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If someone had told Oboro that she'd be working on a dress for a Nohrian, she would've asked if she'd been kidnapped or something. She'd wonder if the only way to gain her freedom would be to make the outfit, less the Nohrians would kill the Hoshidan crown prince or something. However, that wasn't the case. She was doing this, happily, of her own free will. Granted, she was working on a Hoshidan dress at the same time, but looked at the Nohrian one didn't fill her with rage. The war with Valla was so long ago, so Nohr and Hoshido had been on good terms for a while. There were still people who struggled to accept it, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was one of them.
She hadn't completely forgiven Nohr for what they did, but she at least learned that there was evil in both nations. The efforts of their leader Corrin managed to bring the nations together, a feat she once thought impossible. At one point, the very idea of working alongside Nohr made her skin crawl. She learned there were bigger forces at play though, so she swallowed her feelings and remained civil with them. Upon talking to some of them, she realized they were people just like the Hoshidans were. Not blood thirsty monsters who lived for the thrill of battle. Who killed them for fun. War was more nuanced and complicated than that.
Her friend Benny played a pretty big role in that. He wasn't like the Nohrian stereotypes at all. He was huge and strong of course, but he was also timid and cowardly. It made him endearing in her eyes. The man was a walking teddy bear in all honesty. She meant that in more ways than one. It wasn't just how he presented himself, she learned that the man gave great hugs. Even when he was covered in armor. It made her smile to think about it. She was so happy to have such a sweet man as her friend.
It got her thinking that without their leader, she'd have never met him. If anything, she may have cut him down without a second thought. Then she'd move on with her life until she'd find another Nohrian to cut down. The idea sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't want to imagine a timeline where she was responsible for taking such a kind soul away from the world. She'd have to thank Corrin for that another time, for in a way introducing the two of them.
It wasn't just them though. They were the spark of course, but it was actually the Nohrian princess Elise that convinced him to defect from the army trying to kill them, and to join their army. Just like Corrin, she'd always be grateful to her for that. That may play a part in why she was so passionate about getting this dress done for her. She owed her, though she also knew if she brought that up to her, she'd dismiss it. She'd just tell her that it's nothing to worry about, or that it's thanks to her being a great person that she met Benny. She smiled slightly, that girl was nothing like the way Nohrians had been depicted to her.
Her older sister Camilla was... admittedly a bit ruthless to her enemies, fitting the stereotype. The younger of her two older brothers wasn't as blood thirsty, but he didn't seem to have much sympathy or empathy for his enemies. Then there was Lord Xander, who was a bit intimidating. He was a kind man, but she hadn't talked to him too much. All she knew was that he adored Nohr with all his heart. Lady Elise though, she was so sweet and bubbly. She cared so much about everyone, regardless of their nationality. She was an inspiration to her in that regard, in spite of how much younger she was than her. It just showed her that one can learn from anyone, regardless of how old they are or any other factors.
Oboro heard a gentle knock on her door. She put down her needle and stood up. She had a feeling she knew who it was, considering how light the knock was. She nearly missed it, she was lucky that she'd always had a strong attention to detail. She didn't want her guest to assume she was being ignored. Especially if her gut feeling was right.
Like a lightning tome, she quickly made her way to the door and touched the handle. She couldn't leave a royal waiting. She opened the door and saw Lady Sakura's anxiety ridden face behind it. She smiled gently at her, hoping to assuage her fears. Sakura looked up at Oboro before smiling gently at her.
"O-oboro..."
"Lady Sakura! To what do I owe the visit?" She asked joyfully.
"Oh, uh... I just... wanted to ask if there were any updates on my dress! If there aren't it's fine! I'm not trying to tell you to hurry up! You can't rush perfection after all!"
Oboro giggled. Despite how long the two had known each other, being the retainer of her older brother, Sakura was still always so nervous with her. Of course, she was like that with basically everyone. So she knew it wasn't personal, but she still couldn't help but hope the two could talk more casually one day. Or at least, as casually as a retainer can talk to royalty.
"I appreciate the accolades. I was just working on your concert dress actually. I think it's coming along quite well, if I do say so myself."
"Oh! Did I bother you? I'm sorry, I'll get out of your hair!"
Oboro wanted to grab her arm to stop her, but she didn't want to be disrespectful. "Wait Lady Sakura! You're not bothering me at all. I needed a break anyway. If you hadn't shown up, I'd have probably kept going until I fell asleep. So you did great, thank you."
"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. "Are you sure?"
Oboro placed a hand on her chest. "Yes. I promise you aren't bothering me."
