I seem to do a good bit of Xander and Garon, but I feel Xander, when wanting to propose to his future wife, would want to take a more proper approach.

Princess Elise's stomach had been grumbling for what felt like hours when lunchtime finally rolled around. Though she was in a hurry, she thought she was last to arrive and would surely be scolded for it. As she entered the dining room for lunch ,she noticed she was not last. Her oldest brother was not with the rest of the family. Even the retainers to the royal siblings were in the room. She looked around again, hoping that she had just passed over him. As one of her own retainers, Arthur, pulled a chair out for her, she saw Xander pass the dining room.

"Milady," Arthur said as he offered the seat to her.

"I'll be right back!" She darted out of the room, nearly knocking her other brother, Leo, over in the process. He called after her, but she ignored him.

"Xander!" Elise called as she rushed to her brother. "Xander!" she called again as he continued his walk to the throne room. When he stopped, she skidded to a halt. He held out his hands to catch her.

"There's no need to run, Elise," he scolded. Though he chided her, his expression remained gentle. "What is it?"

"It's time for lunch," she told him. She slipped her smaller hand in his and added, "And I know you haven't eaten anything today. I overheard Laslow tell Peri. So please, will you come and eat with us? There's cake," she added.

Xander had to chuckle. Cake was something that was more than likely to get her to lunch, not him. "I'll be there soon," he told her. "I just need to speak with Father."

Elise's eyes grew wide as she softly asked, "You aren't going to argue with him, are you?"

"No," he assured her. He took a deep breath and said, "I have a request to make. That's all. So it will not take too long."

Elise still held onto his hand. He could almost see her thought process as she ran through possible requests he could make of their father. He wanted to release her hand, but it was hard to let go of his little sister. The request he wanted to make was a difficult one for him to bring himself to ask. He had thought long and hard about it for many nights and had finally convinced himself to ask it of the king. He needed her to leave, as he knew Elise was very likely to stand outside the door of the throne room and listen, before he talked himself out of asking.

"Oh!" Elise squeezed his hand tightly and leaned forward. "Are you going to ask for Corrin to come and live with us?"

Xander slowly, reluctantly freed his hand from hers. "I'm afraid not. That is something Father needs to decide. Excuse me." As he walked away from her, an idea came to the crown prince and he smiled. "If I'm not in the dining room by the time dessert is served, you can have my slice of cake."

He had hoped that would deter her, but his hopes were dashed as she followed him down the hall. "Elise," he told her as he paused at the throne room, his hand on the door, "if you are out here when I return, you will be in trouble."

"Yes, Xander," she said glumly.

The door shut behind him, separating the two siblings. Once inside, Xander felt his stomach twist. Now that he was in the throne room, there was no backing down. The sight of Iago by his father's throne was also something that made him uncomfortable. This was such a deeply personal request.

His feet carried him along the rug to the foot of the throne. Neither man had acknowledged him, but Xander was used to that. He knelt before King Garon. "Father," he began.

"On your feet, Xander."

Xander stood and realized just how nervous he was. He had always been somewhat afraid of his father, ever since he was a child. He found the words he wanted to ask would not come. But he was not even given a chance to ask.

"How has Corrin's training come along?"

Xander swallowed hard and said, "I work with Corrin at every chance I have. I feel he has improved greatly. However, there are still many areas in which he needs work."

"Such as?"

Xander inhaled deeply and looked past his father. "He hesitates when it comes to dealing a blow, especially a heavy one. He would prefer to aid others instead of hurting them. His heart is soft." Xander had wanted to add that perhaps Corrin's heart was in the right place, but he knew the truth of those words would make his father furious.

"So the boy is weak."

"He is soft," Xander repeated. He could not bring himself to use the word weak to describe Corrin. He shifted his weight unconsciously, afraid that he would whither under Garon's intense gaze. With his brother and sisters by his side, he could force himself to appear strong. But standing before Garon by himself, he felt like a child again.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Garon continued ahead. "As for you, Xander, you have what it takes to rule Nohr, do you not?"

"Yes, Father. About that - "

"The latest wave of prisoners?"

Xander's hesitated for a second, then said, "Interrogated and executed, at your orders." It had disturbed him to even issue the orders. But it was expected of him as Garon's heir to handle both the good and bad. And in a war, most of what he had to deal with was bad. But there had been one bright spot for him.

A low chuckle rose from Garon's throat. "Excellent," he told Xander. Xander felt his skin crawl as Iago joined his liege's laughter. The war against Hoshido was almost like a game to them. Garon made a gesture as if to dismiss him, he heard what he wanted after all, but Xander remained standing before his father's throne.

"Father, I - I actually came here with a request."

Garon leaned forward in his throne. Though his gleeful expression had faded, to be replaced by a expressionless mask, Xander did have his attention. What sort of request would Xander have in mind? "Go on."

Xander immediately found himself at a loss for words. The elegant speech he had prepared completely left him. And how he wished Iago was not in the room! The seconds that ticked by under Garon's gaze felt like hours.

