Chapter Text
What is this woman doing up at this hour? Saizo thought as Corrin poked her head outside the opening of her tent and looked this way and that in a suspicious manner.
For someone who claimed she was innocent of any wrongdoing, Corrin acted with guilty intentions. Corrin took off on a dead sprint once the coast was clear.Saizo eyes narrowed before he pursued her.
Corrin had been under Saizo’s constant observation for several weeks. Day and night, he scrutinized and analyzed her every action. Saizo was prepared for the day Corrin would try anything ‘cute’ and pull a fast one on them all.
Every instinct in Saizo’s body told him that today would be the day he would expose Corrin for who she truly was.
Corrin twirled and weaved through the camp as if she knew he would follow. It would take more than that to throw him off her trail. She had to be naive to think she would be able to escape him. Whatever her plans were, Saizo would find out what they were.
After several twist and turns, Corrin finally stopped in front of a tent. Saizo smirked at the idea catching her red handed. His suspicions would be confirmed, all Corrin had to do was spoon feed him the evidence.
Saizo followed Corrin into the tent, cloaking himself in the darkness. Just a little more and he would have her. All he had to do was wait. Corrin lit a dim fire that lit the nearby area; Saizo, however, was still shrouded in the shadows.
Now that he was able to see, he caught her! It was just as he suspected. Of course she was…
In the kitchen tent?! ?
All around Corrin were pots and pans dusted with flour. Further inside the tent, the sweet aroma of sugary goods caused his stomach to quake. Was she baking? Now that he thought about it, the kitchen had been closed the entire day. No one was allowed in. From the piles of chocolate truffles, bon bons, and short cakes, Saizo could see why: Corrin must’ve been baking all day. That explained the disaster around them.
“C’mon, you’ve destroyed a dozen batches of these today. Everything else tastes great,” Corrin spoke to herself as she retrieved a nearby rag and took a deep breath. She opened a makeshift oven and took out a tray of small strawberry cakes, “You did everything Peri instructed,” Corrin spread a layer of sweet cream around each cake, and garnished them with fresh strawberries.
This is what she was hiding...cakes and sweets? It wasn’t as...suspicious as Saizo thought. Now that he reflected back on it, the entire pursuit was kind of silly in light of recent events. However, it did beg the question: what was or rather whom was Corrin baking for?
“Gods, please be good, please be good,” Lady Corrin chanted to herself before tasting a strawberry cream cake. Saizo held his breath to avoid the sweet smell, but his eyes remained fixated on Lady Corrin’s face.
Her face was blank only for a moment before her face broke into bliss. Saizo eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the situation. Why in the world would she be happy?
“Thank goodness, finally! They don’t taste terrible. Now all that leaves…” Lady Corrin gathered the other short cakes, chocolates, and other baked sweets and snuck out of the kitchen in the dead of night.
Saizo followed in pursuit, his curiosity driving him forward. Lady Corrin made her way to a Nohrian tent, Prince Leo’s he believed, and placed the treats and goods down in a nearby spot. She proceeded to crawl through a small opening and entered the tent unnoticed.
As much as Saizo wanted to see what Lady Corrin was up to, he refused to blow his cover. Instead, he remained in the shadows and watched. Minutes passed before Lady Corrin exited the tent with a ragged satchel of healing herbs. She sighed, clearly exhausted, as she gathered the baked goods and towed the newly acquired satchel away to her new destination.
What in Gods name name is she doing…
Whatever it was, it must’ve been important for Lady Corrin to take her mind off Saizo’s constant watch over her. It wasn’t long before Corrin stopped by an oak tree with a person waiting underneath it. For a moment, Saizo wondered she was having a late night rondeau with a special someone. After all, why else would she go through all this trouble? However, while it explained the baked treats, it didn’t make sense as to why she needed the satchel of herbs from Prince Leo’s tent. No, it must be something else, or at least Saizo’s gut feeling wanted it to be something else.
Thankfully, Saizo’s original theory was dispelled when not one, but two people were revealed to be waiting for Corrin: Hana and Princess Elise. The three women were all giggles and cheer, unaware that they were being watched. As if on cue, Corrin gazed up to where Saizo hid, and for a moment he thought he had been discovered.
They seemingly locked eyes, and a twinge of guilt passed through him when he noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes. She looked exhausted, but still held a air elegance and surrealness he had come to know. Lady Corrin smiled softly, almost as though it was meant for him. A blush crept up Saizo’s neck and to his cheeks. He immediately chided himself for having such a response. It wasn’t as if she could see him or anything.
Saizo hid further in the darkness of the tree’s branches and leaves, and hoped Corrin would stop gazing at him with that soft and gentle smile of hers. It made him uneasy that such a simple gesture could have such an affect on him. He didn’t like it at all.
“Something the matter, Corrin?” Elise commented.
Corrin’s smile disappeared and she laughed to herself before shaking her head, “It’s nothing...anyways,” Corrin smiled as she showed the two her goods, “I have everything!”
