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#its pretty much well known that inigo and laslow are the same person but just in case
beananium · 7 months
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*remembers the best gamefaqs forum question of all time*
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ok so assuming somehow circumstances permitted, consider a scenario where the awakening trio finally opens up about their past. how do you think the royals react? does it change the dynamics between them @ all? i feel like it would @ least make the trio feel closer to them, like more comfortable going to them if they wanted to talk about any past-related issues (trauma, nightmares, etc.) Also i cant help thinking of odin just dramatically being like "well the enemy was approaching so I (1/2)
decided to cut the bridge and stay behind”/Niles and Leo: yOU WHAT/Laslow: no its ok I decided to stay behind with him I would never leave a friend to die alone/xandar: D: im sorry you wHAT? ALSO I think about that line from ur fic where odin is like “that was our second dragon” bc one of the trio def says that and everyone just :O idk I just feel like the sheer amount of horrible things that happened to the trio would be shocking even for the nohrian royals bc it IS a lot (2/2)
Anon, u and i are always on the same wavelength, so I’m warning u to buckle up now, because this is gonna be a long one.
I’m going to preface this by saying I don’t know how Owain and Inigo could have had that bridge experience if the Trio in FE14 is supposed to be the same as the kids you recruit in the main FE13 storyline. The bridge experience is specifically used for the FE13 DLC in an alternate reality where those kids never go back in time (i.e. those are a different timeline’s children). The Owain and Inigo we know in the main FE13 never had that experience, as if you do deploy them in that DLC, they will comment that this did happen in their world but things were never that bad and they never had to cut the bridge. The Trio in FE14 is pretty heavily implied to be from the main storyline.
And yet???? Odin still is afraid of bridges because of that event???? I think I asked that once and somebody said it could just be the trauma of watching his alternate self nearly die that’s affecting him because he realized how badly things could have gone. And that’s possible and probably the truth. But I don’t know for sure and I never will and I think about this a lot. (Selena and Laslow reference Harvest Scramble and Hot Spring DLC, so they’ve gotta be the main timeline kids who fought with Chrom)
For the sake of this answer, I’m going to pretend the Trio in FE14 is the same as FE13 but they did have that bridge experience first-hand. It’s not canon, I think, but it just makes everything easier to think about (for me).
Moving on, I think the only time the Trio would admit they were from another world would be after Anankos was defeated because it wouldn’t have to be so secret anymore (even though it’s also like?? technically illegal from an inter-dimensional standpoint, lmao). Straight up, after Anankos is defeated, I think the exhaustion and happiness would get to them, and I just think it’d be really funny for Selena, who was the strictest about keeping their status a secret, to be the one to let the truth slip. 
(I’m probably??? Gonna end up putting a lot of tiny snippets of things in here to expand on them more and here’s a super short, rushed one now:)
The dust settled. Corrin stood at the far end of the hall, chest heaving. The minion Selena had been battling had disappeared right as she swung. Now the rest of the army was picking themselves off the ground. 
Selena pressed the tip of her sword into the cracked floor and leaned on it. Gods, she was tired. But Anankos was gone. She could feel it in the air. She knew what defeating a dragon was like. The crackle, the energy, the shadow hanging on all their shoulders— it was gone. Anankos was gone. 
“Hell yeah,” she muttered to herself. There was dirt in her mouth, ew. “Killed another dragon. Did you see that, mom?”
There was no response from her mother, of course. She was dead and gone, and even when she wasn’t, she was still worlds away. 
Selena did get a response from someone else though. 
Something shift to her left. The sound of an ax hitting the ground. Selena turned. 
“What,” Camilla said flatly. 
And then Selena tries to cover up her tracks and only makes it worse and in the end, it doesn’t matter anymore, so the truth comes out. Laslow and Odin never let her live it down. 
I feel like the Nohrian royals (besides Elise) always kinda knew? On some level? That the Trio was Different. Because they’re not exactly subtle. (Not that their minds jumped to “inter-dimensional travel”, of course.)
Odin says stuff like “sometime in the past… or, strictly speaking, some time in the future…” and “Risen… uh, animals from my home.” Laslow, to Xander’s face, says, “Good luck finding me with a fake name and appearance.” He says that!!! I In their Supports!! To Xander’s Face!!!
