Love and the Imperial Throne
By General Luigi
Part 1—Desperation
Chapter 1
A year had passed since the War of the Stones. The Kingdom of Renais had lived in serene glory since the coronation of King Ephraim and Queen Eirika. The Fire Emblem had been sealed away under heavy guard in the deepest recesses of Castle Renais; the Demon King was not allowed to escape from the Stone. Most of Magvel was celebrating the anniversary of the Demon King's end, but not all.
In Grado, the people had long been questioning the rule of King Ephraim. To prevent a power struggle from arising, Ephraim decided to annex Grado. Resentment built up from the start, and small groups of rebels had been taking action against the nobles who supported Ephraim's rule. Despite Renais's success, the landslide in Grado had impoverished much of the country. Ephraim was unable to do enough to help, and for that the people blamed him for their poverty.
In Renais Castle, however, a different thought had arisen. Not only was it the anniversary of the Demon King's defeat, but also the anniversary of Prince Lyon's death. Ephraim and Eirika were mostly too busy to think about the anniversary, but at dinner, a familiar argument arose.
"Brother, it's been a year," Eirika said.
After swallowing a bite of his dinner, Ephraim responded, "Are you going to argue with me about the Stone again? I know you miss Father and Lyon, but using the Stone's power to revive them is too much."
"You always say that, but look at Grado! The people are on the verge of a rebellion. If Lyon were the emperor, he could rebuild the empire."
"He could, but I am determined to restore Grado to her former strength. In time, I will be able to leave Grado."
"A damaged nation is not like some battle wound," Eirika said. "With a wound, the body is always willing to heal. With a country, the people might not be willing."
"Who would not want a nation restored?"
"They want Grado restored, but under their own ruler, not a foreigner."
"When Grado is in the right condition to govern herself, I will give her throne to whoever I think is most—"
"'Whoever you think'. That would just be the rule of a puppet. The person you appoint will probably do whatever you say."
"I am not going to let Grado destroy herself in a power struggle," Ephraim said, stabbing his fork through his food.
"You are losing yourself to the throne, Brother. If we revived Lyon, he could rule Grado."
"I said we could rebuild Grado without the Stone's power and I meant it."
"You're not always right, though. You may be a good strategist, but you have had little success as a King."
"WHAT! Look at Renais! Without me, the capital would still be a pile of rubble!"
"Without Frelia's aid, the capital would still be a pile of rubble."
"ENOUGH!" Ephraim yelled. "I am not allowing the Stone to be misused to save a country without knowing whether it truly would do that!"
"What about reviving Father or Lyon? Will you allow it for that?"
"Father has never annexed a country and Lyon would tear down Grado Keep to house the homeless!"
"That's why reviving Lyon would be a good idea. He would make sure Grado was restored. Or, if you don't want to give up rule of Grado, you could just revive Lyon to have him back. It's not fair that he got killed because of his kindness! Even if he becomes nothing more than a peasant, he should still be alive!"
"Fate dictated that Lyon would die. You can't change fate."
"Fate made a mistake. Lyon should have lived," Eirika said, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"No, tears won't work, Eirika. No matter how good a friend he was, his revival is not an option."
"Would you do it if it were Tana who died instead of Lyon?"
"What? When did Tana get involved in this?"
"Answer the question. Would you revive Tana if she were dead?"
Ephraim said nothing. He was instantly consumed by an argument between his id and superego. His id said he would revive Tana, but his superego insisted not to abuse the Stone's power. Ephraim loved Tana and would give up the throne for her, but it was important to avoid using the Stone's powers. Would he break the law to revive his fiancée?
"Yes," he said weakly. "And you? Are you saying you…?"
"Yes, I… love… him," Eirika responded, feeling the words struggle from her mouth. Ephraim got up and left the table, not willing to admit defeat. "Are you going to…?"
"Not without getting advice from the priests. I'm still feeling the urge to change my answer to your earlier question." He left the room, leaving Eirika to place her hands over her eyes and cry. She knew the priests would oppose Lyon's revival; she knew Lyon would remain nothing more than a wonderful memory; she knew she would not see the gentleman she loved.
Chapter 2
The priests had unanimously refused. Eirika begged her brother to ignore them, but he sided with the priests. Lyon was dead, and he always would be. There was nothing that could be done to change that. If Eirika were to use the Stone, she would have to steal it; she would be a criminal; she would surrender her title. Was her love for Lyon really worth that? Her id said yes, but her superego said no.