Hana jumped in joy, “I just know Sakura is going to love her present!” Lady Sakura...her birthday is tomorrow…no today...is that what has Corrin all over camp? Things were beginning to connect, and Saizo now understood all the secrecy. They were making a present for Lady Sakura...but that still didn’t explain why Corrin snuck into Prince Leo’s tent. However, Hana’s voice broke Saizo’s thoughts before he could ponder about it more, “I would know because I’m her best friend and all”
“Hey, I’m her best friend too!” Elise pouted.
“Well, I was her best friend, first!”
“Hey, focus you two!” Corrin intervened, “We don’t have much time before the sun rises. Do you have the new satchel for the herbs, Hana?”
“Absolutely!” Hana held up a leather satchel with intricate stitching woven into it, “Only the cutest bag would do for Sakura”
“And I have the music sheets and some of Leo’s handwriting!” Elise laughed.
Corrin nodded with sly grin “Great, now all we need to do is arrange everything to look presentable and sneak it into Sakura’s tent before she wakes up”
“Right!”
The three took several minutes prepping the gift before all three snuck their way across camp to Sakura’s tent.
By the time there was a spec of light in the sky, Corrin, Hana, and Elise were long gone, and in Lady Sakura’s tent lay a gift.
Saizo was up bright and early, waiting out of sight to watch the events of Sakura’s birthday unfold.
The young princess exited her tent with her gift in her arms at the same time as Prince Leo and Corrin came walking toward her. The prince appeared in distress, Saizo interpreted the words he mouthed to ‘it’s gone’ and ‘what am I going to do’. Corrin only nodded and smiled, knowing full well she was the cause of his distress.
“Don’t worry about it brother, I’m sure you’re fine. It’ll sort itself out soon, I promise,” Corrin smirked.
Princess Sakura ran up to them with a nervous smile on her face, “P-prince L-Leo, is this from you? It has your name on it…” Sakura asked.
Prince Leo’s eyes widened with a soft blush gracing his cheeks from how near Lady Sakura was to him “My gift to you was much less grandeur,, and out of my hands, I’m afraid. Please forgive me, Sakura, but that’s n-”
“That’s Leo being modest for you, what a humble guy! What Leo means,” Corrin jabbed her brother in the ribs, and shot him a warning stare not to speak before she continued, “is that he spent lots of time picking a present suited to you. It needed to be something special like the wonderful person you are. However, he said even such things like these, can’t begin to compare to a beautiful flower”
The princess’s eyes widened with shock and admiration, “T-t-that’s so kind! Leo, thank you!” Sakura beamed. A small blush formed on her cheeks, “T-thank you so much! T-this gift was beautiful!” she smiled.
Prince Leo stiffened when Sakura pulled him into a hug. It took several seconds before he returned the gesture, “O-of course, Sakura. It’s my pleasure, and my hope that you have a wonderful day. I’m glad you enjoyed my gift”
Saizo smirked at the priceless expression the prince wore: one of pure affection and shyness. The night’s events made perfect sense now. It was all to make it seem as if Prince Leo was behind the gift. It seemed as though Corrin was playing matchmaker.
Saizo’s turned his gaze from the embarrassed and red-faced Leo to Corrin who watched on with a happy...and beautiful smile. It was one of genuine joy and bliss. Her entire face seemed to light up and soften despite the burns and cuts that littered her hands and the sleepless night she endured. She did it all to ensure the happiness of her siblings…
Saizo wondered if all her smiles made her appear so...he shook his head and scolded himself before he could finish that thought. What was with his head gawking at her like that? His mind had to be in the cloud to even think that way about Corrin.
He turned his attention back to the scene where others were arrived to wish the princess a happy birthday. Corrin excused herself from the fray and walked alone back to the tree from the previous night. Saizo followed closely, and knew the state Corrin was in that she wouldn’t notice his presence even if he was in front of her. She sat on the grass with a smile as a gentle breeze danced across her skin. It wasn’t long before her eyes shut to take a much overdue nap. Corrin lay curled up in the grass, sound asleep.
Saizo revealed himself and gazed at Corrin’s harmless form. She hadn’t a care the world if an enemy were to sneak up on her and attack. It was a wonder how she’s managed to survive this long. In this state, Saizo wondered if she was even a threat at all.
Corrin’s breath’s were faint as her chest rose in her sleep. Saizo sighed, and shook his head. This woman was going to run into some major trouble if she just decided to take naps anywhere she pleased. Her butler would come with a search party soon if she didn’t show up to camp.
All this trouble and exhaustion she went through, just to see Lady Sakura happy...
It seemed like Saizo had gotten ahead of himself this time. More like he did, although he hated to admit such a thing. He stared at Corrin, vulnerable and entirely oblivious to the world around her. Saizo frowned. Perhaps...he would observe her for only a little longer. A few more weeks of observation should confirm his suspicions...or not. In any case, it seemed as though Saizo would decide soon what path he would walk.
Without him even knowing, a soft smile came over Saizo as well.
Foolish woman Saizo shook his head as he went to pick up Corrin and carry her back to camp to nap somewhere far more comfortable.
All the way back the small, ghost of a smile still graced Saizo’s face.