very shy around him. But she wanted to show her affection, to let him know that she cared about him. Now just wasn’t the time.

She held his hand again, intertwining their fingers. “Now, weren’t you going to take me out to dinner?”

They ended up getting some beef stew for dinner. The restaurant was crowded so the couple had a secluded table outside for their meal. And it turned out that it was a good thing they were secluded.

It all started when the food was brought out to them. The stew was a bit hot at first, so Leo waited for it to cool.

Of course Kamui decided to start eating right away. After one spoonful, she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Hot! Hot!” she gasped. Her face turned red, and her eyes watered.

She went to grab her glass of water with one hand, but her fingers slipped, and the water slipped all over the table.

Leo sighed. Looks like this is going to be an eventful dinner.

He handed his own glass of water to her. “Here, drink.”

She gratefully took the water and drank deeply.

Leo began to wipe up the water spill with their napkins.

“Oh. Oh, gosh. Thank you,” she finally said. She wiped at her eyes with her hands. “Oh, look at this mess! I’m so sorry,” she moaned. “I really messed that up.”

“That’s putting it mildly, but yes,” Leo replied as he continued wiping up the water.

Honestly the whole situation seemed like something that would happen to the maid Felicia, but Leo bit back his comment on that. It seemed like a bad thing to say in this situation, even if it was true.

“Next time, you might want to wait for your food to cool down before eating it,” he said instead.

Kamui coughed into her fist. “Yeah, that was dumb,” she admitted. “I was just so hungry, and I forgot it was hot.”

Some of the restaurant staff had arrived to help clean things up at this point. Leo let them take over with the cleaning.

By some miracle his own bowl of stew was unscathed by all of the commotion.

Kamui quietly thanked the servers for cleaning up the mess. Once the table was mostly dry, the servers left the couple alone.

Kamui just looked down at her food and stirred the stew slowly.

“So, um, can we just forget that happened?” she asked sheepishly.

“I’m afraid not,” Leo replied easily. Upon seeing her horrified expression, he continued, “I won’t mention it to anyone though.”

“Gosh, I’m so sorry,” Kamui apologized yet again.

“At least I didn’t have any books on the table when it happened,” Leo told her. He grimaced at the thought of getting any of his books wet.

“Yeah,” Kamui agreed quietly. She was avoiding eye contact again.

Leo wasn’t one for idle chitchat, so they just sat there in silence for a few minutes.

After a bit, Leo tested the temperature of the stew. “The stew should be cool enough to eat now,” he informed Kamui.

Kamui merely nodded. It seemed she was no longer in a mood to talk after all that.

They ate in silence until Kamui finally spoke. “Hey, um, can we still go on a walk at the beach after this?” she asked quietly.

“Yes,” Leo said slowly. “Unless you don’t want to.”

She sighed and rested her head in her hands. “I’m just so embarrassed,” she mumbled.

Leo wished he were one of his sisters at this point. Kamui was obviously distraught, but he knew he was not good at consoling people.

What would Camilla do? She’d probably give Kamui a big hug and get her an ice cream.

Leo wasn’t about to hop up and give Kamui a big hug right in the middle of dinner, but he could at least get her some ice cream or something.

“You wanted to get cake for dessert, right?” he verified.

Kamui’s head popped up, and she stared at him. “Y-Yeah. But I understand if you don’t want to now.”

Leo frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

She sighed. “I feel like I’ve totally ruined our date.”

“Spilling a glass of water does not constitute a ruined date,” Leo countered. Not that he really had an idea of what a successful date was.

Kamui sighed again. “Yeah, you’re right,” she conceded. “I’m sorry—I mean, thank you for being patient with me.”

Leo nodded. “Of course.” He smirked. “You can show your gratitude by devoting yourself to studying magic.” He couldn’t resist teasing her.

Kamui groaned. “Ugh. What did I sign up for?” She smiled a little, so Leo figured it was a good distraction from the dinner incident.

“You can still back out if you want to,” Leo offered. He didn’t want her to be miserable, after all.

She shook her head. “No, I want to learn magic. And I think I’ve got the best teacher.” Leo wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but he thought she might be blushing.

“I haven’t even taught you anything yet,” Leo scoffed, trying to distract himself from whatever that could mean. “How do you even know I’m a good teacher?”

Kamui smiled sweetly at him. “Oh, I just have a feeling.”

For once, Leo didn’t have a good response for her.

Kamui was so relieved that Leo didn’t seem angry with her for making a mess at dinner. He certainly had a sharp tongue, but he could be extremely patient when he wanted to. And Kamui knew that with all her blunders, she’d need someone exceptionally patient by her side. She just seemed to be making extra blunders tonight, probably because she felt so jittery around Leo right now.

After they finished dinner, they went back to the sweets shop, and Kamui’s mind turned to the sweets. And they had quite the variety of treats. From cheesecake to chocolate cake, to pumpkin pie, they seemed to have every dessert available. And—

“Tomato upside-down cake,” Leo read. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

Kamui wrinkled her nose a little. It didn’t sound very appetizing to her. “It’s certainly different.”

“It might be my new favorite dessert.”

Kamui thought he was joking at first, but he was completely serious. She knew he liked tomatoes, but this seemed a bit extreme.

She wasn’t against trying new foods, even if they didn’t seem that great.

“I’m willing to give it a try,” she offered. It was the least she could do to make up for her dinner mess.

Leo sounded thrilled. “Excellent. I’ll place our order.”

Not too much later, they were seated again, this time with two thick slices of tomato upside-down cake in front of them. The cake part looked okay, but it was the tomato slices on the top that weren’t all that appealing to Kamui.

She took a tentative bite of the cake part, leaving the tomato slices for later.

It actually didn’t taste too bad. It was sweeter than she expected, which was a good thing. The tomato flavor was subtle, so overall it wasn’t as nasty as Kamui thought it would be. She wouldn’t say it was her favorite dessert ever, but it wasn’t horrible.

Leo, on the other hand, seemed to think it was the best thing ever. “This is amazing!” he exclaimed. “To think of making my favorite food into a dessert is genius.”

Honestly, his excitement about the tomato upside-down cake was just adorable.

Kamui giggled. “I’m glad you like it,” she said.

“Yes, I might have to request that the castle chefs prepare it when we get back home,” he mused.

Kamui couldn’t help but tease him. “See, something good did come of this vacation,” she told him. “Just think, if you’d stayed home, you never would have found out about tomato upside-down cake!”

That teased a genuine smile out of him. “Yes, I suppose you do have a point there,” he agreed.

Seeing Leo this happy was worth it, even if Kamui did have to try a dessert she didn’t really like.

“What do you think of it?” Leo asked.

Kamui tried to word it nicely. “It’s alright,” she said. “I’m glad you really like it, though.”

Leo smirked. “Not your favorite, I take it?”

“That doesn’t offend you, does it?” Kamui wondered. There was no point in denying it. She just hoped it wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

He shook his head. “Why would it? People have different tastes. Just because we’re married, I don’t expect you to have the same preferences that I do.”

“That’s good,” Kamui said with a sigh of relief. She poked at a tomato slice with her fork. “I’ll try it with the tomato slice, but if I don’t like it, can I give it to you?”

Leo chuckled. “Why do I have the feeling that I’m about to have all of this to myself?”

“Sorry,” Kamui mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s fine, really,” he said. He frowned slightly. “But I don’t want you to go without dessert.”

Kamui shook her head. “It’s fine.”

“No,” Leo replied. “Tell me what you want. I’ll order it for you. That way, I’m not the only one enjoying dessert.”

“That would be nice,” Kamui agreed. “Um, the strawberry cake sounds good,” she said, picking the first thing that came to mind.

“Alright. We’ll get you that, then.”

Kamui smiled. “Thank you.” As much as she liked trying new things, she’d prefer to enjoy her dessert, after all.

After they finished their dessert (Leo ended up eating both slices of tomato upside-down cake), Kamui tentatively asked, “Can we go to the beach now? It’s getting dark, so there’s not as much sun.”

She felt kind of dumb for saying it. Of course there wouldn’t be much sunlight if it was getting dark.

Way to act like even more of an idiot on this date. At least it’s been memorable, I think.

Leo nodded. “We can walk on the beach.” He gave her a stern look. “That does not mean I am getting back in the water, though.”

“Darn,” Kamui muttered in fake disappointment. “How did you know that was my master plan?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Because I know you by now,” he replied.

“I was teasing, Leo!”

He raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t put it past you.”

Kamui giggled. He wasn’t wrong.

“Well, let’s get going!” she said, grabbing his hand to make sure he actually came. She wouldn’t put it past him to run back to his tomatoes book. Sometimes she felt like he was more interested in tomatoes than he was interested in her.

Compared to the rest of the evening, their walk on the beach was rather uneventful. Kamui’s exhaustion was finally catching up to her, and she didn’t seem to have the same level of energy that she’d had earlier today. They didn’t talk much, but Kamui didn’t mind. She was just happy to feel his warm hand in hers, the soft, cool sand between her toes, and the gentle ocean breeze on her skin.

Kamui tried to hide her yawns, but Leo saw right through her. “Tired?” he asked.

Kamui yawned again, as if to prove it. “Mhm.” She leaned against him as they meandered along the shore.

Leo put his arm around her shoulders. “We should get you to bed,” he said. “I can only imagine how late you’ll sleep in tomorrow if you stay up any later.”

“Be nice, Leo!” Kamui complained.

“I’m being practical,” Leo told her firmly, but gently. “We did a lot today, Kamui. Your body needs to sleep.”

Kamui just nodded against him. “Carry me?” she murmured.

Leo snorted. “No. Can you imagine the scene that would make? Besides, I’m tired, too.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “C’mon. Let’s get you to bed, dear.”

Kamui sighed. “Okay. Tomorrow night let’s just skip dinner and head to the beach. That way we’ll have time to look for seashells.” That was part of the reason she’d wanted to come with him at night, but she was too tired now.

“Um, I hate to break it to you, but we are having dinner tomorrow,” Leo told her as he guided her back to the hotel. “But let’s not have any more spills.”

“Leo,” Kamui groaned. “It was an accident!”

“Let’s not have a repeat then.”

Kamui’s eyelids were heavy, and she relied on Leo to guide her to their suite.

When they got to the bedroom, she laid down on the bed, too tired to change into her nightgown.

“Do you want me to do the wind spell again?” she heard Leo ask her.

She was too tired to care, so she didn’t reply. She felt kind of bad, just going to bed like this. She’d wanted this night to be special, and all she could do was fall asleep on him.

After a moment of silence, Leo sighed. “It seems you’ve already fallen asleep, huh? Well, goodnight, Kamui.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. That was the last thing Kamui remembered before she fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

Kamui came to sometime in the middle of the night. The room was still dark, so it probably wasn’t morning yet. Leo would have been up if that were the case; Kamui almost never woke up before Leo did, a fact that he constantly teased her about.

But no, Leo was sound asleep beside her, snoring softly. Kamui smiled to herself; Leo would be so embarrassed if he knew she’d caught him snoring. It was kind of endearing, though. And he’d probably seen worse with her since he seemed to always wake up before she did. Oh, she hoped he hadn’t caught her drooling in her sleep—that was ten times more embarrassing than snoring! (At least if he had caught her drooling, he’d never said anything.)

Kamui was still tired, but her mind was alert. Sleep eluded her, so she just watched Leo sleep. She absentmindedly brushed some of his hair out of his face. He stirred a little in his sleep, but didn’t fully wake up. That was good: Kamui would feel terrible if she’d woken him with her caress. Unable to help herself, she pressed a kiss to his warm cheek.

Gosh, I love him. Like earlier, the thought came unexpectedly, but Kamui didn’t panic at the realization this time. Yes, she loved this insufferable genius boy who tried to hide behind a cold exterior, but was really a sweetheart deep down. How did I not realize it sooner?

She snuggled closer to him, and it was then that she realized Leo was wearing his pajamas while she was still in her white dress from the day before. It was probably horribly wrinkled by this point, and Kamui was a tad embarrassed she’d fallen asleep without changing. The bodice especially was a bit too tight to sleep in, so after a few minutes of debating it, she got up to change into something more comfortable.

It was dark, and Leo was asleep, so she didn’t feel the need to change in the closet or washroom. She padded barefoot over to her luggage and started going through it mostly by touch, trying to find a nightgown. She got fed up with going through the same clothes without any luck, so she started dumping her clothes on the floor in a pile.

She thought she was being quiet, but she heard Leo roll over in the bed. She froze, hoping he wouldn’t come to, but of course that wasn’t the case.

“Kamui?” she heard him ask in a rough whisper. “What are you doing?”

She jumped a little at the sound of his voice. “Oh, uh, Leo,” she stammered. Darn. I thought I was being quiet. “Um, it’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Now he sat up in bed, instead of going back to sleep. “You didn’t answer my question,” he told her bluntly. It was dark, but she could feel his piercing gaze on her.

She sighed. “I’m getting changed. I fell asleep in my clothes, and I’m trying to find my nightgown,” she admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

She could easily imagine him rolling his eyes at her dumb question. “No, I normally wake up at this time of night to find my wife throwing her clothes around the room.”

“H-Hey, I’m not throwing them! And I was trying to be quiet.” Kamui sighed. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

She heard Leo yawn. “It’s okay,” he mumbled. “Heh. I thought you said we’d sleep well tonight.”

“Look, I don’t know why I woke up,” Kamui replied defensively. “Just please go back to sleep. I’ll join you in a minute.”

He yawned again. “If you’re sure.” Kamui was relieved to hear him lay down again. Hopefully he could get back to sleep quickly.

“Yep,” Kamui told him brightly. “Goodnight, Leo.”

“Goodnight,” he mumbled in reply.

Kamui turned back to her luggage, trying to find her nightgown in the dark. She was trying to be discrete, but after a few minutes, Leo spoke again.

“Ugh. Do you need help?” he grumbled. “It’s impossible to get back to sleep with the racket you’re making.”

Kamui squeaked. “Oh, sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll try to be quieter.” She really didn’t think she was being that noisy.

Kamui yelped when the room was suddenly lit with a soft glowing light, giving her a clearer view of Leo sitting on the bed. A small orb of light hovered over the palm of his hand, illuminating his face.

“L-Leo,” she gasped. “How did you…?”

“Kamui, I’m a mage,” he reminded her in a flat tone. “I perfectly capable of casting a simple light spell without a tome.”

Kamui wasn’t even aware that spells could be cast without the use of a scroll or tome, but she didn’t voice that. It was the middle of the night, Leo was half-asleep, and the last thing he wanted to do right now was explain how he could use magic without a tome.

“How can you even see a thing you’re doing?” Leo grumbled as he got out of bed and joined her on the floor.

Actually the last thing he wanted to do was help his silly wife find her nightgown.

Kamui was embarrassed to see her clothes scattered all across the floor. She panicked when she noticed that some of her underclothing was in the mix, clearly visible to Leo in this lighting. She hastily scooped it up in her arms, trying to hide it from him. This is so embarrassing!

Leo quickly averted his gaze when he realized what she was holding. His eyes skimmed over the clothes for a moment. Then he grabbed a black nightgown from the pile of clothes she’d taken out of the luggage. “Is this it?” he asked.

Kamui snatched it from his hand. “Yes,” she said hastily. “Thank you.” She felt her cheeks warm. “Um, can you look away, please? I’m going to change, and…”

Leo seemed to get the message. He turned and returned to the bed. The light went out as suddenly as it had appeared.

“I’ll be quick,” Kamui told him as she hastily changed into her nightgown. He was probably so annoyed with her by this point.

“Mhm,” was his only response.

Kamui was able to change in the dark, but she stubbed her toe on the bedframe when she tried to get back in bed.

“Ow,” she hissed.

Leo sighed. “You okay?”

Her foot throbbed, but she’d probably be fine. “Yeah, I just stubbed my toe,” she muttered. Can this get any worse?

“Mm.”

Kamui sighed as she slipped beneath the sheets again. “Sorry about all this,” she whispered. “Goodnight, Leo.”

“Night.” It was clear Leo didn’t want her to bug him anymore tonight.

Kamui closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but she was just so restless. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t in her own bed (or, well, Leo’s bed), or the fact that she was still embarrassed about everything tonight, but she couldn’t get back to sleep. She tossed and turned, trying different positions, but her brain refused to let her sleep.

After about thirty minutes of this, she wondered if Leo had managed to fall asleep again, or if he was also restless. If he was awake, then maybe talking to him could help her relax.

“Hey, Leo?” she whispered, unsure if he would even reply.

There was silence, then she heard him sigh. “Yes?”

“Are you awake?” She grimaced. What a stupid question! Of course he’s awake if he’s answering you!

“No, Kamui, I’m sound asleep,” Leo deadpanned, quite clearly awake, and probably annoyed. “What is it?”

Kamui sat up and hugged her knees. “Oh, I was just wondering if you were asleep,” she said sheepishly. “It’s nothing.”

“I don’t believe you,” he replied. “And perhaps I’d be asleep if someone didn’t keep bothering me at this ridiculous hour.”

Yep. He’s mad.

“Sorry,” Kamui said hastily. “I’ll leave you alone.”

Leo turned towards her and sighed. “Clearly neither of us is going to sleep anytime soon.”

“I’ll be quiet so you can sleep,” Kamui promised. Why did I think talking to him in the middle of the night was a good idea?!

“It’s not just the talking, Kamui,” Leo told her. “There’s no way I can sleep with you tossing and turning every ten seconds.”

“Sorry,” Kamui squeaked.

“You’re normally not this restless, Kamui,” Leo observed. He paused a moment. “Did something happen?” he asked in a gentler tone.

Kamui sighed. “I don’t know. I just woke up and I haven’t been able to get back to sleep.”

“There must be some reason,” Leo replied.

“Well…” Kamui thought about it for a moment. “I guess I got a little distracted by you,” she recalled.

“Me?” Kamui didn’t need to see his face to know that he was utterly confused. “What in the world are you talking about? I’ve been asleep.”

Kamui felt herself blushing. How was she supposed to admit that she’d been distracted by how cute he was and how she’d realized that she loved him? Was that really the reason she couldn’t sleep? Ugh. I feel like such an idiot.

“I—I don’t know what I’m saying anymore,” Kamui finally said. “I’m tired and not making any sense.”

“No, you aren’t making sense,” Leo agreed. He paused, then added, “I hope I wasn’t snoring or anything.”

Kamui giggled despite herself. “Well, maybe a little bit. But I think it’s kind of cute!” The instant those words left her mouth, she wanted to smack herself. What am I doing, saying that to his face?!

“Cute,” Leo repeated in a neutral tone. It was obvious he was hiding whatever his actual reaction to that was. (It probably wasn’t a positive one.)

“Um, yeah,” Kamui said, laughing nervously.

“So you couldn’t sleep because you thought my snoring was cute,” Leo surmised in a flat tone.

Kamui rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. This was so embarrassing!

“Yes, no, I don’t know,” she mumbled into the pillow.

“Thank you for that helpful response,” Leo said sarcastically.

“Sorry,” Kamui mumbled. “I should probably just stop talking now, huh?”

“Well, I would like to try to get back to sleep,” Leo replied. “But are you going to be able to sleep?”

That was a good question.

“Um, I’m not really sure,” Kamui admitted sheepishly. She laid back down and scooted closer to him. She hesitated a moment before resting her head on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. She smiled when Leo wrapped his arms around her. “I’ll try to sleep, though,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

“Okay.”

Kamui sighed. “You make a good pillow, Leo.”

Leo’s heart started to pound beneath her ear, getting louder and faster with every beat. He didn’t say anything, but Kamui could tell that her comment had made him uncomfortable. She wished she could take those words back, but she’d already said them. She considered apologizing, but that would probably make it worse. So she said nothing, pretending that she’d fallen asleep again.

It took a few minutes, but Leo’s heartbeat eventually returned to its normal pace. His body relaxed, and his breathing became deeper and more even. Kamui sighed in relief. Seems like he was able to get back to sleep. That’s good.

It wasn’t too long after that when Kamui drifted off again, sleeping in her dear husband’s arms.

Leo was not well-rested when he woke up to sunlight streaming into the room. Even though the curtains were drawn, it was too bright in the room, nothing like Nohr was. His body wasn’t used to this much light so early in the day.

Kamui slept peacefully in his arms, her head resting on his chest. Leo was relieved that she’d eventually fallen asleep again. He’d been worried that she’d be up all night with insomnia. Unfortunately, he found himself in the same dilemma he’d faced the past few days—he was unable to get up for the day without waking Kamui.

What was it she said again? I make a good pillow? Well, if that’s what got Kamui to sleep, Leo could manage being her pillow or whatever.

He sighed as he watched her sleeping face. Guess I’m sleeping in today. That was probably a good thing, really, since they’d been up in the night. And it meant that he would have less time to spend at the beach, which was always a good thing in his book.

Unable to fall back asleep, Leo finally decided to get his book, just to occupy his mind while Kamui slept in. He still had a few chapters left to read in the tomato book, then he’d have to find something new to read. Careful not to wake Kamui, Leo reached over to the bedside and grabbed his book.

It was about an hour before Kamui stirred at all. She nuzzled him with her head and moaned softly in her sleep. Leo thought she was waking up, but she just sighed and buried her face in his chest again. It was cute, but Leo really did feel extremely lazy just laying in bed all morning. Of course, the alternative was being dragged out to the beach by his family. After considering it for a moment, Leo decided he’d stay in bed a little longer.

It was still a little strange, being married and waking up to seeing Kamui next to him every morning, but Leo found that he actually kind of liked it. She was warm, beautiful, and one of the kindest people he’d ever met. Perhaps this was an arranged marriage, but Leo thought—not for the first time—that he’d really lucked out with this particular arrangement.

Of course it was only a matter of time before Leo’s mind wandered from thinking about Kamui to other things, such as how to start her magic lessons. At least, he hoped she was still willing to learn magic from him. First he’d have to assess what prior knowledge she had, if any. And then if she had learned a little about magic, it would have been with scrolls, not tomes, so he’d have to account for that. Actually, he was curious about using Hoshidan scrolls in general. Perhaps he could obtain some and—

A sudden loud knock at the door dissipated those thoughts.

Kamui jolted awake, meeting Leo’s gaze with confused eyes.

“Leo! Kamui! Are you in there?” Elise called out in a sing-song voice.

Leo groaned. Of course. Of course his little sister would decide to get them up for the day. Just his luck.

Kamui sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. “What a wakeup call,” she mumbled.

Elise continued her pounding.

“Leo! Niles said to tell you that the honeymoon is over!”

Well that certainly got Leo flustered. Innocent Elise probably didn’t even understand what Niles was implying, but he certainly did. And nothing of the sort was going on anyway.

He got out of bed and opened the door a crack.

Elise’s large violet eyes stared back at him. “Good morning, Big Brother!”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “Elise, you woke up my wife,” he hissed.

From the bed, Leo heard Kamui say, “I was getting up anyway! It’s okay, Leo.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was stretching her arms above her head, silvery hair shimmering in the morning sunlight. She gave him a huge smile when she noticed him looking.

“See, Kamui says it’s alright!” Elise chirped from the doorway. “You’re just being a grouchypants.” She stuck her tongue out at him and pushed her way past Leo into the room. She hopped on the bed and embraced Kamui, who returned the hug.

Leo sighed. Looked like he was losing this one.

“I’ve been waiting for hours for you to get up,” Elise told Kamui. “I’ve got so many things I want to do with you today.”

Kamui giggled and patted Elise’s head. “That sounds like a lot of fun.” She glanced over at Leo, who was still standing in the open doorway. “Is it okay if Leo joins us, too?”

Based on the girls’ activities yesterday, Leo inwardly cringed. He did not want to be dragged along to a shopping trip just so he could carry the bags. Or worse, what if they wanted him to get new clothes, too?

“But he’s so grumpy,” Elise whined. “Except when he’s with you,” she added with a giggle.

Leo groaned. “Elise, I’m standing right here.” And he didn’t like the way Elise phrased that. It was like she was trying to hint that Leo liked her, which wasn’t far from the truth, but he didn’t want his little sister pointing it out to Kamui.

Elise turned and gave him a dirty look. “Yeah, why are you still here?”

Leo’s patience was thinning. “This happens to be my room, Elise.”

“Elise, be nice to Leo,” Kamui cut in gently. “He’s still waking up.”

“I’m quite awake, thank you very much,” Leo ground out. “I’ve been awake for over the last hour.”

Elise shook her head. “Yeesh, you’re extra grumpy today, Big Brother. Did you not get enough sleep or something?”

Leo noted that Kamui grimaced when Elise wasn’t looking. She probably blamed herself for that. Leo didn’t necessarily blame her, but it was true that he hadn’t gotten the best sleep last night.

“Perhaps,” Leo replied curtly.

“Ah, it’s my fault, Elise,” Kamui admitted. “I kept him up when he should have been sleeping.”

Leo quietly thanked the gods that comment went over Elise’s head. If it were anyone else—especially Niles—they’d probably interpret that in a different way.

Of course Kamui didn’t seem to notice the double meaning to her words, either. “I’m sorry, Leo,” was all she said.

“Well, you can take a nap, Big Brother,” was Elise’s response. “And I’m going to kidnap my new Big Sister while you get your beauty sleep, okay?” She grabbed Kamui’s hand and led her towards the door.

“Elise, I do not need a nap,” Leo snapped. He grabbed Kamui’s free arm and pulled her against his chest. “And don’t even think about kidnapping my wife,” he added.

Kamui just looked bemused at the tug-of-war between the siblings.

“Ugh. But you hog her all the time!” Elise complained.

“Elise, she’s my wife!”

“Well, she’s my big sister!”

“Hey, let’s all just take a deep breath and calm down,” Kamui suggested. Right now she was pressed against Leo’s chest, but Elise was still tugging on her arm. “This is silly. I love both of you, so I’ll spend time with both of you.”

Leo froze at those words. Kamui…loved him? He swallowed thickly and cursed his pounding heart. Since Kamui was pressed against him, she could probably hear it, which was mortifying.

It took Kamui a moment to realize what she’d said. Her face turned bright red, and she avoided looking at Leo. “Oh, uh…That is…”

“Ooh! Kamui loves Leo!” Elise squealed. “I knew it!”

“E-Elise, that’s not what I—” Kamui protested.

Leo released his hold on Kamui, so Elise grabbed both of her hands and twirled her around. “So, when did you confess?” the youngest princess asked. “And who confessed first?”

Kamui exchanged a panicked look with Leo. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

Of course Camilla showed up right then. “Elise, what have you gotten up to?” Leo’s older sister asked. She gasped when she saw the commotion. “Oh, my.” She glanced between Leo and Kamui’s startled expressions. “You didn’t wake Leo and Kamui up, did you?”

“Big Sister! Kamui loves Leo!” Elise said brightly.

“I—I said I love you, too, Elise,” Kamui stuttered. “S-So…”

Camilla noticed the tension in the room. “Elise, darling. Leo and Kamui still need to get dressed. Let’s give them a little privacy, okay?” She took Elise’s hand and lead their little sister out of the room. “Have fun, you two,” she said with a wink. Then, she closed the door, leaving Leo and Kamui alone.

Both of them seemed frozen in place. It was so quiet that Leo wondered if Kamui could hear his heart pounding in the silence.

Finally, Kamui was the first one to move. She ran her hand through her tangled hair and laughed nervously. “W-Well, I think I’m going to use the washroom first, if that’s okay with you,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

Leo just nodded. What could he say? His normally sharp mind was still trying to process what in the world had happened. Kamui said she loved both of them. Did that just mean as friends? Well, in Elise’s case they were sisters now, so it could be a familial love for her. But for Leo? Did Kamui love him as a friend, or was she in love with him? Or perhaps she hadn’t really meant that she loved him at all.

But well, the damage was done. Elise had been there and interpreted it one way, and now she was sharing the news with the whole world.

Kamui’s quiet voice brought him back to reality. “Leo?”

He looked at her. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she nibbled her lip nervously.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to say it like that, a-and especially not in front of Elise.”

“It’s okay,” Leo mumbled, speaking for the first time since she’d said those words. “You just woke up. People say things they don’t mean when they’re mostly asleep.”

Her eyes widened, and she gaped at him. “You—You think I didn’t mean it?”

“Why would you?” he asked, averting his gaze. “This is a political marriage, so it’s not like I expected you to—I know I’m not the most pleasant person in the world.”

“Leo,” she breathed. She padded over to him and placed her warm hands on his shoulders. “I don’t think that about you,” she murmured. “I actually like you…a lot. Sure, you’re not perfect, but no one is. Actually, I find your blunders, well, kind of charming,” she admitted. “But there’s so much more to you than that. You’re brilliant, funny, and sweet.”

She placed her hand on his cheek, turning his head to meet her gentle gaze. “Sorry, I don’t really know how to tell you this, but…” She took a deep breath. “I love you, Leo.”

Leo just gaped at her for a moment. His brain was telling him to kiss her, to tell her that he loved her too, but his body wouldn’t move.

“I’m sorry if that’s so hard for you to believe,” Kamui said after a moment, dropping her gaze. “But it’s the truth. I’m sorry if that makes things even more awkward between us.”

When Leo didn’t reply, she dropped her hands and took a step back.

“W-Well, I’m going to get cleaned up, so…” She turned away from him.

Wait, no. This isn’t how this is supposed to happen.

Leo finally got his body to respond, grabbing her wrist before she could walk away. “Wait,” he said hoarsely.

She stopped and turned back to face him. It pained him to see unshed tears in her beautiful eyes. He tilted her chin up and leaned down to kiss her deeply. He placed his hand between her shoulder blades and pulled her against him.

It took Kamui a moment to respond, but then her hands were in his hair, and she was kissing him back.

Leo found himself trembling with relief. He loved her, and by some miracle she loved him back.

It was a few minutes before they broke apart, gasping for air.

Kamui’s eyes were shining, and her full lips were parted. Leo didn’t feel like words were enough to convey the depth of his feelings towards her, but she needed to hear it, too.

“I love you, too, Kamui,” Leo breathed. “Gods, I can’t believe you feel the same way.”

Kamui was quiet for a moment, searching his face for something. “You do?”

Leo smiled gently at her. “Yes, Kamui. It seems I’ve fallen madly in love with you.” It felt like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders, finally being able to say those words to her.

Kamui broke into a grin and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Leo,” she breathed, resting her head on his chest. “I’m—I’m so happy.” Her voice broke a little on the last word. She laughed through her tears. “I can’t believe I said that in front of Elise, but it’s probably a good thing I did. I don’t think I’d have the courage to tell you otherwise.”

Leo chuckled. “Me neither,” he admitted. “I’ve been hiding these feelings for weeks. To know that you feel the same way, it means the world to me.”

Instead of replying, Kamui pulled his face down to kiss him again and again.

After some time, they just held each other, enjoying each other’s warmth.

“So, now what?” Kamui asked, breaking the silence between them. “I mean, normally you’d propose or something, right? But we’re already married so…”

Leo breathed out a laugh. Their situation was a little odd, after all. “I suppose that makes things a little easier, then,” he said. In a moment of boldness, he added, “And it’s not like we’ve…consummated or anything, so…”

“Tonight?” Kamui asked quietly. “I mean, it’s the middle of the day now, so it would be kind of silly to do it now, especially when your family is expecting us…”

“Tonight,” Leo promised, pressing another brief kiss to her lips. “I should probably let you get ready for the day now.”

Kamui giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You should, too,” she said. “After all, while I think it’s cute that your nightshirt is buttoned all wrong, I don’t think the rest of the world would agree.”

Leo looked down, and sure enough, his shirt buttons were all in the wrong holes. “Ack! Kamui, why didn’t you say anything sooner?” I can’t believe I confessed to her when I was dressed so ridiculously!

Kamui just laughed. “Aw, but we were having a moment, Leo. I think it would have ruined it. Besides, I think it’s part of your natural charm,” she added, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Chapter Text

Kamui was in a daze the rest of the day after the events of the morning. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that she’d accidentally told Leo that she loved him in front of Elise, and then he told her that he loved her, too. She was very lucky that he returned those feelings, or else things could have gotten really awkward between them.

As it was, it was a bit awkward being around his family that day, with all the knowing looks they kept giving Kamui and Leo.

But what are we to do? Kamui mused over lunch. We’re already married, so it’s not we can announce our engagement or anything. And making an official announcement that we’re in love just sounds really awkward and dumb. Besides, Elise probably already told everyone anyway.

“So Kamui, did Leo and you have a nice chat?” Camilla asked in a low voice.

Kamui could feel herself blushing. Just how much did Camilla know or suspect?

“Um, yeah, we did,” Kamui stuttered. Perhaps there was a bit more kissing than talking, but she wasn’t about to share that tidbit with anyone.

“I’m glad, dear,” Camilla replied, giving Kamui’s shoulders a gentle squeeze. “You’ve both seemed much happier today.”

Kamui imagined her blush was deepening.

Fortunately Leo came to her rescue right then.

“Kamui,” Leo said, handing her a glass of red liquid. “Here’s a drink.”

Kamui had asked Leo to get her a drink, but she didn’t know what this red drink could be.

Perhaps it’s some yummy tropical drink I’ve never tried.

“Thank you, Leo,” she said as she accepted the glass.

She took a sip and was overcome with a salty flavor that she didn’t expect. The drink was thicker than most juices she’d tried, and there was a flavor she couldn’t quite name. Overall, it was disgusting.

She tried not to make a face at the unpleasant taste.

“Um, what is this?” she asked.

“Only the best drink summer has to offer: tomato juice,” Leo informed her with a smirk.

Ugh. Of course he would get me tomato juice! And after that tomato cake last night! Goodness, this man and tomatoes…

“Oh, um. It’s different,” she said, trying to think of something nice to say. “It’s my first time having it.” Leo had told her last night that he wasn’t offended that she didn’t enjoy the tomato upside-down cake, but she still felt bad telling him outright that she thought tomato juice was disgusting, especially in front of his family.

Camilla covered a laugh with her hand. “Oh, Leo. Don’t make poor Kamui drink that nasty stuff.”

All of the Nohrian royal family members were focused on Kamui’s reaction.

“It’s okay. It’s fun to try new things,” Kamui said diplomatically.

Elise burst into giggles, too. Apparently Kamui wasn’t making a very convincing case.

Leo just rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to pretend to like it, Kamui,” he said. “It’s clear from your expression that you don’t like it.”

He took the glass back from her. “I’m not going to let this go to waste, though, so if you don’t want it, I’ll have it,” he continued. He took a long sip. “Ah, refreshing,” he commented, apparently seeing—or tasting—something that Kamui didn’t.

“Ooh, they’re sharing a drink!” Elise squealed.

“How scandalous,” Niles commented with a smirk. “But they are married, so they’ve probably shared much more than just a drink.”

Kamui felt her face turn bright red at his implications.

Leo was also blushing furiously. “N-Niles!” he sputtered. “Keep your obscene comments to yourself. No one wants to hear them.”

Camilla burst out laughing, clearly amused by her husband’s remarks. “Now, Niles. Do be nice to my little brother and sister. Leo hates the beach already; we don’t want to make him even more miserable.” Her hand dropped to her stomach. “But perhaps we should take this opportunity to share our news,” she said.

Based on Camilla’s gesture, Kamui had a feeling she knew where this was going.

“Ah, yes. I’ll let you do the honors,” Niles remarked.

Camilla was beaming. “Niles and I are expecting a baby!” she announced happily, confirming Kamui’s suspicions.

There was a chorus of congratulations from the rest of the family.

“Big sister, that is the best news ever!” Elise squealed, giving Camilla a big hug. She patted Camilla’s tummy, which was still flat. “Ah, hello, little niece or nephew!”

“How far along are you?” Xander asked.

“I’m about two months along,” Camilla told them. “The healers think I should have the baby in January of next year.”

Kamui felt a mix of excitement with a pang of sadness. It had only been a few months ago that Orochi had announced her own pregnancy before she’d had a miscarriage.

“That’s wonderful news, you two,” she told Camilla and Niles. “I’m sure you’ll be great parents.”

“Lord Leo, you’re speechless,” Niles commented with a smirk. “Guess you didn’t expect your retainer to get your sister pregnant, huh?”

Leo was just kind of gaping at them. “What? No, you’re married so it’s perfectly fine,” he finally said. “I suppose I should congratulate you.”

“Thank you, Leo,” Camilla said, still smiling. “I suppose this explains why I’ve not been feeling all that well lately. But it was Kamui’s first time coming to the beach with us, so I couldn’t miss this vacation!” She glanced down at her stomach. “And I guess it’s the baby’s first time coming, too. I bet they’ll have a lot more fun when they’re not in Mommy’s tummy, though.”

“Ooh! It will be so fun to have a baby at the beach with us next year!” Elise squealed. “You gotta let me help pick out names!”

Camilla just chuckled. “It’s a bit early to think about that, but I’d love your input, dear sister.”

Kamui noticed that Charlotte was oddly silent, but she decided not to mention it to anyone. Perhaps she just wasn’t feeling well today. After all, she’d had no problem telling Kamui that Leo was in love with her yesterday. It seemed Charlotte had been more spot on than Kamui wanted to admit.

Kamui cast a side glance at Leo, who was busy drinking that nasty tomato juice he’d gotten her. Well, okay, he didn’t think it was nasty, but Kamui certainly did.

Fortunately for Kamui, Elise was so thrilled about Camilla’s announcement that the younger girl completely forgot about all her plans for Kamui today. That meant that Kamui was freed up to spend more time with Leo.

“So, do you think we can do my magic lessons this afternoon?” Kamui asked him shyly.

Leo gave her a surprised look. “You’re still serious about that?”

She nodded. To be honest, now that she was married to a mage, she’d developed an interest in magic in general. And she was embarrassed to admit it, but she found Leo’s magical abilities quite attractive. She wouldn’t say no to seeing more of him in action.

“Very well, then,” Leo said when he noticed her determination. His tapped his long fingers on the table. Lunch had ended, and they were the only two left in the dining area. “I don’t believe they have a library here, so we’d need to find somewhere else to have our lessons.”

“Well, there’s always our room,” Kamui suggested with a blush.

Leo nodded. “That would be acceptable. Can you give me a few minutes to prepare something?”

Kamui smiled brightly. “Of course. I’m sorry I’m springing this on you all of a sudden.”

“You don’t need to apologize, dear,” Leo told her. “I’m happy to help.”

“Thank you.” Kamui pressed a brief kiss to his cheek. “You’re the best!” She grabbed his warm hand. “Shall we get going, then?”

She was giddy at his blush. Goodness, did he know how absolutely adorable he was?

“Kamui, I do need to prepare first,” Leo reminded her.

“I know,” she said brightly. “I can just read while you’re preparing. It can be like that study date we had a couple months ago.”

“The one where we hardly spoke to each other?”

Kamui bit back a laugh. That had been pretty awkward. “Well, I hope we’ll interact a little more than that time,” she hinted.

“Certainly,” Leo said as he stood. “After all, if I am to be your teacher, we’ll need to interact somewhat.” He held her hand on the way back to their room.

After Leo closed the door behind them, Kamui fought the urge to pull him to the bed and start kissing him. Focus, Kamui. You’re not here for that right now.

To distract herself from such thoughts, Kamui looked around for her novel. Unfortunately, since she’d kind of dumped the contents of her luggage all over the floor last night, it was kind of hard to find what she was looking for.

“Hey, Leo?” she called out. “Can I look at your tomato book?”

Leo gave her an amused look. “You want to read about tomatoes?” he asked. “I did not expect you to say that, especially after you’ve expressed a distaste for the most divine food.”

“Well, you like tomatoes, so I was kind of curious,” Kamui said defensively. “And it’s not like I have to eat tomatoes; I’d just be reading about them.”

Leo pulled the book off the nightstand and handed it to her. “Suit yourself,” he said. “Perhaps you’ll change your mind about the divinity of tomatoes.”

Kamui rolled her eyes. “Probably not, but this is mostly just to entertain me while you do your preparation things.”

“Well, I don’t know how much preparation I can do at the moment. If we were home, I’d have more basic spell books at my disposal, but I only brought a few with me.”

Kamui giggled. “Leo, you basically brought your own library with you.”

“That doesn’t mean I brought spell books for beginners,” Leo pointed out. “I think most of these would be a little too advanced to start with.”

“Probably,” Kamui agreed as she made herself comfortable on the bed and opened the tomato book. “Hm. I wonder if there’s such a thing as a tomato tome,” she mused. “You could blast your enemy with a bunch of tomatoes.”

Leo snorted. “Yes, I’m sure I’d make a fearsome foe on the battlefield with a tomato tome,” he said sarcastically. “Why didn’t I think of that before? It would be such an improvement from using the divine tome Brynhildr.”

“You’d be really cute if you did,” Kamui said with a laugh.

Leo shot her a dirty look. “Kamui, one should not appear cute on the battlefield.”

“Aw, but you’d distract your enemies with your adorableness, and then you could take them out while they’re distracted. I think it’s a brilliant tactic,” Kamui teased.

Leo sighed. “Remind me to never put you in charge of battlefield tactics,” he muttered. “Now, did you want me to teach you about magic sometime in the next year? Because at the rate we’re going, I won’t be able to even teach you the simplest of spells by the end of the week.”

“Oh, oops.” Kamui ducked her head in embarrassment. “Sorry, I’ll be quiet so you can plan, Professor Leo.”

And she was quiet after that. She just wasn’t really focused on the tomatoes book. Instead, she kept sneaking glances at Leo while he went through various books and tomes on the other side of the bed. It was kind of fun to just watch him work. He was so diligent and thorough as he made notes on the side. And his flaxen hair was really pretty with the way the light hit it. His studious expression was also kind of charming in a way. And his long fingers as he flipped through the pages…Kamui found herself daydreaming about him touching her with those fingers as he kissed her. And she’d run her hands through his hair…

With a start she realized that she was really zoning out. Here Leo was, graciously giving his time to tutor her in magic, and all she could do was stare at him like a lovesick fool. It wasn’t really his fault that he was just so handsome, but it was proving to be quite the distraction for her.

Leo caught her looking at him a couple times. Each time, she quickly averted her gaze to the same page in her book. Okay, so she’d read the first paragraph of the book, and that was as far as she got. Leo was just so much more enticing than a book about tomatoes could be.

“You okay?” he finally asked her after catching her staring for the umpteenth time.

Kamui blushed and automatically looked down at her book. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Hm. I can tell you’re simply fascinated by that book,” Leo deadpanned.

“Sorry. You’re just a bit more interesting than some book,” Kamui blurted out like an idiot.

Leo’s cheeks reddened at that comment. “I suppose I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said after an awkward moment.

Kamui had the urge to smack her forehead with the book. Ugh. I’m acting like such an idiot!

“Um…yeah…It’s a compliment,” she stuttered. “Hey, can I take a look at Brynhildr?” she asked to change the subject.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Why? It’s not like you’d be able to cast from it.”

Kamui blushed. “Well, I’m just curious. Ryoma and Takumi have let me hold their divine weapons even though I can’t use them.”

Leo sighed but passed Brynhildr to her. “You do know you’re making it really hard to focus, right?”

Kamui’s blush deepened as she pressed Brynhildr to her bosom. “Oh, ah…Sorry about that,” she murmured. “Would it be better if I left?”

Leo shook his head. “No, you can stay here. Besides, I don’t like the idea of letting you loose with Brynhildr, even if you can’t use it.”

Kamui stroked the cover of the divine tome. Even with her meager magical abilities, she could sense the power thrumming through it, just like when she’d held Raijinto and the Fujin Yumi. “I’ll be careful with it,” she promised.

She opened the tome and started flipping through it. There was a lot of text in a language she didn’t recognize. There were also some illustrations throughout the pages, usually of various plants.

“Wow,” she murmured. “Can you really understand all of this?”

Leo didn’t look up from his book. “I have spent endless hours studying it, but yes, I can,” he replied.

Kamui smiled to herself. “That’s so impressive. You’re so smart.” Smart didn’t even begin to cover it.

She giggled as his cheeks turned pink again. He was just so adorable. He didn’t deign to reply, but just turned back to his work.

Kamui was tempted to bug him some more, but she held herself back. Leo seemed quite serious about teaching her magic, and it wouldn’t do for her to distract him while he prepared to teach her. Besides, she was curious about magic anyway. Who better to learn from than an expert?

Kamui entertained herself by going through Brynhildr. She mouthed the foreign words to herself, trying to figure out how to pronounce them. She didn’t actually try to say them, though. She’d probably mess it up and make herself look like even more of a fool in front of Leo.

Kamui laid on her stomach, propping Brynhildr up on the pillows. It was warm and comfortable here, and she soon found her eyelids drooping. After having insomnia last night and dealing with the craziness of their morning, Kamui felt incredibly sleepy.

I’ll just close my eyes for a minute, she decided. I’ll just rest until Leo is ready…

Trying to prepare a magic lesson with Kamui sitting right there was incredibly distracting for Leo. When she wasn’t asking him questions or teasing him, Leo kept catching her sneaking glances at him. It was very difficult to focus on anything but her.

After a while, the banter between them quieted, and Leo was able to actually get some work done. Kamui had taken to flipping through Brynhildr for whatever reason, but at least she was being quiet now.

Leo didn’t notice how oddly silent she was until he turned to let her know he was finally ready to begin their lesson.

“Kamui?”

Kamui was laying on her stomach, head resting on her arms. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing deeply. Brynhildr was on the pillow, open to a page about vine spells.

Leo rolled his eyes. Of course she’d fall asleep right when he was ready to begin. The woman seemed to be able to fall asleep in almost any situation. He was tempted to wake her, but she was just so peaceful that he let her sleep. It wasn’t going to be a very productive lesson if his wife was too sleepy to pay attention anyway. Learning magic required a sharp and alert mind, or else one was prone to make mistakes.

Leo closed Brynhildr and quietly put the divine tome away. He looked at his stack of books and notes on the bed. All this work, and his wife had fallen asleep on him. At least I’m better prepared for the next time we try magic lessons.

Leo cleared off the bed, neatly stacking his books on the dresser. He was not about to follow Kamui’s example and scatter his things all over the floor. Their room was messy enough without adding his belongings to the chaos.

Leo sat next to Kamui on the bed and absentmindedly caressed her silvery hair. Even though it tended to get tangled, it was soft and silky to the touch. His fingers brushed the tip of her ear, and that gave him pause.