She stayed awake very late that night, walking for hours on end in one of the gardens. She had loved Lyon for a few years but never had the courage to say it. Even when he was dying before her own eyes, she was too shy to tell him how she felt. By the time the victory celebrations had calmed down, Eirika began thinking about him, and she almost drowned in her tears. She had loved him for three years and never told him. And now he was dead. As she reflected on Lyon, tears forming in her eyes, a memory arose; it was during the war. Jehanna Hall had just been reclaimed by Eirika's troops, but the Queen was missing.
Eirika and her comrades were searching Jehanna Hall for the Queen. Innes and L'Arachel had left the throne room. Eirika was about to follow them when Lyon warped in.
"Ah…" Lyon gasped, noticing Eirika before him.
"Lyon!" Eirika exclaimed, recognizing the voice.
"Eirika…" Lyon prepared to warp away.
"Wait, Lyon!" He stopped. "Don't run away! My brother and I have been so worried about you… We know more than anyone the gentleness of your spirit. Your father is deranged, isn't he? That's why Grado invaded Renais, right? Tell me, Lyon… Please… Tell me what has happened."
"I'm sorry, Eirika. I've wanted to see you and Ephraim for so long now… I've wanted to see you so that I could apologize. The invasion of Renais… I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry, but I still cannot talk to you. Not yet…"
"You… You have a reason, don't you?"
"Mm… I can't talk about it now, but… I promise I will tell you everything someday."
"I see… I believe you, Lyon. I must tell you, I'm a little relieved. I was afraid you'd changed as much as your poor father has. I'm so glad."
"Me, too, Eirika… No, you have changed. You're even more beautiful than you were before."
"L-Lyon…"
It was at that moment that the thought first crossed her mind. Did he love her as well? She had prayed that they would be together again after the war. At the Narube River, though, she was forced to see her beloved trapped in his own body. Lyon was being forced to kill the lady he loved. Even then, she was silent. Even when Lyon's last words touched her soul, she could not say a word.
Now, a year later, the full strength of her love for him came to her. She loved him enough to break the law. She would defy her brother and the priests to revive him. Her passion was too powerful for her to ignore it. Her id had won the battle. Lyon would live again, be it as a peasant or the Emperor.
There was now just the issue of stealing the Stone. It was heavily guarded all the time. Even without the guards, there was also the issue of the seal, the one that could only be broken by the bracelets. It would be nearly impossible to steal Ephraim's bracelet. His room was guarded and he never took off his bracelet when he was awake. She would have to incapacitate the guards during the night without causing any alarm, break the lock on Ephraim's door, find Ephraim's bracelet without waking him, leave his room and reach the Hall of Kings, incapacitate the guards there, break the seal, steal the stone, and escape from the castle. The task was a difficult one; if she failed, she would surely lose everything—her crown, her title, possibly her life. It no longer mattered. Lyon was worth it.
Chapter 3
Eirika had been pacing through the castle for a few hours the next night, frequently happening to walk by Ephraim's room. She had some small flasks of ether hidden in her dress, had had a key forged to be exactly like that which opens the door to her brother's room, had all manner of picks in case the bracelet was locked away, had a cloth to wrap around the stone, and had also hidden her sword in case she absolutely had to use it. She knew she would need supplies for her escape, so she had carefully hidden some extra clothes and a small amount of food in her horse's stall. It was nearly midnight when Eirika walked by Ephraim's room and heard snoring coming from inside. It was time to put her plan into action. Now that she was so close to attempting this, she started to have second thoughts. Her superego had really become super. It was begging her not to steal the Stone. It placed every possible doubt in her mind. She was losing everything for the possibility of reviving Lyon. The Demon King had said even the Stone could not restore a destroyed soul. Eirika forced these thoughts down. She wanted Lyon to live again. She considered the possibility of being caught, the remote possibility of being killed. "I do not care," she thought. "If I die, I'll see Lyon without the stone." She went around the corner so the guards would not see her. She removed the stopper from a flask and blew the gas at the guards. She waited patiently, even keeping her breath quiet as the guards began to feel drowsy. They slowly slumped to the floor.
