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“Please, father, it was merely an accident,” Xander begged, an uncharacteristic moment for him. “Corrin did not mean to—”
“Silence.” King Garon glared down at four of his five children, all huddled together before his throne. Camilla held Corrin tight in her arms. Leo peered around Xander, scowling at the smug smiles of his father’s retainers.
“It does not matter if it was an accident or not,” Garon continued. “Corrin is unable to control her powers. For her sake, as well as yours, she must be locked away.”
Corrin sobbed. Camilla drew her closer.
Garon raised his right hand, and Iago stepped forth. “I have entrusted Iago with Corrin’s care until she is ready to join us once more.”
A smarmy smirk crawled across Iago’s face. Leo stuck out his tongue, only for Xander to smack him gently upon the shoulder.
Garon’s voice thundered, and Corrin swore she felt the room shake. “If any of you try to find her, I will reconsider ever letting you see her again.”
Xander’s head fell. “Yes, father.”
“Good.” Garon leaned back. “Say your goodbyes to your sister. Then you are dismissed.”
Corrin bit her lip. She wanted to stay, burrow deep into Camilla’s embrace, but she knew if she did not, Hans would rip her right from her sister’s arms. This was hard enough as is. Screaming and crying would make things worse.
She stepped forth and turned to face her siblings.
“Please,” Corrin said, voice warbling. “Tell Elise I’m sorry for what happened when she wakes. And if you see him, tell Silas I’ll see him when I get back. I still want to have that picnic, whether it be five, ten, even fifty years from now.”
Iago stepped down the dais and held out a hand to Corrin. “Well, dearie? Don’t keep me waiting.”
Corrin closed her eyes and took his hand. Magic washed over her, and the world wavered, her surroundings distorted as if she was looking through water. Her skin prickled, and she felt light as air.
Perhaps, she thought, this was for the best. She would learn to control her powers. Soon, she would be back, and she could properly apologize to Elise. They would all be one big happy family again.
But it was not to be.
Corrin glanced around her new home. Dingy gray stone surrounded her on all sides. The furniture was in various states of disarray, from a seemingly pristine bookshelf to a rickety old table and chair. A chest of her belongings sat at the edge of her bed. The winter wind howled outside.
“Let’s see,” Iago trilled. He sauntered over to the makeshift kitchen. “I can’t have you hurting yourself while you’re in here. No, no, that would be no good. I’ll just have to confiscate anything that could hurt you.” He plucked a knife out of a basket.
Something nagged at the back of Corrin’s mind. “Excuse me, Sir Iago, but… where is the door?”
Iago smiled, made all the more eerie by the knife in his hand. “There is none.”
“None? But then how am I to—”
“Leave? You aren’t.” The knife vanished from Iago’s hand. He crept closer to Corrin, and she stepped back, only to find herself against the wall. Iago took her chin in his hand. “This is your home now, dearie. You best be getting used to it, especially if you want to see your precious siblings again.”
He let go. Corrin slumped to the ground, her entire body shaking.
“I will come to visit, bringing you food, water, and anything you may need.” He dusted his hands. “That will be all for now. Au revoir.”
He vanished, and Corrin began to cry once more.
Existence in Corrin’s new home was lonely— at least, it would have been if Lilith hadn’t snuck herself into Corrin’s belongings. Finding her had been quite the shock. She hadn’t remembered owning a gigantic fish, yet there one was, right between her tea set and her clothes. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised to learn she wasn’t the only one with draconic powers. But why would a dragon take the form of a fish? Lilith herself did not know.
Lilith’s ability to fly proved helpful in busting their collective boredom. Once spring came, Corrin sent Lilith to scout out the area around her prison. From what they gathered the two were in a tower somewhere in the eastern mountains. The area around the tower was bare, save for the occasional pine tree and a thicket of briars at the tower’s base. It seemed that Corrin’s father made for sure no one would find her.
Iago only visited often enough to bring Corrin any necessities. Corrin pinned down his schedule early on, careful to hide Lilith whenever it was time for him to arrive. There were a few close calls at the beginning. But Iago seemed to care less about Corrin’s imprisonment, staying only a few minutes at a time. Lilith could have been right in front of him and he might not have noticed.
