I've started shipping them and can't stop. Odin is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters because of all his quirky theatrics, and Elise is just the most adorable little sister imaginable. For the longest time I've wanted to try my hand at writing Owain, but it just never felt right – until now. He and Elise just work, and when they're together I feel like I can do Owain the justice he deserves.

It did not escape my notice that the North American localization aged up a lot of characters who clearly look underage, Elise included. I understand their reasons for it, especially given the way the children were written into the story this time around, but for the purposes of my story I've decided to deviate from that. I think Elise's youthful innocence is a critical part of her personality, and I'm pretty sure she was designed to be 13 or so in the Japanese version, so I've made a compromise between the two ages to make her 15 in this story.

I've been working on this for several months now, even before I got my hands on Fates, and I'm glad to finally be kicking things off after laying the groundwork.


In Other Words

Chapter 1 – Wishing to Meet You

She rushes down the hall, barely stopping to knock before swinging the door to her sister's room wide open. "Big Sister Kamui, will you tie my hair for me?"

Kamui is seated in front of the mirror, securing her hair bow in place. She turns towards the door and can't help but giggle upon seeing Elise. Her cheeks are flushed in a way that is absolutely adorable, a wide smile spread across her face.

"Of course! Have a seat," Kamui says, indicating the cushioned chair beside her.

Elise hurries forward and plops herself down, laying her brush and hair clips in her lap. Kamui places the finishing touches on her own hair before turning to her younger sister.

"Alright, what would you like? The usual pigtails?"

"Mm, no, I want something different. After all, it's a special occasion tonight!" Elise sighs dreamily. "I love when we get to attend parties. And now that you're here, everything's perfect."

"Something different, hm?" Kamui runs the brush through Elise's golden hair, pulling it back towards herself. "I think I can handle that. I'll make it a surprise, so no peeking, okay?"

"Yeah! Listen, there's so much I have to tell you. It's been way too long since the last time we came to visit you here. Hey, do you think I've gotten taller?"

Kamui listens attentively as Elise fills her in on everything she's missed. It's no secret that the war effort has increased significantly in the past few weeks alone, and Elise recounts all the subtle changes happening at Castle Krakenburg.

"Is Father still sending out soldiers to bring back prisoners?" Kamui asks carefully.

Elise's smile fades. "Yeah," she says. "That hasn't changed. I've hardly seen him outside of the times when he summons us to speak with him. And you know how that goes."

The war with Hoshido has been going on for as long as she can remember. Yet even after all this time Elise can't help but wonder why. Is it really so impossible for their countries to be at peace?

Her siblings try to shield her from the worst of it, but she's seen the worried looks they exchange after a meeting with their father, has seen the tense frowns on the faces of the scouts sent on secret missions to the Hoshido border. The day is fast approaching when the battles will be waged out in the open, and she's been preparing herself for when she too will take up her staff to fight alongside those she loves.

But for now she dreams easily at night and wakes to breakfast surrounded by her siblings and happy days that she wishes would never end. Elise doesn't understand all of it, but she knows enough to think about what might happen if there comes a day when the five of them are split apart. It's the last thing she wants, and yet she's old enough to know that things can't stay this way forever.

"Elise?" Kamui's voice breaks into her thoughts. "Hey, you okay?"

"Ah, yes!" She says. "I was just thinking."

"Sorry it took so long," Kamui says. "But take a look!"

She turns around to see herself in the mirror. Her usual pigtails are replaced by one large bun that settles snugly atop her head. A bow is wrapped around it, the tails curling underneath in a way that is charmingly youthful yet appropriate for the evening's event. "Ooh, it's so nice! Thanks, Big Sister Kamui!"

Her older sister smiles. "I thought you'd like it. Come on, we should hurry up before they eat all the food without us!"

Elise hops off the chair and takes Kamui's hand. "Let's go!"

The two make their way down the hallways and around corridors until they descend the stairs to the main ballroom where the guests are already mingling by the appetizers. Elise scans the room and sees Xander busy greeting people, something she's eager to avoid being forced to do. She leaves him for now, and quickly spots Camilla and Leo standing off to the side.

She bounds over to her siblings and tackles Leo with a hug. "Hiya Leo!"

"Elise!" He exclaims. "Geez, stop jumping on me when there are people around."

"Worried about your reputation?" Camilla says. Their oldest sister already has a glass of champagne in her hand, and she swirls it deftly before taking a sip. "Please, Father's diplomats can hardly be bothered to care what his children are up to."

"Mm," Leo grunts his agreement and grudgingly returns Elise's hug. "I'm surprised he even bothered to organize a banquet in the first place, given how distant he's been recently. Although I am glad we can finally see you outside of the Northern Fortress, Sister."

"Maybe he wanted to show off our darling Kamui," she says, pulling her sister closer to her side. "My dear, how can Father possibly keep you locked away from me? Surely he must know that the best place for you is with the rest of us."

"Since when has anything Father does ever made any sense?" Leo says. "Sister, I wonder if Kamui can breathe with you crushing her to your chest like that."

