A chill swept through the drafty servants’ quarters in the Northern Fortress, causing Flora to curl up under the thin blanket that was supposed to keep her warm during the long Nohrian nights, tightening her grip on it with quivering hands. Coming from the Ice Tribe, she was used to dealing with the cold, but the winds down south carried an almost oppressive edge to them that cut her to the bone. Whatever strange qualities the winds here possessed didn’t seem to affect her sister Felicia, who cheerfully stretched out her arms with a yawn, getting ready to get out of bed and prepare for yet another day of servitude.

Five more minutes. She just wanted five more minutes. She wasn’t ready to start slaving away just yet.

However, her silent pleas seemed to have the opposite effect she desired; Felicia leaned over to her side of the small bed they had to share and poked her in the cheek, laughing gently and telling her to get up, which she did without responding, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

The sky was dark, as it always was in Nohr, but the fact that she couldn’t see the faint glow of the moonleaves on the hill near their window told Flora that it was darker – and earlier – than usual. The soft, bluish light emanating from the small flowers was one of the few beautiful sights gracing the nearby rough landscape, and not being able to see it this morning made her feel uneasy for reasons she couldn’t explain.

With a deep sigh, she took the towel she had hung up to dry on a hook on the wall and headed to the servants’ bathroom, a cramped, small room equipped with a bathtub that was almost too small for her, and she was by no means particularly tall or muscular. Still, after heating up the water Lilith had gathered yesterday and pouring it into the bathtub, she submerged her entire body and let out a satisfied gasp, happy that at least the water here warmed her up just the same as anywhere else.

This was the highlight of her day. A few precious minutes of privacy and quiet before she’d have to work until the late hours of the night, after which she would have no energy to do anything other than to collapse in her bed and get a few hours of sleep before it was time to repeat the process the next day. A shiver ran through her body in spite of the warm water when she thought about it, and with great effort, she pushed the uncomfortable feelings aside and began washing herself.

There was a reason for why she and Felicia were up and about even earlier today: it was Corrin’s birthday, and that meant all of his siblings would come here to celebrate him since he wasn’t allowed outside of the thick walls of the fortress. She lowered her hands for a moment and sat motionless. In a way, Corrin was even more trapped than she was, since she was at least allowed to go outside in order to buy whatever was needed, but she held little sympathy for the man, as he could spend his days doing whatever he wanted, not having to lift a finger to help out with the household. He also had his own, luxurious room and family members who came as often as they could, pampering him further.

She moved her hands again and brought them to her head, rubbing in the bath oils to make sure her hair looked perfect, not noticing how her powers of ice had started to lower the temperature of the water once she had started thinking about Corrin and his family. After a minute or so, the water was starting to become lukewarm, and while she tried to stop using her powers, she was unable to; they were always acting up when her emotions got the better of her. With a deep breath, she finally opted to cut her bathing short and submerge her entire body under the now cold water once more, hoping it would be easier to think about something else while she was working.

Returning to her room, she told Felicia it was her turn to use the bathroom and began getting dressed once her sister left, opening their shared wardrobe and taking out one of their many maid uniforms which marked them as servants. She grit her teeth as she lay the garb on the bed in order to make sure it was wearable on a day like this, feeling like it taunted her. It wasn’t enough that a piece of clothing effectively branded them as people worth less than their masters, but it was also too short and accompanied with stockings designed to bring attention to their legs. No doubt whoever designed the uniform liked the idea of their servants doubling as eye candy.

With that bitter thought, she got dressed in front of the small tabletop mirror on their nightstand, twisting and turning to inspect herself in the small reflection. She tugged at the hem of the uniform and pulled downwards, hoping in vain it would stay down and grant her a bit more modesty, but the garb just returned to its original position, prompting a defeated groan from its owner.

It didn’t take long before her sister returned and got dressed as well, and after doing their hair, the two walked into the kitchen in order to prepare Corrin’s breakfast. Since Lilith and Jakob had cleaned both his room and the dining hall meticulously yesterday evening, they had been granted an extra hour of sleep, leaving the earliest duty in the hands of the twins.