One night, after Iago left in a rather sour mood, Corrin knelt before her window and crossed her arms on the ledge. She gazed up at the stars. Lilith sat next to her, leaning her head into Corrin’s side.
“Lilith,” Corrin said, never breaking her gaze from the sky, “Do you think we’ll ever be free again?”
“Yes,” Lilith said. “Somehow, I think it will all turn out fine.”
Years passed. Without anything to cut it, Corrin’s hair grew longer and longer. Not too long after she arrived, she learned how to control her claws and use them to slice vegetables. But her hair proved harder to cut than a mere carrot. Lilith tried, but her claws weren’t sharp enough. She asked Iago many times to trim it for her, but he refused, giving no reason at all. Eventually her hair grew to reach the floor.
But while her hair grew, her hopes waned. If her father truly meant for her to master her powers, he did not seem inclined to give her any proper instruction on how to do so. Iago was of no help. Even if he had cared, his specialty was in dark magic, not shapeshifting. She would have to figure it all out herself. At this rate, it would take her entire life. She resigned herself to life in her glorified prison.
But one day, everything changed.
“Corrin,” Lilith flew into the window. “There’s someone outside!”
Corrin nearly dropped her cup of tea. Some splashed onto her dress. “What?”
“You heard me! Come look!”
Corrin set down her cup and rushed over to Lilith’s side. Surely enough, down by the base of the tower stood a gray-haired man in black armor.
“Hello?” He called. “Is, uh, anyone there? I’ve been separated from my unit, and I need directions.”
Corrin turned to Lilith. “Should I speak to him at all? If I do, Iago may punish me by taking away my books again.”
“Oh, forget Iago!” Lilith sneered. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him. Besides, this man needs help! He might die if he doesn’t find his friends.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Corrin took a deep breath, then leaned out the window. “Up here!”
The man looked up. From this high up, she could barely make out his face. Yet something felt familiar about him.
“Good day, miss! I’m stationed at the border, but I seem to have lost my way there. Do you know how to get to the crossing?”
“No, but I know someone who does,” Corrin said. “Um, please don’t freak out when you see her…”
“Why would I freak out when— oh my gods!”
Lilith flew down and landed in front of the man. He stumbled back.
“Don’t worry,” Corrin continued. “She knows her way around. I’m sure she can help you find your unit.”
The man glanced back up at her. “Well then, thank you, miss… what is your name?”
“Corrin.”
The man froze. Lilith poked him a few times, but he stood still.
“Sir?” she asked. “Are you alright?”
“I… I found you.”
Adrenaline rushed through Corrin’s body. “I… what are you talking about?”
“Corrin,” the man said, “It’s me! Silas!”
As it turned out, with a tied up blanket and Lilith’s assistance, one could climb into the tower from the outside window. It was no easy task. Silas slipped a few times on the way up. When he reached the windowsill, Corrin helped him into the tower and threw her arms around him.
“Silas!” Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “Silas, I’ve missed you so much!”
Silas returned her gesture. “I missed you too.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye. After what happened to Elise, it was all so sudden, and—”
“It’s okay,” he said, pulling back but not breaking their embrace. “I figured they’d sent you off somewhere when I didn’t hear from you. Your siblings said they had no idea where you were, and that I was forbidden from contacting them.”
“Of course my father would do that. Speaking of which, how are my siblings? Did Elise recover?”
“Elise made a full recovery,” he said. “She’s known as the Sunshine of Nohr with her positive attitude. And the other three are doing very well! They’ve all taken positions in the army. I think my unit is somewhere under Xander’s command.”
“Wait, hold on.” Lilith butted her head into Corrin’s leg. “Who is this?”
“Oh, I guess you never did meet him.” Corrin let go of her guest. “Lilith, this is Silas, a childhood friend of mine.”
As it turned out, Silas had joined the army in hopes of someday finding Corrin. A stupid move, he admitted, but by some miracle it managed to work. Lilith helped him memorize the path between his camp and the tower. He came back any time he had a semblance of free time long enough to make the trip. Corrin made sure to warn him of Iago’s visits. Thankfully, Iago only ever visited in the morning, meaning Silas was safe as long as he came in the afternoon. Corrin merely had to remember not to mention him in Iago’s presence, something she already was used to with Lilith.