He’d already noticed that Kamui had pointed ears—they stood out quite a bit—but he’d never given it much thought. But now that he did think about it, Leo couldn’t recall any other person he’d seen with ears like Kamui’s. It was almost like she was ethereal, like a fair magical creature from a faraway land. Leo had met King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto—neither of them had ears like Kamui’s. And if he hadn’t been told, Leo would have never made the connection that they were Kamui’s biological parents. If he had to choose which one she resembled more, he’d have to go with Queen Mikoto, but even then there were many differences.

It’s almost like…she was adopted or something… Did Kamui know? She’d never mentioned to Leo that the king and queen of Hoshido weren’t her biological parents, so Leo had just assumed they were…The whole thing was an intriguing mystery to him. He’d have to ask Kamui sometime if she knew anything about her heritage. Now that Leo thought about it, the more convinced he was that at least one of Kamui’s parents was not her biological parent.

I wonder if our kids will have pointed ears… Leo felt strange imagining what their hypothetical child would look like, but now that they were going to take that next step in their relationship, there was the possibility that children wouldn’t be too far in the future for them.

The thought scared Leo. He knew that he wasn’t ready to be a father yet. And he’d just found out today that he was going to be an uncle. Well, it was his second time getting that news, but since Orochi had a miscarriage, Leo wasn’t getting a niece or nephew on Kamui’s side of the family any time soon.

Oh, Niles is going to be a father…That’s a weird thought. Leo could certainly see Camilla as a mother, but Niles as a father was just a strange idea to him. I’m sure he’ll be a good father…It’s just hard to wrap my mind around…

If anything, I’ll be a pathetic uncle. I’m horrible with kids! With that thought, Leo realized how much he wasn’t cut out to be a father anytime soon. Kamui would certainly be a wonderful mother, but Leo knew he was just going to let their children down as their father.

Gah. Why am I thinking about kids all of a sudden?!

At this point, Leo decided that Kamui had slept enough for that afternoon. The longer he sat here while she napped, the worst the direction his thoughts went. He could always leave the room, but he’d probably be ambushed by his sisters and dragged into the beach nightmare again.

“Hey, Kamui?” Leo said gently as he rubbed her back. “It’s time to get up.”

“Mm.” Kamui raised her head and looked back at Leo. “Leo? What—” Her crimson eyes widened. “Oh gosh, did I fall asleep on you?!” she gasped as she sat up. “I’m so sorry. It was just so relaxing and warm and…” She shook her head. “You’re probably really annoyed with me, huh? Oh, and I was reading Brynhildr when I fell asleep,” she realized. She buried her face in her hands. “I’m really, really sorry,” she mumbled.

“You were reading Brynhildr?” Leo teased her. “I wasn’t aware you understood ancient Nohrian. I figured you were just looking at the illustrations.”

She looked up at him. “I was looking at the illustrations. I—” She huffed in annoyance. “You’re teasing me now, aren’t you?”

“Am I?” Leo asked with a smirk.

Kamui pushed him playfully. “I just woke up, Leo,” she whined. “Don’t tease me yet!” She smiled deviously. “Unless you’re asking for a tickle attack,” she threatened, wiggling her fingers at him.

“That won’t be necessary,” Leo said, quickly getting off the bed. “My apologies for teasing you.”

“I’ll forgive you on one condition,” Kamui told him with an adorable smirk.

Leo gulped. What did she want now?

“You go swimming with me again!”

Leo scowled. Getting back in that filthy seawater was the last thing he wanted to do, and he knew that Kamui knew it.

She giggled at his expression. “Aw, c’mon, Leo,” she begged. She got up and stood next to him. “It will be fun.”

“No.”

Kamui sighed. “Well, let’s at least do something outside,” she said. “We’ve been cooped up inside all day long.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Leo asked.

Kamui rolled her eyes. “Some sunshine and fresh air would do you some good, Mr. Grouchypants,” she said.

Leo groaned. “Kamui, that’s the name you gave our poor kitten.”

“Oh, yeah. I wonder how our little fur baby is doing,” Kamui mused. “I hope Felicia’s taken good care of him.”

Knowing Felicia, that poor kitty would be lucky to make it through the week in one piece. Leo had at least learned by now that he should keep that comment to himself. He hadn’t forgotten their argument about Felicia’s incompetence as a maid when they first got married.

“Yes, well, I’m sure MG will be happy to sink his claws into you when we get back home,” Leo remarked, avoiding the Felicia topic altogether.

“He’s not going to scratch me, Leo,” Kamui replied. “Besides, I know what you’re trying to do, and it isn’t going to work.”

“Oh?” Leo wasn’t quite sure what she was referring to.

“You’re trying to distract me, so I don’t make you go out in the sunshine,” Kamui explained matter-of-factly.

That actually hadn’t been Leo’s intention, but he could see why she’d think that.

“Let’s make a compromise, okay?” Kamui continued. “I won’t make you get back in the ocean, but I want to take a walk along the beach with you this evening. You said you don’t mind it as much at night.”

Leo sighed. He already knew Kamui was going to get her way in the end. “Very well,” he relented.

“Good. I got gypped last night.”

“Kamui, that’s because you were literally falling asleep on your feet,” Leo pointed out. “That wasn’t my fault.”

Kamui shrugged. “Still…” She was quiet for a moment. “I did have a nap today, so that shouldn’t be a problem tonight.” Her cheeks flushed. “A-And we have plans for tonight, so we won’t be out that late.”

Leo’s face felt warm when he realized what plans she was referring to. He coughed into his fist to hide his embarrassment. “Well, it would be unfortunate if you fell asleep before we got to do anything.” Ugh. I sound so stupid.

“Anyway, it’s about dinnertime now, so we should probably get something to eat,” Leo added hastily for a change of topic.

“Y-Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Kamui stuttered. Clearly, she was also nervous about taking that step.

Leo sighed. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “If you don’t feel ready yet, we don’t need to do it tonight.”

“N-No, I want to,” Kamui insisted. “I mean, I love you, and I want you. I guess I’m still a little shy about all this.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly. “Let’s just stop talking about this already. It’s getting kind of awkward. Just know that I want to do this,” she murmured.

“Okay,” Leo whispered.

The tense silence stretched out between them.

“Well, perhaps we—” Leo began

“I think we—” Kamui said at the exact same time.

They both stopped and exchanged smiles.

“You go first,” Kamui told him.

“Oh, I was just saying that we should get some dinner,” Leo said lamely.

Kamui giggled. “Okay, that’s what I was going to say, too.” She grabbed his hand and led him to the door. “Great minds think alike, huh?”

After eating dinner with Leo’s family, Kamui grabbed him by the hand and pulled Leo outside to enjoy the evening on the beach. Well, at least Kamui was going to enjoy it. She thought Leo secretly enjoyed their evening escapade, but he probably wasn’t ever going to admit that.

Takumi would be the same way, she thought fondly. Leo and Takumi could deny it all they wanted, but Kamui noticed a lot of similarities between the two young men. She wished they’d just set aside the fact that Leo was Nohrian and Takumi was Hoshidan, and just try to be friends. It was probably just wishful thinking on her part, though.

“So where to?” Leo asked her, bringing Kamui out of such thoughts.

Kamui intertwined their fingers. “To the beach, silly,” she said, pulling him along. “Now that it’s cooler out, the sand won’t be as hot, so I want to get my toes in the sand.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Leo muttered.

Kamui giggled. “You know me well enough by now,” she said. She glanced down at Leo’s sandals. “And you should go barefoot, too. The sand feels so good between your toes!”

Leo rolled his eyes. “No, thank you. I’d rather not get a sharp seashell stuck in my foot.”

Kamui shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

The beach wasn’t as crowded as earlier in the day, so Kamui was happy to have a little more privacy.

She tried to focus on their walk along the shore, but she kept getting distracted by all the bits of seashells on the beach. She couldn’t resist grabbing just a few beautiful ones, and before she knew it, she held an armful of seashells and still kept finding more.

She had to let go of Leo’s hand to get the shells unfortunately, but he just followed her from behind.

Kamui nearly screamed when she saw a particular shell coming in on a wave. “Leo, it’s a pink conch!” she gasped as she dashed towards the water. “And I think it’s mostly complete.” She’d never found a whole conch on the beach before, just fragments. She just needed to get it before it washed back out to sea.

“Wait, Kamui,” Leo called out. “What are you doing?”

Kamui ignored him, running into the water to get her special shell. She only had seconds before the wave pulled it back out to sea. She fell to her knees, grasping the shell frantically.

“Yes! I got it!” she exclaimed just before she got hit in the face by the next wave. And she got a mouthful of seawater, too.

She got out of the ocean, coughing and spitting out that horribly salty water.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked her, as he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the water. “What were you thinking?”

“I…I’m fine,” Kamui managed to get out. “Blech. I got salt water in my mouth. Oh, it tastes awful.”

“Just one of the many reasons I hate the ocean,” Leo commented. He looked her up and down, from head to toe, and shook his head. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d go jumping in the water in a dress instead of your swimming suit.”

Kamui had honestly forgotten that she wasn’t wearing a swimsuit. She glanced down at her white dress, which was now soaking and covered in wet sand. “Whoops. Well, it was worth it!” She held up the shell for him to see. “I managed to catch my shell!”

Leo just shook his head. “You’re ridiculous,” he muttered. “Well, I guess that’s the end of our little walk.”

“What? But Leo—”

“Kamui, you’re soaking wet and covered in sand,” Leo argued. “There’s no way I’m going to just let you walk around in your wet clothes at night. The last thing we need is you getting a cold in the summer.”

“I’m not going to catch a cold, Leo,” Kamui huffed. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”

Leo unclasped his blue cloak and draped it over Kamui’s shoulders. Kamui was surprised by how warm was. Maybe that’s just because she was cold and wet.

“Thank you, Leo,” she sighed, pulling the cloak more securely over her shoulders. She sighed. “Maybe we should head back,” she relented. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, it wouldn’t be that fun walking around on the beach in her wet clothes.

“Finally you’re seeing reason,” Leo remarked as he wrapped his arm across her shoulders. “Let’s get you cleaned up, love.”

Kamui’s heart jolted at the casual way he used that endearment. She actually felt a little warmer. “Do you really mean that?” she wondered. It still felt like this was too good to be true.

Leo scoffed. “Yes, I’m not going to sleep with my wife who’s drenched in seawater.”

Kamui flushed at that. “No, that’s not what I meant.” She swallowed nervously. “Do you—do you really love me, Leo?” she breathed. “Even after my, uh, craziness.”

Leo stopped and turned her to face him. “Of course I love you,” he told her sincerely. “I wouldn’t tell you that if it wasn’t the case.”

Kamui was caught off-guard when he pulled her closer and kissed her lips.

“Gods, you’re freezing,” Leo gasped.

Kamui wrapped her arm around him and leaned into his warmth. “You’re warm,” she murmured.

“Well, I didn’t just go diving in the ocean because some seashell,” Leo replied. He held her close as they continued their walk back to the hotel.

“It wasn’t just some seashell, Leo!” Kamui said defensively. “It’s the most complete conch I’ve ever found.” She held the conch tightly in one hand, while her other arm held the rest of her shells. “It’s so beautiful.”

Leo sighed. “I will admit that I find your shell impressive,” he told her. “And I am aware of how difficult it is to find a shell like this.”

“How would you know that?” Kamui asked.

“For one thing, seashells are usually broken up once they get to the beach,” Leo explained. “And I’ve had years of my sisters collecting shells, so I am familiar with the pastime, even if I don’t collect shells myself.”

“Well, have you tried it? You might just like it if you gave it a try.”

“I’ll…consider it,” Leo relented. “But my main concern at the moment is getting you clean and warm again.” Trust Leo to focus on the task at hand.

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” Kamui squealed. She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you, Leo.”

“And I love you, too,” Leo murmured. “But that does not mean that I’m sweet!”

Kamui just giggled at his adorable stubbornness, but didn’t contradict him.

Chapter Text

 That first summer beach vacation felt more like what a honeymoon should be, instead of Kamui and Leo’s “honeymoon” in Izumo. For one thing, they’d confessed their feelings to each other. And Leo kept assuring Kamui that he loved her, even though she kept asking him if it was true. Part of her just really liked hearing it from him.

For another thing, their relationship was much more intimate than it had been at the start of their arranged marriage. Kamui actually felt like a married woman now, instead of an awkward girl who only slept in the same bed as her husband. Kamui’s feelings for Leo were still so new and unexpected, but she really thought their love was beautiful. It was something precious, and she was starting to really cherish it. In short, this was the happiest Kamui had been since the whole marriage thing started.

Leo also seemed pretty happy, even if he did keep complaining about the sand, the ocean, the heat, and basically everything about the beach vacation. Getting him to come to the beach with her during the day was still a chore, but he was more willing to have their evening strolls along the seashore.

After the night when Kamui had soaked herself getting her pink conch, she was a little more careful about diving after shells in the water while fully clothed at night. She wasn’t about to forget how she’d been a shivering mess when they’d got back to the hotel, and Leo forced her to take a warm bath. Everything after that was nice, but Kamui had learned the hard way to not get cold and wet at night.

Before Kamui knew it, it was time for them to go home again. After days of playing on the beach, trying new foods, and just relaxing, returning to life in Nohr seemed kind of dull.

At least, that’s what Kamui thought until their first night back. King Garon called Xander, Camilla, and Leo for an audience without prior warning, and Kamui didn’t see her husband until it was time for bed.

Leo typically wasn’t one to rant and rave when he was upset, but Kamui knew him well enough to just sense that he was angry. Kamui was already in her nightgown, sitting on her side of the bed when Leo burst into his bedroom with a terse greeting. She could see the fury in his eyes as he changed into his pajamas, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

Kamui was petting MG on the bed—she’d missed their kitty—but she went over to Leo. The cat was fine, but Leo didn’t seem like he was doing well. She looked down at their cat when Mr. Grouchypants jumped on the floor with a loud meow.

“Aw, are you saying hello to Daddy?” Kamui cooed, patting the kitten on the head.

“Not now, Kamui,” Leo grumbled.

Kamui sighed and watched MG curl up in his cat bed for the night. It seemed her time with the kitty was over for now. Besides, she wouldn’t be a very good wife if she gave the cat all of her attention when it was apparent that Leo was upset about something.

“Here, let me help you,” Kamui offered, gesturing to Leo’s nightshirt. She could at least help him with that.

“I don’t need your help,” Leo retorted.

Kamui took a step back in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to refuse her help so vehemently. Sure, needing help with buttoning a shirt was probably embarrassing for him, but Leo hadn’t ever been rude about it.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Don’t,” Leo snapped. He stopped trying to do his buttons and closed his eyes before looking up at her. He took a deep breath. “You haven’t done anything to apologize for,” he said in a calmer voice.

Kamui relaxed at that. At least she knew that she hadn’t done anything to invoke Leo’s wrath. She couldn’t think of anything, but she had been slightly worried.

“I’m still sorry that you’re upset,” she murmured.

“I never said I was upset,” Leo grumbled, avoiding her gaze.

“Leo,” she said softly. “You don’t need to say it. I can tell by the way you’re acting that you’re upset.”

She hesitated a moment before closing the distance between them, working on Leo’s buttons.

Leo sighed and just let her work. When Kamui was done, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

“You’re so tense,” she observed. “I can give you a massage if you’d like. I mean, I’m not very good at them, but maybe it would help.” She started rubbing his shoulders anyway.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so short with you,” Leo finally said with a grimace. “I shouldn’t take my anger out on you, of all people.”

“It’s okay, Leo,” Kamui assured him.

He shook his head. “No, it’s not okay for me to snap at my sweet wife when all she’s trying to do is help me.”

Well, Kamui couldn’t really argue with that.

“I forgive you,” she said simply. She hesitated before asking, “Why are you upset? Do you want to talk about it?”

Leo averted his gaze. “I’m just tired of Father treating me like a child,” he admitted. “First it was him forcing me to marry you, and now I’m dealing with another person he’s forced on me.”

Kamui recoiled as if she’d touched a hot stove. She didn’t like how Leo said that like their marriage was a bad thing. “I thought you were okay with this,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “With us.” He’d told her that he loved her. Was he realizing that it wasn’t true?

Leo met her gaze and grimaced. “I didn’t mean to say it like that,” he said. “I’m sorry.” He cupped her cheek with one hand. “You are one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, Kamui. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was unhappy about our marriage.”

Kamui inhaled deeply to help calm herself down. If she was going to figure out why Leo was upset, she needed to keep her emotions in check and not get so easily offended.

“What did you mean, then?” she asked quietly.

Leo was quiet for a moment before he answered. “I don’t like how Father is controlling my life,” he began. “I’m not pleased that he dictates nearly every aspect of my life, including the people I interact with.”

Well, that was a bit cryptic.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Kamui admitted lamely.

Leo sighed. “I’ll try to put it simply. My father has made some pretty big decisions about my life, like choosing my wife—not that I have any problem with you,” he added hastily. “And selecting a new retainer for me.”

It took a moment for that to sink in. “So, your father gave you a new retainer?” Kamui verified.

Leo nodded.

“But you seem just fine with Niles,” Kamui protested. “Is this because he’s going to be a father?” she wondered.

“No, no. Nothing like that,” Leo assured her. He took her hands and led her over to the bed. “Here, why don’t we sit while we talk? We had a long journey back today, and you’re probably exhausted. I know I am.”

Kamui looked at the bed longingly. Yes, she was quite tired. “Maybe we can lie down and then talk?” she suggested.

Leo nodded. “Certainly. I don’t want to keep you up late when you’re tired.”

Kamui laughed at that. “Yeah, because you haven’t been keeping me up every night for like the past week,” she commented.

Leo blushed. “W-Well, that’s different,” he stuttered, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

Kamui giggled as she led him to the bed. “I’ll forgive you for it,” she assured him. “I mean, I guess I was keeping you up late, too.”

“Hm. I don’t mind in the least,” Leo told her as he pinned her to the bed. He turned the lights out with a flick of his wrist. Sometimes it was nice to have a mage for a husband. “Shall I keep you up again tonight?” he murmured in her ear.

“Leo,” Kamui giggled, trying to ignore the excited flutter in her heart. “I thought you said we were going to talk. I mean, I’m happy to stay up, but I do want to know what your father said.”

Leo’s good mood vanished at the mention of his father. In the dark, Kamui couldn’t make out his face, but she noticed how he tensed up at that statement.

After a moment, he sighed and moved off her. “You’re right. This is probably going to affect you, too, since you’re my wife, so you should probably be aware of the situation.”

Kamui cuddled close to him, resting her head on his chest where she could feel his heartbeat. “Go on,” she encouraged. It was dark, and she was sleepy, so she closed her eyes while he talked.

“So as I said, Father has decided to give me another retainer,” Leo explained. “Niles is still to remain my retainer, so I’ll have two retainers now, like how you have Kaze and Mozu.”

“Hm. That doesn’t sound so bad,” Kamui murmured.

Leo sighed. “I guess I’m just angry because Father just sprung this on us without consulting any of us ahead of time. And he picked out some really peculiar retainers.”

“What do you mean? I thought you said there was just one new one,” Kamui asked.

“There’s one new one for me,” Leo clarified. “Xander and Camilla are also getting new retainers.”

“Oh. Well, maybe he just wants all of you to be better protected,” Kamui suggested.

“Knowing him, he probably has another agenda,” Leo mused. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants our new retainers to spy on us or something.”

“Why would your father do that?”

“Kamui, this is the Nohrian court. I’ve already tried to explain that a lot of deceit goes on behind the scenes. And there are definitely spies in the court.”

Kamui was exhausted, but even her weary mind wondered why King Garon would need to spy on his own children. “I don’t get it,” she mumbled as she felt sleep taking over her.

“I don’t tell my father everything, and Father likes to be in absolute control,” Leo explained. “It sounds like things are different in Hoshido, but we’re not in Hoshido, Kamui.”

“Mm.” Kamui was too tired to even speak a word.

“Perhaps we had a little break at the beach, but you need to be on your guard again,” Leo continued, launching into one of his lectures. “People here will use you to…”

Kamui stopped listening about then. Her sleepiness had won, and she couldn’t stay awake any longer.

“…And so, you can’t just be so trusting with everyone, Kamui,” Leo concluded after reminding his Hoshidan wife why Nohr was dangerous. “I know it’s in your nature to be trusting—and I really like that about you—but I need you to be careful, love. If something happened to you…If someone hurt you…” Leo felt sick at the thought of someone taking advantage of Kamui’s trusting nature. “So promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”

There was no response.

“Kamui?” Leo glanced down at her and only then realized that she’d fallen asleep on him again. He sighed. “Just my luck,” he muttered under his breath. I guess I’ll just have to repeat the same thing again tomorrow.

Well, since Kamui had fallen asleep, there was no point in staying up, so Leo just went to sleep as well.

The sun was already up when Leo woke up in the morning. At first, he thought nothing of it, since he’d gotten used to the sunlight waking him up at the beach. But this wasn’t the beach anymore, he realized with a jolt—they were in Nohr, and if the sun was up in Nohr, it was a lot later than when he should’ve gotten up.

Kamui, of course, was still sound asleep, sprawled all over the bed and Leo. She probably wouldn’t wake up for a while.

Leo couldn’t afford to sleep in any longer today, so he’d just have to slip out of bed without disturbing her too much. That was easier said than done, though. Leo thought he was being subtle until he suddenly found himself looking into Kamui’s sleepy eyes.

“Leo?” she mumbled.

Drat.

“Kamui,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep,” he urged.

She stared at him for a moment before she closed her eyes again. “’Kay,” she mumbled. “I love you, Leo.”

Leo still wasn’t used to hearing those words from her, and his heart seemed to skip a beat. He knew he was blushing, but there didn’t seem to be any way to control his body’s reactions to her.

“I love you, too,” he finally said after he managed to slip out of bed. He gazed at his sleeping wife for a few moments before he decided to get dressed and start his day.

All was going well until Leo opened his bedroom door and got a reminder of what—or rather who—he was now dealing with.

“Good morning, Lord Leo!” his new retainer exclaimed brightly. “I hope your slumber was full of the sweetest dreams.”

“Gah!” Leo exclaimed, totally caught off-guard. “Odin,” he hissed. “My wife is still asleep.”

“Ah yes, the fair maiden Kamui, princess from the distant land of Hoshido,” Odin continued in a slightly lower volume. It was still too much for Leo’s nerves this morning.

Leo closed the bedroom door behind himself and glared at the blond man. “What are you doing here?”

“I have come to see what exciting missions my dark lord has planned for us on this fine day.”

Leo groaned. Odin had been cryptic at best last night, but it made his head hurt trying to make sense of his babbling. “You want to know what I want you to do today?” he guessed.

“Oh, yes! I have heard tales of your magical exploits far and wide,” Odin said enthusiastically. “I am eager to take part in whatever new plans my lord has.”

Either Odin was overdoing it on the flattery, or he was just weird. Leo wasn’t sure.

What he was sure of was that he did not want to deal with Odin in his face this early in the morning. Well, at least right after he’d gotten up—it wasn’t that early anymore.

“You can have the day off,” Leo told his new retainer coolly.

“Oh, but there’s no need!” Odin protested. “You see, I have been waiting since the earliest hours of the day for my dark lord Leo to arise and tell me his bidding.” Leo honestly did not understand why exactly Odin was so excited.

“And if I tell you to leave me alone?” Leo asked tersely.

“That would not do for a retainer to abandon his liege in his time of need!” Odin insisted. “I would be a very bad retainer if I left my lord alone when he could be in grave danger.”

Leo wanted to scream. “I have another retainer,” he ground out.

“Oh, I did meet our fellow compatriot Niles.” Odin was practically waving his hands with enthusiasm while he talked. “He said that I was to watch you at all times today.”

Leo nearly groaned. Of course Niles would basically force Leo to spend the day with Odin. The former thief was probably getting a kick out of all this.

An idea came to mind. “Odin.”

“Yes, milord?!”

“I suppose there is something you can do for me.” Besides leaving me in peace.

“Anything my master wishes, it shall be done!” Odin promised.

Leo smirked. “It will be dangerous and full of peril,” he warned, playing along with Odin’s game.

“Danger is my middle name!” Odin exclaimed excitedly. “Well, no, not really, but—”

Leo cut him off before he could continue. “I have a quest for you. You see, I need you to find me a lodestone imbued with the essence of darkness.” Yes, that seemed like the sort of thing Odin would go for.

It had the intended effect. “A lodestone imbued with the essence of darkness?!” Odin repeated eagerly. “I have not heard of such a thing, and I am well acquainted with darkness.”

Neither have I, for that matter…

“Yes, well, it is of upmost importance that you retrieve one for me, Odin,” Leo continued, making this whole thing up on the spot.

“Well, if you insist!” Odin was practically bouncing on his feet.

“I insist,” Leo repeated.

“Oh, yes! Odin Dark will not let you down, Lord Leo,” Odin gushed. “I’m so excited for this perilous task!”

Excited seemed to be an understatement in Leo’s opinion.

“Oh, but who will protect you today if I am on this quest?” Odin asked, his smile falling a little.

Leo waved aside his concern. “I have Niles at my disposal. And I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself if need be.”

Odin gave Leo a deep bow. “Thank you, Lord Leo! I will not let you down!” he promised before dashing out of the sitting room, finally leaving Leo alone.

Leo rubbed his temples and sighed. This was not a good start to his day.

The bedroom door opened behind Leo.

“Leo?” Kamui asked. “Was there someone here?” She covered a yawn with her hand. She was still in her nightgown, and it was clear she’d just gotten out of bed.

“No one of consequence,” Leo informed her. “Just my new retainer.”

Kamui perked up a little at that. “Oh! Well, I’d love to meet him. Or her,” she added. “I don’t think you told me much last night.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Kamui, you fell asleep on me last night,” he reminded her.

She blushed a little. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that,” she said with another yawn. “I was just so tired, and I dozed off. I didn’t mean to, I swear!”

Leo shook his head woefully. It seemed Kamui falling asleep on him was just going to be a recurring thing throughout their marriage.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated quickly. “You were telling me why you were upset, and I just fell asleep on you.” She pushed back her bangs. “You must be so mad.”

“I’m not mad, Kamui,” Leo assured her. “It was late, and it was a long day for us yesterday. I’m a little surprised to see you up so early today.” Well, it wasn’t early, but it was earlier than Leo expected her to get up.

“Oh, I heard you talking to someone, so I decided to get up.”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “So you’re saying that Odin woke you up?” he asked in a low voice.

Kamui cocked her head to the side. “Odin? Who’s Odin?”

“My new retainer,” Leo explained in the same tone. If Odin was responsible for waking Kamui up, there were going to be consequences.

“So that’s his name! Well, he sounded pretty chipper,” Kamui commented, clearly not picking up on Leo’s mood. “It’s very responsible of him to report first thing on his first day on the job.”

Responsible was one way to put it. Leo preferred the term obnoxious.

“So where is he? Can I meet him?” Kamui asked brightly.

“Did he wake you up?” Leo asked again.

“Huh?” Kamui just looked confused. “Well, I was kind of already awake before you guys started talking.” She finally seemed to pick up on Leo’s moodiness. “Oh, don’t get mad at him. It’s not his fault,” she added quickly. “Besides, I think you were technically the one to wake me up.”

“You were on top of me,” Leo said defensively. “There was no way for me to get up without moving you a little.”

Kamui giggled. “Sorry about that. You’re just so warm, and...” She was blushing again, and Leo’s face felt rather warm, too.

Leo cleared his throat. “Anyway, I should probably get going. After spending a whole week lounging around, I have a lot to catch up on.”

“Oh, can you wait like ten minutes for me to get ready for the day?” Kamui asked. “That way we can have breakfast together.”

Leo held back an amused smile. “You’re going to get ready in ten minutes? Doesn’t it normally take you at least an hour?”

Kamui swatted him lightly on the arm. “Don’t tease me,” she whined. “I’ll be real quick today, honest!” She batted her eyes at him. “Please?” she pouted. She was so adorable.

“Please what?” Leo mumbled, sidetracked by how cute she was.

“Please wait for me to have breakfast,” Kamui insisted. “Now that we’re back home, I won’t get to spend as much time with you.”

Leo sighed. “Fine.”

Kamui beamed at him. “Great!”

Leo was slightly surprised when she grabbed his hand and pulled him back into his bedroom. She led him over to her room. “You can help me get ready,” she said with a wink.

Leo had a feeling this was going to take a lot longer than ten minutes based on the look she was giving him.

About an hour later—Kamui and Leo had gotten a little distracted—they finally made their way to breakfast. Well, at that point Leo considered it lunch, but for Kamui, it was still breakfast. They were having eggs and bacon, so it was breakfast, even if it was now technically the afternoon.

“So, Leo. Tell me about Odin,” Kamui prompted over their meal. She knew he was unhappy about his father forcing a retainer on him, but she was curious about this new guy.

Leo sighed. “You really want to know, don’t you?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, he’s a dark mage from some foreign land,” Leo began. “Easily excited and overly dramatic.”

“So, like you,” Kamui teased.

Leo gave her a dirty look. “Not like me,” he grumbled. “The opposite of me.”

Kamui giggled. “Well, you can be overly dramatic sometimes,” she hinted. “And you get easily excited when we’re alone together.” Leo usually kept his emotions under control, but sometimes when they were alone together, he showed Kamui a different side of him than most people got to see.

“K-Kamui!” Leo hissed, his cheeks reddening. He was so cute when he got flustered like this. “We’re in public!”

Kamui frowned. “Did I say something wrong?”

“N-No, never mind,” Leo muttered. “I’ll just be thankful Niles isn’t here.”

Oh. She’d probably said something that could be interpreted in an inappropriate way, which was not her intention.

“Hm. Speaking of your retainer—or I guess I should say retainers—where are they today?” Kamui asked, steering the conversation away from whatever she’d inadvertently said.

Leo sipped his coffee before answering. “Well, Niles is probably with Camilla. I think she’s been dealing with morning sickness or something, so I told him to not worry about me in the mornings. I don’t need Camilla complaining to me about taking her husband away from her when she’s unwell.”

“And Odin?” Kamui prompted.

“He’s, uh, on a quest for me today,” Leo replied. “I doubt we’ll see him for a few days.”

Something about Leo’s tone made Kamui suspicious. After how much Leo had complained about being forced to have this new retainer, it surprised her that he’d actually give Odin a task to do rather than just dismissing him.

“A quest?” she repeated. “What sort of quest?”

“I’ve asked him to procure an item for me,” was Leo’s cryptic response.

“Well, what sort of item?” Normally Kamui didn’t have to ask this many questions to get information out of her husband.

“Um…” For whatever reason, Leo’s cheeks flushed pink. “A lodestone imbued with the essence of darkness.”

“I’ve never heard of that,” Kamui admitted sheepishly. “Is it a powerful magic item?”

“Well…I might have made it up this morning,” Leo confessed with a grimace.

“You made it up?” Kamui repeated in confusion. “But why would you do that? Wouldn’t that be a waste of time if it doesn’t exist?”

Leo sighed. “Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered. “He wouldn’t leave me alone, so I had to come up with something to occupy him.”

“Leo!” Kamui gasped as she realized what he’d done. “That is so mean! I would never send Kaze or Mozu out to find something that doesn’t exist!” This kind of reminded her of the instance when Leo had seriously threatened to curse Niles for interrupting them. “You could have just dismissed him for the day,” she suggested. Surely there was a kinder way to send his retainer away.

“I tried that,” Leo told her irritably. “He refused to leave me be, so I gave him a task that would keep him out of my hair for a while.” For whatever reason, he smirked at the end of that statement.

Kamui had to remind herself to not get mad, even though she was quite disappointed in Leo’s methods for dealing with an unwanted retainer. “I think you should give him a chance,” she told him instead of giving him another lecture on being nice to people. “You only met him last night, so you haven’t gotten the chance to get to know him.”

Leo muttered something under his breath. Kamui thought she caught the word “crazy.”

“What was that?”

Leo shook his head. “Nothing.” Kamui had been around him long enough to know that it was not nothing, but decided not to push it.

“Well, I’m excited to meet Odin,” she finally said after a long pause in the conversation. She could easily see that Leo wanted nothing to do with this Odin fellow, but Kamui believed in giving everyone a chance. “He’s also a foreigner, right? So we have that in common.”

Leo nodded. “That is correct.”

“It’s nice to have another foreigner here,” Kamui mused. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I really belong,” she admitted.

Leo gave her a sharp look. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged and moved her food around on her plate, unable to meet his eyes. “It’s just…I feel like an outsider sometimes,” she finally said. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I mean, I love all of you and I’ve come to love Nohr, but sometimes I feel out of place since I didn’t grow up here. So, I guess what I’m trying to say—” And really failing at it. “Is that I’m glad it’s not just me and my retainers now,” she finished lamely.

Leo was quiet for a moment. Kamui met his gaze, curious how he’d taken her words. He just looked contemplative. “I believe I can see how you feel that way,” he finally said. “Empathy isn’t really one of my strong points, but I can imagine how out of place I’d feel in Hoshido.”

Kamui giggled as she imagined an alternate timeline where Leo moved to Hoshido. Imagining him wearing kimonos and eating with chopsticks was kind of strange. The Hoshidan culture just did not fit with the Leo that Kamui had come to know and love.

“I thought you were adjusting well, though,” Leo confessed quietly. “If there’s anything I can do to make it easier…”

Kamui shook her head. “You’ve been wonderful, Leo,” she assured him. “And I am quite happy here. Although…” She smiled at the thought that came to mind.

Leo’s curiosity was piqued. “Although?”

“There is something you could do,” Kamui told him with a big smile.

Leo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What is it?”

She giggled. “Nothing bad, I promise. It’s just…I’d like you to give Odin a chance as your retainer. Who knows? Maybe you’ll just make a new friend.”

Leo averted his gaze. “Kamui…”

“Please?” Kamui pouted. “For me?”

“Ugh. Don’t give me that look,” Leo grumbled.

“But you’re not even looking at me,” Kamui pointed out. “How do you even know what look I’m giving you?”

The corner of Leo’s lips twitched with a hint of a smile. “Because I know you well enough to know that if I do look at you right now, I’m likely to give in to whatever you say.”

Kamui reached out and turned him so he was looking at her. “Like this?” she teased, giving him her sweetest smile.

Leo blushed. “D-Don’t do that,” he stuttered. “Look, I’ll think it over, okay?” He glanced away from her, even though he was still facing her. “Happy now?”

Kamui smirked before catching his lips in a kiss. “I am now,” she said softly, gazing into his dark eyes. “I love you. You know that, right?”

Leo nodded, too flustered to speak. His face had turned quite red, much to her amusement.

“Then know that I would never ask you to do something that doesn’t have your best interests at heart,” Kamui told him. “Go find Odin before he spends too long looking for your stone of darkness or whatever it is,” she encouraged. “You don’t have to tell him that you made it up,” she added. Leo probably didn’t want to outright admit that he’d lied to Odin. “Just give him something reasonable to do. Okay?”

Leo sighed. “I’ll see what I can do,” he conceded. “Although I don’t have the faintest idea where he would have gone.”

Kamui frowned. “That does pose a problem,” she agreed. She thought a moment before shrugging. “Well, you’ll figure out what to do. I know you’ll do what’s right.” She glanced at their empty plates now. “I guess that we’re done with breakfast now, I should probably let you get on with your day.”

“Breakfast? Kamui’s it’s after noon now,” Leo scoffed. “This was lunch.”

“But it was breakfast food, so it was breakfast,” she pointed out.

“One doesn’t have breakfast in the afternoon, Kamui,” Leo argued. “If you want to go that route, then it’s considered brunch.”

She shrugged. “I eat breakfast in the afternoon all the time,” she said. She had slept in past noon many times before, after all.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Just because you get up in the afternoon doesn’t mean the rest of us normal people do.”

“Then what are you doing eating breakfast in the afternoon with me, mister?” Kamui asked.

“For one thing, it’s brunch, not breakfast,” Leo told her without missing a beat. “And for another thing, you asked me to wait for you to eat, so it’s technically your fault I’m eating my first meal so late in the day.”

“Ah, so you do admit it’s your first meal of the day,” Kamui said brightly. “And breakfast is the first meal of the day, so therefore this was your breakfast,” she concluded triumphantly.

“Brunch is technically a meal that combines breakfast and lunch, so it also could be considered the first meal of the day,” Leo countered easily.

“But I plan on having lunch later, and you can’t eat brunch and then have lunch,” Kamui told him. “So this was breakfast.”

Leo just shook his head. “Why are we even arguing about this?”

Kamui laughed. “Does that mean I win against the great Leo since you don’t have a good comeback?” she teased.

“No, it means that I’m done wasting my time debating something so ridiculous,” Leo replied smartly. “We’ll just have to agree to disagree for now.” He stood to go. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I really do have some things I need to get done today, dear.”

“Alright. I guess I’ll let you go for now,” Kamui relented. I’ll think of some way to convince him that this was breakfast and not lunch, or brunch, or whatever.

Leo surprised her by leaning down and kissing her cheek. “I’ll see you later,” he told her.

Kamui sighed. Yeah, I really do love him, even when he’s being stubborn like this. “Bye, Leo,” she said brightly. “Be nice to Odin, okay?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “I’ll try,” was all he said in response. At least it seemed like he was in a better mood than when she’d first seen him this morning.

After the conversation with Kamui, Leo did try to find Odin, but was unsuccessful. (Okay, so he didn’t really try that hard.) So Leo went on with his day, going over some of the agricultural reports from the last few weeks.

It was planting season in Nohr, even though their soil was pretty barren. Leo had been working with some other mages to come up with ways to magically enhance the soil so that it was more fertile, so he was reviewing how it had gone so far. If this worked, the farmers could have a greater harvest, and that would make things easier on the citizens of Nohr come this fall and winter. Ever since Leo had been given Brynhildr, he’d taken a special interest in Nohr’s agriculture.

Leo was in the library working when he was interrupted by not one, but two, annoying retainers.

“Lord Leo! Lord Leo!” Odin waved frantically across the room, followed closely by Niles. “At last I have found your elusive hiding place.” He was basically shouting in the quiet library.

“Ah, once you have worked for Lord Leo long enough, you get good at spotting his secret places,” Niles commented with a wink.

Ugh. I really don’t need this.

“Niles, Odin, do not shout in the library,” Leo reminded them sharply.

“But we are so excited to see you, milord,” Niles drawled as the duo finally got to Leo’s table. “Especially this one.” He gave Odin a nod.

“Lord Leo, after searching high and low for this majestic lodestone, it was nearly as arduous a task to locate you,” Odin announced.

Leo cocked his head in bemusement. “Wait, you found one?” I just made that up…Maybe I misunderstood…

“Yes, Lord Leo,” Odin crowed, placing a dark stone about the size of a cherry tomato on the table. “Behold, this lodestone is certainly imbued with the essence of darkness!”

Leo ignored how Niles was snickering behind Odin.

“Uh, Odin, I don’t think—” Leo began.

Odin cut him off. “Watch, Lord Leo, as I demonstrate the darkness within this stone!”

Leo held up a finger. “First, we need to make sure this is an actual lodestone.” He wouldn’t put it past Odin to just grab any black rock and declare it a lodestone.

“Niles, do you have an iron dagger on you?” Leo asked, holding out his hand. That was the first iron thing that came to mind that they might have access to.

“Daggers in the library,” Niles remarked with a smirk. “I never thought I’d see the day you’d request that, milord.”

Leo sighed. “Niles, do you have one or not?”

Niles pulled out a dagger from his belt. “Here you are, Lord Leo. I sharpened it this morning. Careful not to cut yourself.”

“Oh, that would be terrible!” Odin exclaimed. “Perhaps I, Odin Dark, valiant retainer of Lord Leo should handle it.”

Leo gave Odin a dirty look and took the dagger. “I’m perfectly capable of handling a dagger without cutting myself,” he informed his new retainer firmly.

“You are?” Niles asked, leaning in a little too closely. “How interesting.” Leo didn’t even want to consider whatever double meaning the thief had in mind.

Leo pushed Niles away with his free hand. “Mind the personal space, Niles,” he warned.

“Ah, do you treat Lady Kamui the same way, or is it different with her?” Niles asked snidely.

“N-Niles,” Leo hissed, feeling his face grow warm. “Kamui is my wife. There is a big difference there.”

“Ooh, touchy,” Niles remarked with a smirk. He gave Odin a knowing look. “Lord Leo is very particular about who he lets in his personal space, so best keep your distance unless he invites you to come closer.”

Leo gave Niles a glare. “Stop,” he commanded. “Another word out of you, and I’ll make it so you can’t speak for the rest of the day.” He’d used such a hex before, and he’d do it again if need be. “I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the one where your tongue is stuck to the roof of your mouth.”

Niles winced at the reminder. Leo had enjoyed the quiet that day, but it was clear Niles did not want a repeat experience.

“Lord Leo is quite terrifying when he’s mad,” Odin whispered to Niles, loud enough for Leo to hear. “I can only imagine how he decimates his enemies.”

Niles opened his mouth to utter whatever response he had, but one glance at Leo’s glare, and he closed his mouth.

Good.

“Be quiet so I can focus, both of you,” Leo ordered before turning his attention back to Odin’s lodestone.

Lodestones were magnetic and attracted iron, so if this was actually a lodestone, it should cling to the iron dagger if it got close enough.

Sure enough, the little stone attached itself in the blink of an eye to the blade of the dagger.

“Okay, so this appears to at least be a lodestone,” Leo noted. “These are hard to find, so well done, Odin.”

“Thank you, Lord Leo,” Odin said with an over-the-top bow. “But allow me to show you its true power as a dark lodestone!”

Leo pulled the lodestone off the dagger and handed it back to his newest retainer. “Let’s see it, then.”

Odin pulled out a dark magic tome from under his cloak. “Let’s see…” he muttered as he flipped through the pages. “Ah, here it is. Darkness, I summon thee!” he declared as he held the lodestone up.

The area around Odin’s hand grew dark, obscuring Leo’s vision of the stone. Okay. So he can at least cast a basic darkness spell…

Then the dark area grew smaller and smaller, until it vanished altogether.

“See, Lord Leo?” Odin declared. “This lodestone not only attracts metal, but it also pulls the essence of darkness to itself. How cool is that?!”

“Hm.” Leo eyed the stone suspiciously. He didn’t sense Odin negate his own spell, but he wanted to try it himself. “Hand it here,” he said, holding out his hand. “I want to try it myself.”

“Of course, Lord Leo!” Odin said cheerfully. “Feel the darkness within!”

Leo cast his own darkness spell, watching as its area of effect grew smaller. Since it was Leo’s spell, he could sense how the lodestone was actually absorbing his magic. Huh. I did not expect that.

“Quite intriguing,” Leo murmured to himself as he eyed the little lodestone. He wondered if he could do more experiments with it. Perhaps he could somehow store up darkness over time and release it all at once. Or maybe it could render darkness spells completely useless.

He leaned back in his chair and studied Odin. “So you actually managed to find a lodestone imbued with the essence of darkness,” he remarked. “I’m actually impressed.”

“Oh, thank you, Lord Leo!” Odin practically squealed. “To hear such praise from your lips is music to my ears!”

Leo caught Niles hiding a laugh again. He didn’t even want to know what the former thief was thinking.

“So what arduous task do you require of me now?” Odin asked enthusiastically. “Odin Dark is ready to serve!”

Leo considered that for a moment. Kamui had asked him not to give Odin any more impossible tasks, but Odin had managed to do this one, so perhaps he’d surprise Leo again. If not, then hopefully Odin would grow so frustrated with Leo’s demands that he’d quit being Leo’s retainer himself.

“Let me think on it,” Leo decided. “I will give you a new task tomorrow, Odin.” He rose from the table and gathered his materials. “Now, Niles and I are going to eat dinner with the family,” he mostly told Odin. “You are welcome to eat with the other retainers in their own dining room. Niles, will you show it to him?”

“Friend Niles is going to eat dinner with you, milord?” Odin asked. “What a reward to be able to dine beside our dark master! I hope I am worthy of the honor someday.”

Leo grimaced. The only way Odin would get that “honor” was by marrying his sister Elise—or Azura, too, he supposed.

“Niles is married to my sister,” Leo explained. Odin probably didn’t know that yet.

Odin’s eyes widened. “You are wed in the holiest of vows to the sister of Lord Leo?” he asked Niles.

Niles nodded once, but still hadn’t uttered a word since Leo’s threat.

“Oh, you must tell me the epic tale of how you wooed her,” Odin insisted, dragging Niles away with him. “Goodbye, Lord Leo! I look forward to your next legendary task!”

Dinner that evening was interesting, to say the least. Since there were now three new retainers in the mix, that was the main focus of the conversation.

Kamui was excited to hear more about these newcomers, but Elise was the most vocal about her curiosity.

“So, tell me about your new retainers!” the youngest sibling squealed as soon as everyone was there. “They’re Laslow, Selena, and Odin, right?”

Xander nodded. “That is correct, Little Sister.”

“Okay, so you got Laslow, right, Xander?” Elise continued excitedly.

Xander frowned slightly. “Indeed.” Kamui got the feeling he had the same thoughts about this arrangement as Leo did.

“And Camilla has Selena,” Elise said with a glance at her older sister.

“Yes, she’s absolutely adorable,” Camilla crooned, taking a sip of her grape juice. (Since she was pregnant, she couldn’t have any alcoholic beverages until after the baby was born.)

“And Leo has Odin,” Elise concluded brightly.

Leo just scowled in response.

“So what are they like?” Elise pressed, resting her elbows on the table.

Camilla was more than happy to chat about her day with Selena, whereas Xander and Leo both remained silent. Apparently Selena had helped Camilla deal with her morning sickness today, so that was a good point in the princess’s book. And Selena could stand her own against Beruka, which was a bonus.

Kamui leaned closer to Leo while Camilla continued talking about Selena. “So, did you manage to find Odin?” she asked quietly.

“Yes,” he whispered.

“How did it go?”

Kamui caught the hint of a smile on Leo’s lips. “Well, not like I expected,” he murmured. “He actually managed to complete the task I assigned him.”

“What? But I thought you said that you—”

Elise poked Kamui’s shoulder. “Hey, what are you two whispering about?” she demanded. “You’re being rude to Camilla.”