(Xander: “wHAT”)
Like??? They’re not… good… about lying. They’re not absolutely terrible? But their cover-ups mostly seem to be changing the subject or going, “Uh, please ignore that.” These idiots. I love them. 
Selena is probably the best about it? In her Support with Corrin, when asked if she’s from Hoshido, she says, “When did I say I was from Hoshido […] I never said I was from Nohr either” (or at least something like that.) She’ll admit she’s not from either kingdom but she doesn’t say anything other than that. So she’s dropped the least amount of hints, probably. (There are probably more examples for all three of them but I can’t think of Supports besides the Nohrian’s rn.)
But they arrived together and fight together and they talk like they’ve known each other for years sometimes, and if Laslow and Odin have something going on, she absolutely does as well, so. Come on. 
The thing is the Nohrian Royals have to Suspect. They have to know the Trio is super hiding their past. They’re together all the time, and while Camilla/Leo/Xander may sometimes talk about their past, it has to get obvious over the years that the Trio doesn’t. At all. Niles actively tries to find shit out and can’t find anything, for goodness sake. 
But the Royals are pretty respectful about it? They don’t hound the Trio about their past and seem to love and trust them as they are anyway? But that is something they have to ignore, and when the Trio says something that blatantly can’t be ignored like “Risen” or “I have a fake name and face” they have to ask. Both out of curiosity and obligation because they are technically the lawmakers of the land and they can’t ignore everything. Just be semi-decent at pretending and Leo/Xander/Camilla will too.
Reactions/Changing Dynamics
Even if Selena spills the beans immediately after Anankos’ death, I don’t think they sit down and say everything right then and there. Everyone is tired. Things need to be done. I guarantee after Laslow and Odin hear Selena accidentally said some of the truth, they look at each other and go, “Yeah, I guess it’s fine now” and then they don’t say anything more until they get back into the Deeprealm that night. 
(Camilla+Leo+Xander is gonna get called the Royal Trio now because their names are too long.) The Royal Trio still trusts the Awakening Trio, obviously, but they have questions. And Anankos is defeated. Does that mean the war is over? Technically yes, technically no. Nothing is official yet. Lots of explaining to do. But the Awakening Trio has now obviously let loose this secret they were trying to keep secret and the danger is technically over and they always talked about leaving after the war is over, so—
So technically the Royals get a bit nervous. They hang around the A. Trio or request them to stay in their line of sight all afternoon, even when there’s other stuff to be doing, even when it’s easier to split up and clean up and take stock of things, and eventually the A. Trio does call them out on it (individually). They do their chores and after-battle prep and take care of the injured and the Royals listen to messengers and make plans on what to do now, what kind of treaties to make, and then when the evening comes, the A. Trio comes back just like they promised they would, looking antsy and tired and a little nervous and they all sit down in Corrin’s private quarters bc this is Top Secret stuff and Corrin has to listen anyway and then the A. Trio talks. 
They don’t go too in-depth about Grima. Not yet. 
But they talk about the Hidden Truths DLC and how human Anankos asked for their help. They talk about why they were disguised and why they couldn’t say anything about it and how they nearly went to Hoshido, only to find out they had to go to Nohr instead at the last moment and they only knew they were looking for a stolen child. 
(The fact they nearly went to Hoshido instead of Nohr makes Xander frown and Leo scowl and Camilla cling to Selena bit more, even though Hoshido and Nohr are still kinda newly friends now.)
“So do you look like this permanently now?” Leo asked, curious. “You said the human Anankos changed your appearance. Will that ever wear off?”
Selena, Laslow, and Odin all shared a look. Eventually Odin shrugged. 
“I’m not sure,” he said. “It hasn’t shown signs of waning yet. Dragon magic is quite strong. Even if we returned to our home world, who knows if our parents would even recognize us at first.”
The last part was a joke. Selena smacked him on the shoulder, and Odin winced. 
“Don’t say that,” she scolded. 
Odin glanced over to Laslow, looking sheepish. “Sorry.”
Laslow didn’t seem to notice.
“I suppose I have grown used to how I look,” Laslow mused. He absently touched his hair. “Though I look less like my mother than I once did…” He noticed Xander watching and flashed a smile. “Not that I mind very much anymore, milord. It’s all in the past now.”
Camilla brushed her fingertips against the end of Selena’s hair. “I’m afraid I can’t quite picture you as a blonde,” she said.
