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The first night in Askr was definitely the worst.
After what was undeniably a very exhausting physical and mental day, Anna guided you to the room you would be staying in for the meantime. Neither of you exchanged words, much to your relief. The General understood that there were lots of things that you needed to take in after all that's happened, so she remained quiet and gave you time to get lost in your thoughts.
Her footsteps stopped in front of a door, and she gestured towards it with a wave of her arm as she turned around to face you. Her features were smiling as she said, "This will be your room. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."
Despite your fatigue, you managed to muster up a tired smile. "Thank you."
Your fingers clasped around the knob before opening the door to inspect your room. It was rather modest and empty, but you figured that the Order of Heroes didn't have the time to spruce it up considering your sudden and unexpected appearance. You hesitantly walked inside, trying to convince yourself that it would be more or less similar to staying at a hotel or something to minimize the culture shock you were still going through.
Anna remained at the doorway, watching you take in the surroundings before she spoke up. "Alfonse's room is right across from yours, so if anything pops up, you can count on him to help."
You slowly nodded your head, bringing to mind Alfonse's face when he introduced himself. He was the blue-haired one, right? He had a pretty cute face, you had to admit, but he seemed a bit difficult to approach. You vaguely wondered to yourself if you could rely on him. In any case, all you wanted to do then was get some time to yourself and hopefully rest.
"I understand. Thanks again." You offered simple words of gratitude with a smile that didn't reach your eyes, but Anna didn't seem to have noticed.
Later in the evening, Alfonse happened to be returning to his room when he figured that he should probably check up on you. His feet carried him over to the front of your door, and he raised his hand to knock but stopped himself when he heard somebody crying. Straining his ears, he realized that it was coming from your room, and his heart clenched.
Alfonse had always been a kindhearted prince who could never turn his back on someone in need, but this time, he hesitated. As much as he wanted to comfort you as a form of apology for dragging you into his fight, he knew that his presence might do more harm than good. He wasn't surprised to hear your sobs. Back when he first met you, it looked like you were barely holding yourself together. And it made sense. Being caught in a strange new world without knowing a single person must have been terrifying. The Askran prince couldn't even imagine what you must be feeling right now.
With a heavy heart, Alfonse turned on his heel and left you alone to cry your heart out, vowing to himself to finish this war as soon as he could so that you may return home as soon as possible. The next morning, you had greeted the young man with bloodshot eyes, and he knew that you weren't able to get an ounce of sleep, the guilt of knowing the fact weighing heavily on his consciousness.
The second night in Askr wasn't any better.
That feeling of being lost and confused lingered on your mind. You were given a more in-depth tour of the castle from Sharena, and you were grateful for her bubbly personality. It helped keep the loneliness at bay, but when night came, you had no one to keep you company.
You lay on your bed, staring at the ceiling with your hands folded neatly atop your stomach. Your thoughts wandered, ignoring the tears that spilled from the corners of your eyes once more. At the very least, you weren't sobbing uncontrollably like the previous night. But that heavy feeling still weighed on your chest. Suffocating and dreadful.
You moved around on the bed, tossing and turning and curling your body to keep yourself warm. Nights in Askr might have been beautiful, but they were also very cold, especially when all alone.
The third night was a bit more tolerable.
After making an off-handed comment that the nights were unbearably cold, Anna had given you some extra sheets, fluffy and warm and soft to the touch. When she asked if there was anything else you needed, you guiltily asked for some more pillows as well, and the redhead was more than happy to provide (and for free).
The Askran Trio, as you had decided to call them, were extremely accommodating to your needs. At first, you thought it was merely special treatment to curry your favour as you were an integral part to their Order, but you soon realized that wasn't the case. They genuinely cared about you, much to your surprise. You ended up having to hide your face into the sheets and pillows you were carrying in your arms so that they wouldn't see you crying.
The sixth night, you were starting to get used to things, but there was still something missing.
"Summoner," Alfonse called for you, stopping you in your tracks in the hallway.
You turned to face the young prince with a curious expression. He seemed to hesitate for a second before resolving himself with a subtle shake of his head. With a steady but warm gaze, he asked, "Is... Is your room to your liking?"
"It's good," you answered somewhat vaguely. It wasn't exactly to your liking as you preferred your own bedroom back home, but it was good enough, you supposed. The room was spacious enough and you were able to more or less sleep on the bed. Simply put, it was tolerable, but you knew how hard Alfonse and the others tried to make your stay as welcoming as possible, so you didn't have the heart to give him the full truth.
The Askran prince frowned at your response. "Are you sure? You haven't been getting much sleep, right? If there's anything I can do to make your room more comfortable..."
You shook your head, prompting the young man to trail off. Flashing him an appreciative smile, you explained with a hint of a blush on your cheeks, "It's not the room. It's just... a bit difficult to sleep without my stuffed animal."
"Stuffed animal?"
Blushing even further, you brought your gaze down to the floor and nodded your head. "It's embarrassing to admit, but... I slept with a stuffed animal back home. I know it's lame, but I find it difficult to sleep without it."
"I don't think it's lame," Alfonse responded without missing a beat. "Thanks for telling me. I'll see what I can do."
The tenth night, you were able to sleep peacefully for the first time since you arrived in Askr, arms wrapped around a certain gift from a certain prince.
"Summoner, I have something for you."
Before you could ask the Askran prince what it was as you looked up from the books you were reading, Alfonse held out a large stuffed pegasus in front of you. You stared back at him, mouth agape as you tried to process what exactly you were seeing. The young man had a bashful smile on his face, warmth slowly crawling to his cheeks as he started to doubt whether or not this was a good idea.
"It might not be the same as your stuffed animal back home, but I hope this will suffice."
You couldn't find the words, so instead, you hesitantly reached out to take the stuffed pegasus from the prince's hands. The plush was incredibly soft, the beautiful white, blue, and gold colours giving you a sense of peace from what you now consider familiar and friendly. The wings looked and felt like actual feathers, and you really couldn't tell if they were real or not. The overall appearance was cute and cuddly, and when you hugged it to your chest, a feeling of comfort washed over you.
"I-I don't know what to say," you stuttered. "Thank you. Thank you so much..."
"It's no problem at all." Alfonse smiled warmly, and you felt your heart leap in your chest at the sight.
Mirroring his expression, you said, "I think I'll name my new pegasus Alfie."
Alfonse looked like he stiffened up at that, his mind easily coming to the conclusion for the reason as to why you chose that name, and he bit down at his lower lip, unable to maintain eye contact with you. Later in that same night, you dreamt of riding a pegasus through the clear and gorgeous sky, a pair of warm arms belonging to a blue-haired prince wrapped protectively around your waist from behind.
It's now been over a year since you've arrived in Askr.
Your nights are no longer cold and lonely, the air filled with joyous laughter and chatter from all the Heroes you've summoned, the noises slipping through the cracks of the walls and door. Settled comfortably beside your pillow is your precious stuffed pegasus, well-maintained even after all this time.
An amused chuckle sounds from close beside you, a gentle hand lovingly brushing the strands of your hair away from your face. "They're all so noisy," the prince comments with a slightly exasperated tone but overall laced with fondness. "How could you sleep through all of this?"
"I have you," you answer simply with a grin, nuzzling yourself closer against Alfonse's chest.
Your breathing starts to even out, and you're wrapped in warmth and comfort, ears listening to the steady heartbeat of your lover. It's just like any other night, and you slip into a peaceful slumber.