"Big Sister Camilla, maybe just a little lighter?" Kamui manages to say.

"Nonsense," she says, smothering her even more. "Clearly you've been deprived of growing up with your loving big sister and I need to make up for all the time you've missed outside of my arms."

Kamui seems to resign herself to Camilla's affections, and returns the hug. Leo mutters something about overprotective sisters and heads for the buffet tables, with Elise giggling behind him.

His two retainers are already there, chatting idly amongst themselves. Elise skips ahead of Leo to meet them, ignoring his exasperated groan.

She curtsies politely, a bright smile on her face. "Good evening, Niles." Turning to the other man, she smiles shyly. "Hi, Odin."

"Lady Elise." Niles bows humbly, but glances at Odin in annoyance. "It's clear who the princess prefers. I don't care much for being the third wheel so if you'll excuse me."

"Aw, I didn't mean it like that," she calls after him. Niles just waves in response, and drags Leo away despite the latter's protests.

Odin shrugs like this is normal, and knowing the three of them it probably is. Elise suddenly feels nervous now that it's just the two of them, but what Odin does next makes all her worries melt away.

"O fairest princess," he bows deeply, and she giggles at the exaggerated gesture. He grins, clearly appreciating her response and she covers her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Wouldst thou honor thy humble servant with a dance?"

"She will," Elise says, placing her hand in his.

He straightens up, the grin on his face looking even wider, if possible. Odin doesn't miss the slight glare Leo sends his way, and just salutes him cheekily in response. Leo rolls his eyes, but cracks a small smile when he sees the obvious excitement on his younger sister's face.

Odin leads the two of them to the center of the ballroom where several other people have already started dancing. He respectably sets his hands at her waist, and Elise shyly places hers on his shoulders. She's a little too short to loop them around his neck the way she wants to, but there'll be time for that later once she's grown up a little more.

He leads her left and right, throwing in a few dramatic spins and dips, much to her enjoyment. She laughs in delight as he helps her twirl outward before bringing her back in to sway back and forth.

"Does the princess find her escort satisfactory?"

"What?"

"Are you having fun?" He says in a surprisingly ordinary manner.

"So you can speak like a normal person!" She exclaims.

"Well, yeah," he replies a little sheepishly. "Can't talk like that all the time. That, and the people at the market were getting fed up and refused to sell me stuff unless I stopped doing it all the time."

"So then what's with all the fancy speaking? Don't you get tired of it sometimes?"

"A hero is never idle," Odin says, puffing his chest up proudly like he's said that line a thousand times before. "And a true hero ought to speak like one too, don't you think? It's part and parcel of building an image."

"So you do it cause you think it's cool?"

"Isn't it?" He says. "I mean, I think so. But if her highness prefers, I shall stop."

"Well, maybe not all the time," she says and glances down at her shoes shyly. "But sometimes is alright. I think it's very heroic."

"See Laslow?" Odin shouts from halfway across the ballroom. "Someone gets it!"

Laslow, who was in the middle of chatting up the ladies, looks up to see Odin waving enthusiastically at him and shouting some nonsense about lordly speechifying. Turning back to his own conversation, he mutters, "I don't know him."

Elise just giggles. "You're so funny, Odin. I really like spending time with you."

"I like spending time with you too," he says sincerely. "Even if Lord Leo doesn't always like it."

"Oh, who cares about him?" She says with a pout. "He can mind his own business. Just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean everyone has to coddle me all the time."

"On the contrary, I think you're lucky to have siblings who care about you so much," he says, a wistful smile on his face. "Makes me wonder what it's like."

"You're an only child?" She asks in surprise. Somehow she'd always imagined him with brothers and sisters. He could be the oldest, a valiant protector of his younger siblings. Or maybe he was the middle child, the odd one of the bunch. Or maybe he was the youngest, energetic and adventurous like her. Any one of those scenarios seemed to fit him just fine. But being the only one sounded so… lonely.

"Indeed I am," he nods. "But I don't mind so much. When I was growing up I used to play with a lot of other kids my age and we got to be really close. We stayed together for a long time, up until…"

"Until?" She prompts, leaning just a bit closer. "Come on, don't keep me waiting!"

"Er, nothing," he says, avoiding her eyes. "We're still close, it's just that I haven't seen some of them in a while."

"Well, why don't you go visit them?" She says like it's the simplest solution in the world. "I'm sure they'd be happy to see you!"

Odin averts her gaze and says very softly, "Because I can't."

"You can't?" She repeats, not understanding. "Why not?"

He struggles to find the words, which seem to elude him for once. They usually tumble from him faster than most people can afford to process, and so she knows from his current silence that this is a difficult thing for him to talk about.

So she waits. They continue to dance all the while, the world turning slowly around them.

He finds his voice again, but the words are strained. "See they're… not from here. And I don't know if I can get to where they're at anymore."

A horrible thought dawns on Elise, and she asks uncertainly, "Are they, um, dead?"