Sakura blushed and nodded. "Okay... thank you! May I come in then and take a look at what you've got so far?"
The seamstress nodded. "Of course, come on in!" She waved her hand in a motion that said to follow her.
She walked back to her desk and pulled out her chair, gesturing for Sakura to take a seat. Sakura reached a hand out to grab said chair, but stopped. She looked at Oboro, who smiled reassuringly. Sakura looked back towards the chair and sat down. Oboro reached over and pulled the dress closer to Sakura, prompting her to gasp. A smile crept onto Oboro's face as a result. The dress itself was a pink kimono covered in a different shade of pink giant flowers. Scattered on the dress were white flowers and smaller flowers that were yet another shade of pink. Yellow branches were also spread out across the dress.
"Wow... it's so beautiful Oboro!"
"Thank you! I'm glad you like it so much! I still need to put on some finishing touches though."
Sakura turned her head towards the retainer and tilted it. "Hm? What else do you need to do?" She turned her head back to the dress and started examining it further. "It looks d-done. I can't really imagine much else you c-could do."
"I appreciate that, I'm glad you're already so in love with it! I can just be a bit of a perfectionist. Besides..." Oboro put her finger on one of the flowers. "I may need to change the size or shade of this one. Not sure yet. I also want to add ribbons around here." She pointed at the stomach area of the dress.
Sakura giggled. "Y-your passion is infectious... Okay, I'll take your w-word for it. Though, will it be ready in time for the concert? I-I just want to look my best on stage..."
"Oh no doubt." Oboro said as she hit her nose with her thumb. "We've still got time."
The princess clapped her hands together. "Amazing! You're so amazing!"
Oboro's cheeks turned crimson before she waved her hand dismissively. "That's so sweet, but I'm just doing my job. If anything I should be thanking you for giving me a chance to make not just one, but two dresses for both Nohrian and Hoshidan princesses!"
Sakura looked down at her lap, trying to hide the smile on her face. Her cheeks turned red as well, prompting another giggle from Oboro.
"Thinking about your girlfriend?" She asked. "Or should I say fiancee...?"
Sakura squeaked. "U-um... y-yeah... I j-just think she'll be so pretty. I h-hope she'll accept..."
"Of course she will!" Oboro reassured. "Lady Elise loves you to death. There's no way she's going to say no. Especially with the plan you've come up with."
Sakura nodded. "Y-yeah... you're r-right..." She looked up at Oboro with fire in her eyes. She pulled her fists down with determination. "I h-have to believe! We'll live happily ever a-after! Together! After the concert! I-it's gonna be great!"
Oboro beamed at her young friend. She couldn't help but feel a bit proud of how far she'd come since the war. From barely being able to talk to people aside from her siblings and retainers, to preparing a huge stunt. She had plans to propose to Elise once they were done playing for everyone. She knew that Sakura wouldn't back down from the challenge, but she was still a bit worried. Worried about the idea that she could faint before she popped the question or something.
She'd seen many proposals and weddings. She had made many dresses for them. Yet she still wasn't sick of it. There was something about seeing people come together to celebrate a union filled her with joy. She was glad she got to be part of so many of them. Everyone relied on her during times like this, and she didn't want to let them down.
She wondered if part of it was the fact that it'd never happen to her. She wasn't sad about that, not at all. She was perfectly content with the amount of people in her life. She loved them all so much, and didn't really understand why some people were so obsessed with finding their significant other. It didn't stop her from wondering if her love of weddings had something to do with wanting to understand her friends. She eventually dismissed the thought, figuring she was just happy to see people she cared about so happy.
"I wonder when the wedding will be...?" Oboro wondered aloud, her voice carrying a teasing tone.
Sakura's eyes widened as her head jerked towards Oboro. Her face was turning as red as her hair. "O-Oboro! She hasn't even accepted yet! D-don't you think y-you're getting a bit a-ahead of yourself!?"
She folded her arms while smirking. "We've established that there's no way she'll say no. We may as well start planning now! There's so much to do... Catering, decorating, the venue... There's so much to do! I can't wait to get started!"
Sakura started stammering, making Oboro laugh even harder. She wasn't sure if it was the best idea to tease a princess, but she had to admit it was fun. Besides, she and Sakura had been friends for so long. She figured that if it bothered her that much, she'd tell her to stop. It probably helped that she never insulted her or anything. She just loved making her flustered. Besides, she was also serious about the fact that Elise loved her. She'd tell her that even if she wasn't interested in making her flustered. Sakura was the sort of girl that needed a self esteem boost anyway. She was so shy and anxious after all.She'd love to make her love herself as much as she loved her.