Cooking was one of the chores Flora didn’t mind doing. It allowed for some creativity and freedom she seldom had otherwise, and being able to challenge oneself with new or difficult recipes was refreshing. She prepared a stack of pancakes topped with recently picked berries, placing it on a white plate adorned with colorful flowers along the edges accompanied by a small glass pitcher filled with golden brown syrup. Felicia, on the other hand, had done something less demanding and cut a few fruits into small squares and mixed them together in a bowl. Once they were done, Flora prepared the tea while she sent her sister to wake Gunter, Jakob and Lilith up. No doubt Lilith would want them all to sing for Corrin before she allowed him to eat, she thought with a small smile.

After a few minutes, Felicia came back alone. “They’ll all be here soon!” She explained, moving to take care of the dishes. “Aren’t you excited? It’s Lord Corrin’s birthday, and all of his siblings will be here! Ooh, I hope I won’t mess anything up!”

Flora didn’t need a reminder. She tightened her grip on the teapot, glad that her back was turned to her sister. “Well, we’ll both be busy, that’s for sure.” She said neutrally, wondering if she should tell Felicia how she really felt, but she doubted her twin would understand; Felicia had always been fiercely loyal to Corrin and found joy in serving him, making the most out of her lot in life.

“Yupp yupp!” Felicia replied cheerfully, drying the newly washed bowl Flora had used to prepare to pancake batter. “And we’ll get to see Lord Leo and Lord Xander again, ho ho ho…” She put the bowl away and inspected her uniform. “So~, who of them do you prefer? I mean personally, I think Lord Xander is just dreamy.” She finished her little monologue with a distant sigh, no doubt thinking of the crown prince.

Tensing up, Flora put down the teapot with more force than necessary. “Felicia, you do realize their father is the reason we’re here, right?” She didn’t have the energy to keep her tone neutral this time, instead letting the bitterness she had felt all morning seep through her every word.

Felicia was pulled out of her reverie and looked at her sister, confusion apparent in the eyes. “Yes, I know.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd to dream about that man’s children?” She asked, trying to make her twin see her side of things.

Unfortunately, Felicia just blushed and shook her head instead, comically missing the point. “Wha-whaaat?! Dreaming? About Lord Xander!? I’m not doing anything like that! Nope nope nope!”

Resisting the urge to massage her temples out of sheer frustration, their conversation was interrupted by Lilith, who greeted them with a cheerful ‘good morning’ and told them Jakob and Gunter were waiting outside of Corrin’s room. Grabbing the tray with the prince’s breakfast, Flora and Felicia followed their fellow maid to their lord’s chambers. The fortress’ corridors were much wider up here than down in the servants’ quarters, adorned with large windows overlooking the canyon below them and the occasional portrait of influential Nohrians whose visages lit up by the moonlight which was now thankfully shining through the windows. It would’ve looked almost oppressive, had the building not been full of bookshelves, each one filled to the brim with all manner of books, far more than one could ever hope to read in one lifetime, but it did contribute to a more homely feel than anything else in the fortress.

Once the maids met up with Gunter and Jakob, they exchanged the usual pleasantries before heading inside to Corrin’s room, the size of which must’ve been more than double the one Flora shared with her sister. Large windows encased in elegant, black patterns offered the best view in the fortress barring the roof, a large bed with elegant, red sheets stood in the center of the room, surrounded by two beautiful wardrobes made by the best joiners in the land using the finest oak, and finally even more bookshelves. The difference between their rooms surprised Flora each and every time she walked inside.

On the bed lay the man she had been forced to serve, seemingly not having a care in the world. His hair was white and sticking out in all directions, his body was thin but definitely not because of lack of physical training, and his facial features were what could only be described as sharp, the most striking being his unusually long, pointy ears.

Gunter, the old warrior now in charge of Corrin’s training, walked up to the bed and shook him awake. “Wake up, Lord Corrin, and happy birthday.” He said hoarsely, offering a kind smile to the younger man.

“G-Gunter…?” The prince said sleepily. “Isn’t it very…*yawn*…early? Just give me a few more minutes.”

“Out of the question, Lord Corrin.” The old man replied, strictly but with kindness like always. “It’s your birthday today, and that means your siblings should arrive sometime before lunch; you won’t have enough time to get ready if you sleep any more. Besides, you’ve got a wonderful breakfast waiting.”

