Chapter Text
“Hello Shura!”
Princess Corrin sticks to her word to come early today. There’s barely anyone in the dining hall at this time except Jakob and myself, he eats even earlier than me. More people are starting to trickle in though, moving to the long communal table in the center of the room. I still don’t understand why she wants to sit with me when all her friends are over there.
“You don’t need to waste your time with me,” I say, almost in a joking fashion to not scare her away. But my words are sincere.
She just shrugs and puts her plate down across from mine, sitting down. “I don’t think I am wasting my time. I think you’re interesting, and funnier than you let on.” She smirks. “I have a feeling you’re not some scary big bad wolf.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Big bad wolf? Is that what they call me?”
She laughs. “No. They just all think you’re mysterious.”
“Mysterious sounds about right.” I smirk back. “You’re right though. I’m not a big bad wolf. That’s the wolfskin’s job.”
“I don’t know Shura, after you see a grown man chew up your little sisters stuffed bear, it’s hard to use the words “big” or “bad” to describe him.”
This time I’m the one who laughs hard, causing Jakob to glance at us as he walks by clearing his plates. Lady Corrin giggles as well and takes a bite of food.
“So why don’t you talk to the rest of the army?” She asks me.
“The same reason I don’t talk to you much. It’s probably not the best if you’re seen with me.” I’m constantly aware that I am not noble like the other people in the army. Sure, some of them may have had shady pasts, but none with a reputation like me. I’ve been an outlaw so long it’s easy to recognise me. They don’t need that association with their army.
“Well,” She starts, “I don’t think anyone would mind being seen with you. I know how you feel about your reputation, but when we joined this army we all became one. Blank slate.”
“That’s a wonderful thought Lady Corrin, but in some cases having a blank slate is not possible. Your reputation follows you, for better or for worse.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” she says. I take a bite of food while listening. “I think people shed their old reputations all the time. If we didn’t then we would still be remembered for what we did when we were children.”
I chuckle. “It’s different depending on how you’re known. It’s easy to lose a good reputation, nearly impossible to lose a bad one.”
“Maybe you just haven’t tried,” she challenges. “Niles was an outlaw too, and now he’s a royal retainer.”
“I wouldn’t say Niles shed any bad reputation that follows him. Just changed it.” It is true that he is now a royal retainer for Lord Leo, however he still isn’t seen as anyone noble. He’s well liked, but everyone knows how he is around camp. Sexually suggestive towards anyone, royals or commoners.
“But the thing is no one sees him as an outlaw. They don’t see his bad past, just his... admittedly strange present,” she admits.
“Well then how do you suggest I would change my reputation?” I ask, mostly to humor her. I doubt I will do anything about it, take her suggestions. Do I like being seen as an outlaw and a bad guy? Not particularly, especially since I only did what I had to for survival. But that’s the bed I made, so I have to lie in it.
“Talk to people. If you only let them know the outlaw side of you then they’re going to always see you as that. But if you let them see the other sides to your personality then they will trust you. They’ll want to get to know you like I do.” She flashes one of her sweet smiles.
I take a sip of wine and she does as well. I wonder if she likes the bitter taste as much as I do, or if she’s even drinking the same wine. “What if I don’t have another side to show them, Princess?”
“You do. No one is just one sided. We all have different parts to ourselves that work together to make us who we are. Even when you were an outlaw there had to be more to you. It’s just trying to show that to other people so they can really get to know you. Besides, how do you expect people to trust you on the battlefield if they don’t even know you in regular life?”
I think for a moment and then nod. “Alright, maybe I will try. For the sake of the army.” I admit. Really though, it’s not for the sake of the army. I’ve been in plenty of battles with these people now and they seem to trust my judgment with a bow. It’s more for her. Maybe if I get the army to like me more then she won’t worry about me, she won’t have to keep wasting her time with an outlaw like me.
She smiles brightly. “Great! It’s good to get to know people after a long time of isolation.”
“I don’t mind isolation so much Princess. It’s my choice to be alone. Not that I mind your company.” I smile.
“I wish I had that. Would’ve made growing up in the Nohr tower a lot easier.”
“You grew up mostly alone, correct?”
She nods. “Yeah. I had my siblings, and maids and butlers, but wasn’t allowed to go outside. Or have people visit. It could get lonely,” she says and then pauses. “But I’m out of that now. Now I’m surrounded by family.”
The smile she gives seems more forced than the others, and I can’t blame her. Thinking about a hard past can stir up emotions. If she’s anything like me, she’s faking a smile to drop the subject, so I don’t push it any further.
“So… Keaton chewed Lady Elise’s teddy bear?” I ask.
There’s her natural happy laugh. She smiles and tells me the story as the hall fills with people. We talk a little bit longer about mundane subjects I never would’ve thought I’d discuss with anyone else. After about half an hour I stand.
“It has been nice talking with you Lady Corrin, but I must get to training.” I say politely and bow my head.
She nods. “Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow Shura.” She smirks and stands as well, taking her plate and glass to the other table to go sit with the others.
I know she deserves better company than me, to be surrounded by everyone else, but I can’t deny the happy feeling I get when she says we can talk again.