"No turning back now", she thought. She used her fake key and opened the lock, carefully stepping over the sleeping guards. She almost prayed that the doors had been oiled recently. No sound. She walked in, taking off her shoes to avoid making too much noise. Ephraim was snoring loudly, his lance only a meter away from his bed. "Blast!" she thought upon seeing Ephraim's bracelet still on his wrist. She held her breath as she cautiously took the bracelet off. She had a flask in her hands, ready to release more ether if Ephraim stirred. Fortunately, Ephraim was a very heavy sleeper. It was no wonder he had his room guarded while he slept. If an assassin got past the guards, he would not stir even if a knife were thrust through his heart. As she left the room, she closed the doors and placed the lock back on, making it appear that no one had gone in. She put her shoes back on now that she was out of Ephraim's room. It was time for the Stone.
She kept Ephraim's bracelet hidden in her long sleeves as she went deeper into the castle. Anyone who saw her would just think she was going for another walk. Ever since she told Ephraim that she loved Lyon, she had spent the nights walking around the castle and sleeping late, thinking about Lyon and what should have been. When she reached the Hall of Kings, she noticed that there were no guards. "Of course," she thought. "If there's nothing to hide, why guard it? If there were guards, thieves would think something is hidden here." She took off her bracelet and that of her brother, raising them above her head. The throne moved aside, revealing the hidden stairway to the Stone. On her way down the stairs, she heard a voice in her mind.
"Eirika…" the voice said. It sounded like Lyon's voice! She decided she was imagining it as she wrapped the Stone in the cloth and sneaked out of the room. The throne slid back into place while Eirika used the secret path out of the castle that she had used when Grado captured it in the War of the Stones.
"It won't be long now," Eirika thought to Lyon. "We'll be together again; I promise you." It was too late for her to leave the capital by foot. She noticed the possibly fatal flaw in her plan: she would have to use a horse, but she was not dressed to ride. She sneaked into the stable took the supplies out of her horse's stall. Carefully, she took a saddle, a saddle blanket, and a bridle off of the rack and walked up to her horse. "No," she thought. "If they see Kazan missing, they'll know I fled on my own. Better to make them think I was kidnapped with the Stone." Instead, she took the supplies and tack and went to Seth's horse, Tiflis. It would be light soon, so she figured there was no time to change into clothing more suited for riding. She had ridden on Tiflis before, but never in a long dress. The horse was already looking at her. She ignored the look, placed the bridle on him, and led him out of the stable by the reins. He was very calm despite the fact that he was not being led by Seth. He clearly did not know he was being stolen. Eirika carefully placed the saddle and blanket on Tiflis's back and mounted him. She expected him to throw her off, yet he still did nothing. For a moment, she thought he would not even move, but he started walking when she applied pressure. By dawn, they were out of the capital and en route to Carcino, then to Caer Pelyn from there. "Surely someone in Caer Pelyn will be able to help—Saleh, Myrrh, and plenty of others," she thought to Lyon. "You'll be back with me, royalty or not."
"That is all I want now," the voice in her mind responded.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Eirika was sleeping uncomfortably in a forest a few kilometers from the road. Tiflis was tied to a tree. To prevent him from eating too much and suffering from colic, she made certain the branches were too high and there was no shrubbery near the tree. She had left a small pile of fruit from a nearby tree near him in case he needed to eat; enough to keep him from getting too hungry, but not enough for colic. The Stone was still wrapped in the cloth and in Eirika's sack, which was hanging from a tall tree. It had been no easy task climbing a tree with no branches within her reach to place the Stone in, but she would not allow it to be stolen, so she would take no risks with it, even if it meant exhausting herself trying to retrieve it the next day.
Eirika's sleep was visited by a wonderful memory. She was in Serafew, looking for Ephraim and Lyon.
"Ephraim! Lyon!" she called. "Where are you two?"
"We're over here, Eirika," responded Lyon's familiar, calm voice. "You'd better be quick. Ephraim says he's tired of waiting."
"Oh, please. I'm sure you could wait a few moments longer…" She caught sight of Lyon and ran toward him.
"You're late," Ephraim said. "How does it take you so long to prepare for such a simple trip?"
"Rest easy, Ephraim," Lyon said, defending Eirika. "There's no need to be so curt with your own sister. After all, a king must learn to treat women with honor and discretion. That's what Father MacGregor says."