Not even the scent of pancakes seemed to wake Corrin up. Gunter scoffed and beckoned Felicia, who had her hands free, and pointed towards the prince. Giggling, Felicia sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand a few centimeters from his cheek, summoning a breeze of cold which made the man sit up straight with a surprised screech. Everyone but Flora laughed as she put down the tray next to his nightstand; this scene had been played out a thousand times, how could people still find it funny?

Corrin’s eyes widened when he saw his breakfast. “Oh, wow! This looks wonderful!”

“I’m glad you think so, Lord Corrin!” Felicia said, always happy to receive a compliment. “Flora really outdid herself today just so you could have a great beginning of your special day!”

Surprised by the mention of her name, Flora held up her hands as if to deflect the praise. “Oh, no, it was no big deal, really.” It was the truth, too, as she had made pancakes because she felt like making pancakes. That was it. Well, that, and she could eat one herself when Felicia wasn’t looking.

The young prince looked up at her with a bright smile. “Thank you both so much, I really appreciate it!” He reached out to pour himself a cup of tea, but upon touching the teapot, he quickly withdrew his hand and a pained, sharp inhalation through clenched teeth.

Jakob ran up to his master, his face wrought with concern. “Lord Corrin, what’s wrong?! Is it too hot? Felicia, would you mind cooling it for him?”

“No, that’s not it.” Corrin said, holding his fingers with his other hand. “It was ice cold, I was just a little surprised.”

Everyone turned to look at Flora, who was equally taken aback; she hadn’t noticed her powers acting up at all. She grabbed ahold of the handle of the teapot and tried pouring it into the cup, but the content had been frozen solid.

Quickly grabbing the teapot with a bow, Jakob said with practiced professionalism, “Pardon me, everyone, but I shall go and brew another pot, I will be back in a flash.”

They all looked at the butler leaving the room, swiftly and quietly. Once he closed the door behind him, all eyes fell on Flora again, who bowed deeply with her hands clasped in front of her.

“Please forgive me, Lord Corrin, I must’ve still been sleepy.” She explained, standing up straight again.

The young man just laughed and dismissed it with a casual wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it, Flora! No harm done. I hope you’ll sleep better tonight!”

Forcing a smile, she remained silent, lest she snap at him and ask for her own bed. She was a grown woman who shouldn’t be forced to share a bed with her sister, but even though they all knew each other’s rooms inside out, no one seemed to find it strange. Maybe it was just something people expected twins to do, but Flora didn’t want to be a part of a set; she wanted to be her own person. At times, she felt like she was the only sane person in the fortress, the only one who could tell how strange and uncomfortable their lifestyles were.

As she stood there in silence, her friends talked merrily between themselves, the incident with the frozen tea all but forgotten now that Corrin had dismissed it and forgiven her for the slipup. She stared longingly at the moonleaves outside, visible now that it wasn’t as dark outside. The sight of them calmed her down enough to have a conversation with Gunter and Lilith, though the main topic was their duties for the upcoming event. Gunter was quick to remind the two maids that while only four people would show up, they were very important guests, and thus they needed to treat this with utmost seriousness.

Once Jakob returned, Corrin quickly finished his breakfast, which signaled the end of their break and the true beginning of their day. Lilith grabbed the breakfast tray and headed to the kitchen with Jakob, the two planning on preparing the stables for the arrival of their guests, which left Flora and Felicia to clean the corridors and the bathrooms while Gunter and Corrin went to practice swordplay.

The hours passed slowly as they often did during cleaning. The monotonous work she had grown so accustomed to over the years would’ve been unbearable had her sister not been with her, but even with Felicia’s cheerful banter and occasional cheesy joke, Flora found herself spacing out, barely even holding onto the feather duster as she repeated the same motions over a portrait frame over and over again. Every time she remembered what she was supposed to be doing, she shook her head forcefully and replied to whatever Felicia had said with either a polite laugh or an ‘is that so?’. Thankfully, it seemed as if her fellow maid was even more bubbly than usual, and thus didn’t pick up on her melancholic mood.

When it was finally time to get started on lunch, Flora realized she hadn’t cleaned nearly as much as her sister. When she apologized, Felicia simply tilted her head and said it was fine, especially since Flora always did the most in the kitchen anyway. That comment put her somewhat at ease as she put away the cleaning tools she had used and stretched her arms upwards with a satisfied sigh, looking forward to getting started on doing something she actually enjoyed.