Kamui grimaced. She thought she’d been subtle. “Sorry about that,” she apologized. “I just needed to ask Leo something.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Camilla waved her apology aside. “If Leo tells us how his first day with Odin went, that is.”

Leo stiffened next to Kamui. “I don’t see why that’s any of your concern,” he commented.

“Aw, because I need to make sure my widdle bruther is taken care of,” Camilla said in her babytalk voice.

Leo just rolled his eyes.

“I am with Leo on this one,” Xander spoke up. “It is rude to gossip about our retainers at the dinner table.”

“Fine, be that way,” Camilla pouted. She gave Niles a smile. “I’ll just ask my dear husband here to share all the details.”

Niles merely nodded, which was kind of odd for him. Kamui was surprised he didn’t reply with one of his usual quips.

 “Well, Niles, tell us about Odin,” Camilla prompted. She tapped her fingernails on the table. “We’re waiting, darling.”

Niles merely shook his head.

“What do you mean, no?” Camilla demanded.

Niles nodded towards Leo.

Camilla turned on her younger brother. “Leo, dear, you didn’t use another hex on Niles, did you?” she asked sweetly.

Leo narrowed his eyes. “Of course not,” he scoffed. “Perhaps I threatened to hex him if he kept talking, but he’s remained quiet, so there was no need.”

Niles nodded vigorously.

“Leo,” Kamui gasped softly. “You did not.” Oh, the nerve of him! Sending one retainer off on an impossible mission, and threatening to hex the other one!

“You’re right, Kamui. I did not cast a hex on Niles,” Leo answered easily.

Kamui sighed. I was talking about threatening him in the first place. “Well did you cast something else on him?”

“No. Niles is merely faking being mute,” Leo replied. “Aren’t you, Niles?”

Niles just shrugged.

 “Leo, what did I tell you about hexing my husband?” Camilla whined.

“I didn’t hex your husband, Sister,” Leo reiterated.

Niles mimicked writing something.

“Ooh, you need paper to write something down!” Elise piped up.

Niles nodded.

“Just give me one second,” Elise said brightly as she dashed out of the room.

“Ugh. You all are ridiculous,” Charlotte groaned from her spot next to Xander. “Why can’t we just eat dinner in peace?”

Xander sighed heavily. “I’ve had enough of headaches because of retainers today,” he muttered. Kamui wondered what that meant.

Elise came skipping back in. “What about a headache, Big Brother?” she asked.

Xander shook his head. “Never mind, Elise.”

The girl shrugged. “Okay. Oh, here’s some paper and a pen, Niles, so you can write your message.”

Niles took the paper and scribbling something down. He handed the paper to Camilla.

“Lord Leo told me that if I spoke again, he would make my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,” Camilla read aloud. “So I will remain silent because I don’t want that. It makes it hard to—” She actually snorted at whatever else the message said. “Oh, Niles, you are too funny,” she cackled.

“Do us all a favor and don’t read the rest of that,” Leo cut in.

Camilla gave Leo a sharp look. “Hm. If you don’t apologize to Niles and promise to not do that to him, then I won’t read it. But if you don’t apologize…” She held up the paper in warning.

“Ugh. I get it,” Leo groaned. “I won’t hex Niles tonight,” he promised.

Kamui didn’t miss that last word. Neither did Camilla. “Or ever,” she pressed.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Or ever,” he relented. “Even if he does deserve it,” he muttered under his breath.

Kamui bit back a laugh at that. Perhaps Niles did deserve it sometimes, but having your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth did sound pretty awful. A few months ago, she would’ve thought Leo was joking, but after seeing his magical prowess, she figured he probably did know such a spell.

“Yeesh, you’ve gotta be nicer to your retainers, Big Brother,” Elise chided. “I hope you didn’t do anything to poor Odin on his first day of the job.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Leo said defensively. “Niles can attest to it. I didn’t do anything to Odin.”

Niles just nodded.

Leo sighed. “Niles, you have my permission to speak again.”

“He shouldn’t need your permission to speak in the first place,” Camilla retorted.

“Sorry, Lord Leo,” Niles said with a wicked grin. “It’s just too hard to resist teasing you.” He glanced at Kamui. “I think Lady Kamui would agree, hm?”

Leo buried his red face in his hands. “And this is why I asked you to stop speaking in the first place,” he groaned.

By the time Leo was ready to go to bed, he was absolutely exhausted. Now he didn’t have one, but two, obnoxious retainers, and it had been quite the day with both of them. At least Odin didn’t seem to have Niles’s habit of making suggestive comments at every moment. But that man could talk.

I guess I should be grateful I married Kamui and not Odin. He shuddered at the thought of being married to someone who could not shut up. Thank the gods Kamui didn’t talk nonstop.

She did have the habit of crooning over their cat like he was a toddler, though. While Leo changed into his pajamas for the night, Kamui knelt on the floor next to MG’s cat bed, speaking softly to the kitten.

“Oh, who’s a good kitty?” she gushed as she rubbed his soft head. “You’re a good kitty, MG! You are!”

Maybe the babytalk was a little annoying, but Kamui was just so happy to spend time with the cat, and Leo was glad to see her happy. He knew this whole transition to Nohrian life had been difficult for her, and he was glad she had some pleasant moments.

“Hey, Leo?” Kamui asked, turning her attention to him. She remained on the floor next to MG though.

“Hm?”

“Do you actually know how to make someone’s tongue stick to the roof of their mouth?” she wondered. “That sounds terrible.”

Leo nodded. “Yes, there is such a hex. It’s not permanent, though. It only lasts for a few hours, depending on the abilities on the spellcaster.”

Kamui shuddered. “That’s awful. Please don’t tell me you’ve actually used that spell on someone.”

“Okay. I won’t tell you then,” Leo replied easily. So he had used it on Niles once, but other than that he’d had no need to.

Kamui laughed softly and shook her head. “Oh, Leo.”

Leo frowned slightly. “What?”

She sighed and stood up. “Oh, it’s nothing. Really.” She came over and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Did you have a good day? You seem like you’re in a better mood than you were last night.”

Leo’s hands naturally found their way to rest on her hips. “Well, dinner was a nightmare, but besides that my day wasn’t too horrible, I suppose.”

Kamui laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I honestly thought Camilla was going to punch you at one point. She’s very protective of her family, isn’t she?”

“That she is,” Leo agreed.

“So tell me how things went with Odin,” Kamui prompted. “You said he actually found something?”

“Yes. He actually found a lodestone, which is difficult enough to do, and then it actually attracts darkness spells,” Leo explained.

“I don’t get it,” Kamui mumbled against him with a yawn.

“Well, normally a lodestone attracts iron to itself, but this lodestone also absorbs darkness spells,” Leo explained.

“Mhm.” Kamui hummed, clearly not paying much attention.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re already falling asleep on me,” he complained. “You’re not even in bed yet.”

“Mm. But you’re warm and comfortable, so I might just fall asleep on your shoulder,” Kamui murmured. “And I know you’ll carry me to bed if I do.”

Leo sighed. “Let’s just get you in bed before that happens,” he said, scooping her up in his arms.

“Leo!” she gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?!”

“Kamui, I can’t breathe when you do that,” Leo choked.

Kamui loosened her hold on him. “Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly.

“Well, to answer your question, I’m carrying you to bed,” Leo stated. That should have been obvious enough. “You’ve asked me multiple times to carry you to bed, but now that no one’s watching…”

“Hm. And what are you going to do after you carry me to bed?” Kamui asked.

Leo honestly hadn’t got that far in his head, but he knew what she was asking. “I thought you were tired,” he remarked as he gently placed her on the bed. He stroked her soft hair as he joined her. “I don’t want to keep you up if you need to sleep.”

Kamui smiled wryly. “I can handle it,” she told him. She pulled his face down for a kiss before he could reply. It was a bit longer before they actually went to bed, but Leo didn’t mind.

Chapter Text

Life mostly returned to normal in the days after the return to Nohr. Well, with the exception of three new retainers for the royals, not much else was different. Kamui hadn’t actually met any of the new retainers yet, and that was starting to bother her, especially since Odin was her husband’s retainer. She thought that at the very least, he could properly introduce them.

Come to think of it, Kamui hadn’t heard much mention of Odin at all since his first day as a retainer. She brought it up when she and Leo were getting ready for bed a few days later.

“So, how are things going with Odin?” she asked as she ran a brush through her hair.

Leo glanced up from his book. “Huh?”

“Odin,” Kamui repeated. “How is it going with him?”

“Oh, um…Fine,” Leo replied. Something about his tone made her suspicious.

Kamui set her brush down and crossed her arms. “You didn’t send him off on another impossible mission, did you?” she demanded. She still wasn’t very pleased about that stone of darkness business, even if Odin had miraculously found something that fit Leo’s weird criteria.

“Not impossible, no,” Leo told her, avoiding her gaze.

Kamui sighed. “Leo, what did you do this time?”

“Kamui, I don’t see why it’s your business to know what I ask of my retainers,” Leo rebutted.

“Because I want to make sure you’re being kind to them,” Kamui said defensively. “I haven’t forgotten you threatening Niles with that awful curse the other day, and—” She trailed off when she realized what he was doing. “Hey, you’re trying to change the subject.”

“I’m doing no such thing,” Leo remarked. “We’re still discussing retainers, aren’t we?”

Okay, so that was technically true, but he was still clearly avoiding Kamui’s question.

She tried a different approach. “W-Well, maybe I want to know so I have ideas for Kaze and Mozu. I don’t always know what to have them do.”

Leo scoffed. “You’re a terrible liar, Kamui. We both know that’s not true.” That obviously wasn’t going to work. Leo could really be tight-lipped when he wanted to be.

Kamui knew she should just let it go, but part of her wanted to pry it out of him, just to see if she could. She joined him on the bed, pushing him back onto the mattress.

“Won’t you tell me?” she whispered in his ear, leaning over him. Maybe if she got him distracted enough, he’d start talking.

She squeaked when Leo settled his hands on her hips. She could feel their warmth through her nightgown.

Leo just smirked up at her. “Tell you what? How much I love you?” he murmured.

Kamui felt herself blushing at his words and touch. And that smirk…Did he know how handsome he was when he made that expression? “L-Leo,” she stuttered. “Don’t tease me.”

Leo laughed softly. “So it’s okay for you to tease me, but not for me to tease you?” he asked. “I know what you’re trying to do, dear.”

Kamui knew her face was burning. She wasn’t exactly being subtle. “And what am I trying to do?” she asked nervously.

“You are obviously trying to seduce me into letting you have your way,” Leo stated. “It’s not going to work, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you try.”

Kamui pouted. It seemed this wasn’t going to work, either. Of course, she was kind of dumb to try to outwit a tactical genius.

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll let you keep your secrets. Just…don’t be too hard on him, okay?”

Leo’s brow crinkled in confusion. “Who?”

“Odin, obviously.”

“Oh. Right.” Leo frowned slightly. “Why are you so concerned about him?”

“He’s new here. I just want to make sure you’re being nice to him!” Kamui thought that should be obvious. “And I still haven’t met him yet.”

Leo sighed. “Look, when he gets back, I’ll introduce you,” he relented. “And if it puts your mind at ease, I didn’t give him an impossible task this time. He’ll be fine.”

“Well, what task did you give him?” Kamui pressed. Leo had a different definition of impossible, so that didn’t put her mind at ease.

She gave him her most pleading pout. “Please tell me.” She knew he was more likely to give in when she gave him that expression.

Leo averted his gaze. “Don’t give me that look,” he grumbled.

Kamui didn’t let up, and he finally sighed.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, so stop looking at me like that.”

Kamui waited for him to speak.

“I told him to go defeat the spirits that sleep in the Woods of the Forlorn,” Leo finally told her.

Kamui frowned. “The Woods of the Forlorn?” she repeated. “But isn’t that one of the most dangerous places in Nohr? I’ve heard there are actually monsters there.”

Leo shrugged. “I’ve been there myself. It is hardly pleasant, but if you’re careful, it’s not too bad.”

That didn’t really comfort Kamui. “But you sent someone with him, right? So he has backup.”

Leo cringed a little. “No,” he confessed. “He went alone.”

“And how long ago was this?” Kamui pressed. Her heart started pounding. What if Leo had sent this poor guy to his death for whatever stupid reason he’d come up with? If it had been several days, and Odin hadn’t returned, then there was a very real possibility that something bad could’ve happened.

“About three days ago,” Leo admitted.

Kamui struggled to keep the fear out of her voice. “And have you heard from him in that time?”

Leo sighed. “No.”

Kamui abruptly got off him, getting to her feet. “Then you have to go after him. I’ll come with you. It will just take me a minute to get ready, and—”

“Kamui, wait,” Leo interrupted her. He grasped her wrist. “You don’t mean to go out there tonight?”

Kamui turned back to him, hoping that he wouldn’t notice how much she was shaking. “Of c-course,” she stammered. “If something’s happened, the more time we put off, the worse danger he could be in.”

Leo was sitting on the edge of the bed now. “You can’t go running off to the Woods of the Forlorn at this hour,” he told her calmly. “It’s dark now, and you don’t know the way.”

“But you do,” Kamui pointed out. “And it’s your fault if something happens to him! I’ll go wake Kaze and Mozu, too, and we can—”

Leo got to his feet and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Kamui, breathe,” he commanded.

Kamui realized that she was starting to hyperventilate.

“Close your eyes,” Leo told her calmly. “Take a deep breath with me. In and out.”

Kamui closed her eyes and did as he said. It did help to settle her nerves somewhat. She gasped when Leo enfolded her in his arms.

“It’s going to be okay, Kamui,” Leo insisted, rubbing her back soothingly.

Kamui rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He was right: panicking about this wasn’t going to help Odin.

“Gods,” he sighed. “If I’d known you’d react like this, I would never have asked to him to do that mission.”

“You shouldn’t have asked him to do it in the first place,” Kamui mumbled. “Maybe I’m overreacting, but it does sound pretty dangerous.”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Leo assured her.

Kamui wasn’t so sure about that. “I’m still worried.”

“Look, if I don’t hear from him by tomorrow, I’ll head out myself first thing in the morning,” Leo promised.

“Take me with you,” Kamui insisted.

Leo paused. “Kamui, I—”

Kamui pulled back to look him in the eyes. “Leo, I want to help. I can use a sword, so I can fight. And I’ll bring Kaze and Mozu along, too.”

Leo frowned. “I don’t really like the idea of you going to the Woods of the Forlorn. The situation there is unstable, and I don’t know what we’ll find.”

“But you just said it’s not that bad,” Kamui pointed out. “And it’s not like I’m going all by myself.” Like you made Odin do.

Leo flinched at the accusation in her voice. “I would never want you to go there by yourself,” he told her.

“Oh, so it’s not safe for me to go there by myself, but Odin should be perfectly fine?” Kamui retorted. “Is that what you’re saying? How would you feel if I were a retainer and my liege asked me to go out there by myself? Admit it, you wouldn’t ask Niles to do something like this.”

Leo cringed. “I’ll admit I might have messed up,” he confessed. “But I promise I’ll set things right.”

“Good,” Kamui told him, glaring up at him. “And I’m coming with you.”

“You are not—”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Leo,” Kamui cut him off. “I want to help, and I don’t want to just sit at the castle like some helpless princess. I can help, and I will.” She softened her voice. “I’ll have my retainers with me, and you’ll be there to protect me, too, right? I’ll be just fine.”

Leo sighed. “There’s no use in trying to sway you, is there?” he murmured.

Kamui shook her head.

“Very well, then,” he relented. “If I don’t hear word from Odin by tomorrow morning, we’ll head out together.”

Kamui gave him a resolute nod. “Good.”

Morning came, and there was no word from Odin, so Leo resigned himself to the fact that he was taking his wife on a daytrip to the Woods of the Forlorn to search for his retainer. He was relieved that Kaze and Mozu were coming along, too. He didn’t know them well yet, but it would be good to have extra people keeping an eye on Kamui. His wife claimed she could fight, but Leo doubted she had faced enemies like the Faceless before. And that didn’t even consider what would happen if they ran into the spirits that were rumored to haunt the forest. Leo didn’t want Kamui to come, but she’d shown a fiery resolve last night that he hadn’t seen before. He didn’t have the heart to tell her no.

I hope I’m not making a big mistake, he mused. Well, another big mistake. I should never have sent Odin out there alone, and then Kamui wouldn’t be put in danger like this.

Kamui herself seemed pretty chipper that morning, chatting cheerfully with her retainers as they readied the horses.

“You know, I never pegged you as the type to take your wife to the Woods of the Forlorn,” Niles drawled next to him.

Leo sighed. “Keep an eye on her, please.”

“With pleasure, Lord Leo,” Niles replied with a smirk. “I’ll just make sure Camilla doesn’t catch me.”

“N-Niles!” Leo hissed, realizing where this was going. “That’s not what I meant. I just want to make sure she’s protected.”

Niles snickered. “As you wish. Who am I protecting her from? You?”

Leo glared at his retainer. “From the Faceless, you imbecile!” he snapped. “Protect her from me,” he scoffed. “Why would—” He trailed off when he realized what Niles was possibly implying. “Ugh. Not funny, Niles,” he muttered.

“Sorry, milord,” Niles drawled.

“Mind your tongue today,” Leo ordered. “I won’t have you speaking out of line around Kamui.”

“Oh, ho! I could really get going with that one, but I’ll give you a break,” Niles remarked. He placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Seriously, though. That Odin character is going to be fine.”

Leo shook his head. “It’s not Odin I’m worried about,” he said as he watched Kamui.

Niles nodded towards the Hoshidan princess. “She’ll be okay,” he assured his liege.

Leo sighed. “I hope so. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her because of this.”

Kamui waved at them energetically. “Leo! Are you ready to go?”

Let’s get this over with.

It took several hours for the group to ride through the Nohrian countryside to the Woods of the Forlorn. Their retainers rode behind at a respectful distance for most of the trip. (Leo hoped Niles wasn’t driving Mozu and Kaze too crazy.)

Even though it was summertime, the land wasn’t as green and fertile as Hoshido. They didn’t get a whole lot of sunlight in Nohr, and the soil wasn’t rich, so the plants struggled to thrive. It was still Leo’s home, and he loved it, despite its difficulties.

Kamui seemed to enjoy the scenery as well, even if it was a far cry from the lush land of Hoshido. She happily pointed out birds and wildlife on the journey.

“It’s such a beautiful day,” she commented to Leo at one point when it was just the two of them.

Leo nodded. “It is.”

She sighed. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to be outside, to get away from the castle,” she admitted. “Not that I dislike it there,” she added hastily. “But it’s nice to get a change of scenery.” She smiled at him. “And I get a chance to explore my new home, so thank you for letting me tag along.”

I just hope I made the right decision in letting you come. “I’m glad to hear it,” was what Leo said instead of voicing that nagging thought. “I suppose you’ve always been in a carriage when traveling through Nohr, so it would be difficult to see the scenery.”

“Hey, we should have a picnic sometime!” Kamui suggested brightly. “You could make your yummy sandwiches again, and I could bake a treat.”

“I didn’t know you knew how to bake,” Leo remarked, deciding not to react to her comment about his sandwiches.

Kamui shrugged sheepishly. “Well, not really. I’m actually a disaster in the kitchen. I once even burned the water for tea. But I’d like to learn.”

“Um, maybe we should just have the castle chefs prepare something,” Leo suggested. He loved Kamui, but he didn’t really want to be stuck eating something awful.

“But that takes away from the fun of it,” Kamui argued. “It’s much more satisfying to prepare your own food and enjoy it.”

“Would we be enjoying it, though?” Leo wondered. “I thought you said you were a disaster in the kitchen.”

“I’d cook it with love, so of course we’d enjoy it,” Kamui replied.

Leo gave her a doubtful look. Regardless of how much effort and care was put into preparing food, it could still taste absolutely terrible.

Kamui sighed. “Okay, so maybe I won’t bake anything. You at least know how to make sandwiches, so we can just have those. Maybe you could teach me how to make a sandwich,” she continued. “We usually have rice cakes in Hoshido, so sandwiches are more of a Nohrian food.”

“I didn’t know you were such a fan of my sandwiches,” Leo remarked. She seemed really fixated on this sandwich thing. “If I recall correctly, I’ve only made a sandwich for you once.” That had been the day she’d learned about Orochi’s miscarriage, and she’d skipped dinner.

Kamui sobered a little at the memory. “Yeah, I was having a bad day, so it was really sweet of you.”

It felt like the summer sun had suddenly gotten much hotter. “I think you’re reading too much into it,” Leo replied.

“I don’t think so,” Kamui mused. “And do you remember how that was the night I started sleeping with you?”

Yes, the sun was blazing. Leo could feel sweat perspiring on his brow. “We just shared a bed,” Leo corrected her. “We didn’t actually…do anything.” This was so embarrassing to talk about. Leo prayed Niles wasn’t within earshot right now.

“Well, you nearly attacked me with Brynhildr,” Kamui recalled.

Leo cringed at that particular memory. He hadn’t forgotten how he’d been on top of her, a nasty spell at his fingertips. If he hadn’t caught himself, he could have seriously hurt her. He was ashamed to remember how she’d cried, clearly terrified of him.

“I’m truly sorry about that,” Leo apologized. He’d shown Kamui a side of himself that he wasn’t entirely proud of, and she wouldn’t be able to forget it.

“Hey, it’s okay, Leo,” Kamui told him gently. “I don’t blame you at all. It was just a misunderstanding.”

A misunderstanding that could have gone much worse…

“I’m just glad I didn’t hurt you,” Leo confessed, still feeling guilty about that incident. He sighed. “Depending on how things go today, you might have to see me like that again,” he warned.

Kamui cocked her head as they rode side by side. “What do you mean?”

Leo exhaled slowly. “The rumors of monsters in the Woods of the Forlorn aren’t wrong,” he explained. He should probably prepare her for what was ahead. “Those woods are infested with the Faceless.”

Kamui gave him a confused look. “The Faceless? Who is that?”

Leo laughed bitterly. “Not who, but what. They are mindless monsters created by mages that attack any living thing that gets too close to them.”

Kamui frowned. “But why would mages create something so terrible?”

“Not everyone is as good as you think they are, Kamui,” Leo replied. “There are those who would kill and destroy for their own pleasure and gain…I don’t count myself in that group, but I will kill to defend those who cannot protect themselves,” he admitted grimly.

He thought Kamui paled a little at those words. “B-But you’re protecting people, so it’s different, right?” she said after a tense pause.

Leo sighed. “Perhaps. It is still killing at the end of the day.”

“Your reasons are different, though,” Kamui told him resolutely. “You fight to protect others, and that’s a good thing.”

Leo didn’t know how to reply to that. He honestly didn’t want to have this conversation at all. “I don’t feel as bad about killing Faceless, though,” he admitted. “They have no souls and are basically puppets for their creators. They sometimes even turn on their own creators, so using them has its risks.”

Kamui shuddered. “They sound terrifying.”

Leo looked up ahead, wondering if he saw the woods on the horizon. “Hopefully we won’t run into any today,” he told her. “And if we do, I will protect you. I won’t allow any harm to come to you, Kamui.” He already knew that Kamui’s safety was his first priority in this mission to locate his missing retainer.

“I’ll protect you, too,” Kamui promised, patting the hilt of the katana at her hip. “I’m not entirely defenseless, you know.”

Leo did believe that she knew how to wield a katana, but he wondered how much combat experience she’d actually had. Sparring with a partner was a bit different than fighting for your life on the battlefield, especially against something as monstrous as the Faceless.

“So, you asked Odin to kill the Faceless then?” Kamui asked.

“Not exactly,” Leo replied slowly. He wished he’d asked Odin to do that instead. “I gave him orders to defeat the spirits that haunt the Woods of the Forlorn.”

Kamui paled a little at that. “Haunt? As in ghosts?”

“Something like that. The legends say that they’re the spirits of those who died in a terrible battle hundreds of years ago,” Leo explained. “It’s said that they can steal your soul.” He kind of doubted the genuineness of that particular claim.

“Steal your soul?! That’s awful!” Kamui was completely horrified, and for some reason Leo had to hold back a laugh at her expression.

“It’s not too late to turn back, you know,” Leo told her. “I won’t judge you if you decide not to come along.” Part of him hoped she would go back. He didn’t really want to take her into those woods.

She shook her head. “Nope. I’m here, and I’m going to help,” she told him firmly.

Leo sighed. It was worth a try, but she obviously wasn’t going to budge. “Just stay close to me,” he said.

Kamui laughed nervously. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to wander off after everything you just told me.”

“You’d better not,” Leo warned. “I will be most displeased if I have to go searching through the woods for you and Odin.” Panicked might be a more appropriate term, though.

“Yeah, I bet you’d be mad.”

“Let’s just avoid that hypothetical situation altogether,” Leo advised. “But we should discuss what to do in the case that we are separated.” That certainly wasn’t Leo’s plan, but he needed to be prepared for any possibilities.

Kamui nodded. “Okay.”

“If you get lost, you should try to find a safe place and stay there,” Leo told her. “And I’ll come find you.” Best to keep it simple.

“And what if you get lost?” Kamui asked with a hint of a smile.

Leo scoffed and sat straighter, slightly offended she’d imagine him getting lost in the Woods of the Forlorn. “I’ve been visiting these woods since I was a child. I highly doubt that I’ll get lost.”

Kamui shrugged. “You never know. You might get lost, and I’ll have to come rescue you,” she teased.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

The Woods of the Forlorn were a lot darker than Kamui had expected. Even though it was the early afternoon, the thickness of the woods blocked out the sun, so it was hard to see in the very limited lighting.

“Wow, it’s so dark,” Kamui murmured, taking it all in. “I’ve never seen anything like it in Hoshido.”

“It seems like something from a scary story,” Mozu commented, moving closer to her liege. “I don’t mind scary stories, but actually being in one is something else.”

Leo sighed. “We aren’t in a scary story,” he commented, practical as ever.

Kamui frowned. “But what about those Faceless? Or those spirits? Those seem like the things from a scary story.”

“If you’re that scared, I can escort you out of the woods,” Leo offered. “There really is no need for you to go traipsing through the woods like this.”

That honestly sounded like a challenge to Kamui, like he thought she wasn’t up to the task. “I’ll stay,” she said. “Besides, these woods can’t be too big, right? So it’s not like we’ll be in here for hours.”

Even in the dim lighting, she could make out the look that Leo gave her that seemed to ask, “Are you stupid?”

“It’s very easy to get lost and go in circles, so it’s very possible we’ll be in here for hours,” Leo told her. “Odin doesn’t know the woods very well, so it would be easy for him to get lost.”

“I thought you said you knew these woods,” Kamui pointed out. “So we won’t get lost, right?”

“Unlikely,” Leo replied.

Kamui relaxed a little at that. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was a little weirded out by the Woods of the Forlorn. The thought of getting lost in here seemed terrifying.

“We still might be in here for several hours,” Leo added. “We’re looking for someone who may be lost or worse, so I don’t know how long we’ll be here.”

Kamui didn’t want to think of what could be worse than being lost in here. Odin will be okay. He just has to be!

“Now will you please be quiet so I can focus?” Leo continued. “It’s difficult for me to think when you’re pestering me with questions.”

“Oh, sorry,” Kamui mumbled. She wasn’t trying to be annoying.

Leo sighed. “It’s fine,” he said, clearly exasperated with her endless questions. “Niles, you’re good at tracking. Can you find any trace of someone passing through this way?”

Kamui didn’t understand how Niles could even see well enough to make out any trail, but her husband’s retainer agreed to the task.

“Kaze, you’re skilled in tracking, too, right?” she asked, turning to her own retainer.

“I have been trained in it,” the ninja replied quietly. “Although I’ve heard that Nohrians have better vision in the dark than we do, so perhaps Niles would be more suited to the task, given our current circumstances.”

Kamui frowned and glanced towards Leo. “Wait, is that true? Do Nohrians have better night vision than Hoshidans?” She hadn’t heard that before, but she supposed it would make some sense, since Nohr was a much darker place than Hoshido.

“I’ve heard the same hypothesis,” Leo replied. “Although I’m not sure if anyone has ever really tested it. It may be that our eyes are more accustomed to dim lighting because Nohr only has so many hours of daylight each day. I suppose it would be interesting to test the theory,” he mused.

“How would you test it?” Kamui wondered.

“Well, it would require some planning, but I suppose one way could be to compare what details people can make out in the dark,” he replied.

“I think there are many details people can make out in the dark,” Niles remarked with a hint of suppressed laughter. Kamui didn’t understand what was funny about that, but she decided not to ask. “Starting with their mouths—”

“Niles, aren’t you supposed to be doing your job, not speaking so crudely in front of a lady?” Leo reprimanded. “I already told you to watch your tongue today.”

“…I’m sorry, milord,” Niles replied demurely.

Leo sighed. “Have you any clues as to whether or not Odin came through here?”

“Hm. Well, it’s difficult to say,” Niles replied. “Perhaps it would be easier if we just listen. Odin does seem to be the type to make a lot of noise.”

Leo scoffed, but Kamui thought he sounded slightly amused. “As it is, he might not actually be in earshot of us, even if he is one of the loudest people I’ve ever met.”

Well, this was a little more than Kamui could usually pry out of Leo about his newest retainer. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Leo glanced her way. “These woods are much larger than they seem. It’s unlikely we’ll hear everything happening in any part of the woods.” Obviously was definitely implied.

Kamui shook her head. Typical Leo, probably misinterpreting her question on purpose. But if she said something, he was bound to say her questions were ambiguous or something. “What about Odin being loud and noisy?”

“Ah. Well, just what I said,” Leo replied easily. “Odin is loud and noisy.”

“…Okay,” Kamui finally replied after it was clear Leo wasn’t going to elaborate right now.

“Basically, he won’t shut up, and it drives milord crazy,” Niles supplied helpfully.

“So he likes to talk? I don’t see a problem with that,” Kamui mused.

Leo sighed. “It’s not just that he likes to talk, it’s…the way he talks.”

Well, that was even more confusing. “Does he have an accent or something?” Kamui wondered. “If he’s a foreigner, that would make sense.”

“There’s a slight accent, I suppose,” Leo replied. “But he talks—no, acts—like his brain is on some other planet half the time. Or well, most of the time. You’ll understand what I mean when you meet him.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to meet your new retainer under these circumstances,” Kamui remarked.

“I told you that I didn’t want you to come,” Leo muttered.

His comment stung, but Kamui tried not to let it bother her. She’d known last night that Leo hadn’t wanted her to come on this rescue trip to the Woods of the Forlorn—this wasn’t new. She was here now, so he’d just have to deal with it.

Niles straightened from where he crouched on the ground. “Hey, it’s Kaze, right?”

All eyes went to the ninja, who gave a subtle nod.

“Come here. I want to ask you something,” Niles said with a smirk.

Kaze gave Kamui a questioning glance. She nodded, and he went over to join Niles.

Kamui shyly went to stand closer to Leo. He looked down at her in surprise when she held his hand.

She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand. “You okay?” she asked. He seemed a little on edge, but she didn’t want to bring it up in front of their retainers.

He shrugged. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You seem a little worried,” Kamui observed.

“Worried? Me?” Leo scoffed.

“Yes, you.”

“I’m not.”

Kamui shook her head. So stubborn. “You are,” she insisted. “I think I’ve known you long enough to notice when you’re on edge. Something’s bothering you.”

Leo sighed. “I just have a bad feeling,” he admitted quietly. “Like something terrible is going to happen.”

Kamui frowned. That didn’t sound like her husband, to get worried about something like that. Sure, she knew he had feelings, despite what some people might think, but he tended to prefer logic over mere emotions.

“So, we’ve got three options, Lord Leo,” Niles spoke up, interrupting the conversation.

“Which are?” Leo prompted.

“First, there’s the main path, obviously.” If there was a path, it wasn’t very obvious to Kamui, but Leo simply nodded.

“And then there are two trails that veer off the regular path,” Niles continued, pointing into the dark woods.

“So it’s likely that Odin took one of those three paths,” Kaze surmised.

“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Kamui said optimistically. “We’ll just split up, and try each one.”

“That’s a horrible idea, Kamui,” Leo told her.

She flinched at the unimpressed tone of his voice.

“Ouch,” Niles muttered, which did not help matters.

Kamui gave her husband a dirty look to hide how his comment stung. “And why is that?” she demanded.

Leo sighed. “Because there are only five of us, and only two of us know these woods well enough to traverse them without getting lost,” he explained.

“Kaze wouldn’t get lost,” Kamui said defensively. He was a ninja—ninja were good at keeping their bearings.

“Regardless, we don’t have enough people to split up into three groups,” Leo replied. “One of us would have to go alone, and in the Woods of the Forlorn, that could be deadly.”

“But it’s okay for Odin to go alone,” Kamui pointed out, still slightly miffed with her husband for this whole situation in the first place.

“We’ve already discussed this, Kamui,” Leo said primly. “Our current priority is finding Odin. We can talk about my life choices later.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “In private,” he added.

Oh. Leo did have a point. Kamui probably shouldn’t be calling him out on his mistakes in front of their retainers. And discussing that right now, when they should be looking for Odin, wasn’t going to do anyone any good.

“Since we don’t know where these other paths lead, we should stay on the main path,” Leo decided. “We can come back and check these other paths later if we don’t find anything.”

Kamui still couldn’t tell which path was which, so she’d just have to trust them.

“Um, Lord Leo?” Mozu’s soft voice spoke up. “Where does the main path lead?”

“It goes south through the woods,” Leo answered as they continued on. “From there, you can go to places like the Ice Tribe, Cheve, Cyrkensia…”

“The Ice Tribe,” Kamui murmured. “That’s where Felicia’s from, right?”

“Correct,” Leo replied.

“How long does it take to get through the woods?” Mozu asked.

“If you know where you’re going, I’d say one hour minimum on horseback,” Leo said. “If you don’t know where you’re going…Well, it would be longer, assuming you don’t get lost.”

“Okay,” Mozu replied. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

The group mostly traveled in silence, while Niles led the way.

Kamui’s horse nickered, and she patted the mare reassuringly.

Niles swore. “There are a lot of side trails, Lord Leo,” he observed.

“I’ve noticed them, too,” Kaze remarked from the rear of the group. “Most of them are probably from wild animals and such, though. It’s unlikely your retainer went down one of those paths.”

Leo and Niles exchanged a look.

“Odin would,” Leo said. “Especially if he thought he could find any spirits that way.”

“But would Odin notice these other trails?” Kamui wondered. “To be honest, it all looks the same to me. I can barely see where the main road goes.”

“All the more reason he probably wandered off the main path,” Leo noted.

Once again, Kamui felt a wave a frustration at Leo for sending Odin off on this crazy adventure in the first place. She bit her lip and didn’t say anything, though. Leo already knew she was upset about it.

She sighed. “Are we ever going to find him like this?” she wondered, looking around at the foreboding trees. “Maybe we should’ve brought Camilla and her wyvern, then she could search from the air.”

“Let’s try to keep Camilla out of any scrapes for the time being, hm?” Niles remarked.

“Given her condition, that’s probably not the best decision,” Leo added.

Oh. We probably shouldn’t bring a pregnant woman along for this. Kamui felt stupid yet again for not thinking that through. Gosh, I’m a mess today. It seems all I’m doing is coming up with idiotic ideas. There must be some way I can be useful…

“Yeah, that was a bad idea,” Kamui admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t worry, Lady Kamui, we’ll find him,” Mozu encouraged.

Kamui tried to remain positive. “Right. He can’t have wandered off too far, right?” She sighed and stretched the small amount she could while mounted. “I’m going to be so sore from this,” she grumbled.

“What was that, Kamui?” Leo asked from ahead.

She sighed. “Oh. It’s nothing, really…I’m just not used to riding for so long. My legs are starting to cramp up.”

“We can go on foot for a bit,” Leo told her, reining in his warhorse. The others followed suit.

“Oh, good,” Mozu sighed. “I’m not used to all this riding, either.”

Kamui dismounted, but her knees buckled the moment she touched the ground, and down she went. “Ah!” She instinctively put out her hands to break her fall, and pain shot up through her arms when she hit the ground. She thought she heard a sickening crack.

She heard her companions yelling her name, but all she could do was wince and stumble to her feet.

Leo was by her side in an instant. “Are you all right?” he asked, gripping her elbow to steady her.

“Y-Yeah,” Kamui stuttered, still in shock from the sudden fall. “Just, my hands hurt,” she admitted. “I must have landed on them wrong.”

Now that she thought about it, her hands felt weird, and she couldn’t move them. Her wrists were at funny angles and were starting to swell.

“Gods,” Leo murmured as he inspected her right arm. “I think you might have broken your wrist. May I see your other arm?”

Kamui held it up for him, and his frown deepened. “Possibly both of your wrists,” he concluded. “Can you move them at all?”

Kamui tried and whimpered as pain shot up through her arms. “N-No. It hurts too much.”

“Mozu, Kaze, are either of you proficient at healing?” Leo asked sharply.

Kamui already knew the answer was no. They knew some basic first aid, but neither of her retainers used magic of any sort.

Leo swore quietly when he found out. “I should’ve brought an actual healer along,” he muttered. “I can cast some basic heal spells, but mending broken bones is a bit beyond my capabilities.”

“I-It’s okay,” Kamui said. “I can still walk and stuff.”

“Well, you can’t ride, and you can’t fight if we get into a battle,” Leo observed. “Looks like this is the end of our excursion.”

“What?” Kamui gasped. “But Odin…”

“He will just have to fend for himself,” Leo told her firmly. “There’s no way I’m letting you wander around the Woods of the Forlorn in your condition. We need to get you back home where an actual healer can take a look at you.”

Kamui frowned. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m the one who made you come out here in the first place, and then I go and get hurt like this.” She swallowed and fought back the tightening of her throat; she didn’t want to start crying on top of it all. “I really am just useless.”

“You’re not—You’re not useless, Kamui,” Leo told her. “You just had an accident. It could happen to anyone. Besides, I’m the one who sent Odin out here on his own in the first place. I am partially to blame for this. And I should have taken into account that you’re not used to riding for long periods of time.”

Kaze cleared his throat. “Lady Kamui, would you like me to bandage your wrists so that no further damage is done?”

Kamui turned to her faithful retainer and nodded. “Yes, please. Thank you, Kaze.”

She quietly watched as Kaze wrapped bandages around her injured wrists, giving them a little more support.

“I’ll have you ride back with me,” Leo told her. “If you wrap your arms around my waist, you should be fine.”

Kamui just nodded, still feeling terrible that she’d fallen in the first place.

“Here, Lady Kamui,” Mozu said softly. “You can take a vulnerary to help with the pain.”

Kamui reached out to take the vial from her retainer before she realized that she couldn’t really use her hands right now. “Um. I don’t think I can…”

Mozu understood and lifted the vial to Kamui’s lips.

Kamui drank the potion and sighed in relief as she felt some of the pain ease away.

She was still in a bit of a daze as Leo and their retainers helped get her situated behind him on his warhorse. She wrapped her arms around her husband and rested her head on his back. She closed her eyes and tried to forget how horribly wrong this day had gone.

Chapter Text

This day was getting worse and worse. Leo still couldn’t get over the fact that Kamui had managed to get hurt not in combat, but just by dismounting a horse. And she’d possibly broken both of her wrists at the same time. As it was, she couldn’t use her hands at all right now, so she awkwardly clung to Leo as they headed back north. She didn’t say much, but Leo could hear the occasional whimper escape her lips as she pressed herself against his back.

Why didn’t I think to bring a healer along? Gods, if I hadn’t given Odin that stupid mission in the first place, then we wouldn’t even be in this mess. This is all my fault.

“I’m sorry,” Kamui mumbled. “This is all my fault.”

Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course she’d blame herself for all of this, even when it was clearly not her fault.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Kamui,” Leo assured her.

She gave a choked laugh. “Feels like it,” she grumbled. “Who manages to break both their wrists while just getting off a horse? A-And I’m the one who insisted we come out here in the first place. And now I’m the reason we’re heading back to the castle without finding Odin when he might need our help.” Her words were rushed now. “And I keep on coming up with stupid ideas, and—”

Leo was done with her self-deprecating rant by this point. “Enough,” he told her sharply.

He heard her startled intake of breath, and it sounded like she was close to crying. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked.

Leo realized he’d probably been a bit too harsh with her, given her obviously fragile emotional state. “No, I’m sorry,” he said in a softer tone. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“It’s okay,” Kamui murmured. “We’re both a bit out of sorts right now. I just feel bad I’m adding to your stress, getting hurt like this.”

“Accidents can happen to anyone,” Leo reminded her.

“Yeah, but who breaks both their wrists while dismounting a horse?” Kamui scoffed.

“Well, you do, apparently,” Leo remarked dryly. “And we don’t know for certain that they’re broken.”

“They probably are,” Kamui replied. “They hurt a lot, and I care barely move them at all.”

Her arms twitched around him, and Leo placed his hand on one of her bandaged wrists. “Don’t try to move them,” he told her. “That will just make it worse.”

“Right. Well, I guess I can add breaking bones to the list of all the stupid things I’ve done in life.”

Leo sighed. “First off, breaking a bone does not mean you’re stupid. I’ve broken bones before, and I’m not stupid.”

The tension in his chest lightened at the sound of her laugh. “You could show a little more humility, you know,” she remarked lightly.

“My apologies,” Leo said, even though he really wasn’t. “Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that you’re not stupid just because of an injury.” He mentally winced at his poor wording.

“So are you saying I’m stupid for other reasons?” Kamui asked. Yep, he’d really made a mess of that one.

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Leo quickly replied.

Kamui giggled. “Sorry. I’m just messing with you. I know what you mean.”

“Do you now?” Leo wondered. “You seem very keen on mincing my words today.”

“Well, you do the same to me,” she replied. “I’m just returning the favor.”

“Oh, so it’s a favor? I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future,” Leo remarked.

“Leo, you are such a dork,” Kamui laughed. “And I love you.”

Leo cursed himself for blushing at that. It wasn’t like it was the first time she’d told him she loved him. It still caught him off guard, though.

“I…” Leo cleared his throat. “I suppose that would make you a dork’s wife.”

“Hm. I think I can live with that,” Kamui replied cheerfully. Her voice grew more serious. “I just feel bad about Odin,” she admitted again. “I feel terrible leaving when he might need our help.”

Leo sighed. “I hate to say this, but at this point, I doubt you’d be much help in a fight,” he told her.

Kamui was quiet for a moment, and he worried he’d hurt her feelings again.

“But the rest of you could help,” she pointed out. “Maybe we could leave a couple of our retainers here to continue looking.” She sighed. “But that’s probably a bad idea, isn’t it?” she mumbled.

“Not necessarily,” Leo told her. “Although Camilla will have my hide if I have Niles stay behind without telling her first. And Kaze and Mozu don’t really know these woods.”

“Well, they wouldn’t be the only retainers lost in the woods, then,” Kamui muttered unhappily.

Leo cringed a little at her tone. He knew she was still mad at him for this whole sending Odin off to the Woods of the Forlorn business.

“Look, Kamui,” Leo sighed. “I already told you that I messed up. I am trying to fix the problem,” he reminded her.

“I know,” Kamui said. “Thank you for coming all the way out here in the first place.”

“We’re still not out of the woods yet, so to speak, so perhaps we’ll still come across Odin,” Leo suggested, trying to stay positive for her. He took a deep breath. “And…if he still hasn’t returned to the castle by the time we get back, I’ll come back out here and look for him again tomorrow,” he promised. He didn’t really want to come all the way back here again, but this was clearly really important to Kamui. That, and he did feel a bit guilty about how he’d treated Odin.

Kamui tightened her grip on him. “Thank you, Leo.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he warned. “I still have yet to—Niles?” He broke off when his retainer rode up to him, worry clear in his eye.

“Lord Leo, I have a bad feeling that we’re being watched,” the former thief murmured. “Kaze is suspicious, too.”

Well, that certainly got Leo’s attention.

“Do you think it could be Odin?” Kamui asked hopefully.

Leo didn’t want to quash her hopes, but he needed to be realistic about this. “I doubt it,” he replied in a low voice. “Odin would probably make himself known if he encountered us. Besides, he’s not exactly stealthy.”

“I just wanted you to be on your guard,” Niles continued. “We’ll need to be more careful going forward.”

Leo nodded. “Understood. Thank you for letting us know, Niles.” With Kamui obviously injured, and both of them being royalty, Leo and Kamui were likely to be the main targets if there was an attack on them.

Leo pulled Brynhildr out of his satchel and held it close to his chest with one hand just in case he needed it at a moment’s notice. He hoped he wouldn’t need to start casting spells with Kamui clinging to him like this. One wrong move, and she could go tumbling to the ground again, which would be really bad if they were under attack.

“Hold on tight, Kamui,” Leo told her in a low voice. “This might get rough.”

Kamui squeezed him a little tighter with her arms. “We don’t know if we’ll be attacked, though. Maybe it’s just someone else travelling through the woods.”

Oh, if only Leo could be as naïve as she was. But growing up in the Nohrian court, especially during the time they called the Concubine Wars, had hardened him. He couldn’t afford to just assume whoever was watching meant them no harm.

“We need to stay on guard,” Leo told her. “Okay?”

“Okay,” she sighed. “But what can I possibly do? I can’t use my hands right now, so I’m basically useless.”

“You can keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary,” Leo suggested.

Kamui snorted. “Well, I’ll try my best, but it’s not like I can see much in this forest anyway.” She did have a point there, even if Leo didn’t want to admit it.

“Keep your ears open, then,” he suggested. “For what you can’t see with your eyes, you can make up for with your other senses.”

“I’ll try,” she said. “But what good will my sense of taste do right now anyway? Should I start licking everything?” she asked with a laugh.

“No, that would be disgusting,” Leo replied with a grimace. “Plus, there are poisonous plants in these woods so I wouldn’t recommend that.”

“Gee, this place is just the best part of Nohr, huh?” Kamui muttered sarcastically.

“Hey, I never said it was a nice place.”

Kamui yawned. “I know. I—”

The Faceless were on them before she finished her sentence. Leo’s horse reared and kicked at the four Faceless that were suddenly directly in their path.

Leo heard Kamui gasp behind him, but he was already focused on casting his spells. Trees tore through flesh as they ripped apart the Faceless one by one. It was gory, but it was the most effective way to eliminate the threat.

