"Camilla. Enter."

Hearing her name, the first princess of Nohr stiffened her spine and swept into the room where her father and his most trusted advisor stood. The royal chamber lay quiet and dark, as familiar and brooding as ever, but to the lilac-haired woman it seemed as if her every footstep was a clap of thunder. Her father sat far and away, leaning forward on his one knee as he watched her progress, but even from a distance those dark and calculating eyes pierced her through. It was always the same; as if he was attempting to shear away her skin to see into her very mind and rip away her most secret thoughts, and it was a battle for Camilla to keep her expression placid as she looked to him and then the sorcerer who stood on his right.

Iago's smile, wide and cruel and expectant, only made her blood roil with that old and familiar hatred. It reminded her of those long and bloody nights she spent at Aidan's bedside, clumsily patching wounds she knew would never fully heal, and wishing in vain for her axe so she could split his craven head open. Yet he was not permitted to know of her anger, and she was not allowed to sate her bloodlust, and it only made her grind her teeth down as she forced it all down and continued forward in a graceful stride.

As she approached the staircase she took pause, remembering that invisible line where she was not permitted to cross as she stood in front of her king and father. Bowing at the waist, Camilla swept into her natural bow, though her heart resisted the sign of respect instinctively. Nothing felt right inside of these hallowed chambers, and as she risked a quick glance through her bangs and up to the throne, she admitted painfully to herself that her father was much included in that. It was as if he was going through yet another change, becoming colder and harder and more power-hungry than ever before, and the memories of the man she once knew as a little girl were rapidly becoming dim and distant.

'Who are you now, Father...? What has corrupted you so? Will I get a chance to know before this cursed war escalates even further?'

The questions she had been asking ceaselessly ever since her return to the castle were to remain unanswered however as she stood once more to attention at a flick of her father's fingers. Her arms folded behind her back as she lifted her chin, face calm and expressionless as she spoke softly, demurely, "You called for me, Father? What is your will, my king?"

"My will is the deaths of the traitors Eve and Aidan. I have heard news they have secured a ship bound to Cheve... You are to take Flora, your retainers, and a retinue of soldiers with you to decimate them and the forces that follow."

Behind her back, Camilla felt her fingernails bite down through her palms as she clenched her hands into fists, and it was a great effort to keep her face from registering the pain and surprise. She had heard whispers that the twins were turning from Hoshido and marching towards Cheve, yet she had not expected that it would be so soon. Yet, as she forced herself not to reply and instead to think, she was aware that time only seemed to be flying for her. Indeed, it had already been three months since her precious siblings had renounced Nohr on the borders of Hoshido, and the thought made her heart ache with a fierce and bitter pain. Three months felt like three days, and yet it also felt as if it had been forever since she had last seen Eve's sweet smile, and Aidan's quiet care.

Swallowing the knot in her throat down, Camilla instead looked to her father, brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of the strategy her father demanded. Herself and the wyvern riders she commanded were without saying; a battle at sea demanded air superiority, though she did not understand the need for the twins' former retainer. With Joker and Felicia's betrayal, Flora had been transferred to the castle and remained under lock and key, suspected of loyalty to her former masters despite the fact that she had been long in the fortress when they and her fellow servants had deserted. Keeping her voice calm and respectful, Camilla questioned as she looked from Iago to her father, "Flora, Father? I thought you intended to keep her in the dungeons until the war ended."

"Indeed that was my intent, however with the traitors taking to sea, her skills shall be necessary for your victory. Not for naught is the Ice Tribe named thus. You will take her with you in order to freeze the seas themselves and stall the boats, and should she show resistance or hesitation, you will kill her where she stands. She can show her loyalty, if she truly is loyal, by giving her power to our cause." The explanation came cold and cruel, and Camilla winced underneath the explanation that made perfect sense to her in a logical way. It was true that Flora's powers would indeed be a boon to their attack, but she hated the idea of putting the demure and devoted servant to her axe should she show hesitation in fighting her former masters and friends.