Returning to the kitchen, she told Felicia they would be making a fish soup with freshly caught fish that hadn’t yet been salted for preservation, something Flora knew to be a popular dish among nobility everywhere. As Felicia ran away after a quick salute to go get the fresh fish which they kept in a cooler part of the fortress, the blue-haired maid started getting to work on the ingredients and spices she’d need for the soup, letting the knife do all the work while her thoughts wandered, skillfully cutting up potatoes and parsley alike with incredible efficiency.

The blissful silence didn’t last long, however, as Felicia rushed back into the kitchen holding both cod and salmon in her hands, looking surprisingly worked up. Flora put down the knife and looked at her sister worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, wondering what could’ve made her sister’s eyes widen to such an extent as her chest rose and fell with every deep breath she took.

Shaking her head with a dejected groan, she whined, “The royal family is here…and, and…!”

Flora leaned forward. “And?”

“And I bumped into Lord Xander, practically shoving the fish into his face and armor!” She flung the fish around dramatically, looking like she wanted to bury her face into her hands but stopped herself just before she smacked herself in the face with what was supposed to be the royal family’s lunch.

Stifling a surprised laugh, Flora asked, “Did he seem to mind?”

She shook her head. “No…no, he said he wouldn’t be wearing it indoors anyway.” She sighed, putting the fish down on the cutting board where Flora was working. “He’s so kind and understanding…”

“And hot?” Flora asked with a smirk, getting to work on the fish.

“Yeah…and hot…” Felicia’s eyes widened again, her entire body tensing up as she realized what she had just said. “Eeek! F-F-Flora! C-Come on, sympathize with your dear sister here instead of mocking her! I just shoved a fish into the crown prince’s face!”

“I know, I’ve never loved you any more than I do right now.”

“What was that?”

“I was just asking if we could still use the fish or if we need to go get new ones.” Flora lied with a laugh which lifted her spirits; no matter what happened, she’d always have Felicia.

The pink-haired woman glared at her sister, placing her hands on her hips with a huff. “Of course we can, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought them here! It wasn’t that bad…I think.”

“The crown prince of Nohr just has to deal with smelling like fish on his brother’s birthday. You’re right, it’s nothing serious.” Flora teased, patting Felicia on the head.

She whined dejectedly. “Floraaa…”

After that surprising event the cooking went smoothly. Felicia set the table and did minor chores while Flora found herself enjoying cooking more than normal, which was a welcome development of her day which had started with her feeling so low. Maybe things would get better from here on out.

Once they were finished in the kitchen, they carried the black saucepot and a bottle of wine into the dining hall where the royal family was now sitting. Flora looked them over as she approached the table; she had met the four of them many times, naturally, but had only spoken to them on occasion. Elise was smiling brightly as she always did, her thick pigtails bumping into the table as she spun her head around. Leo sat up straight as an arrow but still managed to look relaxed, listening interestedly to Corrin who was talking about a book he had read. Camilla, who Flora realized she had talked with the most due to the princess’s penchant for drinking a bit more than was appropriate, was wearing something relatively modest for a change, though it was still nothing Flora would ever wear around her family. Finally, Xander sat at the edge of the table, looking over his family with a rare smile on his face, opting to observe rather than to partake in any conversation.

They all went quiet as soon as they could smell the food, the scent quickly filling up the large, bright room which had been cleaned with a thoroughness only Jakob possessed. Flora placed the large saucepot in the middle of the large, rectangle-shaped table, took a step backwards and bowed deeply.

“I apologize for the wait. I hope you will all find it to your liking.” She said, turning around and walking over to the wall, ready to be summoned should the guests need anything.

Felicia, however, remained for a few seconds, running her hand nervously through her long ponytail, stuttering something while looking at Xander. “M-M-Milord, I’d like to apologize once more and, um, I’d like to wash y-your armor…”

The crown prince scoffed amusedly. “I have told you that you don’t need to worry, Felicia, though I would appreciate it if you could make it smell a bit more respectable by the time we have to leave, thank you.”

Bowing deeply, she looked around in confusion, seemingly growing more nervous by the second, yet she remained silent.