“What are those things?” Leo heard Mozu cry out from behind them.

“Those are Faceless,” Niles answered grimly.

“Those are Faceless?!” Mozu gasped.

“Lord Leo, Lady Kamui, be careful!” Kaze called out. “It looks like we’re surrounded.”

Surrounded? But how?

Leo whipped his gaze around the area, and sure enough, they were surrounded by Faceless on every side. It was a tactical nightmare, to say the least.

“Listen, there don’t seem to be many of them,” Leo told his companions. “If we focus on the ones in front of us, we should be able to make a path through to escape. Niles, you protect our backs. Kaze, I want you to guard the left flank, and Mozu the right,” he ordered. “I’ll focus on the ones in front of us and make a path through them.”

There were sounds of acknowledgment from the three retainers.

“Kamui, I need you to hold on tight, okay?” Leo told her. “I’ll get you out of here.”

No response.

“Kamui?” Leo repeated sharply, sparing a glance over his shoulder to make sure she was still there, even though he could feel her arms around him.

“Ah! Yes,” she squeaked. Leo could feel her warm body trembling against him. She must be absolutely terrified…

Leo didn’t have time to focus on that, though. He turned his attention back to their enemies, destroying Faceless with Brynhildr’s power. He didn’t need to kill all of them, just enough to make a way to escape.

Fighting on horseback with an injured princess clinging to him was not the easiest way to fight. Leo tried to limit his movements so that he didn’t accidentally send Kamui tumbling to the ground, but he still needed to eliminate their enemies.

Leo swore. “How did we get ambushed like this?” he grumbled. “We knew someone was watching us, so—”

Behind him, Kamui cried out in pain.

“Kamui!” Leo struggled to look back at her in the saddle in the middle of a battle.

There were similar shouts from her two retainers.

“Ah,” Kamui gasped. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”

Well, she certainly didn’t sound okay.

“Kamui—” Leo began.

“It’s just a scratch,” she said quickly, although her voice was laced in pain.

“Just hold on,” Leo told her. “We’re almost through…”

“Okay,” she breathed. “I think Niles got him. I might need to do in this outfit though.”

Well, Leo didn’t like the sound of that.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“Ugh. A Faceless got my back,” she explained in a strained voice. “It must have gotten past the others.”

Leo swore under his breath. How had things gotten so bad so quickly?

“Hail, fellow heroes! Tis I, Odin Dark, here to aid you!”

“Of all the times…” Leo muttered. Of course. Of course Odin would show up right then. Perhaps Fate is on my side today. We can use any help we can get.

“Odin! Get over here!” Leo ordered, even though he wasn’t quite sure where Odin was at the moment. “Kamui is injured. I need your help to get her out of here safely.”

“I will do whatever bidding my dark master wishes!” Odin exclaimed. “Watch as I use my new hex, Expelius Scatterbang to rid us of our enemies.”

Expelius what? Well, whatever works.

“I don’t care what you do,” Leo replied. “Just take out those Faceless in our way!”

Kamui’s grip on him grew slack. “Leo,” she breathed. “I…I think there’s blood running down my back.” Her voice shook a little. “I don’t know how much, but—”

“Just hold on,” Leo told her yet again, although panic was starting to bleed into his voice. “Now that Odin is here, we should be able to turn things in our favor.”

He thought she mumbled something about how Odin was saving them, but he couldn’t make it out over the noise of the battle.

If Leo weren’t so concerned about Kamui, he would have been more interested in Odin’s unique hex, but as it was he didn’t really care about the sudden explosions around them. All he cared about was that it cleared a path for Leo to get Kamui out of there.

He urged his mount into a gallop and got out of there as fast as he could. “This way!” he shouted to the others. “Just a little bit longer, love,” he told Kamui.

“I can make it,” she replied.

“Do you think you’ll be okay until we get out of the woods?” Leo asked.

“I…How much farther?” Kamui asked weakly. “I want to say yes, but I think I’m feeling a little lightheaded.”

Leo swore under his breath. This wasn’t good. “We’ll go until we’re out of immediate danger, and then we’ll tend your wounds,” he decided.

“Okay,” she breathed.

Leo was glad he knew the way through the woods, so he could find the best path out of there. Or any path, really. The Woods of the Forlorn weren’t known for being easily navigated after all.

“Niles!” Leo called over his shoulder. “Are we being pursued?”

“A few stragglers are coming, but we should be able to outride them, Lord Leo,” Niles replied from behind them.

So it wasn’t safe to stop in the woods. They’d have to keep going.

“How are you holding up, Kamui?” Leo asked.

“I’ll…manage,” she said.

It wasn’t much longer until Leo could make out the evening rays of sunlight through the edge of the trees. “We’re almost there.”

Leo breathed a sigh of relief as they burst into the sunlight and out of the woods. He reined in his mount and was relieved to see that all of their retainers were accounted for. All four of them, that was.

Well, I suppose we did find Odin after all. Albeit in an unexpected way.

“Lady Kamui!” Mozu called out, quickly dismounting and rushing to her liege’s side. “Ooh, that looks kind of bad, milady.”

“Kaze, Odin, help Kamui dismount,” Leo ordered.

“You don’t want me to help?” Niles asked with his usual smirk.

“Not with that, no,” Leo replied shortly. “Keep watch for signs of pursuers.”

With help from their retainers, they were able to get Kamui off Leo’s steed, and Leo finally got a look at her injuries.

In addition to her bandaged hands from her fall earlier, there were four nasty scratches across her back, from her right shoulder to her left hip. Unfortunately her shirt was torn and bloodied probably beyond saving. And she’d lost a bit more blood than Leo was comfortable with.

“I can use magic to at least stop the bleeding,” Leo told her as she sat in the grass. “Beyond that, we’ll need an actual healer to tend to it.” He turned to Odin. “Unless you are proficient with healing magic, Odin?”

Odin shook his head. “Nay, milord. For I am well-versed in the darker arts, but I sadly have little talent in the art of healing wounds on brave warriors. My mother is a great healer—”

“Okay, you keep watch with Niles then,” Leo interrupted. Odin’s mother obviously wasn’t here, so that knowledge wasn’t going to do them any good right now.

Leo pulled out the stave Elise had given him as a gift in case he needed it. He’d have to thank her for it later.

He was able to cast a simple heal spell to seal Kamui’s wounds, although it wasn’t enough to heal any internal damage or sufficiently clean the wounds.

Kamui breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Here, let me clean the blood up and bandage your back, Lady Kamui,” Mozu offered.

The princess nodded wearily. “Please.”

“Lord Leo!” Odin shouted. “Those dastardly fiends have followed the chosen heroes all the way here!”

Leo turned and looked at his two retainers.

“He means we still have some Faceless to take care of,” Niles supplied helpfully.

Leo narrowed his eyes and grabbed Brynhildr. He could see their enemies clearly. Foolish to follow us this far.

“Mozu, Kaze, you stay with Kamui,” Leo ordered them as he strode over to the edge of the woods. His blood boiled as he thought of Kamui’s bleeding back and those Faceless that were responsible for harming his wife.

“I will erase you,” Leo muttered darkly as he prepared to wipe out those Faceless for good.

Kamui shuddered as she watched Leo march back over to fight the remaining Faceless. Leo had been right—she wasn’t prepared for this at all. The blood and gore had horrified her, especially from Brynhildr’s spells. She tried to forget the images of branches ripping through their bodies, sending blood…No, she wouldn’t think about that.

What mattered right now was that they were out of those terrible woods. They were all alive, and in a twist of fate, Odin had come to their rescue instead of them rescuing him.

“Are you alright, milady?” Mozu asked softly as she helped the princess clean up.

Kamui startled at the sound of her retainer’s voice. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’ll be okay,” she mumbled. “Thank you for helping me.”

“I should have been there to protect you,” Mozu said. “I mean, I was trying to watch the side like Lord Leo asked and guard you, but I couldn’t do it, and you got hurt. I’m sorry, Lady Kamui.”

Kaze sighed as he stood with his back to them, looking for any danger. “I am at fault as well,” he murmured. “I saw that Faceless get through our defenses, but I couldn’t take him out before you were injured.”

Mozu draped her cloak over Kamui’s shoulders to hide her ruined outfit. Kamui wrapped it around herself and carefully got to her feet to stand beside Kaze.

“I don’t blame either of you,” she told her retainers. “I know you were doing your best, and it’s just a few scratches really.” She tried to shrug, but winced as she remembered why she shouldn’t do that. “I’ll be fine.”

“It could have been much worse,” Kaze said, still keeping watch. “Next time we might not be so lucky.”

Kamui sighed softly. It seemed that Kaze and Mozu were both going to blame themselves for what happened, and Leo probably would, too, come to think of it. She just wished there was something she could do or say to make them feel better.

“It’s a good thing Odin showed up when he did,” she settled on. “I never would have thought that he’d be saving us from trouble.” She laughed at the irony.

“Yes, it is kind of funny how things worked out,” Kaze remarked.

“Well, I for one am glad that he’s one of Leo’s retainers now,” Kamui said. Even if Leo isn’t so thrilled…

“He does seem pretty good at casting all those spells,” Mozu agreed. “I could never do something like that.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mozu,” Kamui told her. “I bet if you tried magic that you’d be really good at it.” She giggled at Mozu’s blush.

“Gosh, I don’t know,” Mozu mumbled.

“Maybe you should try. Leo’s going to teach me some magic,” Kamui said. They had yet to have an official first lesson, though. She glanced at her bandaged hands. “Although I don’t know how that’s going to happen for now,” she added with a grimace.

Was it just her imagination, or were her hands starting to hurt more? Her back, too, come to think of it.

“Are you feeling okay, Lady Kamui?” Mozu asked as she noticed the change in her demeanor.

 “Uh, I don’t know,” Kamui admitted. “I feel like it’s starting to hurt more.”

“You should sit down and rest,” Kaze recommended. “There’s no need for you to be on your feet right now.”

Kamui sighed again. Kaze did have a point. There was no reason for her to stand around when all she wanted to do was rest.

It wasn’t too long before Leo, Odin, and Niles returned from finishing off the remaining Faceless. Kamui gasped when she saw blood on Leo’s face.

“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” she asked, getting to her feet with a wince. “Are you hurt?”

“Huh?” Leo’s grim expression turned to confusion. Then, he touched his cheek. “Oh, this isn’t my blood. One of the Faceless I killed splattered—Well, battle can be a bit messy sometimes. I’m fine though.”

Kamui felt kind of sick to her stomach at the thought. “I’m not sure I like battle all that much,” she mumbled, then forced a smile. “But I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Lord Leo, that was so epic!” Odin exclaimed, coming up behind him. “The way you took out those foul monsters was the stuff of legends.”

Leo just sighed. “I’m glad you thought so, Odin.”

“What daring quest has brought you and your companions out to these forlorn woods?” Odin asked.

Leo held up his hand. “Odin, a moment, please.”

“Oh, sorry, milord,” Odin said, reining in his excitement. Kamui found their interactions hilarious. She could see why Odin would get on Leo’s nerves, especially after how well Leo had gotten along with Izana. At least it was a distraction from her physical pain.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Leo?” Kamui asked, hiding a smile.

“Yes, I suppose I should do that,” Leo acknowledged. “Kamui, this is Odin. Odin, this is my wife, Princess Kamui.”

“It’s good to finally meet you,” Kamui said politely.

Odin offered her a deep bow. “I am pleased to meet the dark lady that has swept away the heart of my lord,” he said.

Kamui arched an eyebrow. “Dark lady?” she repeated in confusion. “But my hair is gray,” she said with a laugh. “How am I the dark lady?”

Leo sighed. “Odin, please speak like a normal person around my wife.”

“Sorry, Lord Leo,” Odin apologized. “It’s just that if you are the dark lord, then your bride would be the dark lady.”

“Wait, since when has Leo been the dark lord?” Kamui asked.

“Hm. What delicious secrets have you been keeping from us, milord?” Niles asked with a smirk.

I am so confused right now.

Leo rolled his eyes. “I’m not keeping any secrets from you. Odin has just taken to calling me the dark lord for some reason I cannot fathom.”

“Well, for one thing, you are known for—”

“Odin, that’s enough,” Leo interrupted. “You can explain your reasoning later. We got what we came for, so let’s get back to the castle quickly so the healers can look at Kamui.”

Kamui looked down at her bandaged hands and grimaced. “Right.”

“Wait, what legendary thing did you seek in the Woods of the Forlorn?” Odin asked, clearly intent on asking his questions.

“You, Odin,” Leo said shortly.

“Me?” the blond retainer repeated. “I did not know you thought I was the stuff of legends!”

Leo just groaned.

He came over to Kamui, leaving his retainers behind. “How are you holding up?” he asked her. “Do you feel strong enough to ride?”

Kamui held up her hands. “I don’t think I’ll be able to ride like this,” she pointed out. “I mean, I could try to hold the reins, but—”

Leo shook his head. “No, you’re riding with me,” he said. “You riding on your own with your hands like that would only end in another disaster.”

“Yeah, we’ve already had enough of those,” Kamui agreed sheepishly. And most of them seemed to have been her fault, no matter what Leo said otherwise.

“I want to know if you need to rest here a while longer, or if you’re ready to make the journey to Krakenburg now,” Leo clarified.

“There’s no point on sitting around here when it’s going to get dark soon,” Kamui said. “We can go now.”

Leo nodded. “Alright. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

It took a bit of help from their retainers to get Kamui situated behind Leo in the saddle again. One of the cuts on her back reopened, so Leo had to use another heal spell, and Mozu bandaged it up again. But they eventually managed to get Kamui on the horse without too much pain on her part.

The rest of the journey to Krakenburg was relatively uneventful, thankfully. Kamui was too tired to talk much, so they mostly rode in silence on the return trip.

They reached the castle about an hour after the sun had set and were greeted by Camilla, Elise, and Azura.

“Where have you been?” Camilla demanded. “You told me it was only a daytrip, not that you’d be coming home after dark. We waited for you to have dinner.”

Leo just sighed. “I can explain later. Kamui’s—”

“You can explain right now!” Camilla snapped.

“Kamui’s injured,” Leo shot back, irritation clear in his voice. “Let’s get her inside, and then you can lecture me all you want, Sister.”

Elise gasped. “Kamui’s hurt? Oh, no! What happened?”

Kamui wasn’t sure where to begin. “Um. Well, I fell off the horse, so we think my wrists might be broken. And we got atta—”

“Let’s just say it was a rough day,” Leo cut in, giving Kamui a shake of his head. “Kamui’s tired, and she needs medical treatment immediately.”

Kamui needed help from the others to dismount the horse, which was a little embarrassing.

“Are you okay?” Azura asked softly.

Kamui nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

There was a soft thud as Leo dismounted beside her. “Let’s get you inside, then we can talk,” he said.

Then, he scooped her up in his arms without warning and marched towards the castle.

“L-Leo!” Kamui gasped, taken completely by surprise.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?” he asked. “I’m trying to be as gentle as I can.”

“I’m fine,” she told him. “You just took me by surprise is all.” Leo had rarely, if ever, carried her bridal style, so this was different. Nice, but different.

“I probably should have asked permission, but you’ve asked me to carry you to bed before, so I figured you wouldn’t mind,” Leo explained.

Kamui blushed. “I—I don’t mind,” she stammered. “Thank you, Leo.”

“Elise is going to come check on you, okay?” Leo murmured to her.

“Mm.” Kamui closed her eyes, exhausted from their adventures that day.

“Hey, you’re not going to sleep on me, are you?” Leo complained.

“I’m just so sleepy, and you’re so comfortable,” she mumbled.

“And this is why I never carry you,” Leo muttered under his breath.

“Then why are you now?” Kamui asked softly.

Leo sighed. “Because you’re clearly exhausted and I can’t stand to watch you stumble through the castle in this condition.”

“Aw, you’re really sweet.”

“Sh. Don’t say that when other people can hear,” Leo hissed.

Kamui smiled. “But you are sweet,” she said, unable to resist teasing him a little. “And I think the whole world should know it.”

“Big Brother, wait up!” Elise yelled from behind them. “I can’t keep up with your stupid long legs.”

Leo sighed. “She needs a bed, Elise. You know where her room is.”

“You’re such a jerk, Leo!” Elise retorted. “Do you want me to help her or not?”

“There are other healers in the castle,” Leo remarked, but he slowed his pace for Elise.

“So what happened?” Elise asked. “Kamui said she fell off a horse, but you’ve also got her back all bandaged up.”

“It’s just some scratches,” Kamui told her, opening her eyes again. She covered a yawn. “Like I was saying, we got attacked and—”

“You got attacked?!” Elise gasped. “Were they bandits?”

“Faceless,” Kamui replied grimly.

Elise looked even more horrified. “Faceless?! This close to the castle?!”

Leo sighed. “It wasn’t close to the castle, Sister. We, uh, went down to the Woods of the Forlorn,” he admitted with a grimace.

“Leo, you big dummy! Why did you take Kamui there of all places?” Elise demanded.

“It’s a long story,” Leo replied, clearly unwilling to further discuss it.

“Well, if you won’t tell me, Kamui will,” Elise said. “Right, Big Sister?”

Kamui wasn’t quite sure why Leo was being so reluctant about discussing this. Was he embarrassed about his hand in ordering Odin to go to the woods alone? Whatever the reason, she decided she shouldn’t say too much in case it upset Leo.

“Like Leo said, it’s a long story,” she told Elise. “And I’m too tired to talk about it right now.”

“Oh, fine,” Elise whined. “But you’ve gotta tell me tomorrow, okay?”

“Mm.”

When they got to her room, Leo carefully placed her on the bed, laying her on her stomach so Elise could look at her back.

And Kamui listened while Elise gave Leo a long lecture about cleaning her wounds before using a heal spell, and all sorts of other things he’d apparently done wrong.

“She could have bled to death,” Leo said defensively. “Would you rather she bleed to death?”

“Ugh. Xander was right—you are the worst at protecting someone while fighting,” Elise groaned.

Leo bristled. “And why would he say that?”

Kamui sighed into her pillow. Their bickering was starting to give her a headache.

“Because it’s true,” Elise stated. “I mean, just look at the state you brought your poor wife home in!”

“It’s not that bad,” Kamui mumbled. Really, they were making a bigger deal out of this than it needed to be.

“Okay, it could be worse,” Elise admitted. “But it could be lots better. Next time you go off an adventure, I’m coming along, too, so I can patch you up if you get hurt.”

Leo didn’t reply with some quip, and Kamui was too tired to think of anything to say.

“How bad is it really?” Leo finally asked quietly. “Her wrists, are they—”

“Broken?” Elise said. “Maybe. I’ll check them out once I’m done working on her back. Speaking of, why are you still here? It’s improper to see a lady in this state.”

“Elise, Kamui just happens to be my wife. It’s not like I haven’t—” Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. “That is, it’s a bit different when you’re married.”

“You are so weird,” Elise muttered. “You’re spending way too much time with Niles.”

“I just want to make sure she’s okay. This isn’t—”

“Elise, I want Leo here,” Kamui interrupted. “So please stop arguing.” She sighed. “I just want to sleep.”

“Soon, Big Sister,” Elise assured her. “I’m done with your back now. There shouldn’t be much scaring. If someone had thought to bring me along, there wouldn’t be any scaring, but that someone was being a big idiot.”

It turned out that Kamui’s wrists were broken, so Elise launched into another lecture for Leo about taking better care of his wife. All it did was make Kamui feel worse because she was the one who had fallen, and yet everyone wanted Leo to take the blame for it.

Elise eventually left, telling Kamui to sleep in tomorrow and to send for her if she was in too much pain to sleep. “Good night, Big Sister,” Elise said. “And Leo, don’t you dare keep her up doing whatever it is you do.”

Kamui breathed a sigh of relief when Elise finally left for the night. She loved her little sister-in-law dearly, but she didn’t really want to listen to another minute of her lecturing poor Leo.

“Kamui?” Leo said.

She glanced up at him from her bed. “Yeah?”

“I’m terribly sorry about how everything went today,” he told her.

“It’s not your fault,” Kamui mumbled. She closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow. “I just want to sleep. Can we talk about it tomorrow?” Elise had made her take a sleeping draught, and it was working a little too well. Kamui didn’t want to fall asleep on Leo again.

“Yes, of course. I’ll let you get some sleep,” Leo replied. He gently brushed her hair behind her ear. “You know where to find me if you need anything.” He started to walk away.

Kamui opened her eyes again and saw him headed for his own room. “Wait, where are you going?”

“Elise is right about one thing. You need a good night’s sleep,” he said, not meeting her gaze. “It would be best if you sleep in your own bed tonight, don’t you think?”

Kamui didn’t care whose bed she slept in, but—

“I want to sleep with you.”

Leo gave her a strange look. “Kamui, look, I love you, but tonight probably isn’t the best night for us to, uh, engage in such activities.”

“Huh? What do you—” The double meaning of her words dawned on Kamui. “No, no, no. That’s not what I meant. I meant I want to sleep in the same bed as you.” She felt her face growing warm. “I don’t expect us to do that tonight.”

Leo hesitated. “But won’t you rest better if you have the bed to yourself?”

Kamui was slightly annoyed he would even think such a thing. “I sleep better when I’m with you,” she told him firmly. “So please stay. I don’t want to be alone.” Her voice cracked a little.

Leo sighed and came back to her bedside. He brushed aside her bangs and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let me get changed, then I’ll be back, okay?”

Kamui relaxed at that, and she smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Leo.”

It didn’t take long before he returned, slipping under the covers next to her. Kamui snuggled closer to him, and it wasn’t long before she was in a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

It was with reluctance that Leo accepted Odin as his new retainer. Sure, the guy was a bit on the eccentric side, but he had come through when Leo had needed his help. Leo didn’t want to admit it, but he didn’t know what would have happened to Kamui if Odin hadn’t shown up when he did during the ambush in the woods. For that he was grateful, and he’d just learn to put up with Odin’s Odin-ness. No more far-fetched missions for his new retainer, especially after the recent mishap.

Leo was suspicious about the ambush in the woods. It just didn’t seem like a coincidence that they’d be attacked by Faceless like that. For one thing, Faceless were not stealthy, so it was odd that they’d appeared so suddenly. For another, Faceless usually didn’t have any tactics unless they were being controlled by someone, so it was suspicious that the monsters would have surrounded them like that. No, Leo was concerned that someone was out to get him or Kamui, so he told his retainers to be on their guard. By this point, Odin had earned enough of Leo’s trust to share his suspicions with him.

Actually, Odin seemed disappointed that Leo didn’t have another “epic” assignment for him.

“You just want me to stand as guard?” Odin asked, clearly dismayed.

Leo nodded. He’d called his retainers into his room while Kamui was still sleeping in her room. “Yes. Niles will be doing some investigating for me, so you’ll need to stay here.”

“What kind of investigating?” Odin exclaimed, much too loudly. “I could do it! Please entrust me with this important task.”

“Shh!” Leo hushed him. “Kamui is still sleeping,” he reminded Odin in a whisper. “And this isn’t the sort of investigation that you can do.” He gave Niles a nod. “Niles has some contacts that might be able to give us some more information. I need you to stay here in case we have another incident.” He glanced at Kamui’s door. “I’m going to need the extra help with the state Kamui is in right now. Both her wrists are broken, so she probably can’t do much for herself right now.”

Niles winced. “Ooh. And your sister couldn’t heal them?”

Leo shook his head. “We waited too long until she saw a healer, so there’s only so much magic can do at this point. It will help speed up the healing process, but it’s still going to take some time before her hands are fully healed.”

“Well, that’s a shame,” Niles commented. “I bet things won’t be as exciting in the bedroom now.”

Leo resisted the urge to smack his retainer. “Niles,” he hissed. “That is private, and I have more important things to worry about right now than…that.” He could feel himself turning red.

Odin just looked clueless. “Huh? Why would it not be exciting in the bedroom?”

Niles snickered at Leo’s face turned redder.

“That’s not your concern,” Leo snapped. “You both have your assignments, so get to them.”

Niles just shook his head in amusement. “Yes, milord,” he said as he departed.

Odin just stood by the door with his arms crossed.

“Odin,” Leo sighed. “What are you doing?”

“I am being your faithful bodyguard, Lord Leo,” Odin told him brightly. “I will keep an eye on you at all hours of the day, even if it means I must go without the rejuvenating period of rest. This task is not as epic as your previous ones, but I will still see it done.”

Leo sighed. “Odin, you don’t need to stand in the same room as me at all times. I just need you to stand guard in the hall for now.”

“Are you sure, milord?”

Leo pointed towards the door. “Out.”

Recovering after their adventures in the Woods of the Forlorn was difficult for Kamui. Since it had taken hours to see a healer after breaking her wrists, it would take longer for them to heal, according to Elise. So Kamui found herself unable to do much of anything with her hands. She figured she should probably let her family know about it, so Leo helped her write a letter to them.

Kamui leaned back into her pillows and sighed. “Oh, Mother is going to freak out when she sees that I didn’t write the letter,” she moaned.

“I’m sorry. Would you like me to try to forge your handwriting?” Leo asked from her desk with a straight face. “I could try. It might be kind of hard to replicate since it’s so…how do I put this?”

“Okay, start with ‘Dear Mother and Father’,” Kamui interrupted. She knew her handwriting wasn’t the best, and she did not want to hear Leo’s assessment of her poor handwriting.

“Dear Mother and Father,” he repeated dutifully, pen scratching on the paper.

“I hope you are well,” Kamui continued. “I’m doing fine—Oh, how am I going to say this? Hello, Mother and Father. Leo’s writing my letter for me because I broke both my wrists. Doesn’t he have nice handwriting?” She groaned. “This is just going to sound so bad however I put it.”

“You could just not tell them,” Leo suggested. “Perhaps they’ll think you’ve suddenly developed beautiful penmanship.”

“Ha. Ha.” Kamui found herself smiling despite the bad joke, though.

Leo was failing to hide his own smirk. “Do you think they’d believe it?”

Kamui snorted. “No. They know I’ve always had terrible handwriting.” She sighed again. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, I could just write my own letter to them,” Leo offered. “Not that it would go over much better. ‘Dear King Sumeragi and Queen Mikoto, I am deeply sorry that I did not take better care of your daughter. I took her to the Woods of the Forlorn yesterday, and she managed to break both her wrists and get attacked by some monsters under my watch. Kamui just can’t use her hands right now, but don’t worry. My sister is a healer and is taking care of everything. Sincerely, Prince Leo.’ How did that sound?”

Kamui giggled despite the situation. “Bad.”

“So I think we can both agree that the letter should come from you,” Leo concluded. “Even if it is in my hand. Shall we try again?”

With Leo’s help, Kamui was able to send a letter off to her parents that would briefly explain the circumstances without alarming them too much. Hopefully. Mother was usually a pretty calm person under stress, but Kamui could see her getting worried about this when Kamui was so far from home.

What Kamui did not expect was for her mother to write back, asking if King Garon and Queen Arete would be okay with her coming to visit Kamui in Nohr.

She recalled the conversation she’d accidentally overheard between Leo and his retainers after the incident in the Woods of the Forlorn. Leo had thanked Odin for his assistance, and Kamui hoped he’d changed his opinion of the new retainer. That wasn’t the part of the conversation that worried her, though. Leo had asked Niles to look into the Faceless ambush. It sounded to Kamui that Leo thought someone had deliberately set the Faceless on them. And if that were the case, then whoever tried to kill them was still out there. It was an unsettling thought, and Kamui was a little concerned that Mother would be in danger if she came to Nohr.

After thinking about it, Kamui decided to see what Leo thought about having her mother come visit.

“Hey, Leo?” Kamui asked that evening in his room.

Leo glanced up at her from his desk. “Yes? Did you need assistance with anything?” He’d been really attentive since she’d gotten injured, trying to make sure she had all her needs taken care of. Kamui wasn’t supposed to lift practically anything for a while, so he spent a lot more time with her each day. It was sweet, especially since he didn’t have to do that when there were servants who could help Kamui.

“Oh, I just wanted to ask you a question,” Kamui explained.

Leo nodded. “Go ahead.”

Kamui held her mother’s letter between her fingers. “My mother wrote back.”

Leo just stared at her expectantly. “That’s not a question,” he said after a pause.

Kamui rolled her eyes. “I’m getting there. I wanted to ask about something she said in her letter.”

“Ah. Did she enjoy your newfound excellent penmanship?” Leo asked with a smirk that made Kamui’s heart skip a beat.

“Leo, that’s terrible!” Kamui exclaimed, hiding a laugh. “If anything my handwriting would be worse than ever with my hands like this.”

“My apologies,” Leo said with that same smirk. “You were saying?”

“Well…my mother wants to come visit,” Kamui said slowly, unsure how he would react.

Leo’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh. I did not expect you to say that,” he replied. “Although it would make sense that she would want to come check on you in person after everything that’s happened.”

“Would that be okay?” Kamui asked nervously. “You have said that the Nohrian court is dangerous, so would Mother be in danger coming here, since she’s the queen of Hoshido?” She didn’t want to mention his suspicions about the Faceless attack since she’d have to admit she’d listened in on his conversation.

Leo frowned slightly. “There are those who would probably wish her harm,” he acknowledged. “But if she has the best protection, she should be fine. After all, it wouldn’t be good for international relations if the queen of Hoshido couldn’t safely come to visit her daughter in Nohr.”

“So that’s a yes?” Kamui ventured.

“Ultimately that would be up to Father,” Leo replied, leaning back in his chair. “I could ask him myself if you’d prefer. I know he can be intimidating.”

Kamui suppressed a shudder at the thought. Garon had been fairly welcoming to her, but there was a coldness in him that made him unapproachable. “I was thinking of asking Aunt Arete actually,” she said. “Mother is her sister, so I think it would probably go over better if it came from her.”

Leo nodded. “Yes, that does make sense,” he agreed.

“So do you think it’s a good idea?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Kamui sighed in relief. At least Leo was okay with it. “You know, at least Mother asked permission and gave us some warning. She says Hinoka was ready to come storming into Nohr without warning.” She shook her head. “That wouldn’t go over well.”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Leo agreed. Then, his brows furrowed. “Wait, is it just your mother coming or are more members of your family coming as well?”

“Um, I’m not quite sure.”

Kamui’s knee bounced up and down all throughout dinner. It had been a few days since getting Queen Mikoto’s initial letter, and they’d just received word that the queen of Hoshido was on her way with Hinoka, Sakura, and their retainers. If things went according to plan, the Hoshidan royals would get there that evening.

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked her quietly while the rest of his family was conversing at the dinner table. “I thought you were excited to see your mother and sisters again.”

“I am. It’s just, I’m kind of nervous, too,” Kamui whispered back.

Leo was nervous as well, but that was partially because he still didn’t know Kamui’s family very well and also because he needed to be on high alert with Hoshidan royals visiting the castle. It would be disastrous if anything happened to the Hoshidan royal family while they were visiting Nohr.

He didn’t understand why Kamui would be nervous, though. “Why?” he asked.

Kamui looked up at him with vermillion eyes. “I don’t know. It’s just…” She glanced at the rest of his family who were politely not interrupting them. “Can we talk later? Not here.”

Leo nodded. “Of course.”

“Ooh, I’m so excited to meet my new sisters again!” Elise gushed once dinner had started.

Xander frowned slightly. “Your new sisters?”

“Uh huh.” Elise nodded. “Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura.”

“Um, Elise, they’re technically my in-laws, since I’m married to their sister,” Leo explained, confused as to how his little sister had reached that conclusion. “They aren’t your—”

“Well my brother is married to their sister, and their sister is married to my brother, so that makes us sisters,” Elise stated resolutely. “I’ve always wanted more sisters.”

“Leo’s right,” Xander remarked. “Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura are not actually your in-laws.”

“Well, I think it’s a lovely idea,” Camilla cut in pleasantly. “I’m sure Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura won’t mind, right, Kamui?”

Kamui looked slightly taken aback by the sudden question. “Um. I can’t speak for them, but I’m sure they’d be happy to be your friends.”

Elise pouted. “But I want them to be my sisters.”

“Well, we can talk to them when they get here,” Kamui suggested. “How about that?”

Elise perked up at that. “Yeah! That’s a great idea! And do you think they’ll want to play dress up or hide-and-seek with me? Oh, you said Sakura plays a musical instrument, right? Could we do a duet maybe?”

It sounds like Princess Sakura isn’t going to get any free time at all while she’s here.

“Take things slowly with Sakura,” Kamui said, obviously thinking the same thing as Leo. “She’s a little quieter than you are, so it takes her some time to make friends. But once she is your friend, she’s one of the best friends you can have.”

“It will be good for international relations for members of the Hoshidan royal family to visit,” Xander commented. “This will show that we’re setting aside our differences and becoming allies.”

 “They are just coming to visit Kamui,” Charlotte pointed out, rolling her eyes at Xander’s seriousness. “Don’t get all stuffy about international relations and stuff.”

Elise giggled at Xander’s affronted expression before he controlled his features. “But Kamui is here precisely for international relations,” he said. “The whole reason Leo and Kamui were married was to help improve our relations with Hoshido and vice versa.”

Yes, that had been the initial reason for their marriage. Leo was just grateful that he’d come to find a friend and lover in Kamui and that she saw something in him that was worth loving, too. Sometimes it was easy to forget why they’d even met in the first place.

“No, Kamui is here because she’s married to Leo,” Camilla argued. “It would be ridiculous for them to be married and living in separate countries.”

“Now that would be interesting,” Niles commented wryly.

Leo sighed. He didn’t really like the thought that the only reason he was with Kamui was to improve their relations with Hoshido. He’d come to see so much more in her than her heritage, and he didn’t like the thought of her just being a political pawn.

But isn’t that the way the court sees it? Since Kamui is Hoshidan royalty by birth, it would make sense for someone to use her to get through to Hoshido, in a positive or negative way. Leo pushed the thought aside, even though it had been nagging him for days now. He was still convinced that Faceless ambush in the woods hadn’t been a mere coincidence. If someone wanted to stir up trouble with Hoshido, what better way to do so than by going after Kamui?

Now that her mother and sisters were visiting, too, Leo would have to be extra vigilant. Not only because he wanted to retain peace with Hoshido, but also because he didn’t want anyone harming Kamui or her family. They were his family now, and he would protect them.

After dinner was finally over, he pulled Kamui aside.

“Do you want to talk?” he asked quietly as to not draw attention to themselves. “You seem worried.”

Kamui nodded. “Yeah. That would be good. Are you free right now?”

“Of course. Would you like to head to our rooms?”

Kamui nodded. “Yes, please.”

Once they were in Leo’s bedroom, she flopped on the bed and sighed. “I hope my mother and sisters get here okay,” she said.

Leo wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this, so he sat next to her and waited for her to continue.

“Do you think they’ll be safe here?” Kamui asked, rolling onto her side to look at him. “Hinoka can look after herself, but I’m worried about Mother and Sakura.”

Leo considered how to respond without alarming her. “They’re in no more danger than you are,” he settled on. “You’ve been here for, what, three months, and nothing’s happened to you. Except for the whole Woods of the Forlorn thing,” he added. “But it’s not like we’ll take them there.”

Kamui looked pensive. “Leo, tell me, how much danger am I really in here?” She took a deep breath. “I overheard you talking to your retainers the other day about how you don’t think the Faceless ambush was just a coincidence.”

Leo knew the conversation she was referring to, but it had been early in the morning, and he’d thought she’d been asleep. There wasn’t any definite evidence of his suspicions at the moment, so he didn’t want to mention it to Kamui just yet. He didn’t want her to worry for no real reason. Knowing that she’d overheard that conversation, it made sense why she’d be concerned having her family come to Nohr.

“That is just a suspicion I have,” Leo told her. “There isn’t any proof that someone is targeting you.” Yet. “But don’t worry. I’ve told Odin and Niles to keep a close watch on you, especially when I’m not around to do so. I will keep you safe, Kamui.” He tucked her hair behind her pointed ear. “No one’s going to hurt you while I’m around, okay?”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.” Kamui said softly.

“You’re worried about your mother and sisters, right?”

Kamui merely nodded.

“I’ll watch out for them, too,” Leo promised her. “I’ll have Brynhildr on me at all times, so only a fool would try anything. And Xander and Camilla are both formidable fighters in their own right. Charlotte is, too, actually. Just stay close to us, and we’ll keep you and your family safe.”

Kamui finally gave him a small smile. “You know, I’m glad you’re on my side,” she remarked. “I’d be pretty terrified if we met on opposite sides of a battlefield.”

Leo frowned at the very thought of hurting her in battle. “That’s not going to happen,” he told her firmly.

“Oh, I know that,” she assured him. She sat up and stared into his eyes, searching for something. Leo didn’t miss how her gaze drifted down to his lips.

“Hey, Leo?” she whispered, leaning in closer. “Can you kiss me? You haven’t really kissed me since the woods.” Pink dusted her cheeks.

Leo swallowed and felt himself blushing as well. “Yes, I have kissed you,” he said defensively.

“Not really. Not like you did at the beach.” She got temptingly close. “Will you kiss me now like you did then?”

Oh, how Leo wished he could do that in good conscience, but—

“I’m trying to be gentle. You’re still healing from your injuries, so I don’t want to accidentally make it worse.”

“Oh. That makes sense,” she said, glancing away. “I thought—I was worried—”

“That I suddenly didn’t find you attractive anymore?” Leo realized.

She nodded quietly. “Or that you were mad at me,” she added sadly. “Because you’re stuck taking care of me all the time now.”

Leo silently cursed himself for not thinking that’s how she’d perceive his hesitancy the last few days. “That was never the case,” he told her firmly. “I still love you, you’re still beautiful, and I’m not mad at you. Okay?”

“Okay,” she repeated softly, relief clear in her eyes.

“I just didn’t want to hurt you while you’re healing,” Leo assured her.

“You won’t hurt me,” she breathed, brushing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “And we have a bit of time before my family gets here. So, can we—”

Leo just kissed her before she could finish asking him again.

Perhaps Kamui and Leo got a little carried away because it seemed only like minutes later Elise was banging on the door.

“Big Sister Kamui! Are you in there?” she yelled in a sing-song voice. “Your family is here!”

Kamui jumped a little at the sudden interruption. Now probably wasn’t the best time to be doing this anyway. She untangled herself from Leo and made herself presentable before answering the door. (Well, she made sure Leo was also presentable.)

“Hi,” she breathed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Elise was practically bouncing with excitement. “What’s taking you so long? It’s been forever since you’ve last seen them. I was going to take them to your room, but you weren’t there, so I came looking for you.” She gaze dared towards Leo. “I figured you’d probably be with Leo.”

Kamui felt herself blushing.

“Is there a problem with wanting to spend time with my wife?” Leo asked, coming up behind her.

Elise giggled. “No, but everyone is wondering where you are.”

“Well, you can tell them we’ll be there in five minutes,” Leo said, shooing his little sister away.

“Thanks for letting us know, Elise,” Kamui added.

“Alright. You have five minutes,” Elise warned before she finally left them.

Kamui sighed in relief once she was gone. “It’s a good thing you finally started locking your room,” she murmured, leaning against Leo. “That could have been much more embarrassing.”

Leo gave her a quick kiss. “Indeed,” he agreed. “You ready to go see your family?”

Kamui nodded, then glanced at his shirt. “Well, you’re not,” she noted with a giggle. “Your buttons are all wrong again.”

“Gah!” Leo let go of her and immediately started fixing his buttons. “Better?” he grumbled.

“Better,” Kamui agreed.

Elise was waiting for them in the corridor. “You guys ready?” she asked.

Kamui glanced around. “Yeah. But where are my mother and sisters?” she wondered.

“Camilla and the others are getting them settled into their rooms,” Elise explained as she led the way. “C’mon!”

Elise knocked on one of the doors once they got to the guest wing of the castle. “They’re here!” she sang.

Seconds later, the door opened to reveal Mother.

“Kamui,” Mother exclaimed. “Oh, my sweet daughter!” She pulled Kamui into a gentle embrace.

Kamui felt her eyes fill with tears at the reunion. “Mother,” she breathed. “Gods, I missed you.”

“How are you feeling?” Mother asked, feeling Kamui’s forehead.

“I’m fine,” Kamui assured her. It wasn’t like she was sick or anything.

“Kamui!” Hinoka exclaimed, coming up behind Mother.

“Big Sister!” Sakura greeted her with her sweet smile.

Kamui hugged both of her sisters. “It’s so good to see all of you,” she said. “Did you have a good trip here?”

“Yes, dear,” Mother replied with a smile. Her gazed turned towards Leo. “It’s good to see you as well, Leo dear.”

Leo bowed respectfully. “Queen Mikoto.”

“Oh, none of that title business with me,” Mother told him. “You are family now. You can call me Mother, or if you’re not comfortable with that, Mikoto is just fine.”

“Mikoto, then,” Leo said with a polite nod. His walls were back up, and he was the aloof Nohrian prince again.

Kamui sighed. She hoped Leo would warm up to Mother soon enough, but it made sense he wouldn’t be totally comfortable with her, especially since they hadn’t interacted since the wedding. And it’s not like I’m more comfortable with King Garon yet.

“Thank you for taking care of my Kamui,” Mother said gently.

“Of course,” Leo replied. “I should probably let you catch up.” Kamui’s heart sank when he turned to go.

“Oh, won’t you please join us?” Mother asked, extending a hand towards him.

Leo inclined his head. “If you don’t feel like I’d be intruding.”

“Nonsense,” Mother laughed. “Like I said, you are family now. Please, come in.”

Moments later, Kamui was settled into the couch next to Leo, happily chatting with her mother and sisters. Aunt Arete, Azura, Camilla, and Elise were there as well. Kamui supposed she could understand how Leo would feel a little odd being surrounded by so many ladies. The only other man there was Subaki, and he seemed keen on being on guard duty. At least Leo’s sisters were there, so it wasn’t like Leo was completely surrounded by strangers.

They chatted about various things, including the adventures in the woods (the Elise-friendly version), the Hoshidan royals’ travels, Camilla’s pregnancy, and the opera house in Cyrkensia.

At one point Felicia brought in some tea, which was on bitter side. The butler named Jakob shooed Felicia away and brought in what he called a superior blend. Kamui didn’t recognize the type of tea, but it was pretty good.

Camilla was the first to retire for the night, claiming that she was pregnant and tired. Elise started dozing off on the couch soon after that, so she also went to bed.

Kamui didn’t realize how tired she was until Leo nudged her awake. She blinked sleepily and realized she’d been falling asleep on his shoulder. “Sorry,” she mumbled, covering a yawn.

“Let’s get you to bed before you actually fall asleep,” Leo murmured. “I don’t really want to carry you to bed again.”

Kamui sighed. He was right, even though she wanted to spend more time with her family. She said her goodnights and followed Leo’s lead back to their rooms for the night.

Kamui seemed very happy to have her family here, and Leo was glad for her. They were obviously close, so being apart must have been hard on her. Queen Mikoto was a gentle, loving mother—the kind of mother Leo wished he’d had. Hinoka’s main interests involved training with her husband, who happened to be Sakura’s retainer. (It kind of reminded Leo of Camilla marrying his own retainer.) And Sakura was a sweet girl who mostly kept to herself. It seemed being with them would take up the majority of Kamui’s time while they were here.

Leo wasn’t expecting Kamui to approach him the next day with a proposition.

She found him in the library and promptly sat in the seat across from him. “Hey, Leo?”

Leo gave her a nod. “Hello, Kamui.”

Kamui tapped his book with her finger. “What are you reading?”

Leo regarded his large book. “It’s a book about battle strategy and tactics.”

“Is it good?” she asked.

“It contains useful information,” he replied, turning back to the book. With her family here, he thought perhaps he’d get some alone time, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“Mm. Can I ask you something?” Kamui asked.

Leo glanced up at her again. “You just did.”

She rolled her eyes. “Very funny. I wanted to ask you something else.”

Leo sighed. His book could wait. “What is it?”

Kamui bit her lip. “Sorry. I’m bothering you, aren’t I?”

“A little,” Leo said truthfully and silently berated himself when she cringed.

“Sorry. I’ll leave you alone, then,” she mumbled, getting up. The disappointment was clear in her eyes.

Leo grasped her hand out of reflex to keep her there, but instantly let go when Kamui winced. For a second he’d forgotten she was recovering from breaking her wrists. “My apologies,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Kamui shook her head. “You didn’t. It’s just a little tender still.” Basically that was Kamui’s polite way of saying that he’d hurt her, but she didn’t want to make him feel bad.

“I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that. I just didn’t want you to leave.” Not when she looked so disappointed.

Kamui cocked her head. “But I thought I was bothering you.”

“Not anymore.” Leo closed his book and pushed it aside. “What did you want to ask me?”

Kamui sat back down and leaned closer. For a moment, Leo thought she was going to kiss him across the table.

“I need your help with something,” she whispered. “I don’t know if you knew this, but Hinoka’s birthday is in four days.”

Leo blinked in surprise at the unexpected topic. “I did not know that. Does she plan to stay for her birthday, or will she go back to Hoshido?”

“She’s staying,” Kamui replied without hesitation. “She told me as much. It’s just…this is her first birthday without the whole family, and she’s away from home, so I wanted to do something special for her.”

Leo nodded. “And you want my help with whatever you have in mind,” he surmised.

“If that’s okay…” Kamui continued in a low voice.

It’s not like I have much of a choice. Leo had long since realized he was really bad at telling his wife no.

Leo nodded. “It’s fine.”

Kamui smiled. “Great!” She dropped her voice to a whisper again. “So I was thinking of having a surprise party for her.”

“Ah.” Leo wasn’t the biggest fan of parties, and surprise parties were even worse for him since he didn’t have time to mentally prepare, but he’d support Kamui if that’s what she wanted. “What do you need me for? Wouldn’t Camilla and Elise be better options? Or your mother and Sakura? I’m not the best at party planning.”

Kamui shrugged. “Neither am I. But well, I want you to be there.”

“So you just wish for my presence?” Leo asked. “I don’t see how that’s helping.” If she just wanted him to attend the party, she could have mentioned that tonight instead of interrupting his study time.

Kamui glanced away sheepishly. “Well…how good are you at illusion spells?”