It seemed for a moment that nothing could go wrong.
Corrin stood before the hearth, stirring the large pot hanging inside. The fire radiated warmth, protection from the fresh snow falling outside. “Do you remember what I promised you before I left?”
Silas smiled. “A picnic in the gardens.”
“Well, this isn’t a picnic, and this certainly isn’t a garden, but I hope it counts nonetheless.” She ladled some soup into a bowl and handed it to him. “I’ve gotten very good at making dinner these last few years.”
“Thank you, Corrin. I think I’ll count it for now.”
“For now?” Corrin cocked her head. “What do you mean, for now?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking.” He swirled his spoon in his soup. “I love Nohr. I really do. But your father— our king— has imprisoned his child in a tower in a barren wasteland, all over an accident. And that’s one of only many questionable decisions he’s made.”
Corrin placed a bowl in front of Lilith. “I can imagine.”
“I’m thinking… maybe we could get you out of this tower. Maybe we could go on all those adventures we wanted to when we were younger. You, me, and now Lilith too.”
Corrin’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, how she longed to see the world again, to feel the grass upon her bare feet, to smell fresh wildflowers in the spring. “But when they realize I’m gone, they’ll start looking for me, and if they find us—”
“They won’t,” Silas said. “We’ll head to Cheve. And once Prince Xander is in power, then we can return to Nohr. I know all your siblings would be ecstatic to see you.”
Corrin sipped on her soup. “Are you sure? I remember Xander and Leo being rather strict on rules.”
“Well… I’d hope their happiness would trump that, at least.”
Corrin giggled. “I can just see Elise telling them to stop being such sticklers.”
A gust of wind rattled the tower. Lilith’s soup spilled over onto the floor. She let out a grunt before hopping up on the bed to look out the window. “Um… Corrin, Silas. Come look at this.”
The two came to join Lilith at the window. What started out as a light dusting of snow had intensified into a blizzard. Thick clumps of ice fell from the heavens, obscuring anything and everything from view.
“I don’t think it’s safe for Silas to travel out there,” she said. “We can try, but the mountains are already unforgiving terrain for those who can’t fly.”
Corrin and Silas exchanged glances.
“Iago came this morning, so he shouldn’t be coming tomorrow,” Corrin said. “I think you should be safe to stay here for the night.”
“Alright then.” Silas took a blanket and pillow off of Corrin’s bed. “I’ll go ahead and get myself set up on the floor.”
Corrin grabbed his arm. “Wait. No.” She paused, hardly believing what she was about to say. “You can sleep next to me.”
Silas blushed. “You’d be fine with that?”
“Yes.”
Lilith blushed as well. “Oh. Um, do you want me to sleep in the chest then? That’s the only way I can think of giving you some privacy.”
Corrin waved her hands frantically. “No, no, nothing like— no. Just cuddling. It’ll help us stay warm. I don’t want Silas to be on the cold floor.”
“I still feel like I don’t want to see that, and I really don’t know why,” Lilith said. “So I think I’ll just hide in there anyways. Your dresses make very good nesting material.”
“Alright then.” Corrin turned to Silas. “Are you ready to sleep, or would you like to stay up a little longer?”
Silas smiled. “I’m about finished with my soup, so yes, I think I’ll get ready for bed.”
Corrin put away the bowls whilst Silas removed the last of his armor. Lilith wished them a good night before snuggling up in the chest and closing the lid. Silas slipped under the covers, then Corrin. The two curled into each other, placing their foreheads together, and fell into a deep sleep.
“Well, well. What do we have here.”
Iago loomed above Corrin, his greasy black hair dangling in her face. His usual twisted grin felt even more eerie this close.
“Please do not stand so close,” Corrin mumbled. She blinked, still half-asleep. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
Iago chuckled. “Ah, but how can I miss such a sweet moment between the two of you?”
Corrin squinted. The two of them? What was that supposed to—
Oh gods.
Silas.
She jolted up. Silas wasn’t by her side. Instead, he was next to the window, his arms and legs bound by Iago’s dark magic. Some sort of magic symbol was over his mouth.
“It seems you’ve been naughty,” Iago purred. “And with a boy, no less! My, my, what have you two been up to?”