“I left it near the entrance along with my cape.” Xander informed her, thankfully sounding more entertained than anything else.

“RightofcoursehahaIknewthatokaybye!” She all but shrieked, storming out of the room so quickly that Flora didn’t even have time to stop her without causing a scene; she had most certainly not planned on being the only one serving the royal family. Lilith and Jakob were taking care of the stables and the courtyard, so it was up to her and Felicia to serve everyone indoors, though she had now been left alone because her sister wanted to impress someone.

She held back a groan, took a deep breath and held her hands in front of her, maintaining a calm and collected composure as she watched the royals eat, twiddling her thumbs discreetly as she listened in on their conversations which flared up once more. They all sounded so happy together, which for some reason returned her to her previous foul mood; they all willingly served a tyrant, and no one seemed to care about her status as a political prisoner. She tried reasoning that they could’ve been much worse, that it was their father who was behind trapping her in this gilded cage and that it would be unreasonable to expect them to be miserable all the time, but in the darkest recesses of her mind, she wanted them to not be so damn happy together.

A little argument interrupted her train of thoughts before they went too far. She turned her attention to Elise who was leaning forward with both hands on the table, staring down Leo.

“Come on, it’s a special day after all!” She said, inflating her cheeks with what she must’ve assumed was an intimidating frown.

Leo sighed. “Elise, you’re, what, five years old? You’re way too young to drink wine.”

Looking shocked, her mouth flew open before she closed it again, gritting her teeth. “What the?! Five years old?! Leo, that was ages ago!”

“Really? I must’ve missed that.” The sorcerer said with a smirk, dangling the wine bottle just out of her reach. While he often came across as very serious, Flora had seen Leo teasing his little sister on multiple occasions before, which was likely something he couldn’t do just about anywhere.

Camilla held up her hands and calmed them both down by speaking in a soothing voice. “Now now, let’s not fight. After all, it’s not often we’re all together like this. Besides, what harm would a little wine do?”

“See?!” Elise burst out, trying to swipe the bottle out of Leo’s hands, but she was too slow.

Then, the eldest brother cleared his throat, which immediately made Elise sit down and Leo put down the bottle on the table. “Elise, I can assure you that you wouldn’t even like the taste; I didn’t either when I was your age, and I didn’t touch any alcohol for many years after I tried it during a harvest festival.” He explained understandingly, then looked over at Flora, who perked up and walked over to them. “You wouldn’t happen to have any cider? I think that would be a fair compromise.”

Nodding in understanding, Flora said, “Naturally, milord, I shall go and get it immediately.”

She made her way back to the kitchen and inspected their selection of wines, finding a bottle of apple cider which shouldn’t be too overpowering for someone as young as Elise.

Holding onto the bottle, a quick, intrusive thought ran through her mind. ‘If I had had the right ingredients, I could’ve poisoned the entire Nohrian royal family and been out of here within the hour’.

She stopped dead in her tracks, almost dropping the bottle she was holding. She put it on the kitchen table and dropped to her knees, feeling ill all of a sudden. She broke out in a cold sweat and tried calming herself with a few deep breaths; this was not the person she wanted to be – she didn’t recognize herself thinking something like that. For all her bitterness, for all her yearning for freedom, the idea of poisoning four unsuspecting people was appalling, no matter who they were. The fact that she had thought of it even in passing made her skin crawl – such a dark thought was unbefitting of her, and it would’ve doomed not only herself as a person, but it would’ve meant the end of the Ice Tribe, as Garon would’ve exterminated every single one of them, including Father and Felicia.

Clutching her stomach, she stood up, dried her face with one of the kitchen towels meant for personal hygiene and grabbed the bottle, returning to the dining hall on mildly shaking legs.

When she returned, she placed the bottle right next to Elise, forcing a small smile and a pleasant tone, “Here’s your drink, Milady. I hope it is to your liking.”

However, instead of the cheerful response she had been expecting, Elise worriedly asked, “Flora? Are you alright? You’re looking a little pale.”

The other royals quieted down and looked at her, their questioning gazes awaiting a reply; no doubt they had noticed she had been gone for longer than she needed to as well.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you for your concern. I merely felt a little lightheaded, but I felt better after opening the kitchen window.” She lied, trying to offer an assuring smile.