Leo still wasn’t quite sure how he got roped into doing illusionary magic of all things at his sister-in-law’s birthday party. No, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew that it was because Kamui had asked him, and he loved her so of course he couldn’t tell her no.

Illusions were just not Leo’s favorite form of magic, so to speak. They reminded him too much of Iago and his apprentice, Zola. Leo got a bad taste in his mouth just thinking about them. They were both self-serving cowards, hiding behind their illusions and lies. Leo really didn’t understand why Father would trust them in the first place.

Leo sighed. Now wasn’t the time to think about Iago and Zola. This was Hinoka’s birthday, and he had a job to do.

His task was simple enough. He was supposed to make the surprise party guests invisible until Kamui brought Hinoka in. It would just require a bit of concentration since it was a good-sized group.

Leo scanned the others who were finishing getting everything set up. There was Mikoto and Sakura, along with Hinoka’s husband, Subaki. Then there was Mikoto’s retainer, Reina, and Sakura’s other retainer, Hana. Of course Hinoka’s retainers were there, too. And then there was Leo’s family, sans Father who was otherwise occupied. It was a little strange to get together as royals from both Nohr and Hoshido to celebrate Princess Hinoka’s birthday, but in a good way.

Pretty soon, it was time for Kamui to get Hinoka. She waited until Leo had hidden them with an invisibility spell, then she ran off to get her sister.

The party group was invisible, but they certainly weren’t quiet. There was a lot of giggling and people bumping into each other since they couldn’t see anyone. Leo just closed his eyes and tried to tune them out. Making this many people invisible for this long was draining, and he was starting to get a headache. I hope Kamui gets back with Hinoka soon. Honestly, this isn’t going to be much of a surprise with all this noise.

By some miracle, the room went silent when the door handle turned, a clear indicator that Hinoka was about to enter. Leo was half-tempted to leave the invisibility spell up, but he ended the spell when they all shouted, “Happy Birthday!” since that’s what Kamui wanted him to do. She’d worked hard to plan this party, and Leo wasn’t going to be the one to mess things up, especially since they’d be sleeping in the same bed tonight.

Hinoka seemed surprised, but happy at the birthday party. It actually wasn’t too bad for a party, really, since it was mostly just a nice Hoshidan dinner with cake and presents. It seemed Hinoka did not enjoy dances, so that was omitted from the party plan, much to Leo’s relief.

Leo did end up enjoying the party, mostly because Kamui was happy. Her smile, bright eyes, and laughter captivated Leo’s attention throughout the evening. It was clear that she loved her friends and family and that being here brought her joy.

That said, Leo was more than ready to go to retire for the night when the party came to an end. All the excitement seemed to have worn Kamui out. She just flopped on Leo’s bed, not bothering to change into her nightgown.

“You know, that can’t be very comfortable to sleep in,” Leo commented as he got changed.

Kamui yawned. “Actually kimonos aren’t so bad to sleep in, as long as you undo the obi.”

“The obi?” Leo repeated in confusion.

“Mhm.” Kamui patted her sash. “The knot.”

“Oh. Well, do you need my help with that?” Leo offered. Kamui could do basic tasks with her hands now, but something like untying a knot was still difficult for her.

“Please.” Kamui sat on the edge of the bed while Leo helped her. “Oh, and Leo?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for everything,” she told him. “For helping with the party, for being there for me, for helping me out with all this stuff with my hands. You’ve just been amazing.”

Leo was honestly a bit embarrassed at all the sudden praise. “I really didn’t do that much,” he mumbled. “But you’re welcome.”

Kamui just giggled. “Oh, Leo. For once you’re being modest. I’m impressed.”

Chapter Text

Kamui’s mother and sisters stayed in Nohr for about a week. Then, it was time for them to go back home to Hoshido. Kamui was embarrassed that she had to hold back tears at their goodbye, even though she knew they’d see each other soon enough. It was still weird living in a foreign country from the rest of her family, and she was going to miss them.

Time went by more quickly than she’d anticipated, and soon summer turned into the cooler weather of autumn. Autumn meant that October was coming up, and October meant it was time for some birthdays. It just so happened that Kamui and her retainers all had their birthdays in October, so it was a big celebration month.

Kamui didn’t mention her upcoming birthday to Leo, though. She was too embarrassed to tell him her birthday was coming up. Luckily, Elise was on top of things.

“So, Big Brother,” Elise asked over dinner one evening in September when all the royals were present except for Azura, the king, and the queen. “Do you know what next month is?”

Leo gave her a weird look. “Yes, I do,” he told her. “I learned my months when I was a child, just like everyone else.”

“Well, what month is it?” Elise demanded, frustrated with her brother for being difficult on purpose.

“Right now the month is September,” Leo replied matter-of-factly.

Elise groaned and rolled her eyes.

Kamui decided to spare Elise further frustration. “Next month is October,” she said.

“Bingo!” Elise cheered. “And do you know what’s special about October, Leo?”

“Well, for one thing, there’s the harvest festival on the 31^st,” Leo answered. “And of course there’s Xander’s birthday.”

Xander nodded. “Thank you for remembering.” Charlotte’s snicker made it sound like Leo had forgotten his brother’s birthday in the past.

“Okay, and?” Elise prompted, clearly not satisfied with Leo’s answer.

Leo just gave her a blank look. “And what?”

 “It’s somebody else’s birthday next month!” she sang.

Leo glanced at Camilla with a skeptical look, who shook her head.

“It better not be next month,” she said, placing a hand on her growing belly. “The healers say I’m due in January.”

Kamui smiled to herself. She was pretty excited to be an aunt.

“Ugh! Leo, you’re so stupid!” Elise exclaimed. “I should’ve known that you’d forget your own wife’s birthday!”

By this point, Kamui was blushing furiously. She’d probably told him months ago, but she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

Leo’s spoon fell from his fingers, and he gave her a surprised look. “Your birthday is next month?” he asked.

Kamui nodded quietly.

“Oh, happy birthday, dear!” Camilla said. “What day is it? Xander’s is the 27^th.”

“It’s the 13^th,” Kamui answered. “But really, you don’t need to make a big deal out of it.”

“Of course we do,” Charlotte chimed in. “You’re a princess, so we need to make everything perfect. You should have a birthday ball—” Leo made a face at that— “or a banquet, something fit for royalty.”

“Or, you could get up to things with Lord Leo,” Niles teased.

“Niles!” Leo hissed, turning red in the face.

Kamui felt herself blushing, too. She was a little more used to Niles now, but she was still embarrassed by his comments sometimes, especially when they were about her and Leo.

“So what do you want to do for your birthday?” Elise gushed, just ignoring—or not understanding—Niles.

Kamui was quiet for a moment. A party would be fun, but that wasn’t what she really wanted. She knew what she really wanted could be considered rude to Leo’s family, so she didn’t want to say anything. “Um, I’ll need some time to think it over,” she finally said.

Well, that just lead to the other women throwing out birthday ideas for the rest of the dinner. Xander, Leo, and Niles occasionally chimed in with a comment, but Kamui mostly just smiled and nodded. She did her best to hide the feelings of guilt and sadness that she felt.

Kamui was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of the evening, to the degree that Leo realized something was off. He quietly asked her if she was okay once, and she just nodded quietly. She didn’t want to talk about it right now.

Of course, when they were alone and getting ready for bed, it became even harder to pretend that she was okay.

Usually Kamui would engage in playful banter with Leo while he attempted to read a book, but tonight she let him read in peace while she braided her hair as a distraction. She sighed at her expression in the mirror. She just looked so sad, and she didn’t want to explain why.

Leo glanced up at her when she came over to the bed and slipped under the covers. “That’s a new look,” he commented. He held the end of her braid between his fingers. “You look nice.”

Kamui gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

Leo studied her face for a moment, frowning slightly. “What’s wrong?” he finally asked.

Kamui glanced away and shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “I’m just a little tired. Goodnight, Leo.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before burying herself in the covers and cuddling up close to Leo.

She relaxed a little when Leo blew out the candle and joined her, pulling her closer to him.

“Goodnight, Kamui,” he mumbled against her neck. “I love you. You know that right?”

Kamui smiled to herself at the affection in his words. “Love you, too,” she whispered.

Now that Kamui had nothing else to distract herself with, her thoughts went right back to what she wanted to do for her birthday. She thought she’d been doing well avoiding homesickness, but with her mother and sisters visiting last month and her birthday coming up, she found herself missing home more and more each day.

What she really wanted for her birthday was to visit Hoshido again. This was her first birthday without her own family there, and Kamui just wished she could celebrate with them again this year.

But no, that was selfish. Elise and the rest of Leo’s family were looking forward to her birthday now, and she didn’t want to just leave them.

Kamui felt the tightness in her throat that inevitably meant tears were soon to come. She tried to hold them back, not wanting to worry Leo even more.

Some silent tears did escape, dampening the pillow, but Kamui kept any sobs at bay. The last thing Leo needed was her crying in his bed in the middle of the night again.

Unfortunately, she sniffled when her nose started to run, so she was no longer able to suffer in silence. Perhaps Leo was already asleep, though, so he wouldn’t hear.

Kamui’s hopes were dashed when her husband stirred next to her.

“Kamui?” Leo murmured. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she squeaked, even though that was a blatant lie. “I just…have a runny nose,” she made up. She sniffled again. “Maybe I’m getting sick. It’s getting colder.”

She shivered when Leo started running his warm fingers through her hair. “You’re not a very good liar, Kamui,” he said. “I know something has upset you.”

Of course that brought back the thoughts of home, and Kamui choked on a sob. She wanted to turn to Leo, to let him comfort her, but this just felt like a stupid thing to get upset over.

When she didn’t say anything, Leo hesitantly asked, “Is it because I forgot your birthday was coming up? I’m really, really sorry about that.”

Huh? That thought hadn’t even crossed Kamui’s mind. She hadn’t really talked about it much, so she wasn’t expecting him to remember.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” Kamui managed to get out. She didn’t want him to think she was upset because of that!

“Hm.” Leo continued to stroke her hair. “Then why are you crying?”

Kamui felt like her heart stopped for a moment. So much for hiding my crying from him.

“Don’t worry,” she mumbled, turning farther away from him. “You need your sleep.”

Leo snorted softly. “You need your sleep, too,” he argued. “And there’s no way I’ll be able to fall asleep with you in this state. Please talk to me.” The tenderness in his voice is what caused the dam to break.

Kamui buried her face in her hands and finally just let her tears out. “I’m s-sorry,” she managed to get out with a sob.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, love,” Leo told her gently. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her against his chest.

Kamui buried her face in his chest and just let him comfort her as she cried. Part of her noted how he had gotten more patient with her over the months of their marriage. In the beginning, she wouldn’t have been shocked if he immediately demanded to know what was going on, instead of letting her cry it out.

“I’m s-sorry,” she mumbled again once she regained more control of herself.

“It’s okay,” Leo murmured gently, still stroking her hair. “Do you want to talk about it now?”

Actually saying what was on her mind made Kamui feel a wave of shame again. But Leo deserved to know, especially since she’d broken down like this on him again.

“I—I miss home,” she finally got out. “I miss Hoshido.”

She felt Leo tense ever so slightly at those words, and she felt guilty for making him feel bad.

“I mean, I love Nohr. I really do, but I’d like to visit home again.” Her voice broke on the word “home.”

“Okay,” was all Leo said.

“But I can’t!” Kamui wailed, more tears spilling over. “I can’t go back home to Hoshido, and—and—”

“And why can’t you go back to Hoshido?” Leo interrupted.

“B-Because it’s my first birthday will all of you,” Kamui explained, failing to see why he was asking at all. Shouldn’t it have been obvious? She wiped away some tears. “And you’ll all be sad if I just go home and don’t spend it with you.”

“Kamui, that’s…preposterous!”

“W-What?” Kamui whimpered. She looked up to see his expression, but of course it was dark so she couldn’t make it out.

“You haven’t been to Hoshido since July,” Leo explained in a softer tone. “I don’t think you’re ridiculous for wanting that. What I think you’re being silly about is thinking that you can’t go back to Hoshido.”

Kamui blinked. “Oh.”

“Everyone will understand if you want to spend your birthday in Hoshido,” Leo continued.

“Wait, so I can go?” The thought that Leo would be supportive of her silly wish hadn’t crossed her mind.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Really?” Kamui breathed.

“Yes,” Leo chuckled softly. “Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve said?”

“Sorry,” Kamui blurted out of habit. “It’s just, are you really sure it’s okay?”

“If I didn’t think it was okay, I would’ve said so,” Leo reiterated, starting to sound exasperated with her.

“Sorry,” Kamui repeated. “I mean, I’m apologizing too much again, aren’t I?”

She imagined Leo rolled his eyes. “Well, yes, but that’s besides the point. If you want to go home for your birthday, then you can go home.”

“Thank you, Leo!” Kamui squealed, hugging him tightly.

Leo sighed. “I don’t know exactly what you’re thanking me for, but I guess you’re welcome.”

Kamui wasn’t entirely sure herself why she was thanking him. “For, uh, listening to me, I guess. And telling me it’s okay to visit Hoshido again.” She went to kiss his cheek in the dark, but accidently found his lips. A pleasant jolt went through her body at the sensation, and she found herself smiling.

Leo grasped the hair on the back of her head and pulled her back down for another kiss. “Mm. I won’t mind if you thanked me again,” he hinted.

Kamui felt herself blushing. She was going to oblige his request, but she thought of something. “Hm. I think I can thank you again, but I need another favor from you first,” she teased.

“That depends on what it is,” Leo whispered, still dangerously close to her lips.

Kamui resisted the instinct to kiss him senseless, at least for the moment. “Will you come to Hoshido with me?” she asked before she lost the courage. She gave him a brief kiss. “I’d really like to have you there with me,” she breathed against him.

“Mm. I could probably make arrangements for that,” Leo murmured.

Kamui was so happy that her eyes started to fill with tears again. She’d been really worried that he’d turn down her offer like he had over the summer.

“Oh, thank you, Leo!” she breathed, this time managing to plant a kiss on his cheek. “You’re the best!”

“Hey, I was expecting a proper kiss,” Leo complained.

Kamui giggled and gave in to his request.

Leo hadn’t expected his plans for October to take the turn they did. After finally getting out of Kamui that she wanted to be in Hoshido for her birthday, he had agreed to accompany her this visit. He initially thought it would be for a week, but Kamui approached him the next day with another request.

“Hey, Leo? Do you think we could leave for Hoshido at the end of September?” she asked him at his usual table in the library.

Leo looked up from his work and frowned slightly. “Why?”

His wife blushed and looked away. “Never mind. It was a stupid idea,” she mumbled.

Leo sighed. “Kamui, I’d just like to know why you want to go in September,” he explained, trying to not sound irritated.

She continued to avoid his gaze. “Well…Kaze and Mozu also have their birthdays in October, you see, and I thought it would be nice for them to be with their families for their birthdays,” she explained in a rush. “But we’d be gone for weeks, so that would be too much.”

Well, that reasoning did make sense to Leo. Kamui was such a kind soul, always looking out for those around her.

“When are your retainers’ birthdays?” Leo asked.

Kamui finally met his gaze and seemed to relax slightly. “Oh, well, Kaze’s is the 2^nd, and Mozu’s is October 6^th,” she said.

Leo nodded. “So that’s why you wanted to leave in September,” he surmised. “So you’re there in time for Kaze’s birthday.”

“Exactly!” Kamui exclaimed a little too loudly for the library. At least she seemed happy. “And we could come back the second half of October after my birthday on the 13^th. That way we’re here for Xander’s birthday.”

Leo considered it for a moment. “Yes, that does sound reasonable to me,” he said slowly, trying to think of any reason they should not go for that long.

Kamui beamed at him. “Great! I’ll go write my parents and tell them we want to come. Then, we can settle on a specific date.” Her eyes widened slightly as she thought of something. “Oh, will Niles and Odin be coming, too?” she asked. “I should probably let my parents know ahead of time how many of us are coming so they can prepare.”

Leo hadn’t even thought about bringing his own retainers yet. Normally just Kamui’s retainers would be sufficient, but with the attack in the woods last month, he didn’t want to take any chances. Fortunately there hadn’t been any attacks on the royal family since then, but it was when they dropped their guard that something would happen again.

“I’ll ask Odin if he can come,” Leo decided. His newer retainer was still a bit too eccentric, but the mage had started to grow on Leo, not that he’d admit that to anyone. “I doubt Camilla will be willing to have Niles gone for half a month in her condition, so it might just be Odin.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” Kamui agreed with a pensive look. “I guess it’s probably weird for you, having your retainer married to your sister.”

Leo shrugged. “Not to mention that they’re having a baby.”

For some reason, Kamui’s cheeks turned a light shade of red. “Yeah. I will admit I’m excited to be a mom though!”

Leo froze. What did she just…? His heartrate suddenly picked up. Is Kamui…?

Kamui seemed to realize her mistake then. Her eyes grew wide with horror, and she covered her gaping mouth. “Oh my gosh,” she gasped. “I meant aunt. I’m excited to be an aunt.” Her blush deepened, and she glanced away. “N-Not that I’m not excited to be a mother someday.” She laughed nervously.

Leo swallowed. He was pretty certain she wasn’t pregnant, but he needed to make sure. “Uh, so you’re not, uh.” He coughed into his fist. “You’re not expecting are you?” he managed to get out. He felt like his face would melt off.

“What? Oh, no, no, no!” Kamui assured him with a lot of frantic handwaving. “I just had a stupid slip of the tongue.” She leaned back and groaned into her hands. “Can you just forget I said that?”

Leo relaxed in relief, but he did feel a twinge of…disappointment? He exhaled slowly and straightened his books to regain his composure. He couldn’t look Kamui in the eye right now.

“Well, I’ll see if Odin is available to accompany us to Hoshido,” Leo finally said, breaking the awkward silence between them. It was better to just move on and pretend that part of the conversation hadn’t happened.

Kamui nodded. “Sounds good.” She stood up and accidentally knocked over his ink, which started to spill across the table.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” she gasped, looking for something to clean it up with.

Leo just pulled out the handkerchief that he was obligated to carry with him as nobility. “It’s fine,” he said, cleaning it up on his own. “It’s just a minor spill.”

Kamui gave him another hasty apology before scampering off to write that letter to her parents.

Leo sighed heavily after she left. That girl was going to be the death of him one of these days.

It was decided that Kamui and Leo would leave for Hoshido with their retainers—minus Niles—on September 28^th. That would give them time to arrive in Hoshido before Kaze’s birthday, but enough time to get ready for the trip.

Leo’s family had been very receptive to Kamui spending her birthday in Hoshido, although Elise was still planning a big party for when they got back.

Kamui was pleasantly surprised when Azura asked if she could come along, too. “Oh, yes, please come!” she exclaimed, pulling her cousin into a hug. “It will be so fun with you!”

Azura smiled softly. “Wonderful. It will be nice to see Hoshido in the fall again.”

The days went by quickly, and pretty soon it was time for them to leave. Like for most trips, Kamui was a nervous bundle of energy, which meant that she could not get a wink of sleep the night before.

Kamui did her best to not disturb Leo, but no matter which way she positioned herself, she just couldn’t fall asleep. Finally, she quietly slipped out of bed and went to look for their cat.

“MG?” she asked softly, carefully stepping through the dark bedroom. “Where are you?”

Mr. Grouchypants was a cat, so of course he wasn’t going to respond to that, but Kamui was pretty certain she could see the glint of his large eyes shining in the dark.

“Come here, kitty,” she whispered, patting her thigh. “Mommy wants to play with you before she goes away for a while.” She really didn’t want to leave their kitten behind, but Leo had been firm about not bringing a cat on the trip to Hoshido with them. Logically, Kamui knew it made sense, but she still wished she could have their kitty come along.

“Kamui?” Leo’s sleepy voice mumbled from the bed.

She froze. Drat. I thought I was being quiet.

With a sigh, she replied, “Yes, Leo?”

“If you’re going to mess around with MG, could you please do it in your room?” he asked. “It’s difficult to fall asleep with you messing around.”

Kamui winced. She didn’t realize she was being so annoying that Leo wanted her to leave the room. “Oh, uh, sorry,” she apologized lamely. “I’m just having trouble sleeping.” She sighed. “I’ll go back to my room.” She didn’t really want to spend the night without him, but if Leo wanted his sleep, then she should be a good wife and let him sleep.

“Good,” was all Leo said.

She flinched at his tone. He obviously was annoyed with her again. Well, I’d be annoyed too if he were keeping me up. Except he had kept her up before, but that was because they were doing things together. Kamui knew Leo liked it quiet, so she tried not to be offended that he sounded so pleased for her to leave.

She opened the door to her own bedroom and tried to urge MG to come. “Come here, MG,” she whispered. “We need to play in the other room so Daddy can sleep.”

Of course the cat didn’t come. Kamui hadn’t really expected him to. She sighed. Looks like I’m going to have to carry him if I want him to come.

She tiptoed through Leo’s room to where she thought MG was, but all her stealth was lost when Kamui suddenly found herself tripping over the chair.

Her wrists had healed pretty well since her accident, but she still wasn’t supposed to put a lot of weight on them. In an attempt to not rebreak her wrists, Kamui ended up breaking her fall with her elbows, which was arguably more painful.

“Ouch! Ow!” she hissed, rubbing both her funny bones. “Oh, that hurts!”

“What happened?” Leo asked, sitting up and casting a small light spell. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Kamui winced, trying to shake the pain out of her arms, which of course didn’t work. “I just tripped, but I’m fine.”

Leo’s gaze went down to her arms. “How are your wrists?” he asked.

“They’re fine,” Kamui assured him. “I fell on my elbows this time.”

Leo gave her a stern look. “How many times must I remind you to not stumble around the room in the dark?”

Kamui came and sat next to him on the bed, still rubbing her elbows. “I didn’t want to wake you with a light,” she told him.

Leo rolled his eyes. “Yes, because making a huge crash sound is definitely not going to wake me up. Besides, you already knew I was somewhat awake.”

Kamui sighed. He was right—she was just being stupid again. “Um, sorry?” she offered pathetically.

Leo just sighed and shook his head. “At least you didn’t break any bones this time.” He yawned loudly. “Now, I’d really like to get some sleep,” he hinted, laying back down again and ending his light spell.

Kamui was hesitant to get up or to join him. On the one hand, he’d asked her to leave, but on the other, she really didn’t want to be alone tonight. She was just so used to Leo’s presence now that it felt weird if he wasn’t by her side.

“Um, Leo?” she asked quietly.

“Mm?”

“Can I stay with you tonight?” she asked.

“Why are you asking?” he grumbled.

“Well, you told me to go back to my room, so I thought you didn’t want me here,” Kamui admitted.

Leo sighed heavily. “That’s not what I said,” he replied. “I told you that if you were going to play with the cat, to please go to the other room. I never said I didn’t want you here.”

“So I can stay?” Kamui asked hopefully.

“Yes, dear,” Leo mumbled. “But I would still like to get some sleep, so if you could be quiet…”

“Right,” Kamui agreed, taking her usual place beside him. She cuddled close to his body heat since it was getting colder at night now. “Goodnight, Leo,” she whispered.

“Night,” he mumbled.

Kamui did try to fall asleep again, but after a few minutes she decided to do something that she knew helped her relax. It sounded like Leo was actually asleep now, so she carefully shifted her head so it was resting on his chest. She closed her eyes and just focused on his steady breathing and heartbeat. She was embarrassed to admit this to him, but she found listening to Leo’s heart to be very soothing for her. Of course, that usually resulted in her laying on top of him in the mornings, so it was harder for him to get up without disturbing her. It was worth it, though.

Just like other times, the steady rhythm of Leo’s heart was enough to finally lull Kamui to a blissful sleep.

Chapter Text

The trip from Nohr to Hoshido took all day, but it was mercifully uneventful. Kamui actually tried to stay awake this time and chatted with Azura in the carriage. Leo was a little surprised. Kamui usually used made him be her pillow while she napped. Of course, she fell asleep in his lap after a lunch break, which entertained Azura to no end.

“Aw, she’s so cute,” Azura said with a soft giggle. “I’m glad my cousin has gotten much more comfortable with you.”

Leo flushed but merely nodded. He rarely spent time with just Azura, so it was a little strange to only have his stepsister to talk to. Leo wasn’t much of a talker anyway, and neither was Azura, so they usually would just engage in their own quiet activities when together.

Azura seemed more interested in talking for once, though.

“So have you been to Hoshido since your wedding?” she asked him.

“No, I have not,” Leo admitted. It did seem a little unfair to Kamui that she’d suddenly been whisked away from her home like that. She’d only been back once since the wedding.

“It’s been a while for me, too,” Azura commented. “Mother and I used to go visit a lot more when we were younger, but then we got too busy to make the time.”

“Queen Mikoto and Kamui never visited Nohr, though, right?” Leo asked. Now that he thought about it, the cousins seemed pretty close, but he couldn’t ever recall the silver-haired princess visiting Nohr.

Azura shook her head. “No. Not with all the trouble going on in Nohr when we were little,” she said slowly, gazing out the window at the scenery. “Mother didn’t think it was safe for the queen of Hoshido to come visit, so that’s why we always went to Hoshido instead.”

Leo grimaced slightly at the reminder of their rough upbringing. His own mother had definitely been part of the scandals that plagued their early childhoods.

“I’d say things are definitely improving now, thanks to you two,” Azura continued. She gave him a small smile. “I mean, a Hoshidan princess now lives in Nohr, and the queen herself was able to safely visit her daughter.”

Leo looked down at his sleeping wife and brushed a lock of silvery hair out of her face. “I am glad things went well with Queen Mikoto’s visit,” he agreed. He’d been quite concerned that something would happen, especially after they’d been ambushed weeks prior, but everything had been fine.

“Me, too,” Azura remarked. “I really would like our countries to be friends.”

Leo nodded. “Yes, that would be ideal.” Did he think they’d be able to fully achieve that? Probably not, but at least there was some progress.

“And just think, when you have kids, they’ll be the grandchildren of the king of Nohr and the king of Hoshido,” Azura commented.

Leo froze at the mention of children. It had only been a couple weeks since he’d outright asked Kamui if she was with child, but the topic never seemed to go away. It was always there, lingering at the back of his mind, the duty they had to bring royal children into the world who belonged to both countries. It was never usually explicitly said in such terms, but Leo knew the expectation was there. And of course there would be lots of expectations for those future children.

Leo didn’t realize how quiet he’d gotten until Azura apologized. “I’m sorry. I said too much, didn’t I?”

He sighed. “It’s fine,” he said in a clipped tone. “It’s expected that we will have children eventually.” That didn’t make talking about it any easier though.

“Well, there’s no reason to rush things,” Azura said. Leo could think of plenty of reasons to rush things in this particular area. “What’s really important is that you’re both happy and healthy.”

Leo hummed his agreement, even though he wasn’t sure if he totally agreed. He didn’t want to talk about that particular subject with his stepsister/wife’s cousin, especially not when said wife was peacefully sleeping with her head in his lap. Leo mentally shuddered at the thought of Kamui waking up to that conversation.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, which Leo was just fine with. Leo read his book, while Kamui slept and Azura looked out the window.

Kamui actually woke up before they got to Castle Shirasagi, which was pretty good given her record. She blinked up at him with those beautiful crimson eyes.

“Mm. Leo?” she mumbled.

He smirked. “Good morning sleepyhead,” he greeted her.

“Morning?” she repeated. “You’re joking!” She turned and looked at Azura. “It’s not actually morning, is it?” she asked, actually sounding a bit concerned.

Azura stifled a laugh. “No, of course not. We are in Hoshido now, though.”

Kamui perked up at that and sat up straight again. “We’re home?” she asked in a shaky voice. Leo wasn’t sure if she was about to laugh or cry. “Oh, I’m so happy!”

It was then that Leo knew he’d made the right choice in supporting Kamui’s desire to visit Hoshido again. This was the happiest he’d seen her in weeks.

“I’m glad,” Azura remarked with a smile. “You’ve been away for far too long.”

Kamui surprised Leo by suddenly giving him a big hug. “Yes, I have,” she said. “Thank you, Leo, for letting me come visit again!”

Leo rolled his eyes. “You didn’t really need my permission to visit Hoshido,” he remarked. “It’s not like I’m a controlling husband. Or at least, I try not to be.” He was not in favor of men who walked all over their wives, so to speak, and didn’t let them have any free will.

“Oh, you’re far from that, Leo,” Azura assured him with a laugh.

“Mhm,” Kamui agreed, nuzzling his cheek with her head.

Leo was getting uncomfortable with all the sudden praise. He was probably turning the shade of a tomato, but he hoped no one would point it out.

A low growling sound drew the attention away from Leo. He glanced down as Kamui patted her belly.

“You be quiet,” she muttered. Her cheeks were turning rosy with embarrassment.

“They’ll probably have food for us when we get there,” Azura remarked.

“I certainly hope so,” Kamui said with a laugh. “It’s been a while since you’ve had Hoshidan food, right?”

Azura nodded. “Not since your wedding. I am looking forward to it.”

“I’ve missed it,” Kamui sighed. She looked up at Leo. “I mean, not that I dislike Nohrian food,” she added quickly. “It’s just—”

“I get it, Kamui,” Leo interrupted. “I’m not offended in any way. Except for your lack of love for tomatoes,” he added with a smirk.

Kamui made a face. “I still haven’t forgotten that awful tomato juice you made me try. Blech.”

Leo couldn’t hide a smirk. “One day I’ll convert you,” he told her.

Kamui shook her head. “Nope! There is no way you are going to make me enjoy tomato juice.”

“It’s really not that bad,” Azura commented with an amused smile.

“Thank you, Azura,” Leo told her. “See, even Azura likes it.”

“Hm. ‘Like’ might be too strong,” Azura corrected him thoughtfully. “It’s more like I tolerate it.”

Kamui made an unladylike snort while Leo just scowled at his stepsister. For once, he thought she was on his side instead of Kamui’s.

Leo regained composure and said primly, “Very well. There will just be more for me, then.”

Kamui just rolled her eyes. “Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, right. Food.”

Leo sighed. “Kamui, stop talking about food. You’re making all of us hungry,” he grumbled.

She shook her head. “I can’t help it. Food is literally the only thing on my mind right now.”

Azura tried to distract Kamui, but the Hoshidan princess kept bringing up how hungry she was until they finally got to Castle Shirasagi.

By that point, Leo was ready to get out of the stupid carriage and go to bed. Of course he had to be courteous to Kamui’s family, especially since he was supposed to try to get along with the Hoshidan royals. Well, for the most part that wasn’t too difficult, but Kamui’s brother Takumi still rubbed him the wrong way.

Queen Mikoto came running out with bare feet to greet her daughter. “Oh, Kamui! Thank the gods you got here safely!” she cried as she embraced her daughter.

Kamui’s siblings followed behind the queen with welcoming smiles. Even Takumi was smiling, although when he met Leo’s gaze, he frowned.

“It’s so good to see you, Mother!” Kamui replied enthusiastically. “It’s been so long since I was home.”

Mikoto released her daughter and gave Leo a smile. “Welcome, Leo. It’s wonderful to see you again, dear.”

Leo nodded respectfully. “Likewise, Queen Mikoto.”

Kamui sighed, and her shoulders fell a little. Leo wasn’t quite sure why she appeared disappointed. Or perhaps she was just tired?

The queen turned to greet Azura at this point, giving her niece a hug. That seemed like enough of a cue for Kamui’s siblings to come greet their sister.

“Big Sister!” Sakura exclaimed, being the first to give Kamui a hug.

“Sakura! Hinoka! Takumi! Ryoma! And Orochi and Subaki!” Kamui gushed as she embraced her family one after the other. “It’s so good to see you! Oh, it feels like a dream.”

Takumi gave her a pinch on the arm.

“Ow!” Kamui cried.

“It’s not a dream, Sister,” he told her with a smirk.

“Takumi, don’t pinch Kamui,” Ryoma said with a frown. Like Xander, it was obvious he was the eldest sibling.

“So, are you guys hungry?” Hinoka asked.

“Are you kidding? We’re starving,” Kamui groaned.

“Oh, good! Because Setsuna and I made some dinner for you,” Hinoka replied with a sheepish blush. Leo got the feeling the elder Hoshidan princess didn’t cook much.

Kamui gave her sister a funny look. “You cooked dinner?” she repeated.

“Hey, it’s totally edible this time,” Hinoka said defensively. “Takumi can tell you.” She pulled her brother over. “He taste tested it.”

Takumi shrugged. “You won’t die.”

Kamui covered a laugh. “Takumi, that’s so mean!”

“Be nice, Takumi,” Queen Mikoto reprimanded. “Hinoka and Setsuna worked hard after all.”

Ryoma rolled his eyes. “The food is perfectly fine,” he stated. He looked over at Azura and Leo who were lingering behind a little. “Azura, Prince Leo, would you like to join us for a late dinner?”

Leo gave a slight bow, as was proper. “I would be delighted to accept,” he replied respectfully.

Kamui rolled her eyes. “Oh, just drop the formalities. We’re all family now.” She came over and gave Leo’s hand a reassuring squeeze. It did make Leo feel a little better, having a physical reminder of her presence.

“Enough talking. Let’s go eat!” Orochi cried. “We can talk all we want while we’re eating.”

With that, Kamui was whisked away by her family, and by extension so was Leo since she wouldn’t let go of his hand.

The rest of the evening was spent with Leo dealing with culture shock again. He’d been introduced to Hoshidan customs when he’d visited in the spring, but it was still different sitting for dinner on the floor instead of in chairs. And he still wasn’t very good at using chopsticks. Mikoto offered some silverware, but Leo refused, wanting to do his best to follow his wife’s culture.

The dinner itself was decent. The main course was something called miso soup, which sort of resembled stew. Apparently it was Takumi’s favorite meal. Leo wondered if that was done on purpose to help the younger prince not be so sullen about a Nohrian coming to visit. Leo knew very well that Takumi didn’t like him.

At some point, King Sumeragi appeared, and Kamui got up to give her father a hug. The pure father and daughter affection between them was sweet, without any of the weight that Leo sometimes felt around his own father. A small part of him was envious, but he quashed the feeling. Kamui was happy, and that was what was most important.

After dinner, they retired for bed, or the Hoshidan equivalent of beds. Since they were now married, Leo could stay in Kamui’s chambers, and there was no way he’d tell his excited wife no. (Not that he wanted to sleep separately from her.) It was still kind of weird to lay down on a futon on the floor. It kind of felt like they were camping or something.

Even Kamui commented on it. “Wow, it’s been so long since I last slept on a futon,” she remarked with a yawn as she curled up close to Leo.

“It certainly is different,” Leo remarked, pulling her closer.

“Mm. You don’t like it?” Kamui mumbled.

“That’s not what I said,” Leo replied. “It’s not bad, just different. I’ll probably get used to it by the time we have to go home.”

Kamui sighed. “Yeah, probably.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for coming with me,” she whispered. “I really appreciate it.”

As different as Hoshidan culture was, that was all the confirmation Leo needed to know that he was exactly where he should be.

The first thing Leo was aware of in the morning was the sunlight. For a moment, he panicked, thinking he’d overslept again before remembering that sunrise was much earlier in Hoshido.

The next thing he was aware of was Kamui’s warm body against his own. Her head was against his chest, and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin. His arm was casually lying on her waist, and Leo relished this moment, just being close to his loved one.

We probably won’t get too many moments like this while we’re here, he quietly lamented. Sure they were here on vacation, but he knew that the primary reason was for Kamui to spend time with her family. It wouldn’t do for him to hog all of her attention while they were here. But Kamui seemed to be sound asleep, so he would enjoy this moment while he could.

Part of him wished that she were awake so that he could properly show his affection for her. He’d been relieved as she’d gradually become more willing to engage in such activities with him. He knew he loved her, as ridiculous as it seemed in so short of time, but the real miracle was that she seemed to return his feelings.

He gently ran his fingers down her bare arm, enjoying how warm and soft her skin was.

She shifted in her sleep, pressing herself even closer to him. His pulse naturally quickened, and he gulped. He really wanted her awake now, so that he could show her the depth of his feelings, to hold her in his arms and love her like he desired to. But the part of his mind that was still being logical knew that waking her up to do just that would not be welcomed.

After some time like this, Kamui finally stirred and opened her eyes to see his face.

“Mm. Good morning, Leo,” she mumbled sleepily, closing her eyes again and moving closer to him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good morning, love,” he murmured.

He was delighted to see her smile as she opened her eyes again. “How’d you sleep?” she asked.

“Fine.” Leo couldn’t resist pressing his lips to her neck. “You?” he murmured against her.

Kamui giggled but didn’t push him away. “Good. What has you in such a good mood this morning?”

“You,” was his single word reply.

“Me?” she laughed. “Whatever did I do? All I said was good morning.”

“Is that all you did?” Leo teased with a smirk as he ran his hands down to her hips.

“Leo,” she groaned, clearly catching on to his intentions. “Th-This is my room at my parents’ house. We can’t—I mean, we can, but right now?”

Leo stopped what he was doing. “You don’t want to?” he asked with a frown, pulling away.

“No, it’s not that,” Kamui insisted. “It’s just…this is my first morning back home, and I’m sure people are waiting for us to come down for breakfast.”

Leo quirked an eyebrow. “Waiting for us, or you?” he asked. He knew very well that Kamui was the one people were interested in seeing, not him.

“Us,” she repeated firmly. She grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his. “We’re a couple now, so we’re kind of a package deal.” She sighed. “Why do you think I asked you to come with me in the first place?”

“I don’t know for certain,” Leo admitted. He had his theories certainly, but it was better if she just told him what she was thinking.

“Because I wanted you here,” she told him seriously. “Okay? I…really missed you when I came by myself in July, and I didn’t want to go weeks without seeing you again.” The sadness in her voice struck a chord with him.

“Kamui…”

“Look, I know that you’re not totally comfortable with my family yet,” she continued. “But all I ask is that you go downstairs and try.”

“You make it sound like I wasn’t going to in the first place,” Leo remarked with a slight frown. Surely she didn’t think him that much of a recluse to just sit in her bedroom all day. He wasn’t that rude.

“Well, I don’t know,” she replied slowly. “Maybe you were going to demand breakfast in bed or something.”

Leo rolled his eyes at the notion of something as silly as breakfast in bed. “I would never,” he scoffed. “You, on the other hand…”

That finally teased a smile out of her again. “It’s tempting, but I know there’s no way my siblings will let me just have breakfast in bed on my first morning back. Or do you really want to have all my sisters hanging out in the bedroom with us.”

Leo’s equivalent to that was having Camilla and Elise invade their room in Nohr while they wanted some privacy. “Uh, no, that does not sound very pleasant,” he agreed.

Kamui got up and offered her hand. “C’mon, then. Help me get ready for the day. And tonight, m-maybe we could…try for a baby,” she blurted out so fast that Leo nearly didn’t understand her words. She was blushing now, and pretty soon he was blushing, too.

He hadn’t expected babies to be on her mind now of all times.

Kamui turned away and buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I’m so stupid,” she moaned. “Please pretend I didn’t say that.” It wasn’t the first time recently that she’d brought up children.

“Kamui…” Leo wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say, but she cut him off again.

“Anyway, what do you think I should wear today?” she asked, running over barefoot to her luggage. She started pulling various Hoshidan-style dresses out for him to see.

Leo was tempted to press the issue with her, since it was clearly something on her mind as of late, but she seemed so intent to move on that he decided to push it aside for now. Right then wasn’t the best time to talk about potential babies, after all.

“You should wear the red one,” he told her after looking over her wardrobe briefly. He didn’t really care what she wore, but he imagined it would look the best on her.

She beamed at him, all previous awkwardness gone. “Great! Help me get it on, will you?”

After that embarrassing start to the day with Leo, things actually went pretty well, in Kamui’s opinion. Of course, that conversation nagged at the back of her mind throughout the day.

What was I thinking, asking him out of the blue if we could just try for a baby? And the other day when I accidently told him that I was excited to be a mom? I’m just so…so stupid! Yes, she wanted a baby, but she hadn’t realized how badly until lately. And the worst part was that Leo was definitely catching on to that embarrassing fact. He’s going to think I only want to be intimate to get pregnant, instead of because I simply love him. How can I be so idiotic?!

Her inner thoughts kept bothering her so much that eventually she brought it up with her mother when they were alone that afternoon.

“Hey, Mother?” Kamui asked as they were sharing tea in the queen’s quarters.

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Mother nodded. “Of course, sweetheart. What is it?”

Kamui looked down at her teacup and sighed. How to begin? “I want a baby.” She felt some of the weight on her shoulders get lighter as she said those four words. She hadn’t realized how just admitting her feelings was therapeutic in a way.

Mother just smiled, but it looked like she was on the verge of laughing. “That’s wonderful, darling! What did you want to ask about it?” Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, my. Are you—?”

Kamui shook her head vehemently. “No, no, no,” she interrupted, not wanting to hear the end of that inevitable question. Leo had already asked her that just a few weeks ago. “At least, not yet.” She sighed.

Mother gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “It will happen when the time is right.”

Kamui looked up at her mother with wide, vulnerable eyes. “But when?” she breathed. “And…And is it okay that I want that?” Leo probably thinks I’m crazy.

Mother set aside her teacup and pulled Kamui into a gentle hug. “Of course it’s okay that you want that,” she assured her. “It’s perfectly normal to want to be a mother and bring a new life into the world.”

“Really?” Kamui asked hopefully. Then she wasn’t weird for this desire of hers?

Mother nodded. “Yes, dear. I definitely know at least Orochi feels the same way.”

Kamui felt a lump in her throat as she remembered Orochi’s miscarriage earlier that year. She couldn’t begin to imagine how painful that way.

“No, it’s worse for Orochi,” she said softly. “She—She did get pregnant, but then things didn’t work out.” Even months later, she felt for her brother and sister-in-law. She actually felt like she was on the verge of tears again.

Mother ran her fingers through Kamui’s hair. “I know, Kamui. I know,” she murmured. “But that doesn’t make what you’re feeling any less valid. Sometimes these things take time and don’t go exactly as we planned.”

Kamui sighed. She knew her mother was right, but it still hurt to think about it.

“Have you shared what you’re feeling with Leo?” Mother asked softly, continuing to run her fingers through Kamui’s hair.

Kamui flushed at the thought. “Well, no…I mean, yes.” She sighed. “It’s complicated. I’m certain he knows that I want a baby since I keep on blurting out stupid things lately, but we haven’t really discussed it. I don’t think either of us wants to talk about it.”

“Hm. Well, it might be of some help to be open with your husband about this,” Mother advised. It was the same advice she’d given Kamui earlier in the marriage—to be open and vulnerable with Leo.

“I know,” Kamui mumbled. Just the thought of actually talking about it with Leo filled her with fear. What if he thought she was weird or too obsessed? Did he even want this? No, he told me earlier that he wanted to have kids, but I don’t know if he wants them right now like I do. She supposed the only way to find out was to take her mother’s advice and talk to Leo about it like a mature adult, instead of avoiding the topic altogether.

Of course Kamui didn’t get a chance to have a private discussion with Leo until they retired for the night. And she remembered that she’d kind of promised Leo they’d be intimate tonight, so it was going to be weird talking about this at this time. But Mother was right—this was a discussion she needed to have with her husband.

“Hey, Leo?” Kamui asked tentatively as she changed into her nightgown. “Can we talk?”

“No, I thought we’d just spend the evening in complete silence, never saying a word,” Leo deadpanned.

Kamui rolled her eyes when her back was turned. For all his seriousness in public, Leo could be a goofball when he wanted to be.

“Of course we can talk,” Leo added. “Did you want to talk about something in particular?”

Kamui turned around and joined him on the futon. “Well, yes. Um. You see, the thing is…” Why am I so bad at having these conversations with him?

Leo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. “You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

“I know. It’s just…embarrassing to talk about this,” Kamui moaned, already feeling a blush coming on.

“Well now you’ve piqued my interest,” Leo quipped. “Although I suppose I should be wary since you said this was an embarrassing topic.”

Kamui sighed. Just come out and say it. “So I had tea with my mother this afternoon,” she began.

When she didn’t continue, Leo merely said, “I know. What about it?”

“Well, we talked about stuff,” Kamui continued awkwardly.

“I think most people do that when they’re having tea.”

Okay. I don’t think he’s caught on to what I’m trying to bring up.

“Well, we talked about…us,” she finished lamely. Yep. I totally botched that.

Leo’s arm tensed up around her. “Us? As in…”

“You and me,” Kamui clarified.

“What about us?” Leo asked. His tone had lost some of its earlier playfulness, and Kamui missed it. He was wary now.

“So you know the thing I told you this morning?” Kamui asked, still trying to bring it up.

“What thing? I think you told me lots of things this morning,” Leo pointed out. “Look, I promise whatever it is, I won’t get mad. Okay?”

His hand cupped her cheek and turned her face towards him. He kissed her lips briefly. “I love you, Kamui,” he murmured reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid to tell me things.”

Kamui sighed again. When he kissed her, it was hard to remember that she needed to have this conversation with him. It would be so much easier to kiss him back and try for the very thing she longed for.

“I told my mother that I want to have a baby,” Kamui finally got out. There. She’d said it.

Leo went totally silent on her, and that was not very reassuring. Ugh. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything! All I’ve done is ruin a perfectly good evening.

“Leo?” she asked after the silence dragged on. It was dark, so she couldn’t see his expression very well, which probably wasn’t helping matters. “Please say something.”

“Okay,” he finally got out.

“Okay?” Kamui repeated with a hint of frustration. “That’s all you have to say?”

Leo groaned. “Kamui, you can’t just—” He paused and took a deep breath. “Forgive me. I need a moment to collect my thoughts.”

“O-Okay,” she stammered. It was good that he wasn’t just blurting things out as he thought them, but the fact that he had to think this over was a bit concerning.

The heavy silence dragged on, and Kamui started to wonder if she’d ruined the relationship she’d worked so hard to build with Leo. What was he thinking? Was he angry? He was definitely angry, or else he wouldn’t be quiet for so long. Right?

“Kamui?” Leo finally said her name.

“Yeah?” Kamui squeaked.

“Did you still want to talk?” he asked tentatively.

“O-Only if you want to,” she stammered. Obviously he didn’t want to talk about this so they should go to bed and try to forget this ever happened.

“Okay. Well, I thought we’d already talked about this,” Leo said slowly. “That we are both okay with having a child together.”