"Very well, Father. I shall organize the troops and leave at once." Camilla spoke with a calmness she did not feel as she imagined the flight that would take her far from the castle in pursuit of the twins who had refused to take a side. It would be a short flight, less than two days if the wyverns were pushed, and her stomach clenched tightly with fear as she imagined raising her axe to her siblings. She hadn't thought she would be sent out so quickly, she had hoped there would be more time, but her father's word was law and there was no arguing with his orders lest she wanted to keep her head on her shoulders.

Turning on her heel, Camilla hoped to make a quick escape. Her emotions were spinning and her heart was racing, but to her anger and despair, she heard Iago coughing to announce that she was not permitted to leave just yet. Cursing inwardly, the princess allowed herself to turn halfway, refusing to give the black-haired sorcerer her full attention. She felt reckless and angry, knowing the show of disrespect would earn her Garon's ire but simply uncaring for the risks, and she glared at the Nohrian tactician as she asked in a voice made of ice, "Yes?"

"There are conditions to your mission, Lady Camilla." Iago's smile was cruel and vicious, and it made the princess' blood chill as she heard that sadistic pleasure deep in his voice. He was fingering the whip at his side, his flat black eyes glittering with hatred underneath his mask, and she swore his smirk was far more twisted than usual as he elaborated with clear relish, "Our king demands that the twins be dead, not taken prisoner. You are to bring their heads back as proof of your success, or you are not to return at all."

For a brief moment, Camilla almost looked to her father in horrified demand of his command, but at the last moment she caught herself and remained still. She knew, solely by that dancing light of sadism in Iago's gaze that he was not simply flaunting his privilege in a vile attempt to satisfy his pleasure. He was speaking her father's word. There was no option for defeat, not unless she wished to give up her life in return, and the knowledge that her father was sending her callously to her possible death was a cold wash of ice into her blood.

"A-As you wish, Father. I... I will return victorious."

"See that you do, Camilla. Return defeated... and I shall make you wish you'd died a slow death in the muck of the battlefield."

"You've done well, coming so far... but there's still more in your way. If you want a true victory here, you'll need to go through me."

The almost laughing voice made Eve cringe, and she clenched her teeth as her hand lay frozen and unresponsive on the hilt of her blade. She couldn't move despite all wishes to, and her heart tugged fiercely within her chest as she stood across the deck from her coldly smiling elder sister. She had hoped it would not come to this, had prayed and wished that somehow, some way, she would avoid meeting her siblings on the battlefield, but as Camilla stood in front of her, axe in hand and wyvern behind, she knew she'd been a fool. It was war after all, and prayers were worth less than nothing in the face of that cruel reality.

Her response of silent hesitation only seemed to anger the first princess of Nohr, and it showed as she flipped her hair with her free hand and settled her hand aggressively on the handle of her axe. Her wine-coloured eyes flashed frustration, and her lips pulled back into a fearsome scowl as her voice lashed out across the deck like a whip, "Is that truly your answer, Eve? After that wonderful speech of idealism back on that battlefield three months ago? You spoke so passionately of finding another way. That you would fight all in your way in order to find peace, no matter the enemy. And now that you're faced with me, you hesitate? I'm disappointed in you. I thought you had more mettle."

A low growl of anger came from the forces behind her, but Eve ignored them as she stood silent and afraid in front of her men. She could sense their frustration with her hesitancy, but she refused to let them take the fight that she had picked. She had seen enough bravery from Felicia, who had waded in unaided when she had seen her twin sister at the fore of the fight, and she refused to allow her servant and friend to see her cowardice. The rose-haired maid had done what no one else could in subduing her sister without harming her fatally, and she had all but snarled in defiance when a terse Joker had offered his hand.

"No. She is my sister. This is my battle. I will not allow her to raise a hand to my masters without standing between them. This isn't her, and I am going to show her that myself."

Felicia's bravery only warranted a similar showing, but now that she stood at the fore, Eve was doubting her courage. She knew that Aqua or Takumi, or even Kagerou or Rinkah were more than willing to fight in her name, but she would not permit it. They didn't know her sister as she did. They didn't know that underneath her cruel demeanour that she loved her siblings with a passion that bordered on the selfless. They wouldn't trade blows that meant anything should she step back and allow them to battle for her, and it made her hand tremble as she forced her fingers to close more tightly on the handle of Yato.

"Move aside, Eve."

