Work Text:
In a manor sandwiched between light and dark, woven with ivy but spilling with love, a woman listens to her wife’s voice ignite in song.
At another time, the sound of her voice would have been haunting – enough to send chills traveling down her spine, as if the fingers of a ghost were trailing across her skin. They were never supposed to like each other, let alone love each other. This house, this gorgeous manor that they built with the help of loved ones’ gold and workers kind enough to lend a hand to their future, it was never meant to exist.
Both of their fathers might have had a heart attack if they had to see what had become of their little girls. They probably pictured walking them down a wedding aisle, to a man of their choosing, with a background of their choosing. Neither would have picked this for them, and yet in the wake of everything that has happened between their peoples, nothing makes Hinoka happier than to live in this house with Camilla.
It was hard, at first – giving up her royal title, leaving her siblings behind. Hinoka is nothing if not duty-bound. Her entire life has been devoted to her people; from the very day she opened her eyes. Truth be told, there were many parts of being a princess that she did not love: the expectations for femininity, the constant busyness, the lack of privacy… Even so, she loved it. Growing up in a castle surrounded by love, always in the company of her mother and siblings, never hurting or wanting for anything… life was charmed in many ways, if a bit troubled by the war. Her life is different these days. Not bad, just… different.
Her siblings are all more than a day’s flight away now, with most of them settled down and married, just like her. Corrin and Silas were married long before the war was even over, and Azura’s engagement to Jakob came not long after that. Then when the war did end, Ryoma married Felicia in the first six months. Takumi and Leo took a bit longer, considering they had more development to go through to admit that they weren’t merely enemies who became friends, but eventually they, too, were married. Only Sakura remains unwed, and even then, her philanthropy keeps her quite busy. She may not be chasing Hinoka’s nieces and nephews like the rest of her siblings are, but she’s busy in her own right – too busy to have visits as regularly as Hinoka would like. It took a lot of adjusting, settling down here with Camilla. She misses seeing them every day. She must have written them each a dozen letters that first month. She knows it is hard on Camilla, too.
Elise is the only one of her siblings who seems to be able to step away, although to his credit, Leo does try to visit more often these days (even if that’s more Takumi’s influence than anything). Xander, much as he loves his sister and constantly tells her so in his letters, is quite wrapped up being king of Nohr. The demands of being a husband and father only make his life more intense. It was terribly lonely for Camilla when they first moved in together. She was stuck to Hinoka’s side almost every minute. If she so much as told Camilla that she was feeling a little suffocated, she risked her wife bursting into tears. They both knew that this wasn’t healthy, but it was hard to adjust.
Notre Sagesse was geographically unique for both of them, so different than what they had had. Neither woman had ever lived somewhere so small before. Neutral to both territories, the people of Notre Sagesse didn’t seem to feel one way or another about either of them, either. They simply helped them build a home for themselves and, well, that was that. There was none of that inter-country rivalry that the two of them had become so used to… which was a good thing, in the end. It left them a chance to really start over. It allowed them to set down a foundation. Growing roots only came along once Camilla was able to open up her seamstress’s business, when she found people traipsing in and out of her store day after day, admiring the gowns she’d sewn and the embroidery she’d done on little children’s mittens. It was that way that they met Vivienne, the matron of the local orphanage – the woman who would one day introduce them to their precious little Amelia.
Amelia… She’s been theirs for four years now, and she can still barely believe it. Just the thought of her daughter brings a smile to Hinoka’s face.
Though they first adopted her when she was three, Amelia is six years old now, soon to be seven. Already the letters from her adoring aunties and uncles have come pouring in, congratulating their niece on growing so big. Naturally, Amelia is relishing the attention. Personality-wise, she’s typically rather shy, but something about being fussed over by her family is apparently okay. It’s odd to think about, in the grand scheme of things, as she was pretty resistant to letting that happen when they first adopted her. In fact, her reluctance to connect was actually why they chose her.