“But that was a while ago,” Kamui interjected. “M-Maybe you changed your mind since then.”

“Why would I—Kamui, do you really think I’d suddenly decide that I don’t want to have a family with you? Especially after the last few months? Look, maybe I don’t have any experience with this stuff, but I am aware of the possibility of you getting pregnant,” Leo told her firmly. “Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind.”

Kamui suddenly felt way too hot. Now that he said it, it didn’t really make sense that he would do this if he didn’t want the possible consequences.

“But you don’t want that right now, do you?” she asked sadly. That was the problem. Leo was okay with having a child, but he didn’t long for it like she did.

Leo sighed. “Kamui, are you trying to tell me something?” he asked.

“Well…”

“Because if you’re trying to tell me that we’re going to be parents in the near future, please just say so.” The stress and anger in his voice were palpable.

Kamui buried her face in her hands again and groaned. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m not pregnant, but I want to be.”

Oh, this is going horribly. Mother was so wrong about having this talk. Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut?

“So what do you want me to do about it?” Leo snapped.

Kamui instinctively flinched away from the sudden anger in his voice.

“Look, I—I’m sorry that you’re not pregnant,” Leo continued in the same angry tone. “I’m trying! I’m sorry if I’m doing something wrong!”

Kamui mouth fell open in shock. Wait, is he blaming himself for this?

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt about you sooner so that we could have started trying sooner. It’s only been about two months, Kamui. These things take time! It doesn’t always just happen for everyone when they want it,” he ranted. “Look at Xander and Charlotte! They’ve been married for five years, yet they still don’t have a child. Do you think that’s what they want? Once I accidentally overheard Charlotte crying about this! Or how about your brother and his wife? They lost a child a few months ago. Do you think that’s how they wanted this to go?”

Kamui covered her mouth to stifle a sob. That didn’t stop the tears from falling, though. Leo was right; she was being selfish. Others had been trying longer than they had, so it wasn’t fair to them if Kamui and Leo had a baby first. She hadn’t told Leo these things to make him feel guilty, like he was somehow failing her as a husband. He wasn’t, and usually he would be logical enough to acknowledge that, but it was obvious that Kamui had touched a nerve.

The only sound in the room was Kamui trying—and failing—to hide the fact that she was crying on the edge of their futon. Leo could definitely hear her, but he said nothing else. He didn’t even touch her. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted him to at this point.

The worst part of this was that since they were in her room, she couldn’t retreat to her own quarters if she’d wanted to. And since they were visiting in Hoshido, Leo didn’t have anywhere else to sleep except for her room. And she very well couldn’t go running out into the night in tears like this.

“I’m s-sorry,” she managed to get out between ugly sobs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to h-happen. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Leo spoke calmly now, but his voice was devoid of emotion. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.”

Kamui shook her head and buried her face farther into her arms. “You were right,” she squeaked. “I’m being so selfish, wanting this before the others c-can…”

Leo sighed and moved next to her. She stiffened slightly at his warm hand on her back, and he instantly recoiled like he’d touched a hot stove. He started to move away from her again, and that caused a pang in her heart.

Without really thinking about it, Kamui grabbed him and practically threw herself on him, burying her face in his chest as she wept. She wrapped her arms tightly around him in case he tried to push her away.

“I’m s-sorry,” she sobbed again, not knowing what else to say or do. She just knew that she’d hurt him, and that was breaking her heart more than the lack of a child was.

To her immense relief, Leo didn’t push her away but instead wrapped his arms tightly around her. She felt safe in his embrace—she always had.

“Is…this okay?” Leo asked hesitantly. It reminded Kamui of the earlier days of their marriage when he would ask permission to hug or kiss her. She thought they’d come so far since then. How had they regressed so much in the course of one conversation?

Kamui nodded against him and gave him a squeeze. She didn’t trust herself to speak yet so hopefully he would understand that she didn’t want him to let go. She just wanted him to hold her, to comfort her like he had in the past. Just feeling his warm embrace and presence helped ground her. Leo’s here. He didn’t storm out of the room or anything. He didn’t push me away.

He loves me.

Leo had told her as much many times since that awkward love confession a few months ago. In that moment, Kamui believed it. Why else would he let her cry into his chest after she’d been so selfish and hurt him? Why else would he offer comfort like this when she sought it?

I love him, too.

The thought helped calm her more. Yes, she did love him, that’s why she was so upset right now. She didn’t want to hurt him, yet that’s what she’d done. He thought she was blaming him because she wasn’t expecting a baby when she wanted to be.

I want to fix this.

Kamui had already sobbed out multiple apologies, so it would probably only bother Leo if she just kept repeating them over and over again, even though that was her instinctive response. No, she needed to calm herself down, to stop crying so much. Kamui could only imagine that if she were in his position, she’d want him to stop crying, too.

She took deep breaths through her mouth since her nose was stuffy. In and out. She shifted her head so she was able to feel Leo’s heartbeat. The steady pulse was comforting and familiar now. After so many nights falling asleep listening to his heart, it made her feel more at peace.

It was then that Kamui realized Leo was running one hand through her hair, trying to soothe her. The gesture did help her feel more at ease.

When she felt like she could speak again without bursting into tears, she managed to choke out his name. “L-Leo?”

“I’m here.” Leo sounded so calm, despite the awkward situation she’d put him in.

“Don’t leave me,” she begged. She didn’t think he would, but she wanted reassurance all the same.

He gave her an extra squeeze. “I’m not leaving you.”

Despite the situation, Kamui found herself starting to smile again. They were going to be okay. They could fix this. Kamui just needed to give a proper apology instead of sobbing one out into her hands. She needed to let him know this wasn’t his fault.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Leo paused in stroking her hair. “What are you talking about?” He sounded genuinely confused.

Kamui pulled back and looked up at him. Even though it was dark, she could still make out some of his facial features but not his expression. “I made you think it’s your fault, but it’s not.” She wiped away a few stray tears.

Leo sighed. “Kamui, dear, you’re not making a lot of sense right now. What’s not my fault?”

Kamui shuddered as she spoke the words. “You said it was your fault that I’m not pregnant, but it’s not.”

“I suppose I did say something like that, didn’t I?” Leo acknowledged.

“Yeah, but I never thought for one second that it’s your fault,” Kamui told him fervently. “I was shocked you came to that conclusion.”

“I was being irrational,” Leo stated. “Logically I know that we’ve only been trying for a couple months, so of course there’s no guarantee that you’ll conceive this soon. And neither of us are to blame for that.”

Kamui nodded. “Right.”

“It’s just…” Leo sighed. “It’s just I feel so pathetic hearing how much you want to have a child, yet I haven’t made that happen yet.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kamui insisted. “You were right. I was being selfish and impatient and—”

“You aren’t selfish,” Leo interrupted her self-deprecating rant.

She snorted softly. “But I am impatient, then?”

“Mm. Perhaps a little,” Leo acknowledged, which actually stung slightly. “But I think we all are at times.”

“At least you’re being honest,” Kamui remarked. She covered a yawn as she began to feel sleepier. Crying really did take a lot of her energy.

“Well, I try to be,” Leo replied.

Kamui sighed. “I guess I was trying to be honest with you, too. I’m sorry it didn’t come out very well. I just wanted you to know that I do want to be serious about starting a family with you,” she confessed.

“I already knew that,” Leo remarked.

“Wait, you did?”

Leo snorted softly. “You haven’t really been keeping it a secret from me,” he explained. “I mean, you flat out told me this morning that you wanted to try for a baby tonight.”

Kamui blushed at the memory. Gosh, she’d been an idiot today.

“And when you ‘accidentally’ said that you were excited to be a mother recently,” Leo added. “Well, I’m not an idiot, so yes it was obvious what you were hoping for. Honestly, I thought you were trying to tell me that you were actually pregnant.”

Kamui smacked her forehead with her palm. “Ugh. I’m so dumb. Even my own mother asked me if I was pregnant today.”

Leo chuckled at that. “Now that’s embarrassing.”

Kamui groaned and returned to her previous position against Leo’s chest. “I know.”

She felt Leo take a deep breath. “Well, the night’s still young. We could try, if you want to…”

Kamui’s face burned at the implication. She wanted it, but her body also craved sleep. Leo was obviously waiting for her permission before he did anything.

“I’m pretty tired,” she admitted. “But I suppose we could give it another try as long as we’re not up too late.”

Leo seemed hesitant. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to—”

Kamui quickly shut him up by kissing him, and he seemed to get the message.

Chapter Text

Kaze’s birthday was the first of the October birthdays. He was as cool-headed as ever, but Kamui thought he seemed happy to be home with his twin brother for their birthday. Since Saizo and Kaze were both retainers to the royal family, the whole family got involved with the celebration. The ninja twins weren’t really into having big parties, so they just planned for a nice dinner. It was tempting to plan a surprise party, but since ninjas were master spies, it most likely wouldn’t have been a surprise for them.

Kamui thought it was hilarious how excited Odin was for all of the birthdays in October.

“So you and both of your retainers and Lord Xander all have your birthdays in October?!” he asked her excitedly as he helped with preparations.

Kamui nodded. “Yep.”

“That is so awesome!” Odin exclaimed. “Wait.” He actually lowered his voice for once. “When is Lord Leo’s birthday?”

“It’s June 30^th,” Kamui recalled.

“Of course I missed it,” Odin grumbled. “And of course it’s one day off!”

“Huh?”

“I’m one day off from sharing the sacred birthday month with Lord Leo,” Odin bemoaned. “Please don’t tell me friend Niles is lucky enough to share the birth month of our dark lord.”

“Um…I’m not even sure when Niles’s birthday is,” Kamui admitted. No one had mentioned it, so she assumed it wasn’t between June and October. Leo might not have mentioned it, but Camilla definitely would have made a big deal about her husband’s birthday.

“It’s probably in June,” Odin grumbled. For whatever reason this seemed to be really important to him.

“I don’t think so,” Kamui told him. “Leo and I were married in May, so I was in Nohr for June. I’m pretty sure no one said anything about his birthday, and I know Leo’s sisters would have made a big deal out of it.”

Odin seemed slightly relieved at that. “Oh, but why couldn’t Lord Leo have been born one day later? Then we would share the same birthday month, one of the greatest honors two people can have.”

“Um…I’m sorry,” Kamui said, not entirely following the mage’s line of thought. It’s probably a good thing that Leo isn’t here right now. I could see him getting very frustrated. “So when is your birthday, Odin?”

“I was born on the fifteenth of July,” he announced proudly. “My mother was expecting me to come later, but I surprised her by coming early!”

“Wait, how early were you?” Kamui wondered. Had Odin been born prematurely but miraculously survived? She imagined that would have been awful for his poor mother.

“A week or two. It doesn’t matter,” Odin answered. “What matters is that I was fated to be born on July 15^th, not a day sooner or later!”

“That does sound like a fated day,” Kamui remarked, trying to speak what she mentally called “Odinese.”

“Oh, it is!” Odin agreed happily. “But why couldn’t Lord Leo have been born on the first day of July?!”

“Uh…”

Leo’s voice suddenly cut into the conversation. “Odin,” he called sharply, marching towards them purposefully. “You aren’t bothering my wife, are you?”

“Of course not, Lord Leo!” Odin exclaimed, not phased at all by Leo’s tone. “I was merely speaking about the sacredness of the months during which one comes into the world.”

Kamui had been here for the conversation, and she barely understood what he said. It would be a miracle if Leo understood what his retainer was talking about.

Sure enough, Leo raised an eyebrow and gave Kamui a questioning glance.

She just shrugged.

“It is such a shame about your birthday, milord,” Odin continued.

“My birthday?” Leo repeated skeptically.

“Yes. Lady Kamui and her retainers all have the same birth month, but alas we were one day off,” Odin lamented.

Leo sighed. “Odin, we don’t have time for this. We have a party to get ready for. Please go help, uh, Mozu with whatever she’s working on.”

“Right away, milord,” Odin said with an over-the-top bow. “Surely you have given a top-secret mission to your retainer, Lady Kamui.”

“Um…Yeah…” Kamui agreed, even though she had no clue what Mozu was working on right now. “Thanks for helping her,” she added as Odin scampered off to find her.

Leo sighed when Odin was gone. “He wasn’t bothering you too much, I hope?” he asked.

Kamui shook her head. “Not at all. I didn’t understand everything, but he wasn’t bothering me.” She knew that if Leo even got a hint that Odin was bothering her, that he would dole some punishment out on his poor retainer.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t really understand anything he just said,” Leo commented. “What was all that about my birthday?”

“Well, Odin’s birthday is in July apparently,” Kamui tried to explain. “And I think he wanted you to have the same birth month as him, but your birthday is the last day of June.”

Leo frowned. “I don’t see what’s so important about that.”

Kamui shrugged. “I don’t know, but it seemed pretty important to him. By the way, when is Niles’s birthday?”

“Niles?” Leo repeated. “It’s in April. The 22^nd, I believe. Why?”

“Well, Odin will be relieved to hear that. I think he didn’t want him to have a June birthday like you,” Kamui explained as best as she could.

Leo sighed. “He is an odd one,” he muttered.

“Aw, but you love him,” Kamui teased. She knew Leo had grown to like Odin more over the past couple months. At least he wasn’t sending Odin on suicide missions anymore.

Leo flushed and looked away. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he muttered.

Kamui giggled at his reaction. Leo was pretty adorable when he got flustered.

“Anyway, let’s get this party over with,” Leo said, regaining his composure. “We have, what, three more of these this month?”

“Two,” Kamui corrected him. “Mozu is leaving for her village tomorrow. She wanted to go back home for her birthday, which I totally understand. So after today, there’s just Xander’s birthday and mine. Then we can be done torturing you with birthday parties for a while.”

“Wrong,” Leo grumbled. “Camilla’s birthday is in November.”

After Kaze’s birthday, life in Hoshido settled into an easy routine. Kamui got to spend lots of time with her family while also showing Leo around her childhood home. It was fun to show him some of her culture, and he seemed pretty receptive.

Mozu left to have her birthday in her village, so the only retainers left for Kamui and Leo were Kaze and Odin. Kaze acted like he normally did, but things were a bit odder than usual with Odin.

One day, Odin was at Kamui’s shoulder literally every minute, asking questions and interjecting his usual bombastic comments in her conversations. It was kind of weird, but Kamui decided not to mention it in case Odin got in trouble with Leo again. The next day Kamui didn’t see Leo’s retainer at all. Or the next day.

After several days of this, Kamui decided to bring it up while they were getting ready for bed. She didn’t want to believe that Leo would send Odin off on another crazy mission, but she wouldn’t put it past him.

“Hey, Leo, where’s Odin?” she asked as she ran a brush through her hair. “I haven’t seen him around at all today. You didn’t send him off on another ‘mission’, did you?”

“And what if I did?” Leo replied lightly.

“Leo, you did not!” Kamui gasped. “What awful thing did you send him off to do now?”

“Relax, Kamui. I merely asked him to acquire a specific spell for me,” Leo explained calmly. “He’s not going off to fight any monsters or anything.”

“He’d better not be,” Kamui grumbled, still displeased. “What spell was it?”

Leo sighed. “It was a Hoshidan spell that allows the caster to switch bodies with another person.”

Kamui gave him a confused look. “That kind of spell exists?” she asked, annoyance giving way to curiosity. She’d never heard of such a thing outside of fairytales.

Leo shrugged. “I think I read about something like that once. I’m sure one exists. At least it’s not a lodestone of darkness.”

Kamui rolled her eyes and sat next to him on the futon. “Well hopefully you didn’t send Odin off to waste his time again. Why do you even want that kind of spell? I mean, it would be interesting but also a little weird.”

Leo sighed before responding. “It was the first thing that came to mind to get him to stop doing my last order.”

Kamui opened her mouth to ask what his last order was, but he continued, “With Mozu’s absence, I made the mistake of asking Odin to keep a more vigilant watch on you. He took it a bit too literally.”

“Oh,” Kamui realized. “So that’s why he was around all day the other day.” That made sense now that Leo explained it.

Leo laid back on the futon and sighed. “Yeah. I should apologize for having my retainer stalk you.”

For whatever reason, the way he said that made Kamui burst into a fit of giggles.

Leo glanced up at her. “I fail to see what’s so funny.”

“Hehe. It’s just having my sweet husband order his retainer to watch me like a stalker is kind of funny,” Kamui struggled to explain.

Leo exhaled slowly. “I said I was sorry,” he muttered.

Kamui leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “I think it’s cute,” she said.

He sighed and closed his eyes. “Of course you do.”

“It shows that you care,” Kamui explained. She couldn’t resist the temptation to run her fingers through his silky hair. “I love it when you do things like that for me, even if it doesn’t always turn out the way you intended.”

He scoffed. “Well, I try.”

Leo trying to do things for her reminded Kamui of a little thought she’d had to help Leo and Takumi become friends, or at least not to glare daggers at each other. Since Leo seemed to be in a fairly good mood, now was probably an okay time to bring it up.

“Hey, um, I was wondering…”

“This better not be like that awful talk we had the other night,” Leo muttered.

Kamui cringed at the reminder. They’d both said a lot of stupid things the other night. “No, no. Not that. It doesn’t have anything to do with that,” she assured him.

“Okay then.” Leo sounded relieved. “What are you wondering? I shall do my best to enlighten you.”

“Leo, I just wanted to ask for a favor,” Kamui laughed. “And it doesn’t involve teaching me anything for once.”

“What is it then?” There was a hint of suspicion in his voice now.

“Well, you know how my birthday is next week,” she began.

“As if I could forget that important detail any time soon,” Leo remarked.

“Right.” Obviously he knew that at this point. “Well, I wanted to ask for a favor as a birthday present.”

“Okay. Are you going to tell me what it is? I’m not agreeing to anything until I know what it is,” Leo informed her.

Kamui shrugged. “Fair enough. So I was wondering if you could spend some time with my brother Takumi.”

Leo stiffened ever so slightly. “What?”

“I think you and Takumi would be really good friends if you just gave it a chance,” she explained in a rush. “I know you two don’t like each other for whatever reason, but I’d really appreciate it if you tried to get along.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” Leo said slowly. “I’m pretty sure Takumi hates my guts.”

“No he doesn’t,” Kamui retorted. “He’s just a little prickly…around Nohrians.” She didn’t want to add that last part, but it was the truth.

“So I’ve noticed,” Leo commented wryly.

“Please, Leo,” she begged. “You don’t need to get me anything for my birthday. All I’m asking is that you spend an afternoon or something with him.”

“So you’re going to lock me in a room with your brother who despises Nohrians,” Leo surmised. “Wow, Kamui, that sounds like a fantastic idea.”

“Wait, really?”

“No,” he replied curtly. “Why is this so important to you anyway?”

Kamui found his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. “I guess I want to show him that not all Nohrians are bad. And I also love both of you a lot, and it makes me sad that you hate each other,” she confessed. “You’re my husband, and he’s my brother. I’d like it if you two would stop glaring daggers at each other every time you’re in the same room.”

“Hey, I try to be cordial with him,” Leo protested.

He was right. The glaring was more on Takumi’s end.

“Well, how about you play a game of shogi with him,” Kamui suggested.

“Shogi?” Leo repeated slowly.

“Yeah. It’s a strategy game in Hoshido that’s kind of like chess,” Kamui explained excitedly. “I’ve wanted to teach you, but I’m not very good at it. Takumi is a genius at the game though, so he could teach you. I really think you’d like it.”

“The game or playing the game with your brother?” Leo asked.

“Well, the game definitely,” Kamui said. “As for playing with my brother, we’ll see, I guess.”

“Hm.” It seemed like Leo was actually considering it.

“So, what do you think?” Kamui pressed. “Are you willing to give it a try?” She caressed his face, knowing from experience that he was more likely to give in if she did that. “Please for me? For my birthday?”

Leo sighed. “Fine, but don’t expect it to go well. I’m more shocked that you convinced Takumi to play shogi with me.”

And there was the catch in her plan. “I haven’t exactly asked him yet,” Kamui admitted. “I wanted to run the idea by you before I asked him. I thought you’d be a little easier to convince,” she added sheepishly.

“Ha. Well, I’ll play if you can convince your brother to play with a Nohrian,” Leo told her.

“Really? Thank you! You’re the best!” Kamui threw her arms around him in a tight hug. “I love you.”

Leo sighed. “I love you, too. Why did you think I agreed to this in the first place?”

“Um, because of my excellent powers of persuasion?” Kamui joked.

Leo’s hands found their way to her hips. “Hm. If that’s the case, I think I might need a little more persuading,” he hinted as he pulled her against him. “What do you say?”

Kamui giggled at how obvious he was being. At least he was asking permission, even though they’d been doing this sort of thing every night lately. “I say yes!”

And maybe this time I’ll get pregnant, she added as an afterthought.

The day before Kamui’s birthday, Leo was still asking himself why he’d agreed to play this shogi game with Takumi. Well, he knew the answer, but he still didn’t really want to do this. I must really be head-over-heels for her.

Kamui didn’t go into the details, but she’d somehow convinced Takumi to teach him, a Nohrian, how to play shogi. Leo figured the Hoshidan prince just wanted an excuse to cream him at something.

Leo did not intend to lose. He’d scoured the library over the past few days, trying to read up on what he could for the game. Kamui was right in that it was kind of like chess, so that was comforting. One main difference was that he could use captured pieces on his own team, and that actually sounded quite appealing with all the possible tactics he could use. Leo was itching to try it, and he didn’t want to wait for Takumi. So he asked Kamui.

Kamui just stared at him in surprise when he asked. “You want me to play shogi with you?” she asked. “But why? I’m terrible at the game! Takumi always creams me. You’d have more fun playing against him tomorrow. And you don’t even know how to play the game. I’m not the great at explaining it.”

“Um, you do have a library here, you know,” Leo pointed out. “It wasn’t that hard to research the game.”

“Ugh. Of course you’d go read all the books about shogi,” Kamui groaned. “I should’ve known. That’s just so…you!”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted.”

Kamui giggled. “Well, it’s kind of adorable actually,” she said. “Sure, I’ll play a round with you. I’ll try to go easy on you since it’s your first time.”

An hour later, the pair was in the library, playing Leo’s first game of shogi. Leo did manage to beat her, and he had the sneaky feeling that she was not going easy on him, at least not on purpose.

“Wow, you really are a natural at this,” Kamui commented after he’d won. A smile crept across her face as she leaned forward. “My brother is not going to know what hit him tomorrow.”

Leo smirked. “So does that mean you want me to win?”

Kamui laughed. “Are you kidding? I’d love to see my husband beat my brother at shogi!”

The morning of Kamui’s birthday came, and she was oddly excited to see Leo and Takumi go against each other in shogi. She knew the two men were just doing this to please her for her birthday, but part of her hoped it would help them become friends. If anything, it would be entertaining.

Kamui had explained to Takumi that Leo was new to shogi, but that he was really good at a Nohrian game called chess. Takumi had just scoffed and said he didn’t care about stupid Nohrian games, but he agreed to play against Leo for her birthday.

“Don’t expect me to go easy on him just because he’s your husband,” Takumi had warned. Kamui did not expect that, nor would Leo want that. After Leo had easily beat her yesterday, Kamui knew that Leo would want a real challenge.

The weather was a bit cooler today since it was the middle of October, but Kamui wanted to enjoy the fresh air, so they set up the game in the flower gardens, not too far from where Leo and Kamui had done “kissing practice” back before the wedding.

“Okay, so I set up the game,” Kamui announced happily when both young men showed up. She glanced down at the board, mentally checking that everything was right. It would be super embarrassing if she’d made a mistake.

Takumi sat down, and Leo took the spot across from him. “Do you need me to go over the rules?” he asked, eyes focused on the board.

“No,” Leo replied. “I already read the rules.”

Takumi nodded. “Good. Then let’s get this over with.” He spared Kamui a glance. “Happy birthday, Sister. I hope you appreciate watching me beat your Nohrian husband.”

Kamui smirked. “We’ll just see what happens.” She still had every reason to believe that Leo could win this. And if not, well, she wouldn’t be mad if her brother won.

Kamui knew that both men were very serious about strategy games. What she hadn’t accounted for was all of the thinking that went into every single move. She usually didn’t have the patience to plan out a strategy ahead of time, so she just did her best based on what was on the board. Leo and Takumi, however, spent minutes mulling over the game before making each move. At the rate they were going, this was going to take all day. Kamui did have to admit that it was kind of cute to watch both of them agonize over each move. It was clear they both wanted to win.

Members of Kamui’s family began to gather throughout the course of the game. Hinoka was the first to show up.

“Hey, how’s the birthday girl?” she asked, throwing her arm across Kamui’s shoulders.

“I’m good,” Kamui replied as she watched Takumi contemplate his next move.

“So, I heard you asked them to play shogi for your birthday present?” Hinoka asked.

Kamui giggled. “Yep. And they were both so kind to agree.”

Hinoka shook her head. “That’s a really odd request, but I guess if it makes you happy.”

Kamui beamed. “It does.” She would never admit it to anyone, but she liked it when Leo was deeply concentrated on something. It made him more attractive in her opinion.

Takumi was still figuring out his next move.

“How long have they been at this?” Hinoka asked.

Kamui sighed. “About an hour or so.”

“Ahem,” Takumi grumbled, glaring at his sisters. “I’m trying to concentrate. If you’re going to talk, go somewhere else.”

Kamui shook her head. “Nope. I’m staying here.” Part of her didn’t want to leave them unattended in case a fight did break out. She didn’t think they’d get to that point, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. And she was also having fun watching them.

“Then please be quiet,” Leo requested, also analyzing the board.

Kamui just shook her head. They were literally going to be here all day.

Sakura came along next and offered to style Kamui’s hair for her, which Kamui readily agreed to. She liked people playing with her hair, and it would be fun to have a cute style today.

“This seems really intense,” Sakura whispered as she worked on an elaborate fishtail braid.

“Mhm,” Kamui agreed. “I hope they finish kind of soon because I’d like to have lunch,” she admitted sheepishly. By this point, they’d been there about an hour and a half.

“You can go ahead and have lunch without us,” Leo commented, sparing the girls a quick glance.

“Why don’t you just take a break?” Hinoka asked.

“No,” Leo and Takumi said in unison, which entertained Kamui to no end. They really were so alike it was funny, especially how they kept denying it.

Kamui couldn’t help a giggle that escaped her. Leo and Takumi both just gave her dirty looks.

“Well, you need to finish in time for the party,” Hinoka reminded them with a shake of her head. “I don’t think Kamui will be very happy if you both skip it.”

“Ah, there you are, Kamui,” Azura called out as she came over to the table. “I came to see if you wanted lunch.”

Kamui sighed. “I do, but I want to watch.”

“You know, Sister, I hate to break this to you, but it’s not really exciting to watch two guys stare at a shogi board and only make a move every five minutes,” Hinoka pointed out.

Kamui knew her sister had a point, but she also didn’t want to just abandon Leo.

“Hm. How about we have lunch brought to you?” Azura suggested. “That way you can eat and still watch. I think this is going to take a while.”

“That sounds great! Thank you, Azura,” Kamui told her cousin. “You’re the best!”

“So,” Hinoka asked in a low voice. “I gotta know. Who do you want to win?”

Kamui blushed at the question. She’d told Leo yesterday that she wanted him to win, which was true, but it sounded terrible saying that in front of the rest of her family. “Um…”

Hinoka snorted and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Your face says it all, dear sister. You are such an open book.”

“Stop it, Hinoka,” Kamui hissed, waving her sister away. “I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”

Hinoka leaned in closer. “Your husband, obviously,” she breathed so that the guys couldn’t hear.

Kamui’s face just got warmer. Hinoka was right, but it was embarrassing for her to say it.

“It’s okay,” Hinoka whispered. “I know I’d be rooting for my husband.”

Kamui groaned. “Am I that obvious?” she muttered.

Hinoka snorted. “Yes, but that’s expected when you’re…you know…” She struggled to find the words. “Uh, when you like someone.”

Kamui realized she’d never told her sisters about her budding affections for Leo. And of course Hinoka wasn’t going to suggest that Kamui was in love with Leo when he was sitting right there. At least, Kamui hoped her sister wouldn’t.

Fortunately Azura returned with lunch right then, so Kamui didn’t have to respond to that comment.

They had another unexpected guest not much later when Odin showed up again, looking extremely excited and pleased with himself.

“Lord Leo! After days of searching throughout the fair land of Hoshido, I have finally found the forbidden magic scroll that you asked for,” he exclaimed as he approached the group.

Leo looked up from the board and frowned. “Odin, I’m kind of occupied at the moment.”

“But Lord Leo, you said this was a task of the greatest importance,” Odin protested, presenting the scroll. “You must take it!”

“Here, Odin,” Kamui called out. “You can give it to me, and I’ll make sure Leo gets it when the game is over.” The least she could do was try to help her husband, who obviously didn’t want to deal with this right now.

Odin bounded over and handed Kamui a thick scroll tied with a red ribbon. “My dark lady,” he said with a bow. “Please keep this treasure safe for milord.”

Kamui slipped it into her pocket. “Don’t worry, Odin. It will be safe with me,” she assured him.

“Lady Kamui, did you say that Lord Leo was playing a life-changing game right now?” Odin asked, slightly lowering his voice, but still loud enough that Leo could hear.

“Well, life-changing might be an exaggeration, but Leo is playing shogi with my brother,” Kamui explained patiently. “They’ve been at it for hours now.”

“Shogi,” Odin repeated. “I have never heard of such an epic name for a game! What sort of game is it, fair dark lady?”

Kamui tried to explain the game, but she knew she was really messing it up when Takumi kept correcting her. Leo just pointedly ignored them.

“So why are they locked in this battle of fates?” Odin asked in his loud whisper. “This is so epic!”

“I asked them to play shogi for my birthday,” Kamui replied.

“Oh, wait! Of course today is your birthday!” Odin exclaimed. “It almost slipped through my brilliant mind. It must be fate that I was able to arrive with Lord Leo’s relic on this day.”

Kamui shrugged. “I guess so. I’ll glad your mission was a success.”

“Yes, Lord Leo gives me the most epic and daring missions,” Odin said brightly. Then he frowned slightly. “Oh, Lord Leo?”

Leo sighed. “Yes, Odin?”

“Was this dark relic meant to be a birthday present for your lady?” Odin asked. He gasped. “Oh, no! Was I not supposed to give it to her?”

Leo groaned and looked at his retainer sternly. “Odin, I need to concentrate right now. You did well, but can you report back to me later?”

“Oh, sorry, Lord Leo,” Odin said with a deep bow. “But I must know, is this a gift for your dark lady’s day of birth?”

“Um, yes, Odin,” Leo replied, clearly not interested in prolonging the conversation. “It’s Kamui’s birthday present.”

Kamui hid a laugh. She knew very well that Leo had just come up with something on the spot to occupy Odin again.

“It is? Thank you, Leo,” she cooed, patting her pocket. “I shall treasure it forever. Thank you, Odin, for going through your epic quest to retrieve it. You may now go retire to your room for the rest of the day until my party this evening.”

“I’m invited to your birthday party?!” Odin squeaked in excitement. “Oh, thank you, Lady Kamui! You are the fairest and most gracious woman to steal the heart of my lord Leo!”

Takumi glared at Odin. “Will you shut up already? We’re trying to focus!”

Kamui sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon.

In the end, Takumi won the game. The game had lasted for over two hours, and by this point Kamui just wanted it to be over. She was disappointed that Leo lost, but he had certainly put up a good fight. It would be interesting to see how Leo did after he’d had more time playing shogi.

“Congrats, you guys,” Hinoka said, clapping her hands. “I think you’ve just finished the longest game of shogi ever.”

Takumi snorted. “The longest match I ever heard of was ten hours, so we weren’t even close.”

“Ten hours?” Kamui gasped. “That’s crazy!”

Leo smirked. “Not really. Chess games can last as long in some rare cases.”

“Well, I’m glad that’s over,” Hinoka remarked, getting up. “I’ll see you at your party, okay, Sister?”

“Um, I’m going to help finish getting things ready,” Sakura told her quietly.

“Thanks for watching,” Kamui told her sisters as they walked away. She turned to the two young men. “Well, thanks for humoring me and playing shogi today,” she said. “It was fun to watch.” She wasn’t quite sure how they were going to act now that Takumi was declared the winner.

Leo inclined his head. “You make a formidable opponent,” he told Takumi. “I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”

Kamui was slightly relieved he was being so mature about losing. She hadn’t thought he’d be a sore loser, but that game had gotten quite competitive.

“You’re good,” Takumi commented, sparing Kamui a glance. “Perhaps you’ll have time for a rematch before you leave.”

“I most likely—” Leo started to reply but was cut off by Kamui’s excited squeal.

“Oh, Takumi!” She gave her brother a big hug. “That means so much to me!”

“Gah!” Takumi grumbled. “Stop trying to squeeze me in half, Sister.”

Kamui giggled and let him go. She ruffled up his hair just to annoy him.

Takumi shooed her away. “Yeesh, Sister. I don’t know what you’re so excited about.”

“Well, you’re friends with Leo now, right?” Kamui asked hopefully.

Takumi exchanged a glance with Leo. “Well…I guess you’re not as horrible as most Nohrians,” he conceded. He looked down at his sister. “That doesn’t mean we’re friends, though.”

Well, it was a step in the right direction.

Kamui turned to Leo with a smile. After having spent so long in his presence but without having his attention, she wanted a little alone time with him. “Will you join me for a walk, Leo?” she asked politely. She stepped closer and stood on her tiptoes. “I want to have you to myself,” she whispered.

She was thrilled by the blush on his cheeks. “Yes, I would be delighted to,” he told her. “Where do you want to go?”

Kamui grabbed his hand and led the way. “Come with me! Bye, Takumi!” she called over her shoulder.

She led Leo through the winding paths of the garden until they were by the rose bushes. Since it was the middle of October, the roses had long wilted, but the memories here remained.

Kamui gave Leo’s hand a squeeze. “Do you remember what we did here?” she asked, hoping he’d remember.

It took him a moment, but his face lit up with recognition. “Oh, yes.” He cleared his throat, blushing. “We, ah, had our kissing practice here.”

“Yep!” Kamui said cheerfully. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes to get closer to his face. “I was wondering if we could have another practice session,” she whispered, trying to sound seductive but probably coming off as a complete dork. She pressed a kiss to his jawbone. “Please?” Please kiss me even though I’m acting like an idiot in love.

In response, Leo gently cupped her face in his warm hands and leaned down to her. He kissed her sweetly, passionately, and she wished he’d never stop. Unlike their first kiss here, Kamui eagerly returned his kiss, running her fingers through his hair.

When they parted, they were both breathless and flushed. Leo rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “That was much better than our last practice,” he murmured.

Kamui giggled softly. “I love you, Leo,” she said breathlessly. “I don’t think I tell you enough, but I am so madly in love with you.”

Leo’s only response was to close that small distance between them and kiss her again and again and again. Kamui mentally thought to herself that this was a much better birthday present than watching him play shogi. And it was definitely better than that spell Odin had found. This was just for the two of them, no one else.

“Happy birthday, my darling Kamui,” Leo whispered.

Chapter Text

Kamui seemed to enjoy her birthday, and Leo was happy for her. He’d actually had fun playing shogi against Takumi, even though he was a little miffed he lost. He did his best to not show it though because he knew that would upset Kamui on her birthday, which was the last thing he wanted.

Kamui found it hilarious that Leo had told Odin the scroll he found was for Kamui’s birthday. Apparently Odin thought it totally normal that Leo would give his wife a spell that would allow people to swap bodies. Leo had no intention of using the scroll, but Kamui wanted to hold on to it because it was her “birthday present.”

Leo’s favorite part of the day was definitely when Kamui had taken him into the gardens alone, back to where they’d had their first kiss. Leo was more than happy to show his true affection for her, not having to worry about scaring her or pushing her too much. It had almost been five months since the wedding, and he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her during that time.

Kamui’s actual birthday party went well, although Leo was more than ready to retire for the night by the end of it. Kamui was eager to continue what they’d started in the gardens, and Leo certainly wasn’t going to deny her affection on her birthday. They did sleep in the next morning since they’d stayed up a little too late, but it was worth it.

Leo did not have a chance to have a shogi rematch with Takumi before it was time to depart for Nohr once more. The plan was that they’d leave two days after Kamui’s birthday, so there simply wasn’t the time for a rematch. Perhaps next visit they’d have the time. Takumi was a formidable opponent in the game, so Leo was looking forward to the challenge. And next time, he’d win.

The morning of their departure came, and Kamui was a crying mess as she said her goodbyes to her friends and family. Leo didn’t want to rush her, but after standing around in the courtyard for over an hour, he needed to say something.

“Kamui, we need to leave soon,” Leo told her quietly when he had a moment. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to get home in the middle of the night.”

Kamui sighed sadly. “You’re right,” she agreed. “Let me say my final farewells, and then we can get going.”

True to her word, Kamui went and gave everyone one last hug before joining Leo and Azura in the carriage.

Kamui almost immediately rested her head on Leo’s shoulder and closed her eyes. It appeared she was planning on sleeping most of the journey again. And she was probably still sad about leaving Hoshido behind again.

“Don’t worry, Kamui,” Azura told her. “You’ll see them again soon enough.”

Leo put his arm around her and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze, hoping that would bring her some comfort.

“I just want to sleep,” Kamui mumbled against him. “I’m tired.”

“Then sleep,” Leo told her gently.

It didn’t take long before her breathing evened out, and she relaxed against him. If it wasn’t for Azura’s presence, Leo would have been tempted to curl up with Kamui and take a nap. He stayed awake, though, working on reading his current book.

Nothing terribly interesting happened during the journey back home, which was probably a good thing. By the time they got back to Castle Krakenburg, it was late at night. Kamui had fallen asleep on Leo again, and Azura was also resting. Leo let their retainers help Azura, and he decided to just carefully carry Kamui to bed since he didn’t want to disturb her sleep. She was just so peaceful that it seemed cruel to wake her up just to make her walk to bed.

When Leo finally stumbled into his room, half-exhausted, he was greeted by the large eyes of their kitten, who was just staring at them.

“Ah. Hello, MG,” Leo murmured. “Glad to see you made it through the last few weeks.” He knew Kamui would be very distraught if something had happened to their cat.

MG just watched as Leo tucked Kamui into the bed before joining her. Leo held his wife close and was asleep within minutes.

The banging was what woke Kamui up the next morning. She realized that she was much more comfortable than if she’d slept in the carriage, and it didn’t take her long to notice Leo’s arm resting across her waist. Someone must have carried me to bed, she thought sleepily. I hope it was Leo.

“Big Brother! Big Brother! Wake up!”

Leo stirred beside Kamui and groaned, “Elise…really?”

“Guess we’re not sleeping in today,” Kamui mumbled. After just getting back home, she really wanted to enjoy the comfort of Leo’s bed again, and she didn’t want Leo getting up yet.

“Great, she woke you,” Leo grumbled. He brushed back Kamui’s hair and kissed her check. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

The sheets rustled as he got out of bed, and Kamui instantly missed his warm touch.

She watched with bleary eyes as Leo put on his robe and answered the door.

“Elise,” he greeted his little sister tersely.

“Good morning, Big Brother!” Elise practically shouted. “Is Kamui here? She’s not in her room, so…”

Kamui sighed. Sounded like she was getting up now after all.

Leo placed his arm in the doorway, blocking Elise from entering. “She’s still resting,” he informed Elise in a low tone.

“Aw, but I need to get her ready for tonight!” Elise moaned.

Kamui crawled out of bed and made her way over to the door. She realized with a bit of embarrassment that she was wearing the same dress she wore yesterday.

She covered a yawn as she took her spot next to Leo. “Good morning, Elise,” she mumbled. “What’s tonight?” She leaned against Leo and wrapped her arm around his waist. She still wasn’t fully awake yet.

Leo put his arm around Kamui and shot Elise a glare that she totally ignored.

“It’s your birthday party!” Elise cheered. “Since we didn’t get to celebrate with you on your actual birthday, we’re having a big party for you tonight!”

Kamui blinked. That did sound familiar now that Elise mentioned it. “But if it’s tonight, why do I need to get ready so early?” she mumbled. All she wanted to do right now was crawl back in bed with Leo and just rest in his arms.

“Because I didn’t get to see you for over two weeks, silly!” Elise exclaimed with a clap. “I’ve missed you sooo much!”

Kamui gave her sister-in-law a smile. “I’ve missed you, too,” she said. “But I’m still really tired.” She yawned again. “Can we do it later?”

Elise pouted. “But you need to look extra pretty for your ball tonight.”

“Elise, if there’s really some stupid ball tonight, then Kamui needs more rest so she’s not dead on her feet tonight,” Leo told his sister. “Give her a few more hours before you play dress-up with her.”

“Hmph. You just want her all to yourself,” Elise grumbled. She crossed her arms. “You got her all to yourself for the last two weeks. It’s my turn now!” She tugged on Kamui’s arm, but Leo held on tightly.

Kamui clung to Leo, not wanting to leave his side just yet. She honestly liked the idea of Leo having her all to himself for a few more hours. Unfortunately her monthly bleeding had started yesterday, so they couldn’t do much right now, but she just wanted to be with him a little longer.

“Elise, I’m going to tell you one more time,” Leo said sternly. He pointed out the door. “Leave. Kamui will find you when she’s ready for whatever torture you have planned.”

“It’s not torture!” Elise countered. “And Kamui can decide what she wants to do. Right, Big Sister?”

“I want to sleep with Leo,” Kamui said without hesitation.

Leo tensed up next to her, “Kamui,” he hissed.

It was then Kamui realized what she’d said. She wanted to smack herself for saying something like that in front of Leo’s little sister.

It went right over Elise’s head, fortunately. “Well, fine,” she grumbled. “Come find me when you’re ready.” She turned and left Leo’s quarters altogether.

Leo sighed. “Did you really have to say it like that?” he grumbled. “If Niles or Camilla had heard you…Actually it’s embarrassing in front of anyone.”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Kamui apologized. “It just came out.” She sighed, glancing down at her lower abdomen. “And I meant actually sleep. My, uh, monthly bleeding started so we can’t do anything for a couple days.”

She hoped Leo wouldn’t catch the disappointment in her voice, but he did. He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

Kamui sighed. “It’s okay. We’ll just keep trying, right?” She looked up at him hopefully.

He gave her a small smile. “Right.” He guided her back into the bedroom and closed the door. “Now, you wanted to actually sleep with me, right?”

Kamui nodded, relieved he wasn’t lingering on the previous subject. “Just let me get into something more comfortable, then I’ll be right back,” she told him.

Once she’d changed into a nightgown, she crawled back into bed with Leo and quickly fell asleep again in his arms.

Kamui must have been really tired because she was out in literally a minute after they got back in bed. By this point Leo knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so he just rested his body even though his mind wasn’t getting a break.

Kamui had sounded so sad just now when she told him her monthly bleeding had started. Leo knew Kamui adored babies—he’d caught on to that pretty quickly when they were first getting acquainted. He’d known from basically the start of their relationship that she’d want to have kids, but he didn’t realize how soon she’d want them. He felt bad that Kamui was struggling with this. He was glad she was being open with him about what she wanted, but it was still painful to watch her deal with this. Leo personally didn’t have a strong desire to have children immediately, but if it happened…Well, at this point he wanted it to happen if only for Kamui’s sake. It was still really strange to imagine himself as a father.

Maybe things will get easier when Camilla has her baby. That way, Kamui will have a baby to play with, even if it isn’t hers. He could only hope things went well for the rest of Camilla’s pregnancy. She was what…five or six months pregnant? At any rate, it was only a few months until her baby was born.

And Niles will be a father. That was a really weird thought. Despite his roughness, Leo expected that Niles would be a good father, to give his child the love he’d never had growing up.

Well, there was no use in dwelling upon such matters anymore. There wasn’t much Leo could do about the current circumstances in that regard. Besides, he needed to get mentally prepared for yet another birthday party this month.

After Kamui had her nap, she was whisked away by Leo’s sisters to get ready for the evening. And that left Leo alone with the cat. MG was sound asleep in his basket, though, so it wasn’t like Leo would be interacting much with him.

Leo had just made up his mind to go study up on shogi when there was a knock at his door.

“Enter,” he called out.

The door opened, and Xander stood in the doorway.

“Hello, Leo,” Xander greeted him. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I heard the girls were busy with Kamui, so I figured you wouldn’t be, uh, too occupied.”

Leo mentally cringed at what Xander was probably implying.

“I’m not terribly busy at the moment,” Leo told him. “To what do I owe this visit?”

“Well, I just wanted to chat for a little bit,” Xander replied. “It’s been awhile since we last had a real conversation.”

Leo arched an eyebrow. He was slightly surprised Xander had sought him out just for small talk.

“Okay,” Leo said. He gestured to his sitting room. “Let’s head in here,” he said with a glance at his messy bed. He did not need his elder brother seeing the state it was in.

“What did you want to discuss?” Leo asked once they were sitting.

Xander shook his head. “At easy, Leo. You’re not in trouble. I’d like to know how things went in Hoshido.”

Now that Leo thought about it, Xander’s interest in foreign affairs wasn’t too shocking, given that he was next in line for the throne.

“It went well,” Leo replied. “Kamui had a good time.” He didn’t really know what else to share.

“That’s good,” Xander agreed. “How did things go for you specifically?”

Leo frowned. “What do you mean?”

“By birth you are Nohrian royalty,” Xander explained. “How were your interactions with the Hoshidan people?”

“Fine for the most part,” Leo answered as he thought back on the trip. “Kamui’s younger brother has a thing against Nohrians, but she somehow convinced him to play a game of shogi with me.”

“Shogi?” Xander repeated.

Leo nodded. “It’s a Hoshidan game that’s like chess, except it’s a bit more complicated. You see, a challenging twist to the game is that you can reuse captured pieces. It adds a lot more strategies and scenarios, so…” Leo realized that he was launching into a lecture on shogi that Xander neither asked for nor wanted. “It’s a pretty good game,” he finished.

Xander actually cracked a smile. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. You do have a little more exposure to the Hoshidan culture than the rest of us, thanks to Kamui.”

“It is all thanks to her,” Leo agreed. He’d learned so much from her over these past months, and he was eager to learn more. She’d given him so much love and joy. Leo just wished he could give her what she desired in return.

