Part two... I drafted this entire thing in one sitting. o_O
There will probably be two further installments, possibly three.

Although Hinoka's feelings didn't stray from the conversation with Camilla that night, she couldn't have prepared herself for the next day. Waking up to find her favorite outfit had been placed on the foot of her bed, the princess extended a hand to grab it with drowsy slowness. The fabric was soft and still faintly warm in her hands. It must have been Camilla who washed it. Men were forbidden to enter the women's rooms unless granted permission, after all.

As she dressed, Hinoka could tell it would be a quiet day. The only noises outside were the cries of Kana and Kigari in a game. The two boys were others Hinoka had strange feelings about. On the one hand, they were the prime of youthful innocence and enthusiasm. On the other, they caused enough mischief to make the likes of Orochi proud. Maybe she should greet them this morning, Hinoka mused, if only to curb any risky activity they might be planning. Days ago, they'd taken a hunting trip that resulted in a sprained ankle, a missing bow and an empty quiver.

"You're awake already? My dear, you don't need to rise with the sun every morning!"

Camilla's voice floated from nearby as Hinoka left her room. Camilla was waiting for her in the foyer, and Hinoka was pleased to return the hug bestowed on her. She noticed with a trace of admiration that Camilla was wearing a very different array of clothing today; a purple dress that came down to her thighs with a pleated skirt, and knee-high black tights. She had completed this with a flowered band in her hair.

"No need to worry, I've slept enough." Hinoka said, suddenly feeling shabby by comparison. "But forget that, you've sure dressed up today. Are we going to a wedding or something?"

"Oh, no, dear. Nothing fancy like that. Why, I was just going to ask if you would join me on a trip to Hoshido square? Perhaps I can find you an even prettier outfit than that! Forgive me if pink isn't quite your color."

"Not exactly, but thanks anyway." Hinoka hid her slight blush with a laugh. "And of course I'll come along! I'd hate for you to be alone."

"I won't be, dearie. Others are going too, but you can stick close to me."

It was the perfect day for shopping. In the square, the sky was bright and cloudless, the streets thick with customers and merchants alike. Already, new stores had cropped up in the flourishing city after the war. To Hinoka, it all revived the bittersweet memory of the morning Mary had arrived in the home of her birth.

But with Camilla at her side, negative feelings couldn't survive. The pair's first destination was the largest clothing supply Hinoka had ever seen. Such an array of colors, textures and decorations was the stuff of any woman's dream. When her eyes fell upon a pale red set with a matching skirt, the Hoshidan's face flushed and she whispered to Camilla if she might make a brief trip to the fitting area.

"Of course! Take all the time you need, I'll just be finding a little something for myself."

Delighted, Hinoka made her way to the closest-sized stall. In her excitement, she hardly realized the glances she was taking in the mirror every now and then. Although she was never proud of nor concerned about her body, soon she was looking at herself with a strangely scrutinizing eye.

In the back of her mind, she recalled the time when Camilla had threatened her, after the defeat at the Hoshidan castle. Terrified of being killed then and there, Hinoka would never forget Camilla's remark that her face was fully adorable. That was probably the first sign of kinship between the two princesses, and yet, it wasn't reliving that memory that made Hinoka's face feel warm. There could be something in the store she could buy for Camilla, although she would need to determine first if it fit or not... And perhaps...

"Hinoka, sweetie? Have you tried it on? I'm sure you look so darling in it, let me see!"

"S-Sorry, I'll be right out! Just... gimme a moment."

It was a good thing Hinoka managed not to rip the delicate, lace-fringed pants as she hastily stripped them off. It didn't help that Camilla was still standing so close by, with only a thin door separating them.

"Are you having trouble, dear?"

"I-I mean, I'll just be another minute. It's kinda hard to take this off."

"I can help you, if you'd like."

"No!"

Had she just shouted? Horrified, Hinoka fell silent and listened without breathing.

"Oh, very well. You're not upset, are you, dear? You seem to be a bit off today."

Hinoka waited to answer until she was fully clothed, afraid that she'd upset Camilla. To her relief, the Nohrian princess extended an arm around Hinoka's shoulders as a silent gesture of "all is forgiven" once she reappeared.

"I'm alright, honest." Hinoka said, finding a genuine smile when Camilla ruffled her hair as a grandmother might with her favorite niece. "And besides, it's not time to worry now, right? We still have so many more places to go!"

"Right you are! But before we go, is that outfit to your liking? I must say, I wish I could see for myself how cute it would look on you."

"O-of course, I love you. I mean- I mean I love it! Gods... I'll take it, Camilla."

Blushing as red as the shirt's fabric, Hinoka didn't wait for a response. Cursing at her haste under her breath, she paid the fee with the spare gold she'd been saving, hoping her flush was fading. Why now, of all times, did her impulse for blunt speech have to take over?

"There you are!"

If it wasn't Camilla's voice, Hinoka would have gasped in fright when a hand touched her shoulder. The Nohrian warrior didn't appear troubled, her smile as easy and adoring as ever.

"Promise me you won't go running off like that again! Now, are you ready to head to the market? You must be getting hungry with all the walking we've done."

"I won't, if you'll take me to my favorite place."