"Thank you, Lyon," Eirika said. "You, unlike my dear brother, are a true gentleman. I was up too late thinking about my prayer to the temple flame last night. And I'm afraid I…I overslept…"
"Your prayer?" Ephraim asked. "What are you babbling about?"
"Come now, you know that flame has been burning since the time of darkness ended," Lyon said, once again making Ephraim seem ignorant. "You must know the story that the flame will answer the prayers of any pilgrim!"
"It didn't answer mine…" Eirika thought to herself as she watched the treasured memory continue.
"Really?" Ephraim asked. "I didn't know that…"
"Oh, Ephraim…" Eirika sighed. "Father MacGregor is going to scold you for neglecting your studies so."
"…Don't even joke about that. So tell us, what have you decided to pray for, Eirika?"
"I, uh… It's a secret."
"I should've known. You're so boring."
"Well, how about you, Ephraim?" Lyon asked, diverting Ephraim's remark.
"Me?" he responded. "Let's see… I guess I'll pray to become a stronger fighter."
"That's just like you, Ephraim."
"Just like you indeed, Brother," Eirika confirmed.
"…I can never tell if you're complimenting me or mocking me," Ephraim said.
"Praising you, of course!" Lyon said. "Right, Eirika?"
"Hee hee… Yes, that's right," she answered.
"And you, Lyon?" Ephraim asked. "What will you pray for?"
"What?" he asked. "Me? Hm… I suppose all I really want is for all our people to be happy."
"…That's very, uh… That's very much like you."
"Very much so, Lyon," Eirika said, pleased by Lyon's care for his people.
"Now, I'm the one who cannot tell if he's being praised or…" Lyon let it drift.
"You're being praised, as always, Lyon. Tell me, why the sudden decision to visit the temple? Did my brother do something again?"
"Now listen, you…" Ephraim started.
"Oh, no," Lyon said, again stopping Ephraim from pestering Eirika. "It's not what Ephraim's done. It's what he hasn't done. He's learned nothing at all about the Sacred Stones and the temple flame, so…"
"Father MacGregor became angry," Ephraim finished. "He said, 'One destined to become a king and rule over a nation… must know the history of his kingdom and must respect the Sacred Stones.' Ever since I came to Grado, my life has been chastisement and castigation. Father MacGregor does not think me to be altogether too… kingly."
"And yet General Duessel has nothing but praise for you, Ephraim. He says you're brave and true, that you've the makings of a great king."
"A great king? I honestly have no idea what that means. Eirika should succeed the throne. I would be happy simply taking my lance and traveling the land as a mercenary."
"Ephraim, that is nothing but foolish, irresponsible romanticism!" Eirika said. She noticed the irony that it was now she who was engaging in "foolish, irresponsible romanticism". "Do you realize how much your words would fill Father's heart with grief?"
"Are we speaking of the same man? Our father will likely outlive us all. For now, I'm content just learning the lance from General Duessel. What about you, Lyon? Is there anything you want to do?"
"Me? Well, I…" Lyon thought for a moment. "I suppose I want to become like my father."
"You were born to be Emperor of Grado, Lyon," Eirika said. "It suits you."
"No, I don't think so. I'm not—One thing I do know from watching my father is that being emperor is hard. Every day, he answers the complaints of the people, and he almost never sleeps… My father is always so very tired. I hope one day that… I hope that I can help him."
"Lyon… You are so honorable. You should learn from him, Brother."
"…Again with your criticism!" Ephraim exclaimed. "Tell me, Eirika. What say you to dressing like me and becoming king in my stead? You're so skinny, I doubt anyone would notice you're not really a man."
Lyon lost there. "Ha ha ha…" he stopped when he realized who he was laughing at.
"Ephraim!" Eirika cried. She delivered a light kick to Ephraim's shin and walked off.
"Why is it you can laugh at me, but not her?" Ephraim asked Lyon as Eirika continued walking. Lyon didn't respond. He just ran to Eirika.
"I'm sorry I laughed," he said. "I didn't intend to hurt your feelings."
"Thank you, Lyon," she said. "I suppose I deserved it after teasing him like that. It still hurt, though."
"I'll bet his shin might still hurt a bit, too."
