A/N: I'm relatively new to the Suikoden fandom, and I fell in love with the non existent love story between Roland and Nei from Suikoden 3. If you notice anyhting I could do better please tell me because I want this little story to be as good as it can be for all fans of Suikoden, new and old! Please Read and Review!
Nei strummed her bouzouki lazily and watched the people of Budehuc castle as they went about their day. Some shopped, others simply wandered the busy streets, but there was a subtly tense atmosphere over the manor and surrounding grounds. Toppo brought his fiddle out and leaned against the same wall. He said nothing as he tuned the fiddle to the appropriate key and began playing a lively and festive jig. Shabon stopped her juggling and danced in time with the music and Nei joined in on the bouzouki for a few lively bars. Toppo shook his head at her though and Nei knew what he meant and what he wanted her to do. She set the bouzouki down lovingly and joined Shabon in her jig and together they drew a large crowd.
Nei smiled and pulled two nearby soldiers into the small clearing and started them to dancing. She gathered more people and with Shabon's help they had a large group of people dancing with them. Everyone whooped and cheered, the dancers danced faster as Toppo played faster. Nei made it her mission to get everyone in the square dancing and one by one she succeeded. She knew that in times of war, much like the war they were on the very brink of, people needed their spirits boosted and their hearts uplifted. Dancing and music were both very important to that end and when she managed to get the last hesitant bystander to dance with her Nei knew that the people of the castle would be better for it. Toppo finished his jig and was rewarded with thunderous applause from the out of breath dancers. Nei hoisted Shabon up onto her shoulders and they bowed shallowly before Shabon flipped from her perch and landed with perfect balance on her tiny toes to more applause.
The crowd slowly dispersed from around them and Toppo set about playing a lazy, peaceful song on his violin. Shabon gathered up what few coins had been thrown during the dancing and handed them to Nei. "That was good right? The dancing? It will be nice for them to feel happy."
Nei nodded. "Yes. Dancing is good for the soul and body you know." Nei struck a macho pose and Shabon giggled. They shared a content smile and Nei pocketed the coins as the distinct clink of armor announced the sudden presence of the Zexen knights. Nei looked up from Shabon and smiled.
"Can we help you good knights?" She asked as she eyed the three soldiers that had approached them. One was the captain of the knights, Lady Chris Lightfellow, the other was a young blonde male and the third was a very uncomfortable looking elf who was doing everything he could to not look at Nei directly.
"Oh no, we were just curious where the music was coming from. Sir Thomas told us that there were performers living in the town, but we wanted to see for ourselves. I'm Chris Lightfellow." The captain extended her hand and Nei laughed.
"Yes we know who you are. I'm Nei." Nei shook her hand and introduced her companions as well.
"I'm Borus, and this quiet fellow is Roland. I'm quite the music aficionado myself you know." The young blond man said. He approached Toppo who handed him the violin and bow. "Oh, no I don't play, I just really like to listen."
"Music is wonderful, isn't it? I was born under the Chiraku star, the star of music in the 108 stars. Music has always been everything to me." Nei smiled softly as she spoke and Roland cast a glance at her and choked on his tongue which resulted in a coughing fit.
"Heavens above man, are you all right?" Borus asked as he clapped Roland on the back which had little effect due to the heavy plate armor that covered his torso.
"Excuse me, I have….somewhere to be." Roland excused himself between coughing fits and hurried back towards the château. He ran straight into the main house, up several flights of stairs and down one very long hallway before he found a room with a wash basin. He splashed handfuls of water onto his face until he calmed down and looked up into the mirror that hung over the basin. Bright gold eyes stared back at him as opposed to the usual lilac tones of his eyes. He rubbed them and looked into the mirror again and was relieved to see lilac once more. He stumbled out of the room and wandered the house until he found the library. He hid there the remainder of the day and only emerged when his stomach reminded him that it liked being fed.
The dining hall was massive and on most days would be nearly empty save for the manor staff, Thomas, the fire bringers and the Zexen knights. Today though, Roland noticed with unmasked displeasure, Thomas had invited guests. Not just any guests, but the three musicians they had encountered in the streets. He walked as silently as he could towards his usual seat and found it already occupied by the fiddler Toppo. He glanced around and was dismayed to find that the only open seat was next to the elf with the turquoise hair and gold eyes and pretty smile from earlier. Borus looked up from his plate and gave Roland a thumbs-up. Roland snorted and purposely shoved Borus's chair into the table as he strode past. He clinked loudly as he settled into his seat.
