Rain poured down against the windows. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. The stones of Castle Gyges held strong, but were not as effective at dampening the noise of the storm outside.
And inside the Castle, in one of the Royal Bedrooms, Kana Rheos lay awake in her bed. She had been tucked in by her mother and father a few hours ago, and drifted off not soon after. But the storm had sufficiently startled her awake and was intent on keeping it so.
Kana whimpered in anxiety, curling even tighter around herself as the windows continued to rattle against the frames. She looked over at the door, which led to her mother and father's room. They would most likely be asleep, but Kana needed them enough to wake them up.
As she slowly got out of bed, tears forming in her eyes, she stepped quietly through the carpeted floors of Castle Gyges, until she reached her parents' room. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she opened the door and saw her parents were both asleep.
Gingerly whispering, she called out.
"Mama?"
No response.
She called out again, this time louder.
"Mama?"
At this, Azura Rheos, Queen of Valla, opened her eyes and quickly met Kana's own.
"Kana?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
Then, Azura noticed the tears in her daughter's eyes.
"Mama, can you make the storm...go away?" she whimpered.
Azura's worried face turned into one of sympathy and love as she beckoned to her daughter. In three swift steps, Kana crossed the distance and buried her face in her mother's chest, now fully crying quietly.
"Hush, Kana. Hush...it's okay. Everything is okay. You're safe now…" Azura soothed, rubbing her daughter's back and comforting her. "You're safe, Kana. The storm can't hurt you."
"But it's so loud and scary…" Kana said again, tears flowing. "Why can't it go away?"
Kana again sheltered herself in her mother's arms, and Azura then began to sing a quiet lullaby. Kana closed her eyes and let her mother's voice start to calm her, and she stopped crying after a few moments.
"I wish I could send the storm away, Kana." Azura said, her eyes weary with slumber, but full of love. "But I can't. No mortal can control the rain or storms. They come and go, but they always pass in time."
"They always do."
Azura and Kana looked to see Corrin, now awake, gently cup his daughter's cheek.
"Papa." Kana whispered, hugging her father tight. "I'm sorry I woke you up."
"You didn't wake me up." Corrin replied. "You know Kana, I used to be afraid of storms."
"Really?" Kana looked up, hopeful.
"Do you remember Aunt Camilla?" he asked.
"Yes, papa."
"Well, one night years ago, I was in the same situation you are now." Corrin spoke quietly. "I was so scared of the storms that I wanted to leave the castle. Camilla found me crying in the hallways, and she gave me some good advice. She told me that thunder is just the Dragons laughing."
"Laughing?" Kana asked.
"Because they watch over us, and when they do, they see things that we can't. Some of them are really funny, so it makes them laugh." Corrin said. "The rain is just their tears because they're laughing so hard."
"And the...light..ning?" Kana spoke.
"Just them wiping their eyes clear, and they shine because of it." Corrin whispered. "Kana, it's okay to be scared. Your mama and I will always be here. No matter what happens."
Azura nodded, and she and Corrin gave their daughter a kiss on the forehead.
"Now, let's get back to bed." Azura said to her husband. "We've got a country to rule tomorrow."
"Indeed." Corrin said. "Kana,how about you sleep with us for the rest of the night?"
Kana nodded and buried herself under the blankets, and both of her parents embraced her tightly. Soon, their daughter was asleep, breathing quietly. By now, the storm had gone silent, and the light patter of rain was the only indication that it had been there in the first place.
As the King and Queen of Valla drifted off to sleep, the rain finally stopped. The storm had passed, and the only thing that remained was the love of two parents for their daughter.
The morning song of birds woke Kana from her slumber, and she moved upwards, wondering why her bed was so much bigger than usual. Then, she remembered the previous night and she smiled. The sky was a brilliant pink, clear as could be.
Azura soon woke up, and she loosely hugged her daughter.
"Good morning, Kana." she asked. "How did you sleep?"
"I slept great!" Kana replied, hugging her mother. "Thank you so much!"
Azura wiped a stray tear and smiled broadly.
"You're welcome, Kana." Corrin said, as he leaned upwards. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."
As they got out of bed together, they were surprised to see their elder son Shigure up and about in the dining room.
"Good morning, son." Corrin asked. "You're up early."
"Well, I got some sudden inspiration last night." Shigure replied. "Kana, I painted something for you."
Kana was handed a wrapped portrait, and she opened it to reveal a painting of herself sleeping in the moonlight on a clear evening.
"I love it!" Kana laughed, hugging her brother. "Thank you!"
Shigure hugged his sister as the family sat down to their morning meal. After that, Kana never had trouble sleeping through storms ever again.