They don’t talk about Grima or their childhood or anything too personal at that meeting. It’s not relevant to the safety of anyone, after all. But later, when they’re alone and not so forced to talk, they might. 
“She died early on, I guess,” Selena said, not looking at Camilla at all. Her face was turned towards the window, but she didn’t seem to notice anything outside. “When the war started really picking up. She’d be gone for weeks and weeks. She was the absolute best.”
Camilla could see it now. Selena, tiny, waiting by the door for her hero mother to come home, day in and day out. A hopeful thing that eventually grew resentful.
Or maybe it wasn’t like that at all. Maybe Selena got tired of waiting early on. Maybe she dragged her father around the house and stomped around the yard and pretended not to care when a Pegasus Knight failed to appear from over the hill. 
“And then she didn’t come home,” Camilla guessed.
“And then she didn’t come home,” Selena echoed. “And I became the second-hand soldier in her place.”
Camilla pursed her lips. She wanted to scold Selena for talking about herself like that. But the mood was heavy and it was Camilla’s line of questioning that had brought them here in the first place, so she kept her opinions to herself. For now.
“She’d be proud of you,” Camilla said. 
Selena looked at her, face hard. “You’re not my mother.”
“No, I’m not,” Camilla agreed. She’d never had a mother who would be proud of her, and she didn’t want to be Selena’s. “But I love you dearly anyway.”
Selena’s face softened. The far away look left her eyes.
I think the Royals and Retainers respect each other a lot already and after several years of war they’re pretty appreciative of one another, but also there’s a new understanding that comes with “Oh, this was your life before we met.” There’s also a tiny bit of fear too, probably; the A. Trio has told them several times, “Hey, don’t be surprised if we leave when the war is over.” But it’s one thing to know it and another to Know it and suddenly it’s not just a nebulous leaving but “oh, there’s a whole other world and family and friends waiting for you somewhere else” too. And how they’d probably never see one another again if they left. 
“That first year was the worst,” Laslow said. “I talked about this with Odin once, and he agreed. We had never killed people before. It had never crossed our minds that we would have to.”
Xander nodded, digesting this. He couldn’t imagine a world where he’d never have to kill another human being for the safety of those he cared about. But, he supposed, if nearly all the humans were dead anyway, that wouldn’t be as much of a concern.
Laslow caught himself. He straightened and visibly brightened. Laslow wore false cheer like an ill-fitting skin.
“But enough about depressing topics,” he said. “Have you been to the tavern recently, my lord? Yesterday I saw the most beautiful—“
“Laslow,” Xander said sternly.
Laslow shut his mouth.
Xander thought carefully about what he wanted to say. 
“Laslow,” Xander said again. “You do not have to pretend anymore. I know this much already. You’ve lived through three wars now, beginning from your birth. You do not have to hide the pain that causes you.” He placed a hand on Laslow’s shoulder, and Laslow looked up at him, eyes wide. “I am here if you ever wish to speak about what’s on your mind.”
There was a pause.
“It’s not a pretty story,” Laslow said quietly. 
“Tell me anyway,” said Xander.
Laslow did. 
And yes, eventually they even talk about the bridge incident. It probably goes a thousand different ways, but in this world it goes like—
(hey, some vague suicidal talk tw in this scene, so feel free to skip)
“Why would you do that?” Leo asked, equal parts surprised and angry, and unable to keep the emotion out of his voice. “Cutting the bridge down, dooming yourself—
“This was before I met you,” Odin reminded him gently, sounding much too serious and not at all himself. “It was. Different, then.”
“Not so different that you couldn’t think of another way to solve the situation than cutting down the bridge,” Leo said, voice terse. Why was he so upset? Over something that had happened—or rather, hadn’t even happened—years ago. Leo’s heart skipped as though he were afraid. He’d told Odin and Niles to be careful with their lives a thousand times before. “So willing to martyr yourself. Like you didn’t even want to—”
“My lord,” Niles cut in.
Leo’s mouth shut with a click. He had figured it out just as Niles had, though not soon enough.
“I thought I would do something good and my friends would be safe, and then I would be done,” Odin said, looking at the floor. “I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. And everyone else would be fine.”
That and a hundred other reasons, Leo guessed, but in the end they all seemed to come back to that one. To wanting to be finished with a dreadful world, even if doing so meant… disappearing.
Odin had been… what then? Fifteen?