It took a parent like Camilla to understand Amelia. When Vivienne first introduced them to all of their potential adoptees, Hinoka knew that. She’d been rejected a great deal by others. Born to a single mother who died of disease, Amelia spent the first years of her life living with her aunt and uncle, where she was harshly neglected. By the time her mothers met her as a toddler, she already seemed entirely disillusioned with people. She did not believe the words of people like Vivienne, who assured her that she was loved and could come to her if she needed anything. Most of the time she avoided eye contact with people entirely, and hated being touched. She picked at her food even if she liked the dish. When she was adopted, it took them ages to get her eating three meals a day. Vivienne even told them that when she was still at the orphanage, she once split her head open trying to reach for something, and when asked why she didn’t simply call for help, Amelia just shrugged her shoulders that simple way kids do. She may have been saying ‘I don’t know’, but anyone could tell that the truth was more complicated than that.
She’s come a long way since then, Hinoka thinks as her eyes leap from present to present, each gift wrapped in soft brown paper and tied with ribbons a rainbow of different colours. Felicia has drawn some awkward-looking pegasi on the one from her and Ryoma – or were some of those drawn by Shinonome and Mikoto? Corrin and Silas have covered theirs in love notes to their precious “Millie”, with writings from her cousin, Sophie, too. Of course, she knew that she would be, but it still warms her heart that Amelia is so loved. She confided in Camilla once that she was “like a puzzle piece that never fit anywhere”, but now, she had settled perfectly into their family – right where she belonged.
She examines each of the gift boxes carefully, scanning for signs of damage. Transport is usually pretty good, but sometimes things can get muddled in transit. If she can rescue a brand-new doll from her packaging before she gets soggy, then she might as well do it. Amelia is the type of child who would feel sad for the doll if she didn’t. Thankfully, everything seems to have made it through transport well enough this year. Her family’s told her ahead of time what’s in each of the boxes: a set of children’s potion set from Leo and Takumi, a hand-sewn stuffed kitten from Elise, a carved wooden play sword from Xander and Charlotte (most certainly being the latter’s idea), a beginner’s painting set from Jakob and Azura, two dresses and a new kimono from Ryoma and Felicia, a doll fashioned to look like Amelia from Sakura, and a book set from Corrin and Silas (called Awakening: A Challenge of Fate)… And all that’s without even mentioning the gifts that will inevitably come pouring in the following weeks from former retainers. Hinoka shudders at the thought of whatever obnoxious toy Azama will have bought this time for Amelia to torture her and Camilla with.
She sighs, leaning her face against her hand. In a room just down the hall, she can hear the sounds of water sloshing in the tub as Camilla and Amelia engage in what is probably a playful yet efficient bath time. Due to her lacking comfort with most people, Amelia is always bathed by her mothers, and never any of members of their small house staff. It is best that way. Camilla would usually rather do the bathing herself anyway – one of the things that made them fall head over heels in love with Amelia the moment they laid eyes on her was her gorgeous head of hair. She was blessed with long, corkscrew curls with the colour and sheen of crow feathers, which Vivienne had delighted in braiding into all sorts of complex and interesting patterns. Amelia loves her hair, so it’s important to her that it is taken care of. One of the first things Camilla did to prove her dedication to Amelia was to follow Vivienne’s footsteps and take to doing just as she would, always taking the extra care to wash, dry, brush, and braid Amelia’s hair with love. That’s probably what they’re doing now, Hinoka imagines. Washing out the shampoo that smells of peaches and jasmine, laughing to each other about some story Camilla is telling about Uncle Leo wearing his pants inside out to a court meeting. They’ll probably come barreling in to say good night soon.
With a pleased shake of her head, Hinoka takes a sheet of paper from her stack and begins to write. If she wants to get through all of these thank you notes, she might as well start now. Who knows, maybe she’ll even manage to finish them off and send them before Setsuna’s present arrives two weeks late.
To my dear little brothers, Takumi and Leo…
Thank you so much for the gift you sent for Amelia. She loves- Is it right to say that she loves it? Technically, Amelia herself hasn’t opened the gifts yet. She won’t for another few days. Hinoka knows she will love it, given that she’s been curious about magic since Leo grew her that first flower right in the palm of her hand, but in a way she supposes it’s not right to say it without knowing. She sets the piece of paper aside. Amelia can use that the next time she wants to draw something.
To my dear little brothers, Takumi and Leo…
Thank you so much for the gift you sent for Amelia. I know you’ve both put so much thought into selecting this gift for her. She has long admired magic for years, and-
“Kaa-chan?”