That seemed to be a good enough excuse for all of them save Xander, whose eyes rested upon her for a few more seconds before he once again returned to whatever it was they were talking about. Meanwhile, Flora leaned against the wall, feeling weak and tired all of a sudden, not even bothering to assume a proper position. She listened for footsteps in the hall, hoping that Felicia would return soon and help her take her mind off things, but it would seem like she would have to tackle her bad mood on her own.

Several minutes passed and they all eventually finished with the main course, making Flora run back and forth between the kitchen and the dining hall as she cleaned the table and prepared tea for all of them, this time trying her hardest to keep her powers in check so that she wouldn’t accidentally freeze it solid.

During her runs, she realized one source of her frustration: no one offered to help her, even though they knew Felicia should’ve been there. She knew they came from the most powerful family in Nohr, but would it be so much to ask that they helped her out? She wasn’t the one doing the eating, after all.

It was with a temper barely held in check when she carried the last cup into the room and placed it in front of Leo. Thankful that she would be allowed a few minutes of respite before she had to carry it all out again, she leaned back against the wall once more, entertaining herself by listening to what they were talking about, as there was little else to do without Felicia around.

Suddenly, she heard a tipsy Camilla speaking in a high voice, all while pinching Corrin’s cheeks. “Ooh, my little Corrin, I can’t believe how fast you’ve grown up.”

“C-Camilla, come on…”

She ignored him. “Aw, I still remember when you struggled with your studies and would come to me for help whenever I visited. Look at you know! Such a handsome young man…” She took a sip of tea before she continued her ranting, much to the amusement of her siblings. “I miss you often, you know! Maybe I should become a maid here instead – just until you can move out, of course.”

Flora clenched her fists along her sides when she saw the princess looking over at her with a comically exaggerated sad face.

“I’m so jealous of you, Flora, living here in this beautiful castle, being near Corrin every single day…”

Something inside of Flora snapped at that comment. Try as she might, she could not keep her entire body from shaking at the sheer ignorance of her comment. Her anger boiled inside of her, yet she lost control of her powers and instantly turned the room into a freezing, windy mess, knocking books out of their bookshelves, extinguishing the candles on the table and causing both Corrin and Elise to fall out of their chairs.

Holding up a hand to shield his face from the raging winds, Leo tried casting a weak spell meant to knock Flora into the wall, but since he seemed reluctant to fight her, it fizzled out before it could reach her. However, it was enough for the maid to realize they that saw her as a potential threat, which made her snap out of it, the gales disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared, and the heat slowly returned to the room.

A dramatic, tense silence filled the room was the royals stared at Flora, who was struggling to control her breathing, holding her hand to her chest and feeling her heart pounding far too fast. Her vision blurred, and she could feel her knees shaking as she felt like crying out of tiredness, frustration and guilt.

“I’m so, so sorry…” She whispered, staring blankly into space as if to avoid looking at them, then turned around and ran out of the room as fast as she could, ignoring Corrin calling her name behind her as she made her way down the corridor as fast as she could. Where should she go? She had nowhere to run, no place that was truly her own. Tears finally began trickling down her cheeks as she ran into the first room she could think of: the kitchen.

She closed the door behind her and rushed to the window, opening it to take a few deep breaths of the cold Nohrian air, letting her tears fall down to the ground below. If only she had had wings, like in the stories she had read where some people had the ability to transform into large birds, then she could’ve spread her wings and flown away.

A couple of soft knocks were heard on the door behind her, and she spun around and wiped the tears from her face, wondering what would happen to her now. Would they think she had attacked the entire royal family? Would Garon make his move on her village now? She braced herself as the door slowly opened.

It was Xander who entered, bits of snow and ice still stuck in his golden blonde hair.

“Are…are you here to punish me?” Flora asked quietly before she even knew what she was saying, rubbing her hands together nervously. “Milord, I swear, I never meant to–“

He held up a hand, turned around and shouted, “She’s not in the kitchen!”. He then entered the room proper and closed the door behind him, leaning against it with his arms crossed. His face was looking stern, much like Gunter’s often did during training, but his there was no malice behind it, nor did he sound upset when he spoke. “What happened?” He asked bluntly.