“I am sorry,” Leo said, much more quietly, and he meant it. For a lot of things.
He was so grateful to have met Odin now. That they had both made it this far, across worlds of doubt. The thought blew Leo’s mind on some level, but he focused on the here and now.
Niles breathed in through his nose.
“I get it,” he said, looking right past Leo and to Odin. 
Odin looked at him as if he were wondering if Niles really did get it. 
Leo didn’t. Not really. He’d never been in a position or lived a life like that before. He wanted to try, though.
(Azura was nearly in the above scene but I cut her just for time’s sake. Let it be known she does think about Odin’s response when she asked if he was afraid of heights though.)
So they probably do Talk About Things and it’s Rough. But it’s good too, and the A. Trio is more open and comfortable with each other in public and also they connect with the Royal Trio (plus retainers) more personally now too that they can discuss things like this as well. Like. It’s not easy? They do have nightmares and trauma and there are some things the Nohrians can’t understand on the same level Selena/Laslow/Odin can understand with each other but they do try hard to be there and available to talk. And in a way, like Laslow says, it does feel like a different lifetime some days. 
Okay, so I feel like I’ve talked for 8,000 years and I don’t want to make you wait on a response, but I also feel like I’ve only been super general here, so. If there is anything you wanna expand on or focus on/question a bit more, definitely feel free to follow up! I have an exam tomorrow but this is probably all I’m gonna think about all day, tbh. (anon, u ask the Best questions)
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hey so i love your fe stuff! its soo good! but ive noticed that most of it is either gen or takes place after the relationships have gotten together (which is fine, i love that) but it did make me curious if youd be willing to share some of your headcanons (for odin/niles/leo, camilla/beruka/selena, and xander/laslow) for how they got together/developed feelings for one another? im very curious about your take on it bc i love your characterization! thank u so much for writing such beautiful fics
Aww, thank you, anon!! FE13/14 isn’t as popular as it probably once was and I definitely joined the writing fic for it part of the fandom pretty late, so I’m so pleased to hear that you enjoy my fics! Thank you!!
Secondly, anon….This is gonna be mega long and I hope you’re prepared for that, lmao (Also if you had any other questions or anything, don’t be afraid to send another ask!)
I don’t know if I have any “set in stone” headcanons for how any of these three pairs get together because I’m a multishipper who loves AUs, but if we’re talking about canon FE14 universe, I definitely have some thoughts as to how that’s going to go.
I’m gonna blabble a lot now
Odin/Niles/Leo
I actually feel like Odin would have the easiest time accepting dating people anyone, even if they’re a prince or a coworker or two people at once or he feels he has to travel to another dimension in a few years.
Like, he’s very? Pragmatic? Not necessarily 24/7 (because he loves to tell tales and exaggerate and roleplay) but Big Decisions. Like in Hidden Truths DLC, when Laslow and Selena are questioning where they should go when it’s time to leave Nohr–their home dimension with their family’s graves or to return to the world where their parents are still alive–iirc, Odin is the first one to say “We can worry about this later, we just have to deal with this now.” It’s not that he doesn’t care as much, because he super does, but I think he like? Compartmentalizes a little more? In the FE13 Future Past DLC, when he and Inigo are stuck on one side of the bridge and Brady and Yarne are on the other, Owain talks through what’s going to happen if they try to cross the bridge until he gets to the conclusion, “If you go and I stay behind, the most people in this scenario live and we still succeed, even if that means my death.” When Inigo cuts the brige with both of them on one side, Owain says, “We don’t both have to die!” Now part of this is Owain/Odin’s dramatic personality and the (probably unhealthy) self-sacrificing tendencies he almost certainly had during his years before jumping through time and even some time after, even Inigo acknowledges that Owain’s plan was probably the best way to get the gemstone to Ylisse (though not the best plan for Owain’s life.) He’s also the one who adjusts most to living in Nohr, by which I mean his homesickness and memories of Ylisse seem to weigh on him the least. While he admits to Selena in their Supports that he also is unable to sleep at night from his memories, Selena and Laslow’s Supports with him are more about their problems with missing home and he has become a kind of shoulder to lean on between the three of them.
