Chapter Text
Camilla raised Forrest to her breast, feeding him. She took a hard long look at him, only three months old and she felt like she had known him forever. To think that almost a year prior she would be a mother to her brother’s child was a peculiar thought. But this was the boy she nurtured inside her for nearly a year, she loved him.
He was a lovely boy, adorable, and every bit as perfect as she’d imagined her fantastical family. Motherhood was an arduous task; the pain, the infrequent rests, and Forrest’s needs superseding her own. But Camilla enjoyed every bit of it. She thought to herself how she treated Elise, Corrin, and Leo. She coddled them, played with them, raised them; she had become a mother without even thinking it. Forrest is no different, save the messes he made.
Leo was as attentive as an “uncle” would be. He would take visits to his “nephew”, playing with him. A thought raised in her mind. Forrest will grow up, and soon he will ask questions. Who is his father? Did he love him? Where is he now? Might he reason himself lesser for having no father in sight?
Camilla never detested that she was the daughter of a concubine. Nor did Leo. Elise probably was still too young to think of such things. But it tore their family apart, her father’s inability to control his passions led to this.
A nerve struck. Camilla looked to see Forrest finished feeding. Her baby. Her son. Her nephew. Both simultaneously. Was she truly any different from her father?
Camilla held Forrest into her arms, playing with him as he pressed his hands all over her face. No. She was not like her father. She would never tear them apart. Camilla swore that their family would remain whole. One day. When Forrest grew older, he will know. If not for his sake, for her own. She is not her father.
It’s not like the idea of her having a child out of marriage was out of place. The voluptuous, flirtatious, thorned rose of Nohr had many suitors. Camilla had always loved the attention of swooning men and women looking at her, envious that they could not have her, or envious they could not be her. And yet, despite many pretty faces and lustful thoughts, she chose Leo to be her husband, and father of her children.
Forrest continued to grow, a year passed, then two, then five. Forrest had become a fine boy. He quickly learned things that were taught to him, and he was an absolute sweetheart. He was every bit Leo’s son, both in mind and soul. The only traits she can see she has given to him were her eyes and hair color.
Life was idyllic. She had a son, Leo was ruling well, and her dream family was forming. But as with all things, conflict brew.
The current daimo of Mokshu had broken away from Hoshidan occupation was setting sights to its independence. King Ryoma had called Leo for assistance in quelling the rebellion.
Leo sat beside his study desk, deeply contemplating what to do.
Camilla stroked his cheek warmly. "Must you go?"
Leo sighed, angrily clenching the letter in his hand. "Unfortunately I do. I don't give a damn about Mokshu, but as long as Nohr remains allied I have no choice. Questions will prop up otherwise."
Leo got up from his chair and placed his hands to Camilla's hips. He pecked a kiss onto her cheek. "I'm afraid I have to go into battle."
No.
"Absolutely not!" She roared, breaking away. "Not another war! Do you remember?”
Leo stood silent. “DO YOU?” Camilla slammed her firsts against his desk, cracking the wood on the top of the desk.
He embraced Camilla. "I do." He whispered into her ear, his hand tenderly on her back, slowly sliding down to her hips. "I need to lead my people though."
She cried, fearful that should Leo die in the war to come.
"I have to do this, Camilla...if not for us, then for Forrest. I'll make them pay. Someway somehow. "
Camilla nodded, wiping her tears.
"One day I'll out these Hoshidans from Nohr. For now, I’ll support from aside, biding our time." Leo looked to her, warmly placing his head atop her temple. "=Make them pay for what they did to Xander and Elise, and show them that no one can command us. We tend..to ourselves."
Camilla looked to Leo, placing her hands beside his cheeks, kissing him. "I can not stop you, can I?"
"If I could, I would stay."
Camilla bit her lip, and covered her face. Even now she can not handle being seen so broken.
She looked at Leo. His bright green eyes. His bright yellow hair. Her genius.
Camilla looked away. "Might I ask for a selfish favor?"
"Hm? Selfish? Well...I suppose it's only fair."
Camilla looked to Leo. With one hand, she placed Leo’s hand atop her breast. With the other, she slid his hand down below underneath her garments. He felt her warmth between her legs. “One more....please..”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Okay.”