Hinoka’s head flicks up from her paper and over her shoulder, diving straight for the doorway. A smile sneaks across her face as soon as she lays eyes on her wife and daughter. Amelia is standing the closest, her long curls now styled into two beautiful, thick Chevois braids on either side, with a huge grin on her face. Her body is draped in a hand-sewn night gown, sunshine yellow and embroidered with little bumblebees along the hem of the skirt and around the collars and sleeves. The yellow offsets so beautifully against her rosy brown skin, it’s obviously a piece Camilla made just for her. She knows that Amelia is her daughter and she’s biased, but gods, she looks just like an angel standing there. With the proud, tall posture of her other mother behind her, Hinoka can tell that Camilla feels that way too. She doesn’t look nearly as presentable as Amelia, her long purple hair thrown into a messy bun and her dress stained with bath water and coconut oil, but she still strikes Hinoka as one of the prettiest women in the world. She is so lucky to have such a wonderful little family, right here in the palm of her hand.
“Hi, Lia. Hi, Cam. Have a nice a bath?”
Amelia nods cheerfully. “All fresh and clean!” she declares proudly, sticking her hands to her hips. “And Mama taught me the words to the chorus of that song she was singing.”
“Ah, added some more Nohrian words to your vocabulary, did you?” Hinoka truly cannot help the fact that she is grinning. A child of both nations, Millie has been raised mostly on common tongue, but lately she and Camilla have been practicing getting her to learn bits and pieces of Nohrian and Hoshidan to make it easier to talk to family. Amelia has taken to it like a fish to water. “Good work!”
Amelia curtsies jokingly, prompting a chuckle from her mother behind her. Her hand ghosts over the top of her daughter’s head affectionately. “Yes, now we can sing together a little bit more,” she says, “Some day soon, I’m sure you’ll learn the whole song.”
It’s something to be proud of for certain. After all, Hinoka has heard Camilla singing that song for years, and she’s still somehow hopeful that she’ll one day learn the lyrics. Admittedly, she was not the best student in her days of tutelage, so her Nohrian is extraordinarily rusty. She doubts she could do even half of what Amelia can.
“So is it off to bed with you, then?” Hinoka asks with a slight tilt of the head. Presumably Camilla’s already gotten her to brush her teeth, and with little else to do before bed, she probably should be drifting off soon. The day isn’t exactly getting any younger.
To her surprise, however, Amelia shakes her head. “We’re all going to bed.”
We? She quirks a brow, glancing over to Camilla. That same present smile is still tugging at her lips, but the expression she’s giving her wife is one of questioning, a sort of, Can you believe this kid? It’s not like their daughter to be so decisive. She’s usually quite demure.
When her eyes meet Camilla’s, however, she is giving off a different sort of expression. There’s a glint of mischievousness in those violet eyes of hers, and that alone is enough to set Hinoka on alert. She loves her wife to pieces, but the way she’s smiling right now can only mean that she’s up to something… and one should always be cautious when Camilla is up to something.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, silly goose,” Hinoka laughs softly, turning her attention back to her daughter, “I have to write to all your aunties and uncles to thank them for your presents. You know, for that big birthday you have coming up?”
Amelia rolls from her heels to the balls of her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. That same mischievous smile that’s on Camilla’s face has now migrated over to Amelia’s face as well. “Aunties and uncles will understand. I’m sleepy, Kaa-chan.”
Hinoka must not look convinced, because Amelia takes this opportunity to do a large, exaggerated yawn – stretched out arms and everything. It’s comical considering her age. She hasn’t figured out how to make lies look natural yet. Everything is still cute and clumsy, just like her little feet.
“Yes, they will understand, but that doesn’t mean they won’t tease.” She laughs. Already Hinoka’s siblings were a bit prone to affectionate teasing, but Camilla’s family took it to another level. Add on everyone’s new spouses, and if they got wind of one joke, then it would get passed around until she never heard the end of it. It would be like Leo’s inside out collar or the time Ryoma lied about having food poisoning just to make Felicia feel better. “You know how they are.”
Hinoka never answers her mail on time probably isn’t as big of a deal as she thinks it is, but she’d like to get above it where she can. Anything can be a weapon of beloved ribbing with a family this large. Not that Amelia will understand that – she just likes to laugh along.