Anyway all of this is basically evidence to say that Odin is pretty reasonable and levelheaded when not indulging in his imagination (which was almost definitely a coping mechanism of some kind in his younger years, though it may have become a bit more of an innocent hobby by the time he’s in Nohr… though I don’t want this to get dark, OTL)
ANYWAY! I think Odin is has the easiest time adjusting between all three of the Time Travel Trio, but I don’t know if he’s necessarily the one to make the first move in anything? If anything, it would have to be all three make a move at the same time (through some circumstance) or Niles/Leo get together first (even though Niles thinks his purpose in life is to “serve” Leo until he dies via their Supports and Leo probably wouldn’t want to put anyone in a weird position considering his status). I’ve written past stuff where Odin gets confident and does something bold like sit in Laslow’s lap and kiss him while Laslow bemoans never having a first kiss, and while I think Odin could catch onto moves being made on him and be down for it, I don’t think he’d be as likely to do something as bold as that for Niles/Leo like he would for someone he’s known years and years, like Laslow or Selena.
The thing about Niles is that… Idk, I don’t think he views himself as garbage? (Unless there’s a support I don’t remember.) But he definitely thinks of himself as “lower” than Leo, who he views as having saved his life and literally is the start to “good” memories in Nile’s mind. I’m not sure he’d ever make a move on Leo and compromise that relationship he values so highly unless it was something he felt Leo needed or something out of his control. (Like doing something to save Leo’s life and Leo is like “Hey do you have Feelings for me” and Niles, broken out in a cold sweat, hands shaking, answers “I mean Yes, but it doesn’t have to be weird…. unless u want that.” 
For Leo, I don’t think he really thinks about love unless it’s right there in his face. Either because he’s thinking about marriage for political reasons/someone else is getting married or because Niles/Odin is hanging around a lot and he’s like “What is this Feeling, it’s highly inconvenient but I cannot deny it exists”. (Also another thing about him is that he’s probably a little uncomfortable with Nile’s… Pedestal, I guess? For him. Like, he knows Niles values him a lot and vice versa but when Niles is like “You’re the reason my life is good and I will serve you until I Die For You,” Leo is like “I don’t know what to say but I guess ‘Thank you’ is the right response.” So he probably wouldn’t want to take advantage of Nile’s feelings either.)
(The thing about all the Royal Nohrian Sibs is that they are under the watchful eye of Garon for most of their life, and that’s a huge influence on what they are or aren’t willing to do in terms of romance until the Big Slime is no longer an issue for them. So that’s a major factor as well.)
I think Niles and Odin make a great team, but Niles is initially very suspicious when Odin/Selena/Laslow show up out of the blue and even when he trusts Odin later on, he does use that suspicion as a little jab on Odin’s origins in their C-Support when they’re having an annoyed argument. They both apologize to each other later with Odin conceding that Niles was right and his actions weren’t out of line, and while Nile’s is like, “Aw, I shouldn’t have done that, Lord Leo trusts you and that’s enough for me,” the secretiveness of Odin’s past is like. An undercurrent in their relationship on both their parts for a long time. (While meanwhile Leo does not give a single fuck what you did or who you were before you met him so long as he knows what kind of person you are now.)
So with all this I can absolutely see Niles and Leo getting together and Odin being supportive from the sidelines for a Long Time as Niles/Leo either pine a little secretly (maybe separately) or they don’t really realize their own feelings for Odin or the idea all three of them could be a thing until later. (Bc Odin is not gonna intrude on something he feels he shouldn’t and when it’s a better idea not to.) (However, if that opportunity appears and everything is Chill, Odin is absolutely Hell Yeah, down for it.)
(This didn’t really come up anywhere before but? Leo and Odin’s supports?? Are so Much????? Like, Leo doesn’t want to send Odin out on any more “adventures” he used to because according to Leo: “uh that was to be a dick to you and I literally Cannot imagine living without you now because you’re so Valuable to me, so you can’t go on any Mega Dangerous missions, sorry.” He says he wont’ keep Odin from being his own person and leaving Nohr but that he honestly wishes Odin would stay and if he does leave, all the victories afterwards will be a little “bittersweet” without Odin there. Also if Odin does leave, Leo asks that he use his title as Leo’s retainer still so there will always be that “connection” between them. 
Like??? Holy shit??
It was here that Leo struck me as the type of person to want Niles and Odin by his side literally Forever in whatever form that relationship may be, even if nothing romantic ever comes from it.)
