There were no words spoken between the Great Hero of Askr and prince Bruno of Embla as the snow continued to fall over the fields of the sacred forest on the border of their respective empires. The evening fog began to cover the crowns of the pine trees and the smell of the night seeped through the cracks in the small cottage. Had a traveler foolishly decided to travel this deep between closely growing trees and reached the small clearing hosting a long-abandoned shack visible in the pale moonlight, they would have thought that a married couple, tired of the world’s hurtful nature and the constant wars between the nations decided to leave the bustling city and lived among nature.

Unfortunately, the two that sat, embraced, in front of the fireplace were neither married nor living together. At least not for now.

His fingers played with her hair, smooth, and still partially damp from the sudden snowfall outside. He skillfully separated the strands from each other, loosening and detangling any knots that might have formed when the woman he loved oh so dearly dried her hair with a cloth the moment she stepped into the cabin. He loved the texture of her hair. He loved the scent of her hair. He loved the feel of her skin underneath his fingertips. He loved her, all of her, and he yearned for her, though she was beyond his reach. But not that day. That she was there, and he would do his best to remember every second of that meeting.

“Bruno.” She spoke, her eyes fixed on the fire dancing on the logs, not exactly able to turn her head towards the man in question, as the feeling of his fingernails delicately massaging her scalp was rather enjoyable. “How… How are you feeling today?” She asked, her voice quiet and concerned. He could see her hand picking at the hem of the linen blouse she was wearing. His hand movements stopped for a moment but resumed instantly when she leaned back into his touch. “I’m well, I suppose.” Bruno finally answered his word alien to his ears after a long period of pleasant silence. “I’m not feeling particularly aggressive. Not now and not in the last week.”

Her eyes glistened in the firelight as she turned her head to face him, the smile that he loved back on her face. He felt his face heat up for a moment, the sight so intoxicating that he forgot how to breathe. She was so close, so real. Her scent tickled his nose - she smelled of pine and lavender, old tomes and soap. Bruno made sure to memorize this scent, the scent of love. “Could that mean that the enchantment worked?” She reached for his face and he flinched slightly when her cold fingertips touched his jaw. He shifted a bit, allowing her to lean deeper into his chest and sighed.

"One can hope. A moment of peace is not enough proof.” His eyes closed as he slowed down his heartbeat, checking if he’s still himself, if he’s not slipping.
The summoner hummed sadly. “I hope it works. Tharja and Odin worked day and night to make it happen.” She murmured under her breath, her hand now leaving his face and instead searching for his large hand. He delicately locked fingers with hers. Her hands were getting warmer now. That’s good. He wouldn’t have wanted her to get a cold. “It was really hard to convince them that it’s just for the sake of ending the war and making them take an oath of secrecy.” She added after a moment of hesitation. Bruno hummed. He knew she hated admitting to difficulties. On the other hand, every time she shared with him her victories, her failures, her difficulties, he felt happy - it meant she trusted him. And he couldn’t have asked for more.

“Do you regret it? Lying to them, I mean.” Bruno inquired, staring absentmindedly into the flames, trying to ignore the unavoidable connection they have to Muspell. It’s not time to think about the war.
“No.” She answered almost instantly, startling him. “I’ll never regret anything I’ll have to do to help you.” She smiled. He knew she did.
“Even if I asked you to come with me to Embla? To betray Askr?”

Her smile disappeared instantly as she shamefully looked away from him. “Bruno you know I-” “You can’t. Yes, I know. And I understand.” He kissed the top of her head, usually covered by the pure white hood. She looked amazing in white and gold, he thought, and wondered how she would look in black. “I just wish I could be closer to you, without having to meet up in the forest once in a blue moon.”

“One day, when the war ends, you’ll be able to. I swear, Bruno.” She slid out of his grasp, and he shuddered, his body surprised by the sudden emptiness. The hollow feeling in his chest hurt, and he clenched his fists, trying to preserve the feeling of her skin on his. The summoner stood up, regret visible on her face when she reached for the soft robe that was so recognizable in Askr. The Summoner, The Grand Hero, The Crown Prince’s advisor - in a matter of hours she was going to be, once again, worshipped by the people as a savior, trapped in a military game where one wrong move can end it, but not in a way Askr would have wanted. There, in the lodge in the middle of nowhere, she could just be herself. She was nothing more than her name. And there was no Prince Bruno, future ruler of Embla. There was just Bruno. And she loved the Bruno that looked at her longingly as she began putting the robe on. “I have to go, love. I need to be back in the camp before sunrise. I’m afraid Grima noticed me sneaking off. He barely ever sleeps.” she sighed regretfully once again that night, and pulled the hood over her head.

She barely took a step towards the door, before she was spun around and enveloped in a warm embrace. Her shoulders slumped in resignation as she shook her head in amusement. “When can I see you again?” Bruno asked, the words lost in the crook of her neck. She hummed, plans of future advancements running through her head.
“No sooner than next month.” she answered, giggling slightly when she heard Bruno groan like an impatient child. Her lips found the corner of his mouth and left a butterfly kiss that felt like a touch of satin on a hot summer night. Before she distanced herself from his embrace, Bruno pulled her back in, capturing her lips in a long, but gentle kiss, the memory of her taste engraving into his mind, lyrical and enchanting. “I’ll send Feh over when I’ll be sure we can safely meet.” she whispered between kisses, and Bruno smiled, a sight so rare that the Summoner’s heart fluttered akin to butterflies that lived in Askran gardens, adding splashes of blue and red to the fields of sunflowers that stretched behind the castle.

She finally took a step back, the air growing cold once again as she reached for the door. “I’ll see you soon, Bruno. I love you.” Her voice gentle as a ray of moonlight she stepped out into, she was gone, and Bruno was, once again, all alone. He stood in one place for a while. She didn’t close the door all the way when she left, obviously expecting him to follow shortly after her, to make his way to Emblan capital. Singular snowflakes now flew around him, melting instantly after meeting his flushed skin.

He felt empty. He felt empty and worthless. He couldn’t be there with her, and that was all because of the war. And why did the war start? Because of the damned royal blood that ran through his veins, one that made him mad and unable to control himself. Should he make that blood go away? If the blood goes away, so will his tendencies, right?

In a stroke of madness, he reached for a long dagger that he held in a holster on his thigh. It will take a moment, he thought, and he’ll be free of this curse, and she won’t have to suffer because of him. With one firm movement, he grasped the hilt of the dagger just to scream and drop it.

The dagger was icy in the touch, cold to the point of burning his skin. His skin felt so hot in the places she touched him, and he wept, rubbing his hands together again and again. He was weak, he was pathetic, he was cursed to kill or be killed. But he couldn’t give up yet, not when she was trying to help him and fix him.

If there was one thing that kept him going aside from his sister, it was her.