Wondering how she should explain herself without sounding treasonous, she stalled for time. “I…I don’t know.”

However, it was clear that he wasn’t falling for it. “Flora, how many years have we known each other?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Look, I know we’re not friends, but we have known each other for a very long time now, and I have always respected you.” He took a few steps forward, pulled out a chair and seated himself at the messy kitchen table before he continued. “That’s why I was surprised when you had your outburst, and that’s why I want to hear what’s wrong.”

She was taken aback by his words. Twirling one of her pigtails with her index finger, she asked, “You’re not mad at me? I ruined your brother’s birthday and lost control of my powers.”

Shaking his head, his voice grew softer. “I’m not angry; we all realized something must’ve been wrong, so Corrin told us all to look for you and make sure you were alright.”

“Then why would you tell them I wasn’t here?”

Xander pursed his lips, obviously thinking over his next words very carefully. “When I was a boy, I remember attending a feast with my father. After the adults had had their share of drinks, they started talking, and like noblemen often like to do, boasting.”

Flora found herself nodding to his words; she wouldn’t have expected the crown prince of all people to have a talent for telling stories.

With a deep frown, Xander continued, “A lord of a small region to the west then loudly bragged about how he could get away with pretty much anything he wanted. You see, few people lived there, even fewer than now, and most of them were farmers or simple merchants. There was little they could do when he decided to suddenly implement new, illegal taxes, and because of the region’s small size and distance from larger cities, word traveled slowly.”

“Then what happened?” Flora asked, temporarily forgetting all about what had happened earlier. “That’s just awful!”

The crown prince stared into a candle which stood on the table, the small flame flickering in his eyes. “I will never forget what happened next: Father stood up, slamming his fists into the table and roared the nobleman’s name. He lectured the scum on his responsibilities to his people, about how harsh it already was for Nohrian farmers due to the poor quality of our soil and finally said that if the nobleman didn’t change his ways, he would execute him personally – he even grabbed Bölverk and pointed it in his direction to scare him and make him understand he wasn’t kidding.” A quiet laughter escaped his lips. “I thought my father was the most amazing person in the world.”

Flora was quiet for a while, letting his words sink in, but ultimately had to ask, “I…didn’t know King Garon had such a side to him, but…what does this have to do with me?”

He looked her dead in the eye with an intensity that almost made her take an involuntary step backwards. “Father told me the next day that this was the curse of being a king; no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t help everyone. You would always be failing some people, which is what he felt when he realized some of his people had been forced to lick a corrupt lord’s boots. It was our duty to help the people of Nohr, and our curse to know we couldn’t always succeed, surrounded by self-serving nobles and forced to play politics.”

There was a moment of heavy silence in the room which made Flora shudder, closing the window and sitting down at the table with the prince, waiting for him to continue.

“In that way, being a royal is like living in a gilded cage: you live to serve, and that responsibility follows you to the grave.” Xander explained, causing Flora to inhale sharply at the words ‘live to serve’. Before he continued, there was another moment of silence as he debated whether or not he should continue talking, but at this point it seemed as if he was talking to her not only for her sake, but his own as well.

“Nothing makes me happier than serving my people.” He continued after a while. “But these last couple of years, I have started wondering if what he is doing is…” He cut himself off, shaking his head furiously. “I apologize, I believe I’ve spoken long enough.”

Flora pulled up her hands apologetically. “No no no, milord, by all means, talk to your heart’s content! I find your stories fascinating.”

“You are very kind, Flora.” He said, offering her a small smile. “But, like I said, I do believe I’ve said more than I should. Now, I want to hear one of your stories.”

‘Ah, so that was his angle’ She thought, admittedly impressed. It wasn’t like she could refuse now that he had shared something so personal. She could see why he was so adored and respected by his family.

“Very well.” She said, still unsure of what to say, though the bitterness she had felt all day seeped into her next words, “Though I’m afraid it’ll have to be a story from this fortress, seeing as I’m not allowed to leave.”

Xander raised his eyebrows, surprised by the comment, but said nothing.