Camilla/Beruka/Selena
My girl!! Selena!!! I love her!!!! I’ve probably written the least about Selena (I have like one unfinished Selena/Laslow/Odin fic on my computer and that’s probably it besides maybe a tiny Selena/Noire thing I wrote 2 sentences of and never finished either) but!! I think about her a lot and I love my girl!!
I rambled a lot with Odin/Niles/Leo so to cut to the chase here a bit more, Camilla/Beruka/Selena probably comes from Selena’s need to be validated and prove that she’s the Best. Camilla always reassures Selena that she’s “darling, powerful, and obedient,” which are qualities Camilla values a lot in a retainer. I think Camilla, for all her ruthlessness, also has a lot of love in her heart and so she is a little smitten with Selena (and Beruka) from the start because of these qualities they share. Camilla gets melancholy when she thinks about how Selena might leave her one day and wants Selena to know she is Camilla’s. I don’t think Camilla would ever do or say anything about her feelings while under the watchful eye of Garon because she’s not stupid and she knows what will happen if she tries to get too close to anyone while he’s within reach, but she’s not lying. When she says she loves Selena and Beruka, she really does mean it, even if her meaning gets lost in the context of all the other times she says she loves Corrin and Elise and her other siblings and such. 
(As a side note, Camilla and Selena’s C-Support is so fucking funny to me because Selena is like “hey I’m your favorite, right?” and Camilla is straight up like “I would rather murder you than you leave” and Selena’s like “that’s not….what I wanted you to say…”. Camilla is so fucking Extra??? I love it. Though she’s honestly very scary too, so that element of humor is one I’m taking with grain of salt because Camilla is also truthful in her violence. Their B-Support is similar.)
This same drive to be the Best is what causes Selena and Beruka to butt heads in their C-Support, but they show they understand each other well by calling out each other’s complexities and flaws while arguing. Later, they show they care about each other by apologizing in the B-Support, and it’s shown for all her emotionless attitude, Selena can get Beruka to smile the tiniest bit while supporting her and telling Beruka that she should do the things she loves, even if that thing is work, and that Selena is her friend. (Beruka’s questioning of “Should I really bury myself in my work?” also shows that she took Selena’s earlier words of “What even makes you You if all you do is your work/only do things for money?”. So Selena’s views do impact Beruka.)
I’m rereading their A support right now and?? It’s so sweet? Selena wants to get matching jewelry for all three of them as a symbol of their connection (and for when Selena leaves) and Beruka accepts this, despite Selena requesting she not get something that doubles as a weapon, and also says she wouldn’t wear the matching jewelry if Selena were gone because it would be “lonely” and she’d only wear it if Selena were there so she wouldn’t lose it. Like? They value each other a lot. Beruka indulges Selena in this and by extension says she’s “enjoying” herself as well–something Beruka rarely does at all. 
Beruka is a little more hesitant around Camilla, but that’s likely a response to Camilla being her employer and Beruka placing so much value in her work. It’s a complicated situation for someone who isn’t as casual as Selena or Odin are with their Lord/Lady. Beruka admits she would betray Camilla if offered something better from another employer, but that possibility is so unlikely because she doesn’t think she could find anyone she trusts as much as Camilla. For an assassin, trust is a big deal. Camilla is a huge part of Beruka’s heart even if Beruka doesn’t recognize it the same way someone else might. Camilla, on her part, is pleased but orders Beruka not to throw herself away in the process because Beruka means a lot to her. Their relationship is a bit different than Camilla and Selena’s or Selena and Beruka’s because of their unique dynamic and how seriously Beruka takes herself. Camilla is somewhat less affectionate when alone with Beruka, most likely because it makes Beruka uncomfortable. The affection is still there; Beruka just doesn’t yearn for it as much and so Camilla backs off a bit. Beruka is very truthful about the realities of life–both Beruka’s job and how she’ll probably stick with Camilla forever, even if she doesn’t explicitly say so. They’re good. 
I’m getting off track again, sorry. I love character analysis. ANYWAY!
Camilla/Selena/Beruka would probably get together all at the same time because Camilla wouldn’t want anyone to misunderstand or feel left out (even if Beruka would insist she didn’t feel anything about it, she probably would.) Selena would probably push about being the Best Retainer again and Camilla would say something like, “Oh, but I love you both equally” and pull Beruka and Selena close. Selena would probably grumble something like “but do you really?” or “but who do you love more?” or something, letting a little jealousy take hold. Camilla probably wouldn’t stand for this, both on the basis that she loves them equally and that this has been probably going on for years. 