Aidan's quiet voice at her left made her jump, and Eve spun around in alarm to see her twin brother calmly placing a hand on her shoulder to gently pull her aside. His crimson eyes were calm if dark, and his sword remained sheathed at his side as he made to take her place on the field. Shaking her head at his intent, Eve began to protest as she realized he meant to challenge their sister with that same silent determination he took into every fight, "Aidan, wait, you can't-"

"This is my fight. You've done enough already." Aidan cut her off firmly but not sternly, and Eve's eyebrows furrowed deeply as she understood that he was giving her permission to withdraw without wounding her pride. It was true enough that she had led the charge even when she had seen her sister and Flora behind the forces between them, but she had hoped to take the battle all the way to the end. Her heart however had betrayed her, and she knew her brother had seen that as the hand on her shoulder gave a calming, reassuring squeeze when he continued gently, "Pull back. I'll finish what you started."

Aidan felt relief as Eve did as he asked, though it was not without a moment of painful worry that turned her ruby-red eyes into pools of anguished love. She looked towards her sister, her heart in her eyes and the worry painted clearly over her face, but she stepped back nonetheless at his urging. Her elder twin quickly took her place even though he made no effort to draw his blade, and he stood silent but imposing, watching as a myriad of emotions flickered rapidly across Camilla's face as she watched the exchange without a word.

"So, it will be you, then...? I can't say I'm disappointed. I was hoping it would be you, if I could be honest." Camilla's voice was almost soft, gentle, as she watched him approach into no-man's land. She heard Myrrh's low rumbling sharpen into a growl behind her, and she spared her mount a careful pat to the neck before she likewise took one careful step forward. She knew that look in Aidan's eyes, that calm but deadly glimmer of crimson that proved he would approach the battle as he always did, and it brought a chuckle to her as she asked him almost playfully, "You'll give me a good battle, won't you?"

Aidan didn't answer, but rather instead narrowed his eyes as he came to a stop in the middle of the deck. Eve and the rest of their men now stood far behind and out of range, but he gave them no notice as he watched her take another step forward. Her smile was painful yet honest, and it made his teeth clench despite his face not showing emotion. He called out calmly, his voice placid and almost unmoved as he spoke, "I have one question, before we begin."

"Mm. One question, then." Camilla allowed, somewhat surprised by his directness and his curiosity. It was unlike him, but she wasn't about to deny him even so. She hefted her axe, balancing the deadly blade easily behind her head as she shifted her feet absently for her stance. The tome she wore on her hip sparked lazily in response to her battle readiness, but she ignored it as she locked eyes with the younger man standing without his weapon before her, "Speak."

"You're under direct orders from Garon to be here, aren't you?"

It was as if he had slapped her across the face, and all signs of amusement or satisfaction was wiped from her almost immediately. She had not expected his keenness even though she knew his intellect, and her lips pursed into thin lines as her hand tightened fiercely on the handle of her weapon. She had a feeling he knew, that he had known the moment she had touched down on their boat to announce the attack at the beginning of the battle, and yet he felt the need now to make her confirm it. She felt a rush of anger, of hurt that he would make her answer aloud for all to hear, but she had given her word to agree, and she refused to back down now. She spoke through gritted teeth, eyes flashing angrily as she spat out her reply, "Yes, he did. Now enough talk. We fight."

Aidan gave no answer aside from the audible click of his Yato being unlocked from its sheath as it was pulled into his hand. He steadied the bronze blade with ease, and his face remained frustratingly calm as he took his stance. It truly was as if he didn't need her words, as if he knew everything already, and that anger she felt flared higher in reminder of that ugly realization of betrayal from so long ago. He was her enemy now, and she growled a soft curse under her breath as her right hand lifted and sparks sang between her fingers.

The blast of flame hit its target, though Aidan was no longer there to feel the heat as magical burst struck the deck and sent a wave of heat slashing towards the ranks of the audience behind. They all recoiled in surprise, muttering oaths and calling loudly in anger at her use of magic, but Camilla gave them no mind. She was focussed solely on her opponent, but even her foresight and her experience with him left her floundering as he appeared from her left out of the smoke, having moved far too fast for her eyes to track after her initial spellcasting having missed so spectacularly.