The rest of the trip passed without incident. To Hinoka's gratitude, the awkward moments went unmentioned, and long before they'd reached the restaurant she was steady again. Maybe Camilla simply hadn't heard her, it was understandable in a fairly busy store at the height of the day.

Or, maybe she had.

Later that afternoon, Takumi and Mary were returning from an excursion of their own. They too had gone to the square for shopping and sightseeing, though no one else had offered to accompany them. And despite Mary's resolutions to stick to a planned list, her and Takumi had wound up visiting almost every store and merchant stall in the entire capital.

The journey home had proved too tiring for Mary after the halfway mark. Once she tired, however, instead of making his wife persevere, Takumi had simply hoisted her by the arms and legs onto her back and carried her. Although Mary was a small woman, the weight of her bags was quite a handicap.

"Good thing you're not too heavy." Takumi said once they had reached a wooded path, his breathing slightly heavy. "But can you try for the rest of the way? I'm already due for a trip to the hot spring as is."

"Since you asked nicely, I suppose I can."

Mary slid off Takumi's back as easily as if she'd been energized. Her husband laughed aloud, setting down his bags on the ground and crossing his arms.

"Don't tell me you were just pretending!"

"Of course not, I'd never do such a thing. But as long as we're here, why don't we have a short break? We're not due home until nightfall."

Takumi grinned, clearly agreeing. He sat on the stump of a nearby fallen tree, rooting through his stuffed parcels to examine the pair's merchandise.

"I don't remember buying all this! Did you slip me some rocks or something?"

"No, but I did happen to notice one of our bags had ripped. Good thing it didn't have the glass in it, right?"

"Mary, that's the last time I'm carrying you anywhere."

Laughing along with her, Takumi continued to set the items on a blanket Mary had placed on the ground. There were decorations for their quarters, candles with exotic fragrances, scrolls that were written in a language Takumi didn't understand. When he rifled a bit more, his hand closed on a loose slip of paper. He read the few sentences written in neat handwriting, and immediately his heart sank to the bottom of his chest.

Dear Takumi,
You recall the joke we played on Mary, where we fooled her into thinking we were in love? In all truth, that was a merely a ploy to feign confession and hide my feelings.
I think it is, indeed, a reality that I may be in love with you. Truly, I've been meaning to tell you this ever since I laid eyes on you. You didn't see me today, but I was strolling the square earlier. I slipped this into your bag once Mary had ripped hers, so it wouldn't be lost.
Please, come and see me once you're home, so we may discuss this further and in private. I look forward to seeing you.
-Leo.

"Takumi? Hey, are you still with me?"

Mary's voice sent Takumi into a panic. He nodded furiously, crumpling the letter in his fist.

"Y-yeah. Just… I'm trying to figure out how we're going to take all this home, haha. I hope you're… you're okay with carrying half…"

His voice was trailing away, even though Mary wasn't looking at him. She was enthralled by watching a colorful bird picking the ripest berries it could find off a nearby shrub. While he had the chance, Takumi forced himself to read the letter once more, enough to remember the details, and then silently tore it to shreds. The parchment was mercifully thin and made little noise while his wife's back was turned.

"Of course." Mary said, her voice distant. Whether from the bird or Takumi's change in mood, he didn't know and wouldn't waste time inferring. He stood up, straightened his tunic and handed Mary the bulkiest item, an empty pauldron. She took it without saying a word, and Takumi shuddered under her searching gaze.

"Everything alright?"

"What? Of course! Why wouldn't it be?"

Even as he said this Takumi could feel his panic increasing. If the cursed side of him took over, he knew he would kill anyone who was the closest, innocent or otherwise. He needed to stop worrying, and now. Mary's vacant voice could not have been a more welcome distraction.

"Well, I hope so. There is a little something I wanted to tell you, anyway."

"Yes, g-go ahead. I'm all ears." To himself the archer whispered, "Please, not about the note…"

"You didn't see Hinoka at supper last night, did you? Or Camilla?"

"Huh?"

He'd forgotten about the dinner until then, yet Takumi realized Mary was correct. Neither of the two women had shown up to the meal until nearly everyone had finished, and they'd even shared a table.

"Maybe they were just embarrassed about earlier. Hinoka did almost catch us."

"Yes… I suppose she's cross with me. Her and I haven't spent a day together since…"

Mary tried to remember, shame clouding her eyes when nothing appeared in her mind.

"Since I first arrived here. Gods, I can't neglect my siblings any longer. I'll have to find them tonight and apologize."

Takumi's eyes narrowed a little, and his voice became a little less remorseful.

"You don't need to do that, Mary. They have each other, right? And they shouldn't expect you to stick around when you have a husband and two children. Isn't that a bit much?"

"All the same, it's only right that I do."

They'd reached a wooded area, and with the exertion of navigating it, that was the end of that conversation. Takumi once again became too absorbed in the strange letter to argue further anyway. He was sure that Mary would suspect a reason behind his quiet spell, but at least she had another topic to distract her. Maybe he could get to the bottom of the strange confession before any damage could be done.

Sorry, Mary, but it might already be too late to apologize to your sisters for not spending time them. Don't worry though, they're quite happy with each other! And besides, you'll have something that'll take your mind off guilt very soon.