"Perhaps it is not as important as you thought, Prince Xander?" Iago suggested.

Xander glared at him and pushed forward. "Father," he began, his attention only on Garon, "I actually came to ask you for my mother's rings. While on this crusade against Hoshido, I have met a woman who I would one day like to have ruling at my side. I know I could have custom rings made for her, and perhaps I should... and I know you hold my mother close. This was something I thought about for a long time. If it is too painful for you to part with them, I understand." At did point, he did wish he had shrunk under Garon's gaze. Everything had rushed out. It sounded almost like he was babbling!

When Garon remained silent, Xander was positive he had his answer. To his surprise, Garon stood and stepped down from the throne. When he stood face to face with his son, he stopped. "What gives you the right to Katerina's jewelry?" he demanded.

Xander recoiled as if he had been struck. "She was my mother," he whispered. "I thought you might be pleased to see her rings on the finger of your future daughter instead of sitting..." he trailed off. He had no idea where his mother's jewelry was.

"I have not even met this woman," Garon replied. He stood before his son and stared him down. It looked to Xander as though the mere idea of giving away Katerina's rings enraged Garon, but he could not be fully sure. His father had been so hard to read as of late.

He licked his lips nervously and said, "Forgive me, Father. I should have known not to ask. I'll see about getting her own rings made." He turned on his heel and left the room before Iago or Garon could respond.

The door slammed behind him louder than he had wanted it to, but at that point he did not care. He was ashamed of himself. The idea of requesting Katerina's rings had not seemed so bad to him, but of course Garon was not going to give them to him. He should have known better, especially with how much he still heard of Garon's love for his first queen.

As he stormed down the hall, Xander had also realized that Garon would, of course, mention not even meeting her. He knew one day the two would have to meet, but he feared with Garon would have to say about her. He could not bear the idea of Garon tearing the two of them apart.

As he neared the dining room, he slowed. He did promise Elise he would join them, though he no longer wanted to be around anyone. Elise would be upset, he knew, and assumed he and their father had fought. It not been a fight, but she would never believe that. Xander tried to collect himself outside the door before he joined them.

"Xander said I could have his cake!" Elise was saying.

"Give him time to get here, Elise," Camilla told her younger sister.

As he entered the dining room, Xander was very much aware of all eyes being on him. Everyone had stopped talking and had ceased eating, even Effie, Elise's retainer known for her appetite. "You may resume," he told them as he took the one empty seat at the table, by Elise no less.

Slowly, everyone began to eat again, but the conversation was subdued. As a plate was placed before him, Elise tugged at his arm. "You said you would not fight with Father," she whispered. She looked hurt and betrayed.

"I didn't," he told her. The question of what right he had to ask for his own mother's rings had made him wish they had quarreled. It hurt him deeply, more than he had ever thought possible. He started to eat, not even tasting the meal set before him.

"Xander," Camilla's tone was gentle and full of concern. She shifted in her seat to reach for him, but Leo pulled her back. She frowned at Leo, who told her to leave their brother alone. She appeared ready to ignore Leo, but she managed to restrain herself.

As a slice of cake was placed before him, he slid the plate over to Elise. She pushed it aside, no longer having a taste for the sweet treat. "If you didn't fight, why are you upset?" she whispered.

Was it truly that obvious?

"We did have a disagreement, but it was not a fight. Don't worry yourself, Elise."

Instead of worrying herself, she spent the rest of the meal trying to make him laugh, telling tales of things that had happened while he was busy with war meetings or shut away from the rest of them in the throne room with his father and Iago. Though everyone else listened in, and laughed when the moment called for it, he only managed a faint smile when she mentioned Arthur getting caught in her horse's stirrups.

"How is that even possible?" he asked.

"We still haven't quite figured that out, have we Effie?"

"No, milady," Effie said. "But we got him out, without hurting your horse, and that's what matters." Elise had passed Xander's unwanted dessert to her. The piece of cake was long gone from its plate.

Xander had finished his meal, as well, but he sat by Elise and listened to her stories, even though he had important matters to attend to.

"Prince Xander." Elise looked up and frowned slightly as Iago appeared in the door. Even she did not like the sorcerer, and Elise liked everyone. Xander pushed away from the table and approached him. Iago held out his hand and dropped something in Xander's. "As you requested."

A soft velvet bag lay on his palm. Inside, he heard the faint tink of metal on metal. He looked up to Iago to ask what had caused Garon to change his mind, but the other man had left. He looked back down at the bag. Before he could open it, Elise was at his side, trying her best to see what he held. He tucked it down the front of his shirt and told her she really needed to stop prying. He felt a mix of emotions, happiness and relief, but also confusion. What in the world could have touched his father so? He had been so defensive and angry before.

But did it truly matter? He had what he asked for. Xander decided it would be best to focus on that, and not whatever it was that had moved Garon so.