Fire Emblem Fates; Short stories

A Pianist's Goodbye

Firm mahogany and cold ivory keys that hadn't been played for months.

Sheets upon sheets of music that he knew he wouldn't use.

A single warm tear that would make an unnoticeable stain on the polished wood of the piano.

Leo stood in front of the large instrument, trying to work up the courage to sit down and let himself fill the room with its tender notes.

Not even bothering to flip through the sheet music to find one to play, he sighed and sat down. Fingers resting on the keys, Leo wished he and Elise could play a duet, but whatever sun Nohr could get had sunk below the horizon hours ago and the castle was utterly silent.

Starting quietly, he played one of Xander's favorite pieces, letting himself drift in the notes he knew by heart.

"A heart that had grown cold to the delicate touch of love and knew only of pain"

She could hear the notes before she entered the room. The door dimmed the sound a little, but the eerie notes carried far nonetheless. Making sure to stay quiet so as to keep her brother unaware of her presence, she slipped into the room and looked at Leo for a moment.

He was almost unrecognizable when he played the piano. His long, slim fingers moved effortlessly across the array of keys and he could convey so much emotion without even realizing. Right now, standing at the edge of the room, she could almost see how much pain Leo was in. He shed no tears, but the tenderness with which he pressed the keys was reminiscent of a last goodbye. Were he not a King, Leo could have been a world renown pianist, capable of making his audience feel whatever emotions his heart desired.

Stepping lightly, Camilla made her way to the piano where Leo sat. At the beginning of a measure, she placed her hands on the keys and effortlessly joined in, playing the same notes as her younger brother in a higher octave, turning his performance into a duet.

Leo made no indication that he was aware or even surprised to find someone else in the room with him, but Camilla could tell that it didn't upset him in the slightest. Without missing a note, he moved over on the bench and she sat down next to him.

Together, a princess and a former prince of Nohr played a requiem.

Off to the side, a crown prince bowed to his youngest sister and asked her to dance. Taking his outstretched hand, she led him to the center of the room and they began to glide across the floor in time to the heartwrenching duet their siblings performed.

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quickie author's note: I DID pick a piano piece for this ( I actually listened to it on repeat while writing) and if you're wondering what I intended Leo and Camilla to be playing, it's Piano Sonata in F major, K. 280- 2nd mov. Adagio by Mozart.