To be honest, I could see them kind of… falling into it. Like Camilla kissing Selena’s forehead or cheek, leaving a big lipstick mark behind and while Selena sputters, face red and brain reeling, Camilla does the same thing to Beruka.
“Wha–What’s that supposed to mean?” Selena asks, eyes rolling in her head and steam coming from her ears.
“I told you,” Camilla says simply. “You are both my precious, darling retainers.”
Beruka, eyes closed in thought: “Hm.” 
And before anybody can do anything else, Camilla’s like, “okay, chop-chop, we have things to do, people to kill” and they just go about doing their daily jobs and fighting battles. And anytime Selena or even Beruka tries to question it, Camilla’s like, “I told you, I love you both” and kisses their cheek again. Eventually maybe Beruka and Selena talk a little among themselves, but honestly I really see them falling into it after that. Kissing their foreheads every time they separate (never the mouth in the beginning, unless Selena or Beruka initiate because this isn’t supposed to be a pressured thing). Selena and Beruka heading off to their own rooms at night and Camilla telling them they can stay with her if they want. Selena’s a bit rowdy, but I think she’d be content with starting off like this just because it’s Camilla. (She might confront someone if anyone else tried to pull this move.)
(I take most C-A Supports for all party members as having really happened in-game eventually, so this might even be after Beruka’s support with Odin where he tries to help her understand her own emotions through mimicking facial expressions and looking within herself and stuff via lying about magic spells. So Beruka might discover a bit more about herself here too, like “Hmm, is this what love feels like? It must be.” Even though she’d probably been feeling it for a while and not recognizing it.)
Xander/Laslow
The thing about Xander/Laslow is that while Camilla and Leo have varying levels of more freedom between the two of them, Xander is The Crown Prince. He’s the one to take the throne. He has do what’s best for the people, and he’s always going to put Nohr before himself. On the flipside, Laslow is a flirt but he knows how fickle life can be and often laments the fleeting connections between people as they only have a short time in this world (he gets super melancholy in some of his supports; he hides his sadness a lot but it’s there), and I don’t think he’d want to jeopardize his relationship with Xander or put him in a bad position either. Plus, he’s super-duper homesick, so he wouldn’t want to start anything he felt he couldn’t finish either. 
I really think there’d have to be a big catalyst for their relationship to begin. One of two things probably has to happen.
1. Something really relieves Xander of his pressures as King and makes him relaxed enough to maybe request a kiss or courtship from Laslow one day, if/when Laslow ever feels he wants it, no pressure (though I don’t know what this event would be; Xander feels LOT of responsibility. Duty chains him more than anything. Even if he feels mentally exhausted by everything and restraining his feelings on top of that, he’s always going to be stuck unless something forces him to move or slackens that grip.) (Laslow, in turn, is also chained by what he feels is his obligation and memories to return to Ylisse some day, so he’s stuck a bit too.)
2. Like in Home (Is Where The Heart Is) (spoilers), Xander realizes if he doesn’t do something, he will lose Laslow forever In This Moment, Right Now and (as this is a huge fear) Goes For It via Kiss of Life or pouring his feelings out. (I really think Xander is the type of person to make huge declarations of devotion and love while Laslow melts into a huge blushing puddle in the corner while crying from being overwhelmed.) 
They would mutually pine. A Lot.
I’ve written a lot less for them but I’ve written so much already and I think at least one of these two events are really the needed qualifications for a Xander/Laslow relationship to happen in canon universe. (There are other AUs on ao3 that are super good and probably do a better job of imagination than I will here, so :p)
All three relationships probably have an undercurrent of Devotion For My Lord/Lady because they are all retainers/royals first and foremost and jobs come first, but that’s an interesting dynamic to work around in itself. 
Even if were only friendship between them all, I really like how Odin/Selena/Laslow are so willing to say, “MY Lord/Lady is the best one!” (I’m mostly thinking of the Beach DLC where everyone fought for that beach trip, whether or not their Lord/Lady wanted it.) They love the Royal Nohrians so much, no matter the context. 
(RIP Me, this is super long and I just spent the last 2 hours writing it. If there was anything you wanted me to expand on, let me know! I’m a blabber mouth.)
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