“Oh, come now, dear. You know how easy it is to get back at them.” Camilla purrs, striding over to her wife. Her hands find Hinoka’s shoulders, and though they’ve been married for many years now, she still finds it a struggle to make some part of her not melt. All this time, and she still knows how to make her wife’s face flush. “Did I ever tell you about the time Xander got half of his lower body stuck in a hole, with only Elise and I to help him get out?”
She has to fight off smiling more. Of all the siblings, Xander is the most shy about these stories, and also the least likely to pull them out on someone else. It feels like a betrayal to snicker about them, though she knows he would do the same in her shoes.
“No, I don’t think you have.”
“Well,” Camilla draws her hand across her collarbone, moving from one shoulder to another. Hinoka’s never exactly been sure what it is that makes her so prone to that particular hand movement, but she tries not to question it. People have their quirks. Camilla just happens to be a bit quirkier than some others. “Perhaps if you’ll join me in bed, I’ll tell you.”
Hinoka tries not to blush at how much that sounds like a proposition, or perhaps it’s just the turn of phrase ‘join me in bed’ that makes her face heat up. Camilla would never be so open as to brazenly propose an engagement in dragon’s bliss in front of their daughter, yet the almost coy way she’s playing this interaction has her worried for a split second. She swallows thickly.
“What is this?” Her gaze bounces between them, confused. “Why do you two seem so keen on getting me to leave my desk?”
Her eyes narrow for a moment as a thought crosses her mind.
“This isn’t a ploy to get at your presents early, is it?”
Amelia shakes her head no frantically. “No, no, Kaa-chan! I wouldn’t do that!”
Cheeky as she might have been a moment ago, Amelia now looks firmly earnest. Definitely not vying for her presents. That glint in her dark brown eyes is one of another type of conviction. Hinoka’s eyes bounce back and forth between her wife and daughter.
“Then what are you two trying to drag me in to?”
Camilla laughs. It’s a hearty, giggly laugh. Then again, is Camilla ever able to produce any other kind? Hinoka’s not so sure she’s ever heard the woman so much as snort. Everything she does seems to be hypnotically perfect… or perhaps she just thinks that because Camilla is her partner. She can’t help it – nothing and nobody is as perfect as her beautiful girls.
Camilla leans back over Hinoka, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “We’re trying to drag you to sleep, sweet bun,” she purrs, right in Hinoka’s ear. “You’ve been staying up far too late lately.”
Taking this as her cue, Amelia also makes a move towards her mother, snaking around one of Hinoka’s legs on the chair, planting her head in Hinoka’s lap. She can feel where Amelia’s braids are still damp on her thighs. Her hands find her daughter’s hair and begin to stroke her head without even thinking.
Has she really been working that late? She doesn’t think so. Not as late as some other people she knows, anyway. At least she goes to sleep! It’s just that she is still working for the crown, technically, and she does have some responsibility in making sure that Notre Sagesse’s relationship with Hoshido is managed. Sometimes this means filling out boring paperwork or writing letters to her brother, but the hours she works really aren’t that bad. She thinks. Look, she’s not staying up for three days at a time, okay?
“Oh, c’mon. It hasn’t been that late.”
“It has too!” Amelia objects, squishing her cheek against Hinoka’s thigh. She can just picture the way her face looks, all smushed like that. She loves it. Amelia has the cutest cheeks. Then again, she thinks Amelia has the cutest everything. “Last night you didn’t go to bed until Mommy had already been in bed for three whole hours!”
Hinoka’s gaze darts down to her daughter. “And how did you figure that out, young lady?”
There’s a silence, and then a tiny meek voice: “Mommy… told me.”
“Ah-ah, doodlebug,” Camilla snickers, pressing her chest up against Hinoka like she’s trying to tempt her to sleep with the warmth of her body, “You can’t expect me to get you out of trouble this time. Those other times were a gift.”
“O-Other times?!”
“M-Mommy’s being silly, Kaa-chan! I was just…”
Up late reading again, Hinoka knows. A young girl like Amelia has many, many hobbies – but the one thing she loves to do most is read.
“Amelia. You’re getting on my case about not going to sleep at the right time, but you were staying up late yourself?”
“B-But I wasn’t awake that whole time, Kaa-chan, honest!” She nuzzles her face against her mother. “I did stay up to read a little, but I fell asleep… and that’s when I heard you get ready to go to bed. It was so dark out! Can’t you go to sleep any earlier? Surely there’s another time you can write your letters an’ stuff!”