“I woke up today in my cold room under my thin blanket which I’m forced to share with my sister, even though we’re two grown women. It was so dark outside that I couldn’t even see the moonleaves outside.” She closed her fists in her lap, focusing on her breathing so that she wouldn’t lose control of her powers. A part of her thought she was insane for telling the crown prince all of this, but she was afraid that if she didn’t let it all out she’d burst at the seams. “I then have to work all day for a man who’s always praised for his kindness, yet doesn’t seem to care about me being a political prisoner.”

Tensing up, Xander’s frown deepened once more.

Feeling a strange satisfaction over getting it all off her chest, Flora stood up and stretched out her arms, showing the mess the kitchen was in. “I then had to cook and serve five people all on my own because my sister is too busy trying to impress you, and I’ve still not had lunch yet!” Raising her voice a little bit, she glared at the son of the man who was behind her imprisonment. “Milord, it feels like I’m the only sane person in this entire godsforsaken fortress! All I want is my freedom, but no one seems to care!”

Panting, she gauged his expression and waited for his reaction, but he was impossible to read. She knew she had said too much, but right now she didn’t even care; it was the first time in her life she had revealed what was on her mind, and the sensation of it was liberating. She noticed the room had gotten colder during her rant even though she had just closed the window, her powers once again affecting her surroundings because of her foul mood. Thankfully, it quickly started becoming warmer as Xander thought about his reply.

“You…don’t have your own bed?” He began, disbelief clear in his voice.

“No.”

“I see…” He wordlessly stood up, looked around the room, grabbed a dish brush, a used plate and began cleaning it, much Flora’s confusion.

“Milord, what are you doing?”

“Helping out. While today seems to be an exception, I’m usually a man of few words, and I prefer showing what’s on my mind with my actions instead.” He said, a hint of awkwardness in his voice, something Flora had never expected to hear out of the stoic crown prince.

Somehow, that simple action made Flora laugh, and the blonde man turned around and looked at her, looking so out of place that she had to support herself by holding onto the table.

“I appreciate that, I truly do, milord.” She said, wiping a tear out of her eye. “But…you’re using the wrong brush.”

He inspected the tool. “What do you mean?”

“That one is for glasses and thin containers, which is why the neck is so long.” She informed him, pointing at it helpfully, then grabbed a shorter one meant for plates. “Here you go.”

He cleared his throat. “Ah, I see…”

Giggling at him, she could tell how unused he was to this; he was clumsy, rough and left a few plates in unsatisfying condition, but he kept going until he had cleaned everything, putting the porcelain in the wooden plate rack to dry. While she knew she’d have to go over his work later, it felt incredible to have someone do something like that for her.

“Well, that appears to be all.” Xander said proudly, clapping his hands twice for a job well done.

Bowing deeply, Flora said, “Thank you, milord, I can safely say I never expected a prince to clean for me today. You’d make an excellent maid.”

He coughed into his hand awkwardly. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Straightening his back, he crossed his arms and spoke more seriously, “I…I’ll talk to my father. About this, I mean.” He said vaguely, gesturing at the dishes and the room itself.

Taken aback by the sudden shift in tone, all she could say was, “R-Really?” A faint light of hope lit up in her heart.

“Yes. I can’t promise anything, but I swear I will try to make him see reason. Had I known how you felt, I would have done so earlier. You have my sincerest apologies, Flora.” His voice trailed off towards the end, sounding genuinely remorseful.

“It’s not your fault.” She said earnestly, knowing full well it was a decision solely made by Garon, though she didn’t see the need to point that out. In spite of everything she had heard, Xander still loved the man dearly. “If you could do anything about mine and Felicia’s situation, I’d be forever in your debt, milord.”

He nodded curtly, then looked at the door, then back at her. “I believe I should go back to my family. Go to your room, I’ll say I found you here after checking a second time and that you’re feeling under the weather. You need some rest.”

Not knowing what else to say, she merely bowed deeply and thanked him once more before she made her way to her room, the entire afternoon hers to spend as she wished by royal decree. There was a spring in her step as she took the longer path back to her room so as to avoid the still-searching royals. For the first time in forever she felt as if freedom might be within her grasp; even if the hope was faint, it was something she could hold onto, and that was more than she had had in ages.

And, what Flora didn’t yet know, was that within a few days she would welcome a special delivery of two wagons, each containing a bed and a note which read ‘thank you for all your hard work’ written in the most elegant handwriting she would ever see.