'So fast...!'

The thought was all she had as her axe was brought down defensively across her chest, and the angry clang of metal on metal told her that she had moved just in time to intercept his first blow. She was astonished as he leapt clear momentarily after, unharmed and unshaken as she fell back from the force of his initial strike. He had hit with the flat side of his blade, but even then there was no denying the sheer amount of strength behind his swordplay. She went staggering backward, eyes wide and expression shocked, and she cursed softly in alarm and appreciation as Aidan lifted his blade casually in answer. 'You've grown... This is your power in freedom... Splendid. You're exactly what I hoped you'd be.'

He leapt again, momentarily taking to the air as if gravity had no hold on his lithe frame as his sword spun in a fiery arc through the frozen air. Camilla could hear the air shriek as the metal cut through it, and for a brief instant, she was mesmerized. She had watched him for years, had seen him train and fight and progress, but the man in front of her now seemed little like the one she had known in the Nohrian fortress. The sword in his hand seemed as if it was a part of him, a mere extension of his arm, and his confidence was absolute as he flew through the air and brought down his blade to meet her axe once more.

The heavy blow sent her staggering backwards again, grunting with a mixture of surprise and pain as her arms attempted and failed to absorb the power behind his stroke. His strength allowed him to leap high, but his weight only made him fall all the harder, and she wondered if her axe was capable of meeting such blows repeatedly. His strength was far beyond any she could remember, making her wilt when she met it head-on, but Camilla only pursed her lips in a grim smile as he once again skipped backwards and out of her range.

'He's testing me... and he knows he can win. I know that look in his eye...' Camilla adjusted her footing and hold, eyeing him carefully as he began a cautious circle about her. Their audience had stepped far back, well aware of the danger and not wanting to push in lest they be caught in the radius of her magic. But they were shadows to the wyvern rider, and Camilla turned in tandem with him, anticipating and almost pleased to see him gauging her with so much skill. 'If this is how far you've come in so little time, how much farther can you go, Aidan...? I wish I could see it.'

Again Aidan came forward, rushing in and bowed low, his sword dragging a hair's breadth from the deck as he homed in on her like an arrow to its target. But this time Camilla was prepared, and sidestepped neatly to her left as he leapt forward with a slash that sent a cold breath of air slapping against her skin. Her axe was a blur of liquid silver in her hands as she swung in response, and the flat side of the double-bitted weapon hit his exposed back with an impressive amount of force.

It was Aidan's time to stagger from the power behind her blow, and he grunted painfully as the black plates of his armour buckled underneath the blunt force. The chainmail vest he wore beneath did nothing to soften the hit, rather the links of mail only punched harder into his skin underneath the pressure, driving out his breath in an exclamatory curse. He lurched forward another handful of steps, breathing hard as he turned about to face her, but Camilla gave him no time to recover, already closing in with a determined scowl gracing her beautiful features.

Yato met her axe with a loud snarl of metal on metal, causing sparks to fly from the friction and force behind the two weapons. Aidan filed away the pain for another time, standing straight despite the ache in his back as he pushed back against Camilla's axe. Her wine-coloured eyes were narrowed with frustration as her axe sought him, pushing and sliding about the smoother length of his sword, but Aidan held firm, shifting with each slip to ensure she didn't break the stalemate. His own crimson eyes were flashing despite his calm expression, and his hands expertly manipulated his blade to keep her still as she pushed even harder.

A burst of strength found the lilac-haired princess, and with a sudden shove, she caught the younger man off guard. He withdrew automatically behind her force, but his sword did not as she advanced. It seemed to take a life of its own, sliding away from her axe and towards her neck instead, and there was an audible tearing noise as the blade found the gap between her shoulder and breastplate.

"Ughn..!" Camilla fell back, one hand leaving her axe to clutch at her shoulder as the blood began to flow fast and heavy. The sacred blade had done its work well, biting deep into her skin and leaving a long, clean wound from the back of her neck down to her collarbone. Blood quickly spread across her chest and back despite her desperate grip to stem the flow, and she winced even as the hot liquid drenched her glove mockingly. The pain was deep, biting, but Camilla ignored it, steadying her axe in preparation for another blow as she locked eyes with her opponent in a determined scowl to prove an injury would not give him an opening to take advantage of.

