Chapter 1
Camilla hummed to herself as she prepared Corrin’s clothes for the coming day. Today’s outfit was a piece from her sister’s old wardrobe, which Camilla had taken from the Northern Fortress when Corrin had first disappeared. Camilla had lain awake at night, desperately clutching onto her sister's clothes while sobbing, desperately wishing her wonderful sister would suddenly appear inside it. Camilla still wasn’t sure how she had made it through that time without going mad(she had, a traitorous voice whispered. Camilla did her best to pay it no mind.) Corrin had grown in her time away, leaving the outfit Camilla held somewhat tight and uncomfortable for her little sister.
As much as Camilla didn’t like forcing her sister to experience discomfort, the only other outfit tailored for her sister was the one she had been wearing when she returned from Hoshido, and that was strictly off the table. Camilla would NOT allow her amazing sister, a princess of Nohr, to be desecrated by Hoshidan clothing. Camillas's favorite seamstress was working on adapting measurements from the piece into something more befitting a Nohrian princess, but the work hadn’t been completed yet. Her sister deserved nothing but the best, so they would have to be patient.
Camilla was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of shifting blankets on her bed. The bed itself was draped in deep purple sheets, with a black canopy overhead. It was a little too large for Camilla by her lonesome, but with the addition of an adorable little sister to cuddle, it was sized just right. Said little sister was currently stirring from her slumber, red eyesblinking awake before blearily fixing themselves upon Camilla. She set the prepared clothes down upon her secretary, then walked to the bed to gently pull the covers off.
Camilla hadn’t taken any of her sister’s nightclothes from the northern fortress, so her precious treasure had been garbed in her own. The magenta nightgown was too big for her sweet little Corrin, but Camilla preferred something too big than too small for her sister. The oversized clothes combined with the bondage Camilla had to tie Corrin in every night made her darling sister the very picture of a beautiful princess waiting to be rescued by a brave knight. Camilla had already rescued her sister of course, now she just needed for Corrin to confess her love. The waiting was torturous, but far less so than the mental agony Camilla had been in before she rescued Corrin, or the agony Camilla had been in while doing so.
The Hoshidan forces were in tatters by the time Camilla closed in on them. Some had rushed ahead to an early grave, while others had likely been left behind, too injured to carry on at pace. Selena hadn’t been able to join her, as she was tending to an injured Beruka. The rank and file Camilla had left were more than enough for her purposes. The conflagration summoned for the dragonvein had already done half the work of demoralizing the Hoshidans, and Camilla had an easy way to force them into despair. Camilla landed with a dozen unharmed knights behind her, and two dozen injured but still capable ones behind them. The thing that drew the Hoshidan’s attention however was what she brandishing atop Marzia for them all to see. The High Prince’s Katana, covered in blood. The Hoshidans who Camilla could see were shocked at the sight, likely believing their crown prince and princess to have been invincible. As much as Camilla felt she should give them a grand speech about their dead prince, Camilla knew such might betray whose blood exactly it was that soaked Rajinto. Camilla tossed the bloodied sword at the feet of the leading Hoshidans with a simple demand of “my sisters”.
Camilla didn’t have to wait long for her adorable little sisters to appear before her. Elise looked scared (She needn’t be, she wasn’t going to be much longer with the Hoshidans) and of course sweet little Corrin was barely holding in tears. She doubted the Hoshidans could tell, with their black hearts and only passing familiarity with Corrin, but a big sister can always tell. It tore Camilla’s heart in two to see her beloved little sister filled with such melancholy, but it didn’t surprise her. Corrin’s tender heart was her most endearing trait, even if the filthy Hoshidans had used it to their advantage during their brainwashing.
As her sisters advanced, Camilla signalled to two of the knights that had accompanied her. They disarmed Corrin of her strange, luminescent sword but left Elise with her staff. Her two sisters were then gently helped up onto the knight’s horses under Camilla’s eye. As much as it burned Camilla to have her sweet Corrin ride with some unknown knight, Camilla knew her injuries would reveal themselves if she allowed her sister to ride with her.
Camilla smiled at Corrin as she untied her. As tempting as her sister looked all tied up, it hurt Camilla to have her in such bondage after all the years she had spent in the northern fortress. She had truly believed that when Corrin left that dismal fort, Camilla would finally have the chance to show her sister the beauty of Nohr. Unfortunately, getting rid of the Hoshidan brainwashing was proving to be a difficult and time consuming process, and Camilla needed to keep her eye on Corrin. Not only to make sure the girl didn’t misbehave, but also to thwart any would-be assassins. Just because Iago was away with father in Hoshido didn’t mean his scheming wouldn't be directed here.
“You remember how much I love you, right Corrin?” Camilla had just finished untying her sister, and leaned down to kiss the top of Corrin’s head and hold her close. This had become their morning routine, Camilla untying her while reminding her of her love, them waiting for her sister's response. She didn't do this only to remind Corrin of the depths of her love, but also to see how much the Hoshidan’s brainwashing had regressed over the night without Camilla to stop it. The brainwashing was quite hard to scrub away.
“I remember Camilla.” Corrin sullenly responded. Despite the weariness in her sister’s voice, the older woman had to hide her smile in her wonderful sister’s hair. She was making progress. The first few days, her sister had responded with things like “at your word, your highness”, then “very well, Princess Camilla”. Little by little, her love for her sister was breaking down the Hoshidan’s vile sorcery. Soon, Corrin would become the cute little sister she watched grow up again. Once that happened, Camilla knew that Leo would come back home and they could all be one family again.
Camilla gently entwined her left hand with Corrin's right, greeting her sister’s callouses with her own. She moved off of the bed, slowly pulling her sister along. The younger woman didn't resist Camilla's movement, joining her by the secretary before slowly raising her arms. Camilla took her prompt to carefully lift the nightgown off of her sister, briefly admiring her sister’s chest before turning around and grabbing Corrin’s clothes for the day.
Changing Corrin was one of Camilla’s favorite indulgences. Seeing her beautiful sister bare, and knowing it was a sight for her eye only. That no one got to see her sister as exposed and vulnerable as Camilla did, at least not anymore. She quickly got to work, buckling and cinching her sister's eccentric outfit. Camilla wondered which of her sister's maids had last helped Corrin into this particular piece; she hoped it was the one she had killed.
Camilla had a list of targets she wanted dead from the Hoshidan's ranks. Foremost having been Princess Hinoka then Prince Ryoma, with her sister’s turncloak retainers closely behind them. What lies had Jakob fed Corrin when her big sister hadn’t been there to protect her? What icy poison had the twin maids whispered into Corrin’s ears to cause her to turn traitor? Camilla had felt a grin split her lips when she had seen that the pink haired maid had broken formation and advanced all alone. If Camilla weren’t already injured, she would have delighted in sinking her axe head into the woman’s back. As it was, all she did was sic Marzia onto the wench, the wyvern’s jostling making it clear Camilla was in no state to be swinging her axe around. The maid only had enough time to turn around and raise her knife arm before the Marzia ripped it clean off. The maid shrieked in pain briefly before Marzia closed her jaws around the woman’s head, cutting her screams off forever.
Once Camilla was done getting her beloved all dressed, she walked to the door and stuck her head outside to see Beruka at her regular post. Her subordinate turned to her immediately. “My dear sister and I are taking breakfast in my solar, would you be a dear and fetch it?” Beruka nodded once before setting off. Camilla smiled at her retainer as she walked with the slightest of limps. Beruka was cute in a stoic way, much like Leo was, except she wasn't pretending. Camilla smiled, happy to be surrounded by such an adorable family.