They made their way into her chambers, Forrest was soundly asleep in his own chambers. None would disturb them.
Camilla pushed Leo onto the bed, quickly undressing and laying atop of him. He had an anxious grin on his face.
“Oh....impatient are we?” She teased.
Leo made a such an ugly chuckle. But Camilla laughed all the same.
Camilla stood over Leo, he was bare and naked. Camilla undressed herself, her body poised to be gazed upon. She lowered herself to Leo’s ear. “Pour your seed into me.”
Camilla saw from the balcony as Leo marched from Castle Krakenburg, his soldiers dutifully followed behind him. He rode on a black mare, the samet one than he rode with back during his war with Hoshido.
She fondly remembered how she convinced Leo to visit the royal stables, and how he picked the “weakest” of the available stock. He valiantly defied the keeper, it was the right horse he yelled. It wasn’t weak. It was just right for him.
That mare was by no means a particularly fast, not as aggressive as Xander’s stallion. But it served for the long trot, always kept a safe distance for Leo’s magical assaults. It served him perfectly.
Camilla bade a smile. Not everything was lost. She held Forrest’s hand as they watched Leo exit the castle gates.
“Where’s Uncle going?” Forrest asked with a naive curiosity on his face.
Camilla didn’t want to ignore her son’s answer, but the truth was so painful to say. To war. Forrest was still far too little to understand what war was. How utterly dreadful it is. But she knew in time, they would fill his dead with fanciful ideas of glory and progress.
For children, war is a game of magnificence. For the young, war is an opportunity to place one’s name into the histories, for eternal glory and a sweet dream just out of reach. Or in dire circumstance, war is liberation and payback against those who dishonor you. But for old, war is senseless death.
She kneeled to Forrest. She won’t fill his head fanciful ideas. If she can avoid it entirely, Forrest will not ever permitted to enter a war. Not as long as she and Leo lived.
“He’ll be back, sweetie. Come now, let’s play. Do you want to play with Mama?” She replied, trying to avoid the subject.
“Okay!” He smiled.
Forrest was sweet and so filled with life, confidently accompanying Camilla to their playroom with a smile on his face. It was all so endearing, how he would carefully scribble portraits of all three of them.
As Forrest played with his sketchbook and Camilla adjusted his collar, he spoke. “Mama.”
“Yes, Forrest.”
“Can I have something?”
“Depends my dear.”
“Can I have my hair long? And uh...swirly?”
An odd request. But Forrest was a child and like all children adventurous in ways not like adults were. “Why like that Forrest?”
“Like Auntie.” He pointed to a portrait of Elise held on the wall. One of the older portraits when they were younger….and all alive.
In this portrait Camilla and Elise dressed in fine Nohrian attire, standing. Standing proud.
“I like Auntie’s hair. Can I have like that?”
It was such an innocent request, and yet Camilla tried her best to hold back her tears. She loomed on the thought, and the fantasy took hold in head.
“Oh wow, Forrest you look so adorable! What a cute little nephew of mine!”
It was Elise voice, crisp and high-pitched as if she were alive.
Camilla patted Forrest’s hair. “Yes, dear.”
As the months went on Leo sent letters detailing his campaign, the current daimo was ever as duplicitous as his predecessor. Battlefields littered with bombs, traps, and snares. Sometimes Camilla did not have the strength to finish the letters, and it drove her sleepless certain nights whenever Leo talked battles.
There were times she woke up from a nightmare to find no one to tenderly hold to. Camilla’s second baby was taking a greater toll on her than her first. She found herself far more irritable and she did her best to stay off these feelings of anger, especially in front of Forrest. She once snapped at a maid but when she saw Forrest’s horrified face in the corner of her eye, she stopped.
She wanted Leo back. Forrest took notice of Camilla’s behavior and often made little flower crowns to light a smile on her face. It was so simple but it did ease her anxieties. She had her son, and another child coming soon.
One night Camilla walked up and looked over Forrest as he slept,. Quiet and still, unaware that his father was so far away, fighting so hard for a war he had no interest in. His father was still alive. For all the worry it brought, she was glad there were letters. Still alive, and still means their family could be together again. Camilla placed her hand over her round belly. She whispered to herself, almost like a prayer.
“Please come home. For all of us.”