Yet Aidan did not press forward, but rather stood in place, sword still raised as if he had simply forgotten to lower it. His eyes were wide in disbelief, swimming with an emotion that Camilla could not name as he looked to the blood that dripped lazily off of his blade to splatter to the deck below. She could not tell if it was the pain or the blowing snow, but it almost seemed as if his sword seemed to tremble as he held it, as if in fear of what it had done and what it meant.

Then Camilla watched as Aidan's jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed in a look that she could only describe as rage. It was still calm, still tightly leashed, but there was no denying there was anger in him as his teeth clenched audibly and his fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. His stance became tighter, more tense, and under the blowing wind she heard him curse in a voice that was icier than the snow that fell under the magic of the Ice Tribe.

If Camilla had seen Aidan as little more than a blur when he first moved at the beginning of their duel, he simply disappeared from her sight now. Only instinct served to guide her as she spun completely about on her heel, axe raised to meet him, as he seemed more fluid than man as he ducked underneath her swinging axe without missing a beat. The look on his face was stone, pulsating quietly from the flames running beneath it, and he dodged again at her second attempt to strike out at him with an ease so apparent that Camilla could do nothing but curse aloud at her sloppiness.

Her arm hung useless at her side, blood flowing freely down underneath her armour and limiting her severely in her range and strength. Her fingers hurt to move, proving that the initial blow had done more damage than she had initially thought. Swinging her axe took more energy than ever, and Aidan was little more than a wraith as he ducked and weaved underneath all of her attempts to ward him off. He came closer with every step, circling and frequently appearing just out of the corner of her eye. Her heart beat rapidly, half out of fear and half out of excitement for the fight. He was everything she had hoped for, and even injured and lamed, she could not help but admire him more than ever.

Then an iron clamp grasped at her forearm, twisting her injured arm behind her back with a fierce and unyielding strength. Camilla heard rather than felt herself yelp in pain as her shoulder roared in displeasure at being forced into movement. But all desire to struggle disappeared the instant she felt cold steel pressing against her neck, and she stilled at once as she felt Aidan's breath on her ear. Her axe hung useless now at her side, and Camilla felt her breath catch as the vice on her forearm tightened and the edge of his sword caressed the skin of her throat.

His breath came gruffly, laboured with exertion and still tense with that anger that she knew was coursing fresh and hot through his veins. She could feel it in the way he held her arm as he kept her pinned between his chest and sword, and a tiny part in the back of her mind shivered as she felt the strength of him pressed up against her back. His arm rested across her shoulder to hold his sword at her throat, and her injured limb was nestled between his chest and her back as he held her firmly. It was a position of helplessness that she was in, but even so, she felt her pulse quicken as his voice came rough and harsh in her ear, "Drop your axe. It's over."

Camilla closed her eyes, taking a poisonous moment to savour the physical sensations that combatted the pain and the knowledge that she had lost so spectacularly to him. She felt no disappointment, though there was a part of her brain that was whispering of her sinfulness to find pleasure despite all that was happening. She bit at her lip, careful not to swallow as that sharpened edge of his blade whispered like a breath on her flesh. She replied calmly, her body relaxed and at ease as she took in her loss with something approaching relief, "Kill me."

For a beat, she hoped that she would feel his sword answering her, and was almost saddened when there was no such thing. In fact, Yato lowered from its place at her neck, and she flinched slightly as she heard it being buried into the wood by her foot. She heard a quiet sound in her ear, almost something approaching a tired laugh, and the vice that held her arm in place seemed to lessen slightly before Aidan was speaking again in a weary mutter, "You can't really think that I'd do that, do you, Camilla? There's no way. I can't kill you, and Eve wouldn't, either. You don't need to keep up this theatre. Just drop your axe."

"What theatre? I've lost. You've won. It's simple, isn't it? You kill your enemies when you're victorious. So do it. Kill me."