“Xander? Can I ask you something?” The words were out of Leo’s mouth before he consciously decided to ask his brother.

“Of course, Leo. You know that,” Xander told him warmly.

Leo sighed and looked down. This was going to be super awkward, but if he learned something useful, then it was worth it. “It is a sensitive subject,” he began slowly. His heart started pounding in his chest. Could he really have this conversation with his brother? Well, he was willing to try for Kamui’s sake.

“Kamui is…disappointed that she hasn’t been able to conceive a child,” Leo said, trying to be careful with his words.

Xander looked very caught off-guard by the subject change. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I am sorry to hear that.”

Leo exhaled slowly. He’d brought it up, so he’d better finish it. “I am aware that you and Charlotte have…tried for a child without success,” he continued slowly.

Xander actually flinched at the statement. “Yes, that is true,” he sighed, looking away. “It’s not a situation I’d wish on anyone, honestly.”

Leo gulped. “How do you…help Charlotte with it?” he asked. “I—I want to help Kamui not feel so down about it, but I’m at a loss at what to do,” he admitted. I must really be desperate if I’m going to my older brother for advice in this area. But I know it’s something he has experience with.

Xander was quiet for a few tense moments. “I am not entirely sure how to advise you in this matter, Little Brother,” he finally said. He closed his eyes and sighed. “It is painful to watch Charlotte long for a child yet not have one after years of trying.”

Once again, Leo had things put in perspective that they’d only been trying for a child for a couple months whereas Xander and Charlotte had dealt with this for years. It was still hurting Kamui, though, so Leo was desperate to know how to lessen the pain. He was pretty certain he wouldn’t find a book about this particular matter.

“I am sorry, Brother,” Leo said. He didn’t know what else to say, and he felt terrible for bringing the subject up at all. “It was not my place to pry in such matters.”

“You did warn me that it was a sensitive subject,” Xander remarked. “And I know it must be difficult for you to share this with me at all, so do not apologize for asking.” He sighed. “I suppose my best advice is to be there for her, especially when she’s taking it extra hard. And keep trying. You were only wed five months ago, so you still have plenty of time before you’d need to consult the healers.”

Leo blanched at that. He hadn’t even thought of consulting a healer about this particular subject matter. And from the way he’d said it, Leo was pretty certain Xander and Charlotte had paid at least one visit to the healers.

“Thank you,” Leo said. “I will keep that in mind, and hopefully things will change for you and Charlotte soon.”

“Thank you, Leo,” Xander replied. “I wish the same for you and Kamui.”

Kamui’s birthday banquet and ball were being held in the ballroom that evening. Camilla and Elise had done all the planning, with help from Charlotte, so Leo was expecting it to be some grandiose event fit for a princess. It sounded like torture to Leo.

He changed his mind slightly when he saw Kamui in her dress. It was a silverly gown that hugged her body in all the right places. The sleeves hung loosely off her shoulders, but it wasn’t too low-cut. Leo was simultaneously pleased and disappointed at that. Pleased because he didn’t want anyone else to have that view of his wife, but disappointed that he couldn’t enjoy it. Regardless, she was breathtaking, and Leo remembered how beautiful she’d been on their wedding day.

Kamui’s lovely face lit up when she saw him. “Leo!” She waved as she hurried over and hugged him. “You look amazing!” she said with a big grin as she glanced over his attire.

Leo felt a little self-conscious at her appraisal in public. Sure, he’d dressed up, but he didn’t think it was that exciting. He was much more interested in her appearance.

“You look beautiful,” he told her, resting his hands lightly on her hips. He resisted the urge to kiss her, as it would be seen as uncomely at such a public affair.

Kamui blushed. “Thank you.” She leaned closer to his ear. “I really want to kiss you, but we’re not supposed to do that in public, right?” she whispered.

Leo laughed at how in sync their thoughts seemed to be. “I was thinking the same thing,” he murmured with a smirk. “I guess we’ll have to wait until we have some privacy.”

“I look forward to it,” Kamui told him with her sweet smile. “Now, c’mon.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the dining table. “Let’s eat! I’m starving! They made Hoshidan food, and I even requested they include tomatoes for you,” she told him. “So even if you don’t like the Hoshidan food, you’ll still have something you like to eat.” She giggled. “Sorry, it’s just imagining you with a plate piled with just tomatoes is kind of funny.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “I like other foods besides tomatoes,” he pointed out. He helped Kamui get seated before taking his place at her right.

“This is coming from the guy who wanted tomato cake for dessert,” Kamui teased.

“It was tomato upside-down cake, and it was delicious,” Leo corrected her.

Kamui made a face. “Ew. Well, we’re not having that tonight. Elise told me that you guys have pumpkin-type desserts in the fall, so I asked the chefs to make a couple of them. I think they’re doing something called pumpkin pie and pumpkin cobbler. I’m excited to try them.”

“Wait, you’ve never had pumpkin pie?” Leo asked her, slightly surprised by that fact. Pumpkin pie was a very traditional autumn dessert in Nohr.

Kamui shook her head. “No, but I like pumpkins, so it sounds yummy.”

“Well, I hope you like it,” Leo remarked.

“I think I will. Nohrian food is quite good,” Kamui replied cheerfully. “Oh, hey everyone!” she said, looking behind Leo. “Come join us!”

Leo turned and the rest of the family was there, except for his father, Queen Arete, and Azura. Azura and Arete were probably running late. Leo honestly didn’t know if the king was going to show up.

“You sure we aren’t interrupting anything, Lady Kamui?” Niles asked with a wicked grin.

Leo pointedly ignored his retainer. He knew Niles wanted a rise out of him.

“No, we were just talking about different Nohrian and Hoshidan foods,” Kamui explained. “They’re both so different, but I really like food from both countries.”

Camilla chuckled as she sat down, placing one hand on her growing belly. “You know, Kamui, I think your little niece or nephew really likes you,” she remarked. “They started getting really active right when you started talking.”

Kamui’s eyes widened, and her lips parted slightly. “Really?” she breathed. She glanced at Camilla’s belly. “Are they still kicking?”

“Mhm.”

“Can I…” Kamui reached out hesitantly.

Camilla grabbed Kamui’s hand and placed it right on her baby bump. “Of course, darling.”

Kamui was quiet for a second before she giggled. “I can feel it.” Leo thought he saw the glistening of tears in her eyes. “Oh, I’m so excited to actually meet them.”

Camilla sighed. “Me, too. Just a few more months.”

“Have you thought of any names?” Charlotte asked, taking a sip of her drink. After his talk with Xander earlier, Leo was proud of her for hiding her sorrow so well. He could only imagine how painful watching her sister-in-law have a baby before she could.

Camilla exchanged a glance with Niles. “Well…”

“Ooh! Ooh! I’ve got some ideas!” Elise interjected. “If it’s a girl, you should name her Elise after her favorite auntie.”

Charlotte scowled. “She’ll have two other aunts, you know,” she pointed out. “Maybe Kamui will be the favorite.”

Kamui shook her head. “What, no. I wouldn’t be the favorite.”

“Okay, so we know Elise’s choice for a girl,” Xander commented. “But what about Camilla and Niles? They are the ones naming the baby after all.”

“Well, Leo the Second if it’s a boy,” Niles said with a smirk.

Leo had just started sipping his wine right then and nearly choked on it. Surely Niles wasn’t being serious…

Camilla cackled at Leo’s reaction. “Niles, that wasn’t very nice to my poor baby brother,” she chided him. “No, we won’t be naming him Leo. Can you imagine having two Leos running around? One is plenty.”

Leo gave her a glare. “Thanks.”

“So what are you actually naming a boy?” Charlotte interjected.

“Shall we tell them or keep it our little secret for now?” Niles asked Camilla with a grin.

Camilla smiled. “We’ll have them find out once the baby is here,” she decided. “That will give all of you something to look forward to.”

“Aw, no fair!” Elise whined.

“You know, Elise, my sister-in-law Orochi told me about a fun guessing game we could play,” Kamui remarked, leaning towards the younger girl.

“A guessing game?” Leo repeated. He wondered what in the world Orochi would have thought of. He didn’t know her very well, but she had a distinctive personality.

“Yep. When someone is having a baby, everyone gets to guess if it’s going to be a boy or girl, the name, and the birthday,” Kamui explained. “I’d forgotten about it until just now, but I think it would be fun to try.”

Elise was totally on board with that. “Ooh, that sounds like fun!” She turned to Camilla eagerly. “Can we do it, please?”

“What do you want to do, my child?” a deep, gruff voice interrupted.

Leo looked up in surprise as his father took his place at the head of the table. He hadn’t been sure his father would come to Kamui’s birthday ball. Arete and Azura had also arrived and took their seats.

“Oh, Father, Kamui was just telling us about a fun baby guessing game!” Elise explained. “We all get to guess if it’s a boy or a girl, their name, and their birthday. Camilla will let us do it, right?”

“I think you’ll be doing it with or without my permission,” Camilla chuckled. “But it does sound fun.”

It actually did sound like a harmless little game to Leo. And Kamui seemed happy about it, so that was good.

“Kamui, you should be in charge of it since it was your idea,” Elise said, turning to Kamui.

“Sure. I can do that. Just not right now, obviously,” Kamui answered.

The conversation moved on to other topics, then it was time to go to the ballroom for the dancing part of the evening.

“Leo, you’ll dance with me, right?” Kamui asked him hopefully as they made their way to the ballroom. “I know you don’t really like dancing, but I’d like to dance.” She blushed. “With you.”

Well, there was no way Leo was going to tell her no when she looked at him like that. “One dance,” he told her. “That’s all I’m promising for now.”

Kamui’s eyes practically sparkled with delight, and she grinned. “I’ll take what I can get, but hopefully it will be more than one.”

Leo ended up being generous and dancing for three songs with Kamui. He secretly enjoyed himself just because it was with her. Any other woman, and he would have found it dreadfully boring. After three songs in a row, though, Leo decided he needed a break.

He happened to find Charlotte over by the refreshments, sipping at her drink. “Aw, you danced with your wife. How cute!” she cooed. “I haven’t forgotten my birthday ball earlier this year when you just wanted to hide in a corner.”

Leo shrugged and helped himself to some wine. “I still dislike dancing in general, but I’ll make an exception for Kamui.”

Charlotte giggled. “You two are so cute together! Even though it was an arranged marriage, it’s like you were matched by fate itself.”

Leo tried not to blush at how thick she was laying the praise on. “How many drinks have you had?” he wondered. Usually she didn’t get this bad unless she was getting tipsy.

“None,” she told him with a wink. “I’ve been opting for juice lately. Let’s just say I’m on a diet similar to Camilla right now.” She put her finger to her lips. “But don’t tell Xander, okay? It will ruin the surprise.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t an idiot, so it was simple to conclude based on what she’d said that Charlotte could possibly be expecting a child. He was a little surprised she’d tell Leo before she let Xander know, though.

“I won’t mention anything to Xander,” Leo told her. “But I’m surprised you’d be dropping hints to me instead of him.”

Charlotte groaned. “I have been giving him hints, but he just doesn’t seem to get it! As wonderful as he is, Xander can sometimes be super dense. I knew you’d be smart enough to figure out my secret, though,” she added with a wink.

Leo rolled his eyes. “You were being very obvious.” He lowered his voice. “Congratulations, by the way. Xander will be very happy when he finds out. You are going to tell him soon, aren’t you? You will have to be very direct with him, I’m afraid. Dropping hints probably isn’t going to get through to him.”

“Mm. I’m waiting for his birthday,” Charlotte murmured. “It’s close enough that I only have a couple more weeks before I surprise him.”

Based on his conversation with Xander earlier, Leo imagined that Xander would be very surprised. He would be so happy, though.

“Oh, and don’t mention anything to Kamui, okay?” Charlotte added in a whisper. “I’m sure you share everything with her, but keep this a secret for now, would you?”

Leo gave her a skeptical look. “I don’t know. I don’t like keeping secrets from my wife.”

“Ugh. Leo, you’d better!” Charlotte grumbled. “Or else you are really going to regret that.”

“Charlotte, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were threatening me,” Leo remarked. “That would be a very big mistake.”

“Don’t tell Kamui then,” Charlotte demanded.

Leo resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. If Charlotte didn’t want Kamui finding out before Xander, then she really shouldn’t have said anything to Leo.

“I’ll keep your secret on one condition,” Leo decided, curiosity getting the better of him.

“You’re the worst!” Charlotte muttered.

“Just tell me who else knows. I’m curious,” was Leo’s request.

Charlotte shrugged. “Besides the healers, just you and Camilla know.”

“Of course Camilla would know,” Leo remarked. He honestly wasn’t too shocked about that. Camilla seemed to have an extra sense regarding these things.

“Okay, I told you. Now you keep your end of the deal,” Charlotte reminded him.

“I promise I won’t tell Kamui,” Leo sighed. He didn’t really want to tell her right away anyway. Not when she was sad about not being pregnant.

“Thank you,” Charlotte said sweetly with a huge grin. “Now, I should go find my dear husband. Goodbye for now!”

Leo shook his head. That had been a very odd, but interesting, conversation. If Kamui got pregnant, Leo personally would not be thrilled if she told his siblings before she told him. He’d have to make that clear with her after Charlotte shared the news with everyone. If he told Kamui tonight, she’d be suspicious. Or perhaps she’d just be really, really confused.

Chapter Text

The thunder woke Kamui up on Xander’s birthday. Now that she was alert, she could hear rain pounding on the window. She shifted in Leo’s embrace so she could see the curtained window. She could see the flash of lightning, which was closely followed by the roar of thunder.

“You awake?” Leo asked quietly.

Kamui turned and met his gaze. “Yeah. The thunder woke me up.”

“Hm. I’m surprised you slept through it that long,” Leo remarked. “The storm woke me up a while ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kamui said.

Leo scoffed. “It’s not your fault, unless you have some ability to control the weather you haven’t told me about.”

Kamui giggled. “No, but that would be pretty cool. Just think, being able to decide whether the day should be sunny, rainy, snowy, cloudy…Oh, and maybe you could make up your own weather, like making it rain strawberries.”

“Strawberries?” Leo repeated. “Why would you want it to rain strawberries? There are better foods to choose.”

Kamui snorted. “Yeah, like tomatoes,” she teased.

“Hm. Now that would be something spectacular,” Leo agreed.

Kamui laughed at the mental image. “Yeah, but wouldn’t they all go splat when they hit the ground? What a mess!” She could see it in her mind right now, big red tomatoes splattered everywhere.

“Strawberries would probably do the same thing,” Leo pointed out.

“But they’re smaller and less juicy than tomatoes, so it wouldn’t be as bad,” Kamui argued.

“It would still be a lot of wasted red produce,” Leo remarked as there was another flash of lightning.

Kamui jumped as thunder boomed through the room.

“You okay?” Leo asked, holding her closer.

“Yeah. It just startled me,” Kamui said. Her heart was pounding, but hopefully Leo wouldn’t catch on to that.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe from the lightning,” Leo murmured in her ear.

“But it’s the thunder that startles me,” Kamui protested.

“You do know thunder is just a sound and that it’s extremely unlikely to harm you, right?” Leo replied. “I guess the absolute worst thing that could happen is that it would affect your hearing. Lightning, on the other hand, that’s what you need to be wary of.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kamui conceded. Trust Leo to be practical about this. Or anything, really.

“Well, hopefully the storm will pass without incident,” Leo commented. “The lightning is pretty close, so I think this is the worst of it.”

“Wait, how do you know the lightning is close?” Kamui wondered.

“Well, you can tell about how far away the lightning is based on how long it takes to hear the thunder,” Leo explained. “Light travels faster than sound, so you see the lightning before you hear it. The sooner you hear thunder after seeing lightning, the closer the lightning is.”

Now that he said that, it did seem familiar to Kamui. “I think Takumi told me something like that once,” she recalled.

“Mm.”

The conversation lapsed into silence on their part, but Kamui could still hear the thunder booming every so often. She suddenly heard the patter of the cat’s paws as he ran about the room.

“Oh, Mr. Grouchypants!” she gasped, sitting up. “Oh, you poor thing. You must be so scared!” She knelt on the floor and looked under the bed. She saw the shine of the cat’s big eyes. “Oh, Leo. He’s hiding under the bed. He looks terrified. It’s okay, sweetheart,” she cooed, trying to put their cat at ease. “You’re okay.”

She wanted to stay by the bedside, comforting the kitten, but the autumn night was cool, and soon she was shivering. All she wanted was to crawl back under the covers and warm up next to Leo’s body heat. So that’s what she did.

Kamui cuddled close to Leo, trying to get what warmth she could from his body. Leo seemed to understand what she wanted and wrapped his arms around her.

“Kamui, you’re shaking,” he gasped. “Are you really that worried about the storm?”

“No. I’m just really cold,” Kamui mumbled against him.

Leo sighed and gave her a squeeze. “Looks like it’s going to be a long night,” he commented. “And then we have to deal with Xander’s birthday in the morning.”

Kamui laughed. “You really don’t like birthdays, do you?”

Kamui did eventually fall back asleep, but she was really tired in the morning since she’d lost a bit of sleep in the night. It was still pouring outside, but at least the thunder and lightning had calmed down by then. For once she’d woken up before Leo, which was a rare event. On most days, Kamui would come to briefly while Leo got up for the day then fall back asleep for a while.

Leo was really sound asleep today. He was snoring softly, which Kamui secretly thought was kind of cute. It was little details like that which helped her accomplished, super-genius husband feel more human. She was surprised at how exhausted he seemed.

He did have a rough night, Kamui realized. He did say he’d been awake a while by the time the storm had woken her up. And she’d been up in the night for a good amount of time, so he probably didn’t get much sleep at all last night.

Kamui brushed his blond hair out of his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Sleep well, my love, she silently wished him. She carefully wriggled out of Leo’s embrace and slipped out of bed.

Today was Xander’s birthday, so she couldn’t just lounge around in bed all morning. Leo obviously needed the extra sleep, so Kamui decided to let him rest longer. Since there was another birthday party today, Leo really needed to get those full eight hours of sleep. Otherwise, he was certain to be a grouchypants, and that was the last thing Xander needed on his birthday.

Kamui went back to her bedroom and awaited for Felicia to arrive to help her don an elegant violet gown for the special day.

It wasn’t long before Felicia knocked, and Kamui let her in.

“Good morning, Lady Kamui,” the maid greeted her. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Kamui shook her head. She was pretty certain Felicia had caught on to the fact that she always slept in Leo’s bed, but Felicia never commented on it.

“I’m sorry you had to get up early just to help me put on a dress,” Kamui apologized. She knew she could probably ask Leo to help her dress, but since Leo couldn’t dress himself properly half of the time, that wasn’t such a good idea if she wanted to look her best. She could easily imagine appearing for the day with her buttons in the back all mismatched. That would be embarrassing for both her and Leo.

“It’s no problem, milady,” Felicia assured her. “I actually really like helping you get ready for these things. It’s almost like we’re two girls playing dress-up. Hehe.”

Kamui giggled. “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “Did you use to play dress-up with Flora when you were younger?” she wondered.

Felicia nodded. “Yeah, except usually I was the one being dressed up. I wasn’t very good at giving Flora makeovers.”

“I find that hard to imagine,” Kamui remarked as Felicia helped her dress for the day. “You’re so good at it that I would have assumed you were a natural.”

Felicia’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. “You’re too kind, Lady Kamui.”

“Of course,” Kamui told her with a smile. “You’re one of my friends, so I feel like we have a special bond.”

“Thank you, Lady Kamui! Oh, there’s a hairstyle I’ve been wanting to try,” Felicia said, lightly touching Kamui’s curls. “It’s called a chignon. May I try it on you today?”

Kamui nodded. “Yes! I’m sure it will be lovely.” She’d never heard of that hairstyle, but she was willing to try it.

Felicia beamed. “Great! I’ll leave a couple locks out of the bun to frame your face. Oh, this is going to look so beautiful on you!” She lowered her voice. “I bet Lord Leo will like it,” she added with a wink that made Kamui blush. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you like you’re the center of his world. It’s actually very cute.” She giggled, which make Kamui blush even harder.

“So, what kind of hairstyle is a chignon?” Kamui asked to change the subject.

“Well, it’s a pretty bun at the nape of your neck,” Felicia replied. “I hear it’s very fashionable in court right now.”

Now that she was back in Nohr again, Kamui did need to focus on making a good impression with the Nohrian court. She’d been more concerned about that at first, but then she’d been so distracted by Leo that it had slipped her mind. She wasn’t here to just be Leo’s wife, but also to forge those international relationships both countries needed.

Having a Nohrian-Hoshidan baby would help with that. Kamui didn’t want to think about that right now, but it was a way she could help with the international relations between the two countries. They had been trying, but with no luck so far. I just need to be more patient, she reminded herself firmly.

It took Felicia a while to do Kamui’s hair. The maid kept sighing and muttering under her breath about how it just didn’t look right. She’d take everything out and start again. She also dropped the brush a few times, but that was normal for Felicia.

“Maybe I should ask Flora to help me,” Felicia said with a sigh. “I just can’t seem to get this right.”

Kamui shrugged. “Whatever you think is best. I’m okay with it if you decide to do a different style.”

“No, I will do this,” Felicia said resolutely. “I just need a little more time to work on it.”

After some time, Kamui started feeling hunger pangs and remembered that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. She didn’t realize it was so late in the morning until there was a knock from Leo’s bedroom door.

“Come in!” Kamui called, figuring it would be Leo.

“Wait, Lady Kamui,” Felicia gasped. She tried to block Kamui’s view of the door. “You’re not ready yet. He shouldn’t see you until you’re all ready. I still haven’t even done your makeup.”

The door opened before Kamui could respond to that, although she was mostly confused by Felicia was worried about Leo seeing her like this. He’d certainly seen her in much worse shape in the past.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding,” Leo commented from the doorway, even though Felicia was still blocking his view. “I was surprised to find you gone this morning.”

Kamui turned to reply, but she couldn’t see past Felicia. “I asked Felicia to help me get ready for the banquet,” she explained. “It’s in the mid-afternoon, so I figured I’d just get ready this morning.”

Leo tried to step around Felicia, but the maid nearly shrieked. “Wait, Lord Leo! You can’t see her until she’s all ready.”

Kamui mentally cringed at that. She knew very well Leo would not be pleased to be told he couldn’t see his wife.

Sure enough, Leo was not thrilled. “What’s this nonsense?” he grumbled. “She’s dressed, isn’t she?” Not that he had a problem seeing her when she wasn’t, but that would be embarrassing in front of her maid.

“But you can’t see her until she’s gorgeous,” Felicia protested, moving to keep blocking his view as Leo tried to step around her.

“She’s already gorgeous,” Leo said without missing a beat. Kamui felt like her own heart had skipped a beat. How silly she was to still get so excited whenever Leo complimented her appearance. It was like she was a teenager with a huge crush.

“Felicia, move,” Leo ordered angrily when Felicia still wouldn’t budge. “You can’t keep me from seeing my wife.”

Kamui patted Felicia’s hand. “It’s okay, Felicia.”

The maid sighed. “Okay. Should I leave you two alone for a moment? I still need to do your hair and makeup, but I’ll leave if you want me to.”

“Don’t worry, Felicia,” Kamui assured her. “We still have plenty of time.”

“Actually, we don’t,” Leo began as he stepped into view. “It’s past noon and—” He broke off and stared at Kamui as he broke out in a blush. “Wow. You look beautiful,” he said softly, taking in her appearance.

Kamui flushed at the compliment. She liked it more than she probably should. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “Felicia’s been working hard on getting me ready.” Leo was also dressed up very nicely, but Kamui felt silly commenting on that.

Leo seemed to remember why he was there. “Yes, about that, the banquet is in thirty minutes, and no one has seen you all day, including me.”

“Wait, it’s the afternoon already?” Kamui gasped. “I didn’t know it was so late!”

Leo nodded. “Yes, that’s why I came to find you. It would be a bad precedent to show up late for the crown prince’s birthday banquet.”

“Oh, no!” Felicia moaned. “I’m so sorry, Lady Kamui! It’s my fault you aren’t ready yet. I shouldn’t have tried a new hairstyle today.”

“Felicia, it’s okay,” Kamui repeated. “It’s not the end of the world if my hair isn’t in a chignon.”

“But your makeup…” Felicia lamented. “I don’t think I’ll have time to do it.”

“She’s beautiful without makeup,” Leo commented, which made Kamui blush again. “She really doesn’t need it.”

“But it will look indecent to not wear makeup at a formal event like this,” Felicia protested.

“Just do a quick job,” Kamui told her. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Leo sighed and sat on the edge of her bed. “I’ll wait for you here.”

Kamui noticed that Felicia’s hands were shaking as she got out the makeup supplies, but she didn’t comment on it. She should have known it was a sign that Felicia was going to be even more clumsy than usual.

The maid’s hands were shaking so much that she kept accidentally smearing black makeup everywhere except for Kamui’s eyelashes. Kamui even got poked in the eye a few times. Felicia always quickly apologized and sent Leo a nervous look.

Kamui sighed quietly. She knew her husband could be intimidating to those who didn’t know him well, but it seemed that Felicia was almost scared of him. Kamui remembered back in the spring when Leo suggested that Felicia was unsuitable to be a maid. Kamui had been cross with him for that comment, but had since forgiven him. It seemed that Felicia was even more unnerved by him after that, though.

“Should I get one of my sisters to help with this?” Leo asked as Felicia wiped off all the makeup again. He didn’t seem angry, but perhaps he was a little disgruntled that this was taking so long.

“No, that’s okay,” Kamui told him.

“Um, I think I’d better get my sister,” Felicia said in a rush. “I’ll be right back!”

Kamui nodded. “I’ll be right here,” she promised as Felicia darted out of the room.

That just left her alone with Leo.

“I’m sorry I didn’t keep better track of time,” Kamui apologized with a grimace. “I honestly didn’t know it was so late.”

Leo shrugged. “It happens, especially when people are slowing you down.”

Kamui bit back a retort at that comment. Her gut instinct was to defend Felicia, but she really didn’t want to argue with Leo today. She now realized that he was being completely candid, even if it sounded cruel. She didn’t like the way he said that, but she knew he wasn’t trying to be malicious.

“So are you ready for the last birthday of the month?” Kamui asked.

Leo rolled his eyes. “As ready as I’ll be. Honestly, Xander isn’t too fussy about his birthday, so it shouldn’t be too torturous today. But Charlotte and my sisters will make a big deal out of it.” He frowned. “So will Father, actually, since it’s his firstborn’s birthday.”

Kamui felt a pang of sadness at the bitterness in his voice. She knew Leo struggled with feeling inferior to his elder brother. “King Garon cares for you, too,” she tried to comfort him, but the words rang hollow.

Leo scoffed. “I appreciate your effort, but those are just empty words.”

Kamui had the urge to hug him, to tell him that she cared for him, but she knew it wasn’t her love that he desired right now. “Leo, I—”

The door burst open, and Felicia rushed into the room with her twin sister Flora. Kamui was relieved she hadn’t acted on that urge to hug Leo. That would just be embarrassing for everyone at that moment. Kamui vowed to pamper Leo tonight, though. Then she’d get him all to herself without any interruptions.

“Okay, Felicia,” Flora said, taking charge. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Kamui gave the blue-haired maid a little smile and waved. “Hello, Flora.”

Flora gave her a curtsey. “Good afternoon, Lady Kamui and Lord Leo. I heard we are a bit pressed for time, so is it alright if I get to work?”

Kamui nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Flora.”

Flora glanced at Leo for a moment before turning to Kamui. Kamui realized that it was probably odd for a man to just sit there and watch the maids give his wife a makeover. She didn’t mind, and Leo didn’t seem to mind either.

Kamui listened as Flora instructed her sister in how to properly do a chignon style and do the bare minimum for makeup. The older twin was much more confident in this area, and soon Kamui was finally ready for Xander’s birthday banquet.

“Okay, Lord Leo. Now you can look at her!” Felicia said excitedly.

Leo raised an eyebrow since he’d been looking at Kamui literally the whole time.

“Well?” Felicia asked, placing her hands on Kamui’s shoulders. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”

Kamui felt herself blushing under Leo’s scrutiny. “Didn’t I already say she was gorgeous?” he recalled with a smirk. “But I think you have achieved whatever is beyond gorgeous.”

Felicia squealed with excitement while Kamui broke out in a massive blush. The way he said that so smoothly had her stomach twisted in knots, and she wanted to know what he would do now that she was “beyond gorgeous.” Would he kiss her even more passionately than he already did? Would he try something new that they hadn’t done before? Kamui forced herself to push the possibilities to the side for now. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in fantasies about her husband.

“Thank you for your help, Felicia and Flora,” Kamui told the maids sincerely. “I don’t know how I would have managed without you.”

“Aw, you’re welcome, Lady Kamui,” Felicia said.

“It was my pleasure,” Flora added.

Leo offered her his arm. “Well, shall we head out then?”

Kamui took his arm and gave his hand a squeeze. “Let’s go.”

Xander’s birthday banquet did not go the way Leo expected. He’d been keeping a watch on his brother all day to see if he showed any signs that Charlotte had shared her news with him. Either he was really good at hiding his reaction or Charlotte hadn’t told him that she was expecting a baby yet.

What Leo did not expect was for Charlotte to tap her fork on her glass to get everyone’s attention at the start of the banquet. “Excuse me, I have something I would like to say,” she said once all the nobles were quiet. She stood and clapped her hands together. “Since it is my dear husband’s birthday, I want to share some wonderful news with everyone.” She glanced at Xander. “Prince Xander and I are going to have a baby this coming spring!” she announced brightly.

Xander’s immediate reaction was priceless. His jaw dropped, and his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets. He quickly controlled his expression, so he appeared as stoic as ever, but it was obvious that Charlotte had not told him the news before announcing it to literally everyone.

The room was dead silent, then Elise cheered. “Yay! That is the bestest news ever!”

Leo noticed that Camilla was covering her mouth, trying to not burst into laughter. He did have to admit Xander’s reaction was pretty amusing.

“Thank you,” Charlotte squealed. “That is all I wanted to share. You can go back to whatever you were doing now.” She sat back down, and it took a moment for the murmur of conversations to begin again.

Queen Arete was the first to speak. “Well, congratulations you two,” she said sweetly. “That is simply wonderful news.”

“It is good to see the start of a new strong royal generation,” Father remarked. “It will be good for you to already have an heir when you become king, my son.”

Xander merely nodded. “Thank you, Father and Queen Arete,” he said ever so seriously.

Camilla finally couldn’t hold it together anymore, and she started cackling. “Oh my…Xander, you should have seen your face!” she wheezed.

Xander ignored her and just stared at Charlotte. “This isn’t a joke, is it?” he whispered loud enough for everyone in the family to hear.

Charlotte gasped. “What? I would never do such a thing! Do you really think I’d announce that I was pregnant to the whole court if it wasn’t true?”

“Wait, you didn’t know?” Kamui asked Xander.

Charlotte giggled. “Nope! I was keeping it a secret until his birthday!” She sounded gleeful about that fact.

“Well, I was certainly surprised,” Xander admitted. His brows furrowed. “How long have you known?”

Charlotte shrugged. “About a month. I kept dropping hints, but you weren’t picking up on them, so I decided to just announce it for your birthday.”

Camilla rested a hand on her visibly pregnant belly. “Well, it will be wonderful for our little one to have a cousin to play with! Oh, I am so excited for you two!”

“Okay, okay!” Elise slapped her hands on the table. “We gotta help you think of names!”

Xander exchanged a glance with Charlotte. “I suppose we’re open to suggestions,” he said.

Elise then launched into her list of baby names, many of which were the same as what she’d suggested for Camilla and Niles’s baby. Leo just tuned her out. He wasn’t really interested in discussing baby names at the moment.

Kamui seemed more than happy to join in that conversation, though, so Leo thought he would pay attention just in case. He was still concerned about her choices for baby names after she’d named their cat Mr. Grouchypants as a joke.

“Elyana is a beautiful name for a girl,” Kamui commented on one of Elise’s name suggestions. “You could call her ‘Ellie’ or ‘Ana’ for short.” Okay, so Elyana wasn’t such a bad name. Maybe Leo didn’t need to be quite so concerned about his future children’s names.

“It is pretty,” Charlotte agreed. “You aren’t planning on using that one, are you, Camilla?”

“That’s our secret,” Niles replied with a smirk.

Camilla just smiled. “You’ll have to find out in January.”

Elise turned to Xander. “Well, what names do you like, Big Brother?” she asked.

“Well,” Xander answered seriously. “I haven’t had much time to consider it. I’ll need more time to think it over.”

Leo bit his tongue. He could think of a couple names Xander would come up with, but he decided not to embarrass his brother on his birthday, even though it was tempting. He was pretty certain any name Xander picked would start with “Sieg,” based on past experience. Xander literally had named his horse Sieghorse after his sword, so Leo could see him suggesting a name like “Siegboy” or “Sieggirl,” or even “Siegkid.” Leo just hoped Charlotte could save the poor kid from having an awful name like that.

Chapter Text

When Kamui had suggested the baby guessing game, she initially had meant it to be something to mostly entertain Elise. She was a little surprised when the rest of Leo’s family joined in and shocked when all the retainers expressed interest. (Okay, so all of the retainers except for Beruka, but she rarely showed interest in anything.) And now with the announcement that Xander and Charlotte were also expecting a baby, that meant there was even more to keep track of. And Elise and Odin had also suggested that they include extra details like the baby’s hair and eye colors.

For once Kamui was in the library when Leo wasn’t. She figured it would be a quiet place to work on this little project, so she set up at a table and got to work. At Leo’s suggestion, She tried to create a chart to keep track of things, but she ran out of room on her paper, so she had to start over again. Since Camilla’s baby was due in January, she was just focusing on the guesses for Camilla’s baby today.

Most of the guesses for the birthday were in late January, since the healers had told Camilla she would probably have her baby the last week of January. Elise, Effie, and Odin had actually guessed the beginning of February. (Effie was mostly just copying Elise’s guesses since the retainer claimed her liege would be right.) Somehow Arthur had decided that the birthday would be at the end of December, and that Camilla would be having twin boys. And King Garon had even submitted a prediction that it would be a boy named Garon!

Kamui didn’t realize how long she’d been working until Leo found her in the library. She noticed with a sinking feeling that he was wearing his armor and had Brynhildr on him. This probably wasn’t just a friendly visit.

“Leo, did something happen?” she asked in a whisper so as to not draw attention. “Is everyone okay?” Leo didn’t normally wear his armor around the castle.

Leo just gave her that smirk that made her heart skip a beat. “Hello to you, too, Kamui,” he greeted her. “To answer your questions, everyone is okay, but Father asked me this morning to go on another mission for him.”

Kamui failed to hide her disappointment, and Leo sighed. “Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered. “You’re making this harder than it needs to be.”

“Sorry,” she apologized quickly. “I’m just surprised, is all. When are you leaving?”

“As soon as I’m ready,” Leo replied. “I figured I should probably say goodbye to you in case something happens to me.”

Kamui’s eye went wide, and Leo chuckled. “I’m teasing, love. I’ll be fine.”

Kamui pouted. She knew dark humor was one of Leo’s coping methods, but it wasn’t putting her at ease.

“I might be gone a few weeks,” Leo continued seriously, not meeting her gaze. “So I figured I should probably tell you goodbye.”

“A few weeks?!” Kamui gasped. What in the world would Leo need to do for weeks? “That’s insane!”

“Sh,” Leo hushed her, quickly looking around the library for eavesdroppers. “Be careful what you say,” he warned her. He raised his voice a little. “Kamui, I need to take care of something in my quarters before I leave. Care to accompany me?”

Kamui nodded without another word. She thought back to some of their earlier conversations about being careful about what she said, especially about the king.

She gathered her papers and quietly followed Leo to his bedroom.

Leo made sure the door was locked before turning to her. “Must I remind you to not call my father insane?” he asked in a low voice.

Kamui gulped. “Sorry. It just slipped out,” she apologized.

Leo sighed and shook his head. “I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“So you’re leaving,” Kamui stated.

Leo nodded. “Honestly, I’m surprised Father hasn’t sent me out on one of these longer missions since our wedding,” he remarked. “I suppose I should be grateful for that. Xander has been going on them, of course, but Camilla hasn’t gone on a mission since she announced she was pregnant. Elise is too young to go, so I guess it makes sense that it would be my turn again.”

“What kind of mission is this?” Kamui asked. Since Leo was in his armor, she figured this wasn’t a diplomatic visit somewhere.

Leo sighed. “You remember the Faceless we faced—well, encountered—in the Woods of the Forlorn?” he asked.

Kamui nodded.

“Well, there have been more attacks reported since then, and it’s gotten to the point that Father needs to send someone to investigate,” he explained. “Faceless are controlled by mages, so I was the logical choice for this mission. Odin will be coming with me, but—”

“Take me with you,” Kamui interrupted him.

Leo frowned and crossed his arms. “Kamui…”

“Look, I’m more experienced than the first time I went to the Woods of the Forlorn,” Kamui insisted. “I can help better this time.” She didn’t like the thought of Leo going back there and her having no idea if he was okay. “Please, Leo!”

“I don’t think that’s a wise idea,” Leo said slowly.

“Why not?” Kamui demanded. “I can fight. The healers cleared me for swordplay again, so I won’t be totally helpless.”

Leo shook his head. “No, it’s too risky. You don’t have the battle experience to—”

“If I never come, then of course I’ll never get the battle experience I need!” Kamui argued.

Leo scowled at her. “No.”

“But—”

“Kamui, I said no,” Leo told her sternly. “You’ll just distract me from the task at hand.”

Kamui didn’t like the harshness in his voice, and she fought the urge to cry. Did he really think she’d just hinder the mission?

“I want to help,” she whispered.

Leo’s voice softened. “You’ll be helping by staying here,” he told her. He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I don’t know exactly what to expect, so I’ll feel better knowing that you are safe here at the castle.”

Kamui could see where he was coming from, but she didn’t like him dismissing her help so readily. “I’m more capable than you think I am,” she persisted.

Leo dropped his gloved hand from her face. “Are you though? As I recall, the last time I took you on a mission, you came back with broken bones and bleeding.”

Kamui flinched at the reminder of their last disastrous trip to the Woods of the Forlorn. She didn’t like it, but he did have a point.

“I’ll be more careful this time,” Kamui promised. “Please just give me another chance.”

Leo gripped her shoulders so hard that it actually hurt. “Kamui, I almost lost you last time I took you there!” he snapped. “We were lucky you made it out of there alive. We might not be so lucky this time!”

Kamui winced. “But you’ll protect me—” she began.

“No, I can’t!” Leo snarled. “I wasn’t able to protect you last time, and I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.” His grip tightened on her.

Kamui’s eyes widened as she realized that Leo was scared. It was an emotion she had rarely, if ever, seen from him. “Leo—”

“Kamui, what if you’re pregnant?” Leo pointed out. “Would you risk the life of our unborn child just so you could accompany me on a dangerous mission?”

Kamui felt like he’d slapped her. “But I’m not!” she yelled as her tears began to fall.

“And do you know that for certain?” Leo pressed. “We’ve been trying. What if you’re pregnant, but you don’t know it yet?”

“Then I’ll go see the healers,” Kamui breathed. “They can use white magic to determine if I’m with child. Then when we know for certain that I’m not pregnant, you’ll let me come?” Was he seriously saying she couldn’t come because of the small possibility she was pregnant?

Leo shook his head. “No,” he said yet again. “I need you to be safe, and I know you’ll be safer here than with me for the time being. I’m sorry, but this is the only way.”

There was a tense silence between the two of them, only broken by Kamui weeping into her hands.

“I’m s-sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry for b-being so weak, for fighting with you…”

She gasped as Leo pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, too,” he murmured in her ear as he stroked her hair. “I don’t want to leave like this. I don’t really want to leave at all, but people are dying, and it is my duty to help them. Can you understand that?”

Kamui buried her face in his chest and nodded. “I’m okay with you going, but I want to come, too,” she mumbled.

Leo paused in stroking her hair. “What was that?”

Kamui pulled back and looked up into his face. “I understand why you’re going,” she said. “And I want you to help people. I just want to come, too, to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’ll be safe, Kamui,” Leo promised her.

“You don’t know that for certain,” she whispered.

Leo sighed. “No, I don’t. But how would you coming along help with that?”

“I could keep you safe, or at least I’d be doing my best to keep you safe. I don’t like staying here when you might need my help,” Kamui explained.

“I won’t be alone,” Leo told her. “As I was saying before, Odin is coming with me, and so is Beruka.”

“Beruka?” Kamui hadn’t expected him to say that.

“Camilla doesn’t want Niles away for weeks in her current condition,” Leo explained. “So Niles is staying here with her, and Beruka will be coming with me. So I won’t be without protection.” He cupped her face gently in his hands. “I need you to stay here so I won’t be distracted trying to protect you when I’m fighting. I hate to admit this, but protecting someone while fighting is not one of my strengths. I don’t want to push my luck.”

Kamui sighed. She didn’t like it, but she knew that Leo had made up his mind. “Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll let you go without a fuss. But I’m really going to miss you, so come back to me quickly.”

Leo tilted her face up to meet his, and he pressed his lips to hers. Warmth coursed through her body, helping ease some of the fears she had about him leaving. She instinctively kissed him back, not wanting the moment to end.

Leo was the one to break the kiss. “Kamui I love you, but I really do need to leave soon,” he murmured. “Father will be angry if I delay my departure any longer. And the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll come back.”

Kamui threw her arms around his shoulders and held him close. “Stay safe, Leo.” She kissed him briefly on the lips. “Don’t forget that I love you so much.”

Kamui slept horribly the first night that Leo was gone. She tried sleeping in her own bed again, since Leo wasn’t there, but after a few hours she decided to move to his bed. Even if he wasn’t there, she felt like his presence lingered here, since it was where they slept. She thought she could even make out his scent on his pillow. It was comforting, and she eventually dozed off for a few hours.

When she came to, it was early in the morning, and she was the only one in the bed. She’d somehow moved over to Leo’s side of the bed in her sleep like she was subconsciously still trying to cuddle him in her sleep. He wasn’t always still in bed when she woke up, but Kamui knew she’d see him later that day.

Not today, though.

Based on her last trip to the Woods of the Forlorn, Kamui figured Leo, Odin, and Beruka would have arrived late last night. And who knew what they were doing today. Kamui didn’t quite understand why Leo said he’d be gone for weeks, but he wouldn’t have said that if it wasn’t true.

Well, thinking about him wasn’t going to help with this loneliness, so Kamui got up for the day. Mr. Grouchypants was in his basket again, but the cat perked up when Kamui greeted him.

“Hello there, Mr. Grouchypants,” she cooed. “How was your night?”

MG hopped out of his basket and padded over to her. Kamui thought he was actually going to let her pet him, but he just rubbed her leg as he walked by.

“Stubborn cat,” she grumbled. “Is this because Daddy is gone? Do you miss him?” She sighed. “I know I miss him.”

If she kept up this attitude, it was going to be a really long couple of weeks. Kamui knew that moping about wasn’t good for her, so she sought out Leo’s sisters, who were usually more than happy to spend time with her.

Camilla and Elise were in Camilla’s quarters when she found the pair of princesses. Elise ran over and gave Kamui a big hug. “Big Sister!” she squealed. “It’s so good to see you!”

Camilla was a little slower in coming over due to her condition, but she got up and came over. “Aw, it’s so nice to see our sweet Kamui again,” she said. “Missing Leo?” she added with a knowing look.

Kamui flushed. Was she really that obvious?

“Aw, don’t be sad!” Elise told her. “You’ve got us! We’ll make sure you don’t miss Big Brother at all. In fact, maybe you’ll forget all about him by the time he gets back.”

Kamui grimaced. “Well, I don’t want to forget him, but I could use a bit of a distraction,” she admitted.

Camilla sort of waddled over to the couch and sat down again. She patted the spot next to her. “You have perfect timing,” she said as Kamui joined her. “Elise and I are working on a knitting project, and we could use some extra help.”

It was then Kamui noticed a couple knitted blankets and tiny socks on the table. She picked a pair of socks up and marveled at its softness. “Aw, they’re so cute!” she said with a smile. She glanced at Camilla’s belly. “Are they for the baby?”

“Yep!” Elise giggled. “Since the baby is coming in winter, we need to make sure she’s extra warm.”

Camilla shook her head. “It could be a boy,” she said, placing a hand on her baby bump. “We just don’t know yet.” Kamui recalled that Camilla had guessed the baby would be a boy on the guessing game.

“Well, whatever the baby is, we’ll make sure they’re just showered with love,” Elise said brightly. “Ooh, I am so excited to be an aunt. Twice, since Xander’s going to be a father now. Now all we need is for Leo to be a father,” she mused without even glancing at Kamui. She wrinkled her nose. “Leo as a father. Now that’s a weird thought.”

Elise’s casual comment felt like a stab to Kamui’s heart. Kamui knew her sister-in-law didn’t mean any harm by the comment, but it still hurt that she and Leo were not going to be parents anytime soon.

“So, Kamui, what would you like to work on?” Camilla asked, bringing Kamui back to the task at hand. “We’re trying to make sure we have lots of blankets, socks, and mittens.”

“Oh, um…I’ve never knitted before,” Kamui confessed.

“That’s okay!” Elise said brightly. “We can teach you! Let’s start with a blanket since that one is more straight forward than socks or mittens. What color do you want it to be?”

From there, Kamui did her best to learn how to knit a yellow baby blanket with help from Elise and Camilla. After a lunch break, Kamui even came back to work on it some more. She was determined to finish this, even if it wasn’t the greatest baby blanket ever.

Camilla had to finish the last step for Kamui since she was struggling with it, but in the end Kamui had a cute yellow baby blanket with a few gaps in it due to her lack of knitting skills.

“Oh, it’s so cute!” Elise gasped. “The baby is going to love it!”

Kamui folded the blanket and placed it on the pile. Part of her wished she could keep it for when she had her own baby, but maybe she could ask Camilla for it when that time came.

“You know, dear,” Camilla remarked as she picked the blanket up. “I think you should have this blanket for the future.” She handed it back to Kamui and winked.

“For the future?” Elise gasped. “Wait, Kamui are you pregnant?!”