“Nothing, I swear!” Corrin fell out of the bed and onto her knees. She grasped at his robes. “Please, let him go! It was my fault. I shouldn’t have let him in. I was lonely!”
Iago waggled a finger. “Tsk, tsk! You knew better than this. Locked up for the safety of others, and yet you still couldn’t help but be selfish and invite someone in! What if you’d hurt him? Then what would you have done?”
Tears streamed down Corrin’s face. “I wasn’t going to hurt him, I swear!”
“Not was, if.” Iago leaned down and grasped her by the chin. “And knowing you, it was inevitable.”
“Please,” Corrin begged. “Let him go. I won’t disobey you or my father again. Just let him go.”
Iago pursed his lips. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Iago let go of her, then waved a hand. Silas’s binds dissipated. “Well then. You heard her, loverboy. You’re free to go.”
Silas stood in silent protest.
Iago turned toward him. “Not leaving, hmm? I suppose I’ll have to send you out myself.” He raised his hand. A ball of miasma materialized in his palm. Corrin had no time to react— It slammed right into Silas’s chest, knocking him backwards out the window.
Corrin screamed. “Silas!”
“As for you, I suppose I’ll just have to carry out Garon’s contingency plan.” He snatched a fistful of her hair and yanked her close. Corrin heard Lilith scream, stopping abruptly when Iago warped her out of the tower. The ground vanished from beneath her feet, and she fell, only to jolt to a stop. Her scalp erupted in pain.
“I find this to be a waste of a perfectly good tool, but orders are orders.” A pair of shears materialized in his hands. Corrin’s blood ran cold as she realized what he was about to do. “Au revoir, dearie.”
Iago took the shears and cut Corrin’s hair,
And she fell,
Fell,
Fell.
Corrin wasn’t sure where she was. Heaven, hell, somewhere in between. Wherever she was, it was beautiful. Chunks of earth floated in a seemingly endless sky. Some were tiny, holding at most a tree, while others carried entire villages upon their backs. Waterfalls cascaded over the cliffs and down into the abyss below. Fields of white flowers stretched from one end of the islands to the other.
Time seemed to flow differently in this strange place. Corrin wandered around the various islands, crossing the stone bridges that cobbled themselves together when she approached. None of them seemed to lead to any of the islands with villages. The only buildings in her path were all crumbling ruins. Even in death, it seemed, she was cursed to be alone.
But then, after what could have been days, weeks, months of wandering, she heard a familiar voice.
“Come on,” it said. “Just a little further. I promise this is the right direction!”
Corrin rounded the corner of a ruined building. Her heart leapt. Before her were Lilith and Silas. She bounded over to see them and tackled Silas in a hug.
“Oh, thank the gods!” Said Lilith. “I thought you’d ended up down here, but I wasn’t sure! Oh, uh, be careful with Silas there. The briars at the base of the tower blinded him.”
Corrin then noticed the bandages wrapped around Silas’s eyes. “Did you do that?”
“Yes,” she said. “And I’ve been leading him around this entire time.”
Silas scowled. “You lead me off a cliff!”
“For good reason!”
Corrin rubbed her thumb against Silas’s bandages. “I thought you were dead.”
Silas placed a hand on her cheek. “And so did I.”
The two sat there, content in each other’s embrace. If time truly was different where they were, maybe they could stay there for eternity.
“Wait.” Corrin pulled away. “Lilith. You knew I would be down here? Where are we?”
“This is Valla, the Invisible Kingdom,” Lilith said. “It’s where I’m from, as well as your mother, Corrin. It’s a rather long story. I’ll tell you more when we get to the palace. But just know you’re safe here.”
“Safe…” Corrin lifted Silas’s bandages. She placed her forehead against his. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “Safe at last.”
She leaned in and gave him a kiss. Silas took her head and nudged it toward him. Her tears wet his eyes, but he did not care— he pulled her in further.
When the two separated, Silas blinked.
“Corrin,” he gasped. “I can see! I can see again!”
Lilith led Corrin and Silas safely to the Palace of Valla. There, Corrin learned of her legacy as the lost princess. Her new subjects were quick to grow fond of her, citing her kindhearted mannerisms and generous nature. She and Silas were married and became Queen and King. Their rule brought a new golden age to Valla, something they were proud to pass on to their two children.