They laughed as the memory faded away and she awoke to the truth. She saw the Stone, suspended high up in a tree, the trees and shrubs surrounding her camp, the white horse she had stolen to avoid being suspected of stealing the Stone herself. It had been only a night, and already she was beginning to question her actions. She had sacrificed everything she ever had for Lyon. What if he could not be revived? If that were the case, she had committed a terrible crime for nothing. "No," she thought. "I will not think that way. Lyon will live again."
"You're awake," a voice said in her mind. Again, it sounded like Lyon. "All this time, I only suspected you loved me. I never actually thought you did."
"What?" Eirika asked out loud. "That voice again…"
"Don't you recognize me? You are not imagining my voice, Eirika. My soul is still within the Stone, as is that of the Demon King."
"But the Demon King devoured your soul!"
"He did, but he did not destroy it. When you separated the Demon King's soul from his body, my own soul was freed. He cannot hurt me now. I am stronger than I was when he forced me to harm you. All of that resistance made my soul stronger. I was doomed, though. By the time my soul would have been strong enough to ward off the Demon King, he would have sacrificed me to revive himself."
"What makes me so certain you are not the Demon King, posing as Lyon?"
"There is no way for you to tell. I wish there was, though. Do not touch the Stone, though. Regardless of whether or not I am Lyon, the Demon King's soul is still in here. If you were to touch the Stone, he might possess you and take you through the same torture I faced. I know you have also endured that torture, the torture of harming someone you love. I do not want you to face that again, nor do I want to see your beautiful face marred by evil. You have the right idea, though, going to Caer Pelyn. Only the people of Rausten know more about the Stones, but they would never revive me."
"Lyon, do you remember that meeting in Serafew, two and a half years ago? The one when we were called to the temple?" Eirika asked.
"Yes, I certainly do. I recall you getting the better of Ephraim during that meeting."
"That's only because you kept him from striking back. Do you remember what I prayed for?"
"You said it was a secret."
"It was…but I'll tell you. I prayed for nothing to come between us."
"You loved me back then, too?"
"Yes. It's been three years since I fell for you, but I only realized my feelings shortly before the trip to Serafew. What about you?"
"I…do not know how long I have loved you. That is why I said that I have always loved you when I died. What else has happened since then?"
"Ephraim annexed Grado to prevent a power struggle between the nobles," Eirika said sadly. "He helped for a little while after the landslide, but he eventually turned his attention back to Renais and left Grado to rebuild herself. The people are starting to resent his rule; a rebellion could break out any moment."
"Once I am revived, I will see what I can do to change that. I believe you said I was born to be emperor."
"But…if you do that, I'll be exposed. I'm a criminal; no one would allow me to return."
"As emperor, I believe my word would be law. Therefore, I could pardon you."
"But what about Ephraim? He says he's…"
"He's what?"
"He said he would not give over rule of Grado until she was rebuilt."
"Yet Ephraim has neglected Grado. Therefore, she cannot rebuild. Therefore, Ephraim will always rule Grado."
"He truly has lost himself to the throne," Eirika said, tears forming as the truth dawned on her. Her brother was gone and had been replaced by a despot.
"I will see if I can do anything once I am back. Perhaps I can convince Ephraim to return Grado to her royal family. If he refuses, I will simply use a different approach."
"No! Don't kill him!"
"Do you really think I would kill him? Grado is still recovering from the last war. Another war is simply out of the question."
"How will you defeat him, then?"
"The people are paying taxes for Renais's restoration. What would happen if Grado stopped paying taxes? How will Ephraim respond? If he ignores it, it will simply prove that Grado can do what she pleases. Ephraim will be a mere figurehead, not really in control. I can rule Grado as the unofficial emperor. If he does act, though, Renais's people might respond. If he starts abusing his own people for their own resistance, other nations will probably pressure him to relinquish control of Grado. With only the nobility on his side, Ephraim could not possibly win in that situation."
"Nonviolent resistance…" she said in awe. "I trust you. Only Lyon would find a way like that. The Demon King could not pull off a deception of that degree. Shall we be off, my emperor?"
"Of course, my love… But only if you are not too tired."
"I feel fine. I couldn't possibly get back to sleep now, anyway." She struggled up the tall trunk and grabbed the sack. Caer Pelyn was still a month away, but talking to Lyon would make her barely notice.