"Stop spouting nonsense." Aidan's voice was heated, and for a moment, Camilla forgot herself at the sound of such raw emotion. she turned her head to glimpse his face, and was surprised by the burning light in his crimson eyes. His face was drawn into an intense frown, and there was fresh anger tightening his jaw and colouring his pale skin as he glared at her accusingly. He didn't release his grip on her as she did not loosen her hold on her axe, but he continued fiercely as she looked at him in surprise, "You don't want to die any more than I want to kill you. Garon sent you on this mission, and you've failed. I know what that means just as well as you do. You can't return to Nohr empty-handed. He'll kill you for your failure. But you couldn't refuse his order either; that would only get you labelled a traitor and earn a death sentence. You came here hoping that Eve or I would give you a quick death instead."

"That's...!" Camilla bit down on her instinctive refusal, but the ache in her chest only made his words smack all the harder in truth. He knew her better than she had hoped, and he was cruel as he laid her actions bare with so little prodding. She knew better than to deny it, as it would only make him angrier, and there was no hope that he would kill her. She knew him better than that, yet she had refused to bow to logic and instead had forced a battle she had planned to lose. The shame made her lower her head, unable to bear that accusing gaze of his, and she could only ask with a hint of bitter laughter, "You fought me anyway, knowing all that?"

"I knew the moment I saw you. You put up a good front, but your heart is always on your sleeve. You couldn't kill Eve or I any more than you could hurt Elise or Leon or Marx. You love all of us far too much, even if Garon demands it of you." Aidan's voice gentled as he heard her shame and weariness, and his hold likewise turned softer even though he did not let her go. It almost felt more like an embrace than a restraint, and he spoke softly, encouragingly now as he sensed her pain, "Garon gave you no choice, and you did the only thing you could think of so you wouldn't betray your father or hurt Eve and I. I know that. But it's over. If you want to throw your life away, then let Eve and I take command of it instead. Follow us. Drop your axe and come to our side. Come with me."

Camilla was silent as his words rang warm and inviting in her head. Her heart sang for it, with the desire to forget and step away from the clinging shadows and doubt of her father's commands, but she resisted the allure fiercely. Nothing he said was false, and she hated that he knew her so well, but it did little to soothe the pain she felt at the idea of betraying her father. It did not matter that he was not the man she remembered from her childhood, those memories were all she had to cling to whenever she was faced with his current cruelty, and she winced as she wished that she could simply go back to the past to a much easier time.

Aidan sensed her wavering resolve, and he pressed insistently as she stood silent and unbowed. He reached down gently, his free hand holding the wrist of her dominant hand in an encouraging touch for her to drop her axe. He spoke softly but urgently, ignoring the murmurs of the crowd about him to focus solely on the woman before him that was trying so hard to resist, "Camilla, I beg of you... This war is more complicated than any of us initially believed. It's far more than some conquest Garon wishes to wreak on Hoshido. There's more at play. Another enemy that holds all of our strings. Eve wishes for peace, and she's found a way to capture it; but we need every ally we can find. We need you. You know full well that we wouldn't fight a hopeless fight. There's a way for this to end without bloodshed. Join us."

Camilla bowed her head further, eyes closing tighter as she tried her best to strengthen her grip on the axe she held. But her fingers were weakening, enticed by his fervent whispers and pleas that touched her in a way she hadn't expected. It wasn't a question of distrusting his words or motives, and she hated herself for not feeling more loyalty to her homeland and father. The idea of turning her coat was a pleasant one, and that only brought her as much shame as it did relief. She was tired of the torture and the unknown and the uncertainty, and here now he was, offering her an escape and a hope she had dared not to think of ever since he had left her three months ago on the battlefield.

An exhaustion she didn't know muddled her head and weakened her body, and she wished she knew if it was due to her injury, or everything else that she had been fighting for so long. Her willpower seemed so little in the face of the mountain she had been climbing, whether it was her father, the war, or her feelings for the man who held her so easily at his mercy, or his sister. Her axe slipped from her fingers, clattering to the deck below with a final sort of thud, and she felt a tremor of pain, of relief and fear ripple through her body as she whispered raggedly, "I'm... sorry..."