"Are you feeling better?" Nei asked Roland as he ate.
He avoided choking on his food and nodded. "Yes….Thank you." He smiled and turned his attention back to his food.
Borus scowled at him from across the table. He tried kicking out under the table, but it was too wide for his legs to reach all the way across so he just managed to sink lower in his seat and draw attention to himself. When he finally caught Roland's eye he mouthed "what's wrong with you, talk to her!" Roland frowned and did his damndest to ignore his surroundings.
"It's not often I see another elf living among humans. Where are you from originally?" Nei asked. But before Roland had time to respond Nei was distracted by Shabon who needed help with cutting her food. Roland watched Nei and caught himself starring. He looked away before Nei noticed and remembered his answer to her question.
"Lukiae Ende Towayo. Though I call Zexen my home. And you? You seem so at ease around humans."
"I was raised by a human." She replied with a shrug and a smile.
Roland nodded and left the subject alone even though Nei had been the one to bring it up. He casually turned his attention back to plate and ignored the silent protests coming from Borus across the table. Lady Chris gave Borus a nudge with her elbow.
"Leave him be." She said sternly.
"But Chris! They're perfect for each other, can't you tell? I mean look at him! He's blushing." Borus hissed.
"ENOUGH OF THIS BORUS!" Roland boomed as he rose from the table forcefully, sending his chair toppling backwards. He marched a hasty retreat out of the hall and retreated back to the library, red in the cheeks with a boiling anger he rarely felt.
"What did I do?" Borus asked as one of Thomas's people put the chair back against the table.
"I'd imagine he wasn't too fond of you playing match maker." Nei said coldly from her seat.
"But he couldn't have heard me, I mean, this table is huge and we were whispering and…"
"Your intentions have been very clear since we sat down sir. And don't you think that these ears of ours might mean our hearing is a thousand times better than yours? Now if you'll excuse me." Nei rose from her seat and left the dining hall through the same door Roland had stormed through seconds before.
"Thanks mister. Now Nei's mad." Shabon scolded.
"Mad? Oh dear! This isn't good at all!" Thomas squeaked. He'd been hoping that the musicians would grace his other guests with a song for the evening, but currently all hopes of entertainment were running up the grand staircase in search of a very angry elf.
Nei tuned into her senses and listened intently for any signs of anger from the surrounding castle. After a tense minute there was a slam from the direction of the library and Nei ran towards the heavy oak doors that protected the castle master's vast collection of books. She pulled one of the massive doors open and slipped inside the peaceful library.
"Heavens! What are you doing in here? Get out!" Roland sputtered in complete shock.
"Excuse me? I have as much right to be in here as you do, sir knight." Nei growled back.
"I…I…I'm sorry." Roland apologized and turned away from Nei.
"Apology accepted. Now are you going to apologize to your host as well?" Nei stood akimbo and tapped her toes.
"What are you, my mother?" Roland chuckled.
"That's a real smile! Now come on, you really should apologize to Master Thomas for leaving dinner, even if it was that boy's fault."
"Borus. He's a real handful sometimes."Roland nodded and placed books he'd been looking at back on the shelf.
"I can imagine. I've helped Toppo raise Shabon and she's never been terrible, but her curiosity is overwhelming."
"So you and Toppo are…?" Roland cast her a sideways glance and paused midway through placing another book on the shelf.
"What does it matter?" Nei asked curiously. Roland gulped.
"Ah…I…It doesn't?"
"We're partners."
"Oh." Roland turned his back to Nei completely and mouthed a swear word.
"His nose for business is astounding, without him I wouldn't be very good at holding onto the little money I can make with my music. He's the one who found Shabon. We've raised her together, so we're family."
"Oh?" Roland pulled a thick book off the book shelf and pretended to read the beginning of it.
"Yes, he's like a real brother to me." Nei put an extra emphasis on brother and Roland nearly dropped his book. "We really should get back to the dining hall; I think Sir Thomas was expecting some music tonight." Nei strode to the heavy doors and pushed one open. "Are you coming?"