"They're not dead," he responds quickly. "At least, I hope not. After all we'd been through, I doubt anything could kill them at this point."

"So they were like you, then?" She says, imaging Odin's friends as brave warriors wielding swords and tomes against a faceless threat. "People who fight to protect each other?"

"Yeah," he says, a proud look on his face. "To me, they were heroes."

Elise doesn't say anything for a while even though she has so many things she wants to ask him. She's known that Odin isn't from Nohr ever since she overheard the palace servants gossiping a while back, but the way he talked about his friends made it sound like he was from another world entirely.

But that's silly, she reasons. Maybe they just live really far away, or maybe they live in Hoshido. That would definitely explain why he can't visit them anymore.

"Um, you know!"

He looks at her and she bites her lip out of hesitation. "What troubles you, sweet princess?"

"Elise," she blurts out. "I like when you call me Elise."

"As you wish, Elise," he says. She decides she likes the way he says her name, with a certain air of reverence and respect and nobility that only he could pull off.

"I know you must miss them," she says. "And I know if I couldn't see my family anymore I'd feel the same way. But I… I don't want you to be sad."

"Then I shall endeavor to always have a smile on my face!" He all but shouts. "To never let the lady suffer to see me frown!"

"No, actually, just the opposite," she interrupts him before he can make any more over-the-top exclamations. "I want to help you, not burden you more! And if you're feeling sad then I want you to share it with me. So that you won't feel so alone."

She watches his expression change to one of surprise. Then it softens into something gentler that she can't quite put a name to. Her cheeks feel warm under his gaze, and she drinks in the tender look in his eyes, wondering what he's thinking to make him look at her that way.

He lifts her left hand from his shoulder and brings it up to place a soft kiss to her fingers. She gasps and watches transfixed at the way his eyes close for just a moment as his lips brush her bare skin.

This isn't the first time she's had her hand kissed by someone. As a princess, she's been greeted by both friends and strangers alike with bows, curtsies, handshakes, and yes, sometimes chaste kisses to her knuckles. It is a formality, just a simple hello. Odin is every bit the perfect gentleman as he kisses her hand, and yet the gesture feels somehow more intimate than she ever thought it to be.

"Lady Elise," he murmurs into her hand, his breath sending goosebumps up her arms in a way that is far from unpleasant. "Would that I could communicate just how much those words mean to me."

He pulls back to his former position. He's still holding her hand, and she wishes he'd never let go. His eyes shine a little as he meets her gaze once more and she wonders if he was moved to tears. Was what she said really so special?

"Thank you," he says. "Your kindness is surely wasted on this lone hero, yet I long to selfishly accept your sweet companionship. Although I am not your retainer, please think of me as such and call me whenever you wish."

Elise feels something stir inside her. His promises are grand and could be perceived as exaggerated flattery coming from anyone else, but when it's Odin saying those words to her, she can't help but believe him.

Feeling bold, Elise wraps her arms around him and lays her head against his chest. She can feel his heart beating steadily against her ear, and she sighs in contentment.

"E-elise!" He exclaims. "Um, I don't –"

"You're warm," she murmurs. Half-glancing up at him, she says, "Well? Aren't you going to hug me back?"

He doesn't move at first. Then he sighs a little, a slight chuckle escaping him and she can tell he's given in. "If milady insists so strongly, then who am I to decline?"

"She does," she says, a smile on her face.

He envelops her in his warmth and she closes her eyes. So safe. It feels just like when Big Sister Camilla hugs her to her chest, but a little different too.

"The night grows late," he says softly. "Does sleep beckon you into her warm embrace?"

"I prefer your warm embrace," she mumbles, but already she can feel her eyes getting heavier. A small yawn escapes her, and she belatedly tries to shake the sleepiness from her eyes, but he's already seen.

"Allow me to escort milady back to her siblings," she hears him say.

"No," she says, and clings to his arm. "I don't want to leave you yet."

She looks up at him just in time to see his smile, so full of kindness. "I promise to come see milady again," he says.

"Elise," she reminds him.

"Elise," he repeats, just the way she likes. "Destiny can only part us for so long. I vow to return to your side at dawn's first light on the morrow, if you so wish it."

His voice is soothing, and she can easily picture herself dozing off with him narrating stories at her bedside. It's a pleasant image, and she knows he'd do it without hesitation if she asked. But that's a thought for another day, she thinks as another yawn escapes her.

"It's a promise then," she says before he guides her away from the dance floor.

The rest of the evening passes by in a blur. Camilla fusses over her but she doesn't mind so much. She allows herself to be led away from the party back to her room, where her hair is taken down for her, her clothes changed, and her face washed.

Safely tucked in to bed, she can't help the smile on her face as she replays the events of the evening over and over in her mind. And as she falls asleep, her memories transition to dreams of her and Odin, dancing away into a night sky full of stars that shine brighter than usual.


Next chapter – Odin injures his spell hand, Elise tries to help, and theatrics galore.