The hand that held her in place released its grip, but to Camilla's surprise, it gently reached for her waist instead to turn her around to face him. She glanced up, her vision blurred by tears of sorrow and pain and exhaustion, and his face was pained as he returned her stare. He reached slowly, hesitantly, but his callused fingers brushed her cheek to wipe away an escaped tear before he was pulling her against his chest. He was mindful of her shoulder as his arms loosely encircled her back to hold her in place, and as Camilla rested her cheek on his shoulder, she mused that even though he had grown in three months, he was still much the same as ever. He held her as clumsily as he had the first and last time they had embraced all that time ago, but she still felt that wonderful thrill as she let herself melt against him. "I'm sorry..."

"It's all right now... It's all right."

The words were as awkward and clumsy as his embrace, but it was dear to her as she took those precious few moments to recover in his arms. Her heart ached, bringing words she had worked hard to keep buried back to the forefront of her mind. It made her good arm rise, fingers clinging gently to the back of his cape to ensure he didn't draw away too quickly. He didn't let her go, something that brought her relief even as she lifted her chin, searching his face as she began softly, weakly, "Aidan... I..."

"Later." Aidan spoke quickly but firmly, and there was a flicker of apology in his eyes as she bit her lip in reply to his immediate denial. His expression softened slightly, and he shook his head as he raised a hand to gently, carefully touch her injured lower arm. The blood from her wound was congealing, but it needed immediate attention, and he proved his notice to her condition as he explained in a mutter, "You're hurt and need attention... We can speak at length later. For now, just allow Sakura to treat you. When you're healed... then we can talk. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that..." Camilla murmured, but she allowed her emotions to give way to his better judgement as she pulled herself away from his welcoming arms. He stepped back just as stiffly, proving his discomfort and uncertainty as he made a gesture towards the crowd that had gathered before them. Camilla watched him closely, aching in more ways than one as Eve left the group first, all but sprinting across the deck to her siblings, and it was a battle of self-control for her to turn her gaze away from the younger man and to his twin sister. She forced a smile to her face as Eve came near, one hand now clasping at her shoulder as that young, red-headed Hoshidan girl followed closely behind, staff in hand.

Mechanically the first princess of Nohr allowed herself to be seated on the deck, only half-hearing Eve's worried exclamations and the younger girl's gentle instructions and reassurances. The healing magic flowed swift and calm, slowing her rapid heartbeat, but doing little to soothe that anxiety that had curled about her stomach and made her throat tight. Instinctively she glanced over to him again, guiltily acknowledging that he drew her like a magnet and made all else seem distant and dull, but promising silently and internally, 'Soon, then... I've waited this long. I suppose one day or two more won't kill me... I hope my patience lasts long enough.'

AN:

Hiya, and thank you for reading the first piece of the three-shot "Lilac and Platinum"! This is meant to be a story about the evolution of Camilla and Aidan's relationship during the Revelations route in Fates, and it's one I've been pretty eager to tell ever since I finished the game. It's taken a long time for me to get here, and I'm sorry if it seems clunky and a bit disjointed, but I promise there's going to be some good story here as long as you guys stick with me!

I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but I will warn you that adult themes are definitely going to be a focus for this mini trilogy. It's going to explore all the juicy and angsty bits that I always wanted the Camilla/Avatar relationship to dive into, so I also apologize in advance if any of you find this to be too OOC for your tastes. Quite honestly, I always felt that game failed Camilla miserably in terms of characterization and execution, and this is the way I've always viewed her after doing a lot of reading on her supports and backstory. She's a troubled woman who doesn't get much screentime on the better aspects of her personality, and was relegated to a fanservice character who honestly just deserved more.

I decided to make this a three-parter as the relationship deserves and needs the time to evolve naturally and with some time involved. Of course, it's all taking place over about a week in-game time, but I didn't want to have dozens of pages just for one chapter. I'll do my best to cover everything I think should be covered, and I plan to be as faithful to my mental image as my writing skills allow for. But please let me know if you want to see something specific, and I'll do my best to see what I can do with it!

As always, thank you so much for reading, and if you feel like its appropriate, please leave a review to let me know how I'm doing. I always appreciate your opinions, and am so grateful for you giving up your time to let me know what you think! I'll be back soon (hopefully) with another chapter!

Mood: Excited.

Listening To: "It's Been Awhile" - Staind.

~ Sky