Kamui’s face burned at how loudly she’d asked that. And she was kind of ashamed that she wasn’t. “No, I’m not,” she murmured. She gave Camilla a smile. “But thank you for letting me keep the blanket,” she said, holding it close to her chest. “That’s so sweet of you.” It was like Camilla had read her mind.

Camilla smiled. “Of course, dear.” She patted Kamui’s knee gently. “I’m sure you’ll have use for it sooner than you might expect.”

Kamui hoped so. She looked forward to the day she could swaddle her own little baby in this blanket.

From the first night of the mission, Leo was plagued by nightmares of their last visit to the Woods of the Forlorn. The exact details were always vague when he woke up, but the nightmares usually involved Kamui bloodied and hurt, begging him to help her. He knew in a couple of them that he’d watched as she bled out on the forest floor and died, with him helpless to stop it.

She’s safe. She’s safe at the castle, he would remind himself when he’d wake up twisted in his blankets and gasping for breath. He knew he’d made the right call in leaving her home instead of bringing her on a potentially dangerous mission, but it was hard to convince himself she was safe when she wasn’t sleeping next to him. He couldn’t hold her, to feel her warmth against him, and it was driving him crazy.

Odin was actually quite helpful in distracting Leo from those thoughts during the day with his nonstop talking and ridiculous stories. Leo hadn’t really thought about it ahead of time, but Odin and Beruka really were polar opposites. Odin was cheerful, overly theatrical, and talkative. Beruka showed hardly any emotions, only speaking when necessary and with as fewest words as possible. Part of Leo was amused by the irony that he’d end up with these two retainers as his companions for this mission.

They’d reached the Woods of the Forlorn that first night and had been—for lack of a better word—hunting Faceless ever since. Leo knew Odin and Beruka were both capable of standing their own in a fight, so he could actually focus on the task at hand, instead of worrying if Kamui was okay. That made things easier, but after four days they still hadn’t found where all these Faceless were coming from, nor did they know why there were so many Faceless to begin with.

Leo was pretty certain these Faceless were being controlled by a mage, or they had been at some point. Perhaps said dark mage had lost control of them and was no more. It wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. Regardless, the Faceless were terrorizing the people of the towns around the woods, so they at least needed to rid the area of the infestation. And if there was a mage involved, Leo wouldn’t hesitate to take them out.

A week passed after Leo left on his mission, and Kamui hadn’t heard anything of him in that time. Of course, if he was camping out in the woods, it made sense that he wouldn’t write her a letter, but she was still a little worried. Niles in particular had been around her more often than he usually did, and Kamui suspected Leo had asked him to protect her while he was gone. Unlike Odin, Niles seemed to get that he didn’t need to be with Kamui at all hours of the day, which she appreciated.

Kamui was still sleeping in Leo’s bed, but she got ready for bed in her own room. She’d just put on her nightgown when there was a knock at her bedroom door. She hurried over to answer it, unsure who would be calling at this time of night.

“Oh, hello there,” Kamui greeted a blonde maid that she didn’t recognize.

The maid curtsied. “Good evening, Lady Kamui,” she said. “Felicia has taken ill so I’m taking over her duties tonight.”

Kamui gave the girl a funny look. Felicia didn’t usually attend to her at nighttime, so she was a little confused.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Kamui said with a smile. She didn’t want to make the maid feel bad. “What’s your name?”

“Angela, milady.” The maid curtsied again.

Well, since Angela had taken the time to come assist her, Kamui decided she could have the maid braid her hair or something.

“Well, thank you for coming, Angela,” Kamui said. “Please, come in.”

Angela entered the bedroom and glanced around the chambers. “So what do you require of me, milady?” she asked. “Shall I help you bathe before bed?”

Kamui shook her head. She’d already changed into her nightgown, so she didn’t want to take a bath right now. “No, thank you. I’d like it if you braided my hair, though.” She twisted a silver curl around her finger. “It will help my hair not be so messy in the morning.”

“Of course,” Angela agreed. “Where would you like to sit?”

Kamui perched on the edge of her bed and turned her back to the maid. “Here is fine. Thank you so much, Angela.”

“You’re so kind, milady,” Angela said as she started to brush Kamui’s hair. “So how many braids do you want?”

“Just one, please.” Kamui closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of someone else doing her hair. It was probably a good thing she did because she was more focused on her sense of hearing. She could hear the sound of the brush running through her hair. She could hear Angela’s breathing and her own. Kamui didn’t suspect anything was amiss until Angela paused in her braiding, and she heard the distinct sound of a blade being taken out of its sheath.

Kamui froze. Did Angela have a dagger? Was she going to suddenly cut Kamui’s hair? “Angela, is everything okay?” she asked, turning to look back at the maid. She stopped when she felt something sharp jab at her upper back.

I don’t think this is a haircut, Kamui realized.

Angela’s voice was shaky now. “Forgive me, milady, but I have to do this for the good of Nohr.”

Kamui screamed as the dagger plunged into her back. She’d never felt such a stabbing pain before, and she wondered vaguely how long it take for her to die.

I don’t believe it! She just tried to kill me! And she might kill me if I don’t do anything about it. For a split second, Kamui imagined how horrified Leo would be to come back and find her dead, not to mention the reaction of the rest of her family. I’m not dead yet. I can survive this!

Kamui wrenched herself out of Angela’s grasp and turned to fight her would-be killer. The maid held a bloody dagger in a tight grip, and Kamui felt a little woozy at seeing her own blood on a dagger. Dark spots filled her vision, and she struggled to stay conscious.

I have to get the dagger away from her. I’m at a disadvantage as long as she still has a weapon while I’m defenseless. Kamui launched herself at Angela, grabbing the hand that held the dagger and twisting. The maid yelped in pain, but held on tight to the dagger.

Kamui heard pounding at her door. “Lady Kamui, are you alright?” Mozu shouted. “I heard a scream.” Kamui felt a wave of relief. She wasn’t alone in this fight anymore.

“Mozu!” Kamui shrieked. “Help me, please!”

She heard the door fly open, and Mozu gasped. “Lady Kamui! Oh my…” Her voice hardened. “I’ll take care of this, milady. Get behind me. I can’t get a good aim with you in the way.”

Kamui released the assassin and hurried to get behind her retainer.

“You’re going to regret hurting my lady,” Mozu said in a cold voice.

Kamui gasped as she watched Mozu stab her lance into Angela’s body over and over again. She knew her retainer had been well-trained in combat, but she’d never seen Mozu like this before. There was blood everywhere, and Kamui started to feel woozy again.

A male voice Kamui didn’t recognize spoke from the doorway. “Good heavens! What happened here?”

“Jakob,” Mozu addressed the newcomer. “There’s been an assassination attempt on Lady Kamui. Get her to a healer, now.”

Kamui stumbled as she tried to remain conscious, and strong arms caught her from behind.

“Careful, milady,” the man—Jakob—said. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

That was the last thing Kamui remembered before her world went dark.

Chapter Text

Kamui’s mind was fuzzy when she finally came to. It took her a moment to realize that she was lying on her stomach with a pillow under her head. She groaned and tried to lift her head to get a view of her surroundings but stopped when she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. At the very least, Kamui was pretty sure she was alive. Death couldn’t be this painful, surely.

“Whoa, whoa,” a woman murmured. “Take it easy, Lady Kamui.”

It took Kamui a moment to place the voice. “Felicia?” she mumbled.

“I’m here, milady,” Felicia said gently. “Everything is going to be okay now.” Her voice trembled ever so slightly.

“Where’s here?” Kamui whispered. The last place she remembered was being in her room that night.

“You’re in the infirmary—”

“The assassin!” Kamui gasped. She tried to turn onto her back to see Felicia, but the maid kept her in place. “What happened? Is everyone okay?” Another thought crossed her mind. “Where’s Leo?” Was he back? Had he heard the news?

“Only the assassin is dead,” Felicia said. “Everyone else is fine besides you. We—We almost lost you,” she whispered, clearly on the verge of tears. “Oh, I’m so sorry, milady. I should have been there. I would have protected you from that fraud.”

“It’s not your fault, Felicia,” Kamui assured her. “You didn’t know when you asked her to attend to me that she would try to kill me.”

“What?” Felicia gasped. “I never sent anyone to attend to you, milady.”

Kamui felt a sense of dread in her stomach. That meant Angela had lied to her. Oh I was such an idiot for believing her!

“That’s what she told me,” Kamui said slowly. “She said that you’d sent her in your place since you were sick.”

“But I hardly ever attend to you at night,” Felicia protested. “And I would never ask anyone to go in my place, except for Flora.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I was just being so naïve,” Kamui groaned. Leo had warned her that her naivety could be a danger, and she’d ignored him. “Um, Felicia? Where’s Leo?” she asked again as she thought of him once more.

Felicia sighed. “Lord Leo still hasn’t come back from his mission.”

Kamui felt a wave of disappointment. She knew Leo would probably be freaking out if he were here, but she wanted to see him again, to know that at least he was safe.

“But at least you’re finally awake, so when he does return, he won’t have to worry about you being in a coma,” Felicia added.

“A coma?” Kamui repeated. “Wait, how long was I asleep?”

“About three and a half days,” Felicia told her. “You lost a lot of blood, and the healing magic took a lot of energy out of you. You’re really lucky that Jakob was there, actually. He’s been trained as a healer, so he was able to get you stabilized long enough for the other healers to arrive. Speaking of, they’ll want to know you’re awake. Actually everyone will want to hear the news. Everyone’s been so worried about you, Lady Kamui.”

Wait, if it’s been three and a half days, then… “Does my family know?” Kamui asked. If they’d been panicked over her breaking both her wrists on accident, then they were going to absolutely freak out when they heard about an assassination attempt.

“I’m not sure,” Felicia answered. “Here, let me get someone that can better answer your questions. Kaze is standing guard at the door, so no one will be able to sneak in here and harm you.”

Kamui gulped. She hadn’t even thought about another attempt on her life while she was down.

“Are you okay if I leave for a moment?” Felicia asked.

“Yeah.”

Felicia instructed Kamui to remain on her stomach before leaving to get someone.

With no one to talk to and knowing that she was safe for the time being, Kamui closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

It seemed like moments later she heard Felicia’s panicky voice. “Oh, no! I shouldn’t have left her unattended. She was awake. I swear it!”

“Okay, calm down,” a soothing voice said. “I’m sure she just fell back asleep again.”

“Ugh, of course she woke up when I wasn’t here!” That was Elise’s voice.

Kamui managed to blink a couple times even though her eyelids wanted to remain shut. “I’m okay, Felicia,” she mumbled. “Just tired.”

Elise gasped and ran over to her bedside. “Big Sister! Thank the gods you’re okay! We were so worried!”

A woman Kamui didn’t recognize walked up next to Elise. “Just a moment, Lady Elise. You told me that you were going to help with her checkup.” She bowed to Kamui with a calm smile. “Lady Kamui, my name is Greta. I’m the lead healer here at the castle. It is good to see you finally awake. Would it be alright if Lady Elise and I check your vitals?”

Kamui nodded as best as she could from her awkward position on the bed. What she really wanted was to go back to sleep, but everyone seemed so relieved that she was awake that she did her best to remain conscious.

She sighed in relief as she felt the comforting power of white magic wash over her.

“Her heart rate is a little slow,” Elise commented with a bit of worry in her voice. “And her temperature is cool.”

The healer, Greta, brushed back Kamui’s bangs and felt her forehead. “She’s been resting, so that’s expected,” she explained. “Nothing to be worried about at the moment.”

“Hm. The wound seems to be healing nicely so far,” Greta continued as she focused her magic on the stab wound. “You’re very lucky, milady. Just slightly to the right, and that dagger would have pierced your heart.”

Kamui felt sick at that thought. She really had been close to death.

Greta finished up her exam with Elise’s help, instructing Kamui to get lots of rest and plenty of water. “We’ll keep you in here for a few more days to monitor your condition, then we’ll see if it’s safe for you to return to your personal quarters,” Greta concluded. “Are you feeling up to visitors right now?”

Kamui didn’t really want to have visitors unless they were her parents or Leo, but she didn’t want anyone to worry over her. “Yeah, I can have visitors,” she rasped.

Just moments later, the infirmary was filled with all of Leo’s family, except for King Garon and Leo himself. People were talking over each other, Camilla was crying, but they did seem happy to see Kamui awake and alive.

“Oh, it was so scary,” Camilla sobbed. “We were just getting ready for bed when we heard that you’d been stabbed and were in critical condition. We didn’t even know if you’d make it past the first night, darling. Just awful!”

“And yet she is still with us,” Xander commented. “We have at least that to be grateful for.”

“Kamui, darling, I sent a letter to your parents,” Aunt Arete told her. “We should get a reply tonight at the earliest.”

“Are they coming here?” Kamui wondered. If her mother and sisters had come out when she’d broken her wrists, she could only imagine the whole family coming to check on her.

Arete shook her head. “No, I asked them to stay out of Nohr for their own safety. After such a terrible breach in our security, the last thing we need is foreign royals coming for a visit, especially if they’re family.”

That made sense, but Kamui was still slightly disappointed. She was sure her entire family would be in a panic over this.

After a while, Kamui’s eyelids began to droop again, and the healer shooed the royal family out of the infirmary so she could rest. Kamui was out in minutes.

It took about two weeks for Leo’s group to find the origin of the Faceless problem. They’d spent most of that time attempting to track the monsters and just killing scores of Faceless when tracking them didn’t yield results. It took a bit of searching, but Beruka finally found a clearing the Faceless seemed to just appear in.

The place radiated with magic that was almost familiar in a way, but Leo couldn’t place it. Something odd was going on here. Faceless didn’t just pop out of thin air.

“Maybe they’ve come from another world,” Odin suggested excitedly.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying aliens are behind this?” That seemed a bit far-fetched, even for Odin.

“Aliens?” Odin gasped. “The thought did not enter my malicious mind, but that is a fantastic idea, Lord Leo!”

Leo vaguely wondered what Odin had been talking about, but decided not to ask.

“Do you really think it’s aliens, Lord Leo?” Odin asked.

“No,” Leo replied curtly as he examined the area.

“Oh, what if they’re coming from an invisible plane, one that even our magically-attuned eyes cannot see!” Odin exclaimed.

Invisible...Illusionary magic! Leo realized with a jolt. Yes, it would make sense that there was an illusion masking the true location of the enemy’s hideout. Leo hated to admit this, but illusions were more up Iago’s area of expertise, but Leo was fairly competent with them when he needed to be.

First, he needed to dispel whatever magic was warping their perception of things.

“Odin, Beruka, be on guard,” Leo ordered the retainers. “I’m going to try something.”

Beruka just nodded, while Odin practically squealed with delight. “Ooh, we’re going to see Lord Leo do some more epic magic!”

Leo sighed and shook his head. He didn’t know if epic was the word he’d use to describe dispelling someone else’s magic. It was more like a massive headache. In order to dispel a spell, Leo needed to exert more magical energy than had been used in the spell. Judging on how much magic he could sense, this was probably going to exhaust him. He needed to do this if they were going to solve this problem, though.

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated on ending whatever spell was at work here. He reached out with his hand to direct his magic to the right location, while grasping Brynhildr in his other hand for more potency. As expected, he had a horrible headache suddenly come on. He usually got headaches when he dispelled magic from another caster, but it got worse the more powerful the mage was. And he was getting a splitting headache this time.

Just when he was tempted to give up, Odin gasped. “Lord Leo, behold the invisible mansion!”

Leo opened his eyes and was a bit surprised to see an old rundown mansion in the middle of the clearing. Pleased that his efforts weren’t in vain, Leo ended the spell and exhaled in exhaustion. Even though it was November at this point, he could feel sweat dripping down his face.

“Milord, are you okay?” Odin asked as Leo stumbled a little.

Leo caught his balance and rested his hands on his knees as he recovered. “Yeah,” he panted. “Just give me a moment.” He’d definitely overexerted himself just now. He knew better than that, but usually a dispel wasn’t this draining on him. Who is this mage, and how powerful are they?

Odin thrust a water canteen at Leo. “Here, milord. You must drink and partake of the life-sustaining liquid to recover your strength.”

Leo almost laughed at how Odin could say something like that with a totally straight face. “Thank you,” he gasped. He didn’t realize how dehydrated he was until he’d nearly drained the whole canteen. Whoops. He sheepishly handed it back to Odin, who shook it and realized how empty it was.

“Goodness, milord! You nearly drank every last drop of this clear nectar.”

“It’s called water, Odin,” Leo remarked. “And we brought it to drink.”

“But not all at once!” Odin complained. Leo just ignored him.

“Beruka,” he addressed Camilla’s retainer. “Can you scout this structure out for us?”

“Consider it done,” she said, sneaking off into the shadows.

Leo took the opportunity to rest against a tree. He needed to regain his strength for the inevitable battle ahead.

“Reminiscing about your beautiful dark lady?” Odin asked as he kept watch.

Leo glanced up at him. Kamui hadn’t been on his mind at the moment, but the mention of her made his heart skip a beat, for lack of a better description. The thought of her brought warmth to him, but at the same time it felt like a stab since he hadn’t seen her in weeks.

“Not particularly,” Leo said slowly, realizing that Odin was expecting some sort of response.

“I’m sure when you are at last reunited with your love that your own heart could burst with joy,” Odin remarked. “Tis a wonderful feeling, I am sure.”

Leo was slightly embarrassed at the way Odin had phrased that, but decided not to comment on it. “I think it would be a horrible feeling to have my heart burst, Odin,” he said instead.

Odin gave him a funny look. “It’s just an expression, my dark lord. I hope your heart would not literally burst!”

“Odin, why do you call me the dark lord anyway?” Leo wondered.

“Isn’t it obvious? You are a lord, and you use dark magic. Hence, you are the dark lord,” Odin explained. Leo supposed that did sort of make sense in a weird way.

“Hey, are you two ready?” Leo nearly jumped at Beruka’s sudden appearance.

“Friend Beruka, where did you pop in from?” Odin asked.

She just folded her arms. “Look, I’m back from scouting,” she said. “I explored that house. There’s two floors, which you probably noticed,” she reported. “There’s also a basement where it seems more Faceless are being created. There’s a human on the second floor, probably the mage doing all this. If you’d like me to slip in and take him out, I’ll do it.” She nodded towards Leo. “But you are Lady Camilla’s brother, so I defer to you.”

Leo sighed as he mulled over this information. It was certainly tempting to just have Beruka assassinate the mage responsible for this mess, but he still didn’t know why the mage was doing this, nor did he know if this was the mage actually responsible. “We won’t assassinate him, Beruka,” he decided. “At least, not yet.”

Beruka nodded. “Understood.”

“So what masterful plan have you concocted in your genius brain, Lord Leo?” Odin asked excitedly.

Leo cocked his head. “That depends. Beruka, can you give me an idea of the layout of the place? And about how many Faceless are actually inside at the moment?”

After a bit of strategizing, they put the plan into action. Beruka claimed there were only about ten Faceless in the building, so they’d take the Faceless out first. Then, Beruka would slip upstairs and incapacitate the mage for Leo to question. It was a simple, straightforward plan, but Leo couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that this was somehow a trap.

Taking out the Faceless was quick and easy work for the three experienced warriors. With Beruka’s daggers and Leo and Odin’s dark magic, they annihilated their foes with ease. Leo knew that Faceless were mindless monsters, though, only driven by the commands of their master and their bloodlust. The real foe was the mage upstairs.

Leo signaled for Beruka to capture the mage while he and Odin waited outside the door. Beruka would have the element of surprise, so that would be advantageous. There was the sound of a scuffle in the room. Leo heard a man cry out before his voice was muffled. Moments later, Beruka opened the door and gestured for them to enter the room.

Leo noticed that the left side of Beruka’s face had been burned with fire magic. She seemed unphased by it, but Leo knew Camilla would have words for him if her retainer came home in less than pristine condition. He’d have to heal her with the little white magic he knew after he dealt with the mage.

“Good work, Beruka,” he told her as he walked past to the man who was tied up and gagged. He let his footsteps fall heavily, knowing that this could intimidate the weak-minded.

The mage flinched when Leo drew near. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair. Leo thought it a pity he’d likely have to kill the man. But first, he had some questions.

“Ungag him,” Leo ordered Beruka. She complied.

“Prince Leo,” the man murmured when he could speak. “So they did send you.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. What did that mean?

“You know who I am,” Leo acknowledged. “And you seem to know why I’m here. I want to know who you are.”

“My name’s Darron,” the man said slowly. At least he was giving that much information.

“Tell me, Darron, what is a mage like you doing in a secluded location in the Woods of the Forlorn?” Leo asked sternly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Darron said.

Leo opened Brynhildr and used its power over gravity to force the man to his knees. “You will answer my questions truthfully,” Leo told him. “You’ll find I have little patience for pathetic liars.”

“I live here,” Darron winced. “Is that a crime?”

Leo laughed sharply. “Well, seeing that you’re a mage living at the epicenter of a Faceless problem, I would say you’ve likely committed a crime here. What I want to know is why.”

“I lost control of them,” Darron said in a rush. “I didn’t know how vicious they were until it was too late. I hid myself in here to protect myself.”

Leo was definitely skeptical about the man’s story. He knelt in front of Darron and pulled his head up by the hair. “I want the truth,” he demanded coldly. “Obviously what you said is a lie. If you really had lost control of the Faceless, you would not have kept making more. And it seems like you were expecting me,” he added. “Why?”

Darron winced. “I won’t say anymore.”

Leo sighed. He didn’t want to resort to torture, but if that’s the way he got his information, then so be it. But what to start with?

Leo pulled out a dagger he kept on hand for emergencies. “That’s a pity,” he said, eying the blade. “You know, you don’t need all of your body parts to talk. Shall we start with your toes? Each time I decide you’re lying or withholding information, you lose a toe.”

The man visibly paled.

“If that doesn’t convince you, we can move on to your fingers and so forth. You get the idea,” Leo continued. “So I’ll only ask one more time. Why are you creating Faceless to attack innocent civilians?”

“Because I can,” the man said through gritted teeth.

“Wrong,” Leo said bluntly. “Beruka, remove his shoes.” He handed her the dagger. “And remove one of the little toes.” He personally did not want to deal with that task, but the mage needed to understand that he was serious.

“Wait, no! I’ll talk!” Darron pleaded. “I was just following orders! I’m just a pawn! I didn’t even create the Faceless in the first place or hide this house. I just controlled the Faceless.”

“Spare his toe for now, Beruka,” Leo ordered. “It looks like now you’re convinced to tell me what you know.”

Over the next hour, Leo got what information he could out of the pathetic mage. He was working under someone else’s command, but he didn’t know their true identity, just that they were someone powerful. Apparently his leader had been the one to originally create the Faceless and hide the house with illusionary magic. And the ultimate goal was to further the glory of Nohr, whatever that meant.

The most alarming thing the man told him was, “Well, congratulations, Prince Leo. You walked right into our little trap. While you were distracted hunting Faceless here, my allies have been busy in the capital. You may not like what you return to.”

Leo froze at that. This whole thing had been a distraction for him? But why?

When he pressed for more information, Darron only told him, “All I know is that the biggest obstacle in achieving our objective was you, so we got you out of the capital for a while. I don’t know what exactly was planned, but I’m certain my allies have achieved their objective. I have triumphed!” he said with a maniacal laugh. “You’re too late to stop our plans now! I already knew I would die at your hand, prince, so do us all a favor and make it quick.”

Leo ground his teeth. He wanted to draw out the traitor’s death, but if what he said was true, then he needed to get back home immediately. Leo tried pressing him for more information, but even after Beruka had removed a few toes, he learned nothing new. So Leo used Brynhildr’s power over plants to stab a magical tree branch through the man’s heart. He just left the corpse there.

“Odin, Beruka, we’re going to destroy the basement then we’re riding home fast,” Leo told his companions as he strode out the door.

It was about three in the morning when Leo, Odin, and Beruka finally returned to Castle Krakenburg. Leo felt bad for pushing the horses so much, but time was of the essence. He regretted not asking Beruka to bring along her wyvern so she could have returned faster, but he couldn’t change that at this point. It hadn’t helped that they’d had to stop and kill dozens of Faceless on the way back.

Leo wanted nothing more to collapse into bed since he was beyond exhausted, but first he needed to make sure nothing bad had happened while he was gone. And if something had happened, he needed to know about it.

The first warning sign he noticed was how many additional guards were on patrol at the castle. Maybe it was just Leo’s imagination, but it seemed like the number of guards had doubled in the last few weeks.

The guards stopped them at the closed gates. “Halt! We’re under strict orders to let no one enter or leave the castle,” one of the guards informed him.

Leo dismounted from his horse and lowered his hood. “Even for a prince of Nohr?” he asked pointedly.

Both of the guards went pale as they realized who he was. “Prince Leo! Forgive us, Your Highness,” the first guard said with a deep bow. “We hadn’t realized you’d returned, but we are under strict orders that no one is permitted to enter.”

Normally the guards wouldn’t dare deny Leo entrance to his own home, so Leo was instantly suspicious that something terrible had happened, something that his enemies thought he could have prevented.

“What’s going on here?” Leo demanded. “I am a prince of Nohr, and normally no one would dare keep me out of my home.”

The guards exchanged a worried look. “Well…”

“Let me pass now!” Leo ordered. “I will not tell you another time, unless you want to lose your jobs permanently.” He didn’t want to threaten the castle guards, but he was exhausted and irritable by this point.

The guard who had done all the speaking gulped and stepped back. “Welcome home, Lord Leo,” he said with a deep bow.

Leo wanted to be done with this interaction, but perhaps the guards knew something. Kamui would be sound asleep by now, so he wasn’t going to wake her to ask her what had happened.

“I have one question for you,” he addressed the guard. “Did something happen while I was away on business?”

The guard looked at him with blatant fear in his wide eyes. “Milord, please, it’s not my place to tell you if you haven’t heard the news yet.”

Leo clenched his jaw. His patience was running very thin. “I think you’d better tell me anyway.” He demonstrated a bit of dark magic at his fingertips to get his point across.

The poor guard quailed before him, and part of Leo regretted being so aggressive. Kamui would certainly be horrified if she saw him right now.

“It’s Princess Kamui,” the guard finally got out.

It felt like Leo’s heart literally stopped beating. No…Not Kamui.

“She’s alive,” the guard hastily told him. “But she’s in the infirmary. I’m sure they can give you more information.”

Leo barely retained the sense to not burst into the infirmary in the middle of the night, even though that was his initial response. If Kamui really was there, she was probably sleeping, and he didn’t want to wake her. It was the infirmary, so someone was bound to be awake in case there was an emergency in the night, though.

Leo had dismissed Beruka and asked Odin to take care of their horses, so he was alone when he arrived to find one young healer on duty at the infirmary. She visibly paled when she noticed him.

“Lord Leo,” she squeaked, giving him a deep curtsy. “We—We hadn’t been told you’d returned from your mission,” she stammered.

“I just returned about ten minutes ago,” Leo informed her tersely. “The guards informed me that I’d find my wife here.”

“Y-Yes, Lady Kamui is here,” the healer confirmed. “But she’s sleeping right now.”

Leo exhaled slowly. “Yes, I figured as much,” he told her. “What I want to know is why she is here in the infirmary.”

The healer gasped. “You mean, nobody told you?” She covered her mouth in horror. “I didn’t think…I thought someone would have told you before you got here.”

Leo tried to soften his voice to help her feel a little more at ease. Something really bad must have happened if everyone was terrified to tell him. “Please tell me,” he requested. “At this point I must know.” He raised an armored hand. “I promise I will not harm you.” He figured whatever it was, the healer was probably not at fault.

The healer wrung her trembling hands. “I suppose I should just show you,” she sighed. “But Lady Kamui is resting, so please be quiet.”

Leo followed the young woman into one of the infirmary rooms. He noticed Kamui’s retainer Mozu was standing guard outside the door. Mozu jumped to attention and gave him a bow. “Lord Leo, you’ve returned,” she breathed. “Lady Kamui will be so relieved.”

“I’m taking his lordship to see her right now,” the healer said.

Mozu just nodded, but at least she seemed to relax a little at seeing him. At least someone wasn’t horrified to see him.

Leo followed the healer into a dark room, only lit by the candle she held. Leo almost ran to Kamui’s bedside when he made out her silvery hair on the pillow. He fell to his knees beside her and was relieved to see that she was breathing. She was lying on her stomach, and Leo couldn’t make out anything immediately wrong with her. Leo gently tucked some hair behind Kamui’s pointed ear, careful to not disturb her too much. Just being able to touch her filled him with relief.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked the healer.

Leo listened with growing horror as the healer told him what happened. “There was an assassination attempt last week on Lady Kamui,” she explained in a whisper. “She survived obviously, but the assassin did manage to stab her in the shoulder.” She brushed her fingers over Kamui’s left shoulder, which was currently covered by her nightgown. “She’s been recovering in here ever since.”

Leo silently thanked the Dusk Dragon that Kamui had survived. He didn’t know what he’d do if he came back to find her dead. He was filled with rage as he thought of those who wished to harm his precious Kamui.

“Who did this?” he demanded. He instinctively touched Brynhildr. Whoever it was would pay dearly.

“I’m not entirely sure,” the healer said. “I heard it was one of the servants, but I don’t know which one. She’s dead, though. Lady Kamui’s retainer killed her to protect her liege. And there was a healer close by, so she was able to get immediate medical care.”

Leo closed his eyes as he listened. He would have to thank Kaze or Mozu and the unnamed healer for saving Kamui. He was indebted to them.

He struggled to open his eyes again, and rested his head on the edge of Kamui’s bed where he knelt. He was tired enough that he could just fall asleep here.

“Milord, should we prep a bed for you?” the healer asked. “Or would you like to return to your quarters?”

Leo shied away from the thought of going to his own bed when his wife was here. “I’ll just rest here,” he mumbled. “I want to be at her side when she wakes. I’ll sleep on the floor if I have to.”

“That’s not necessary,” the healer told him. “We’ll get a bed in here for you, milord.”

About ten minutes later, Leo had taken off his armor and collapsed into the infirmary bed. He would have preferred to sleep in the same bed as Kamui, but he knew the healers would be horrified by that. Plus, he didn’t want to accidentally aggravate her injury. Leo did reach across the gap between their bed and grasped one of Kamui’s warm hands. That alone brought him a sense of comfort that quickly lulled him to sleep.

Chapter Text

When Kamui woke up, the first thing she noticed was that someone was holding her right hand. She turned her head that direction to see who was holding her hand while she slept.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw Leo there, asleep in a bed next to hers. For a second she wondered if she was dreaming, but his warm hand felt too real for this to be a dream. He’s here! I don’t believe it! He’s actually here! She had the embarrassing urge to cry with happiness. She’d really missed him and wanted him by her side those first days after the attack. She’d also been scared that something had happened to him since he’d been gone so long.

She got up and knelt on the floor by his bedside. She gently brushed some of his silky blond hair off his forehead. What she really wanted to do was throw herself on him and just hold him close, but she suppressed that urge. For one thing, if anyone walked in on them like that, it would scandalous even though they were married. For another, Leo seemed to be in a deep sleep, and Kamui didn’t want to disturb him. She had no idea when he’d come in here, either. It must have been sometime in the night while she was sleeping. And judging by how he hadn’t even reacted in his sleep to her touching him, he must have been exhausted.

Kamui was too excited to try to go back to sleep, so she decided to either read or knit while Leo slept. Since the healers had basically forbidden Kamui from leaving the infirmary for now, she’d spent more of her time either reading novels or knitting baby blankets. She still wasn’t very good at the latter activity, but she’d had a lot of time to practice over the last week. Some of them were for Camilla and Charlotte’s babies, as well as some to donate to orphanages around the city. She’d also kept a couple for her future children, but she was embarrassed to admit that to anyone.

She tried to read a novel initially, but after she kept stealing glances at Leo and not focusing at all on the book, she set it aside. She debated about trying to knit or something, but she knew that she was utterly captivated by her husband.

Not that watching someone sleep was really that exciting, but Kamui hadn’t seen him in weeks, so she was trying to drink in the sight of him again. His hair seemed to have grown ever so slightly longer, so he’d probably get it trimmed soon. Not that Kamui minded it long. He was sleeping on his side, so she watched his chest rise and fall as he breathed deeply. It took her a few minutes to notice, but it looked like he was sleeping in the clothes he wore under his armor. Kamui figured he would probably want a bath now that he was back. She couldn’t imagine he felt very clean at the moment, and she knew that he hated being dirty and sweaty. Kamui liked it when his hair was damp after a bath, so she wouldn’t mind that.

Kamui had been so focused on Leo’s physical presence here that she hadn’t yet considered why he was in the infirmary and not in his own bed. Had he fallen ill? Was he injured? She studied him over, but saw no signs of illness or injury. She couldn’t help but worry, though.

There was a light tap at the door before one of the healers named Clara entered with breakfast.

“Good morning, Lady Kamui,” Clara whispered. “I brought your breakfast.”

Kamui beamed at her. “Thank you, Clara,” she whispered just as quietly. She’d gotten to know almost all the healers on a first-name basis over the last week.

The healer inclined her head. “Do you want to eat somewhere else so you don’t disturb Prince Leo?” she asked.

Kamui shook her head. “No, I want to be here when he wakes.”

Clara smiled gently. “Of course, milady.”

“Do you know why he’s here in the first place?” Kamui asked. “He isn’t sick, is he?”

Clara gave her a funny look. “Not that I know of. I wasn’t here when he arrived around three in the morning, but I think he came to see you.” Kamui suddenly felt warm in the face. That had been her initial assumption, but she’d wanted to make sure.

“Poor Rosa was on duty when he got here,” Clara continued. “The poor thing had to break the news to him.” She cringed. “She half-expected him to blast the door down with dark magic to get to you. She still seemed shaken up by the time I took over.”

Kamui frowned a little at that. She felt bad when people seemed terrified of Leo. It sounded like he’d been quite agitated last night. She wished she’d been awake so she could have helped calm him.

“How did he take it?” Kamui asked, glancing over at the sleeping prince.

Clara sighed. “As well as any man would after hearing his wife was nearly murdered. Rosa told me he was practically dead on his feet, so they made a bed for him here when he refused to leave your side. She said he was willing to sleep on the floor. That’s true dedication there, especially from a prince, milady.”

Kamui blushed. Leo really did care about her, didn’t he? She could only imagine how awful it had been for him to come home to the news that she’d nearly been assassinated. Especially when he’d told her to remain here because he thought she’d be safer here than on a dangerous mission with him.

“Well, I’ll be out here if you need anything,” Clara told her after setting Kamui’s breakfast down.

Kamui nodded. “Thank you, Clara.”

Kamui sat on her bed and tried to eat her breakfast as quietly as possible. She knew she didn’t have to eat breakfast in the room, but she had meant it when she told Clara that she wanted to be here when Leo woke up. Leo was normally pretty level-headed, but when it came to her, Kamui knew his emotions tended to cloud his judgment. She could easily see him panicking upon realizing she was gone. And it sounded like he’d terrified enough of the servants in the night anyway. She didn’t need him inadvertently frightening anyone else over her.

Kamui finished her light breakfast of toast, berries, and yogurt, then decided to get back to knitting since she knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on a book right now.

Leo just slept and slept for hours, never stirring even when she was accidentally a little too loud. Leo was normally a pretty light sleeper, so this was abnormal for him. Maybe he was actually sick, or perhaps he’d been given a sleeping draught. Around the time Kamui’s stomach decided it was lunchtime, she decided to ask a healer.

She slipped out of the room and waved down the nearest healer whose name she couldn’t remember at the moment.

“Do you need assistance, milady?” the woman asked.

“Yeah, uh, can you check on Leo really quick?” Kamui whispered. “I’m a little worried about him.” The healer followed her into the room. “He’s been in a deep sleep all morning, and that’s not normal for him,” Kamui explained quietly. “Did he get a sleeping draught or something?”

The healer frowned as she regarded the sleeping prince. “Not that I know of,” she said. She placed a hand on Leo’s forehead. “He doesn’t have a fever.” She took his wrist and felt for his pulse. “And his heartrate seems fine. I could do a more throughout exam with a staff, but I don’t really want to do that without a good reason.”

Kamui cocked her head. “Why not?” she wondered.

The healer sighed. “Because, if he didn’t consent to an exam and woke up in the middle of it, he could be quite angry. And I’d rather not be on the receiving end of Lord Leo’s wrath.”

Kamui frowned. It seemed like her husband had quite the reputation among the servants, more so than she’d realized. “If he wants to get angry at someone, he can get angry at me,” she said firmly. “Because I’m the one who requested you examine him.” And unlike the servants, Kamui knew that as angry as he got, Leo would never actually hurt her, at least not on purpose.

“As you wish, milady,” the healer conceded. She returned moments later with a long staff in hand. “This will just be a couple minutes.” The staff glowed white as the healer waved it over Leo slowly with her eyes closed.

Kamui reached over and held one of Leo’s hands in hers. She hoped there wasn’t anything wrong with him. Leo didn’t stir at all during the exam.

After a few minutes, the healer ended her spell. She opened her eyes and regarded Kamui. “Well, all of his vitals are fine,” she said. “The only thing I could pinpoint was magical exhaustion. My guess is he overdid it recently, and now his body is trying to sleep it off.”

“Magical exhaustion?” Kamui repeated. “What’s that?”

“Magic takes a toll on the body when someone casts it,” the healer explained. “It’s kind of like running, for example. When people push their bodies beyond what they can do, they exhaust themselves. Over time, you build up more endurance as your body gets used to the exercise. It’s similar with magic. The more you use it, you build up a greater capacity for casting magic, but even very powerful mages can overdo it.”

“So he’s sleeping like this because he used too much magic?” Kamui wondered. That thought hadn’t ever crossed her mind. Of course she knew Leo was human and that he got tired, but sometimes she honestly forgot that with how amazingly talented he was. And she’d never thought about how draining magic could be. Leo just always made it look effortless.

“Yes, something like that,” the healer agreed. “He just needs to sleep it off, then he should be fine. Keep in mind that he did get back in the middle of the night. I’m not sure how much sleep he’s had recently. My guess is that overall he’s just exhausted.”

Poor Leo. He’s already exhausted, and then he has to come home to this assassination mess.

“Thank you for your help,” Kamui whispered. “Can someone bring me lunch please?”

“Yes, of course.” The healer bowed before closing the door.

Kamui went over and sat on the edge of Leo’s bed. Unable to help herself, she started to run her fingers through his silky hair. It had been over two weeks since she’d last been able to express her love for him, and she ached to just even touch him right now. He was warm, and his presence was comforting. She felt whole now that they were back together.

Kamui started with just sitting on his bed, but she ended up laying down next to him and wrapping her arms around his torso with her hands resting on his chest. She pressed herself against his warm back and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Yes, she knew she was probably overdoing it, especially since Leo was asleep, but she just wanted to hold him close right now.

Since she was physically so close to him now, she could tell that he definitely needed a bath. His musky scent was stronger than usual, and his clothes were dirty. Kamui didn’t really mind, though. She just wanted to be with him, even if he wasn’t at his best.

She stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying being close to him again. Of course she just about died from embarrassment when the door flew open without warning.

“Big Sister!” Elise greeted her loudly as she carried in a tray. “I brought you lunch!”

Kamui popped her head up and tried to shush the girl. “Elise,” she hissed. “Leo’s trying to sleep.”

“At this hour?” Elise asked in a slightly quieter voice. “It’s the afternoon now. Big Brother never sleeps in this late! Camilla said you needed privacy this morning, but she thought visitors would be okay by now since you asked for lunch. But you’ve just been sitting around while Leo’s sleeping? That has got to be so boring!”

Kamui opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when another newcomer entered the room.

“Well, well, Lady Kamui,” Niles chuckled. “It looks like you and Lord Leo have gotten quite cozy.” Kamui felt her cheeks turn bright red. “We weren’t interrupting anything, were we?”

Kamui scrambled off Leo’s bed so fast that she felt woozy. She’d felt dizzy more frequently over the past few days due to how much blood she lost, so it was mostly annoying by this point. She swayed and managed to use the wall to keep her balance.

“Are you okay?” Elise asked worriedly, hurrying over. “Don’t push yourself so much, Big Sister,” she said as she led Kamui back to her own bed. “Your body is still recovering.”

“It’s just another dizzy spell,” Kamui managed to get out through her shallow breaths. “It’ll pass in a moment.”

“I know,” Elise said as she rested her hands on Kamui’s shoulders. “Just focus on breathing for now. Close your eyes and breath in and out. In and out.”

Kamui did as instructed, and the symptoms did seem to improve.

“Niles, go get a healer,” Elise ordered. “I want someone else to have a look at her.”

“Elise, it’s okay,” Kamui murmured. “I just got up too quickly. I’ll be fine.” She opened her eyes and smiled at the younger princess. “See? I’m feeling better already.”

Elise pursed her lips, obviously not buying it.

Niles returned with a healer in tow, who immediately went to attending Kamui. “Your pulse is a little high,” she noted. “Did something startle you?”

“No,” Kamui told her. “I just got up a little too fast. That’s all.”

“Well, let’s give you some food and water. That should help with the lightheadedness,” the healer suggested.

“I already brought her lunch!” Elise piped up.

“Thank you, Lady Elise,” the healer replied. “I’ll leave a pitcher of water here. Make sure Lady Kamui gets hydrated, okay?”

Elise nodded so hard that her pigtails bounced. “You can count on me!”

Kamui just sighed and let Elise pamper her. That involved eating all of her lunch and drinking three glasses of water. Then Elise made her lie back down again. Kamui didn’t fight it, knowing that the healers would support Elise on this. Kamui just curled up on her side, facing Leo’s direction.

Niles finally spoke up after that embarrassing incident. “Lady Kamui,” he said seriously. “How did Lord Leo’s mission go?”

“I…uh, haven’t talked to him yet,” Kamui confessed. “I was asleep when he came in, and he’s been sleeping all day.”

Niles frowned as he looked over his liege. “Is he okay? I’m amazed Lord Leo hasn’t woken up with all the ruckus you’re making.”

Kamui sighed. “I was worried, too. The healer told me that he’s suffering from magical exhaustion, so he needs to sleep for a while. I can see why all of you were worried when I was unconscious for three days,” she mumbled as her eyelids drooped. “I think I want to take a nap,” she admitted. She hated it, but part of the reason she was still confined to the infirmary was because she kept getting tired really easily. They wanted to monitor her closely while she was recovering.

Elise sighed. “Okay. Have a nice nap. I’ll come by again later today.”

Kamui hummed in acknowledgement. “Wait,” she breathed as Elise and Niles started to leave. “Can you help me get back to Leo’s bed?” she asked. “I want to sleep with him.”

For some reason, Niles looked like he was trying really hard to hold back laughter. Elise just elbowed him. “Hey, help me help her,” she demanded. “We don’t need her falling on the floor again.”

Kamui grimaced at the reminder of the first time she’d tried to get out of bed on her own. She’d been so weak that she’d literally collapsed on the floor.

Niles did come over and help guide Kamui to the other bed, which she was grateful for. He was grinning from ear to ear, but she couldn’t figure out why. That didn’t matter right now, though.

Kamui returned to the previous position she’d taken with Leo, pressing herself against his back and resting her head in the crook of his neck. She lightly wrapped her arms around his chest and quickly fell asleep again.

Leo was ravenous when he eventually came to again. He was pretty certain his growling stomach was what had woken him up. It took him a moment to remember what all had happened last night. He’d come to the infirmary to see Kamui, and somehow he’d fallen asleep there. He opened his eyes and noticed that he was still in the infirmary, but Kamui wasn’t in her bed, he realized with a jolt.

Someone was holding him, keeping him from getting up, and he struggled against them. Why were they holding him back when he needed to get up?

A soft moan by his ear made him realize that it was Kamui herself who had her arms wrapped around him. Now that he knew that, he stopped struggling in case he accidently hurt her. He didn’t really know the extent of her injuries, and he didn’t want to aggravate her wounds.

Unfortunately he seemed to have woken her up. “Leo?” she mumbled in his ear. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I’m awake.” He covered a yawn.

“Leo!” she repeated with much more enthusiasm. Before Leo realized what was happening, she’d somehow moved them so that she was pressed against Leo’s chest while he was lying on his back. A part of his mind was alarmed since they weren’t in their rooms, but he was mostly pleased with the new position. He just hoped no one would walk in on them.

“Oh, I’m so glad!” Kamui cried as she nuzzled his chest. “You’re finally awake!”

“Finally?” Leo repeated skeptically. “Wait, what time is it?”

“I don’t know but I started my nap just after lunch, so probably the afternoon or evening,” Kamui explained in a rush. “The healer said you were suffering from magical exhaustion, so you’d be sleeping for a while. Oh, and don’t get mad at her, please. She only examined you because I begged her to. You were sleeping so much that I was getting worried, so I asked her to check on you.” Leo vaguely wondered why Kamui thought he’d get mad about that. “Oh, and everyone seems so scared of you right now. What did you do?” Kamui continued. “I—”

Leo’s stomach growled loudly just then, reminding him why he’d woken up in the first place. If Kamui hadn’t heard it, then she’d definitely felt it since she was pressed against his stomach.

“Was that your stomach?” Kamui asked, placing a hand on it as it growled again, much to Leo’s embarrassment. “Oh, you haven’t eaten anything all day. You must be hungry.” She started to get off him. “I’ll get you something to eat.”

Leo grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. “Wait, where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

“To get you food,” Kamui replied, confusion clear in her eyes.

“No, you’re not,” Leo told her. “You’re injured, so you shouldn’t push yourself too much.”

Kamui gave him a skeptical look. “I was just going to tell the healer that you’re awake and that you want food,” she said. She gently brushed back some of his hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Leo sighed and shifted to sit up on the bed. “I can let them know myself,” he informed her.

“But—”

“No buts,” Leo told her as he pulled her close for a hug.

She yelped, and he immediately released her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Kamui winced. “I got hurt in my shoulder,” she told him. “It’s fine now, but it’s a little sore.”

Leo realized with horror that he’d unintentionally grabbed her injury. “I’m so sorry, Kamui. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay, Leo,” she assured him gently. “You didn’t know.”

Leo shook his head. “The healer told me last night that you’d been stabbed in your left shoulder, so I should have known better.”