Hinoka wonders when Amelia thinks that would be. During the day, Camilla is busy with her seamstress and embroidery business, and she’s usually the one watching and schooling Amelia. She can’t exactly drop everything to fill out paperwork for Ryoma. Does she necessarily need this job? Not exactly, considering her employer is her brother who would probably just send her money with no strings attached if she wanted it, but that doesn’t feel right to her. A little sleep seems like a small thing to sacrifice.
“You work too hard, darling,” Camilla adds, “You always have.”
Hinoka would like to deny that, but she can’t. One thing she’s learned from moving to Notre Sagesse is that the rest of the world is not necessarily as duty-bound as Hoshidans are. This means that a lot of people, including her wife and daughter, tend to perceive her as a little intense. But really, is it so wrong to want to do a good job? This is the principle she was raised on, but when she feels the arms of her wife and daughter tenderly wrapping around her, begging her to take some time to herself, she can’t help but feel weakened… like maybe they have a point after all.
“… Yes, I’ll admit that sometimes I’m too busy…” She glances between them. “But what are you trying to accomplish with this, apart from getting me to go to bed? What difference does it make to the two of you, apart from caring about my health?”
“It’s simple!” Amelia exclaims, lifting her head from Hinoka’s lap to smile up at her. “We need a third snuggle partner!”
A third… snuggle… partner?
“We thought we’d simulate it early right here to try and convince you…” She pauses. “Is it working?”
“So well, sweetie,” Camilla says, like she actually is the determinant of that and not Hinoka herself… Nonetheless, she does have to admit – it is working. The thought of cuddling up with her family doesn’t sound too bad, but… She spares another look at the stack of presents, almost longingly. She was going to be ahead of the game.
“Oh… oh alright,” Hinoka grumbles, shaking her head. At a moment’s notice, Camilla and Amelia release her, throwing their arms in the air in excitement. “We can have a big snuggle party.”
“Woo hoo! Snuggle party!” Amelia cheers, jumping up and down. Without another word, she goes racing to her bedroom, grabbing her precious stuffed bunny and running back to her parents’ bedroom. No doubt she’ll be all tangled up in their blankets by the time they arrive, laying smack dab in the middle of their bed. She’s usually brave enough to sleep on her own, but any time she does pay them a visit, she always manages to wedge herself between them.
Hinoka can do nothing but sigh and shake her head. So much for getting out ahead of things. Amelia is probably right, though – her aunties and uncles will understand. Perhaps she can even use the opportunity for teaching later and have her help write the thank you letters. Nursing the idea, she rises from her chair and prepares to head towards the bedroom, only to feel Camilla’s hand on her shoulder. She turns to look at her, expectantly – and finds herself surprised by how soft and genuine the expression on her face is.
“Thank you for indulging us, darling.” She whispers. “She and I are both feeling a bit lonely tonight, and we thought this would make us feel better.”
Hinoka’s heart swells. It’s still plotting in some way – a habit left over from her abandonment issues that Camilla has desperately been trying to kick – but her ability to admit those negative emotions is a show of progress. The fact that she is seeking out connection in an appropriately healthy avenue even more so. It shows that Amelia is learning to ask for what she wants from people, and learning to trust that she will receive… and that Camilla is learning that she is always loved, no matter what.
“Of course.” She dips her head, almost modestly, like she’s talking to a respected officer rather than her wife. She forgets, sometimes, that she’s not in the world of pegasus knights anymore. “You know I’d do anything for the two of you. You don’t have to be afraid to ask for anything from me.”
Camilla’s smile only grows in size. “I know. That’s what makes you the perfect wife.”
“That’s what makes us the perfect family.”
To this, she only laughs. “I never thought I’d see the day where Princess Hinoka would be comfortable saying something of that sort.”
“And I never thought I’d see the day where Princess Camilla became my wife, and yet here we are.” She leans over and plants a gentle peck on Camilla’s lips. It’s a gesture that seems most welcome. “Funny how things work out. Now, let’s get a move on. Our cuddle puddle awaits.”
Lacing their fingers together, Camilla and Hinoka turn to follow Millie and enter their bedroom.
Once upon a time, this would never have been the thing Hinoka pictured for herself… but when moments like these arise, she finds it’s a good reminder that it was the thing she needed most of all.