Roland set the heavy book down on a nearby table and closed the distance between himself and Nei in three very large strides of his long legs. He followed Nei out into the hall and let the door slam behind him. He let her walk four paces ahead and silently admired her emerald hair that had been let down and hung in loose curls that bounced gently with each step she took. Roland ran an armored hand through his own short lilac hair and frowned. He vowed to let it grow out more. Nei's voice drifted to him and pulled him out of his wandering and not entirely wholesome thoughts.
"….What do you think?"
"I…Uh...what was the question?"
"Should I play my bouzouki or sing for Master Thomas?"
"Sing." Roland replied without a second of hesitation. Nei turned around two steps below him and looked him over quizzically before turning around and continuing on her way down the master staircase.
"I'm glad Lady Chris invited us to dinner tonight, despite all that happened I was glad to see you again." Nei turned around at the base of the stairs and smiled at Roland, the very barest traces of a pink blush crept into her cheeks and she turned around and went into the dining hall without another word.
"I'm sorry for leaving earlier Master Thomas, and to make it up to you I've chosen a song to sing if you'll allow me." Roland could hear Nei say from where he stood frozen on the stairs. Her next whisper he could barely detect but he could hear the scraping of chairs and gathering of instruments as Nei gathered Toppo and Shabon to her. Roland willed his feet to move him towards the dining hall and got as far as the door when the music started playing. He stepped over the threshold and stood unnoticed by the humans in the back of the room as Nei began to sing. It was a song in elvish, a lullaby from mother to son that sang about growing up strong and fighting for truth and never faltering from your path. Roland glanced at the people in the room, among them sat the new bearer of the fire rune and he felt that Nei's song choice was not a happy accident. It was then that he noticed the small glimmer of light emitted by her left hand; she was using a rune. Nei caught Roland's stare and quickly hid her hand behind her back as she finished the lullaby. She dipped into a short bow and reclaimed her seat and cold dinner. Roland stepped out of the shadows quietly and stepped so that his armor clanked together, announcing he presence once more in the dining hall.
"Roland I-" Borus began, but Roland cut him off with a tousle of his hair.
"Sir Thomas, forgive my behavior earlier, it was rude." He knelt before the master of the castle.
"T-there's nothing to forgive good knight." Thomas stammered and stepped back to allow room for Roland to stand up again. He cast a sidelong glance at Nei and excused himself from the dining hall with a calm demeanor explaining he had research he needed to finish in his quarters. Hugo yawned and stretched and leaned against his mother who scooped him into her arms as he instantly fell asleep.
"He has no head for wine. Thank you for your hospitality Sir Thomas. I believe that we too, shall retire for the evening." Lucia motioned to Beechum to carry Hugo and they left out of the hall and down a side corridor that held hundreds of quaintly furnished rooms. More of Thomas's guests followed and shortly it was only Lady Chris, Thomas, and the three entertainers who were left in the great hall.
"You hold a rune." Lady Chris said as coffee was brought in for the adults. Nei hoisted Shabon into her lap and nodded as the young girl nestled against her collar bone.
"The jongleur rune." Nei affirmed. "I received it from the woman who raised me when she passed away."
"And that song? It wasn't anything that is going to cause trouble was it?"
"I would never do such a thing my lady. It was no more than an elvish lullaby. You can ask your knight, Roland for its translation if you like."
"Are we going home soon Nei? I'm tired." Shabon mumbled.
"Do you want Toppo to take you back to our tent?" Nei asked. Shabon slowly shook her head no.
"I'm sorry, but did you say tent?" Thomas asked.
"Well yes. We have no stall to sell things from so we have no right to sleep in the castle like the others. But our tent is warm and dry; it's how we've always slept." Nei shrugged it off and smiled at Toppo who had started playing his fiddle.
"I can't have that!" Thomas squeaked. "Your music is just as vital to this castle as any farmer's fruit. I'll have your things sent for, as of tonight you're moving in here, we have plenty of rooms." Thomas called for a servant to be sent immediately out with Toppo to go pack up the small troupe's tent. Nei shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the thought of sleeping in the chateau unsettled her.
"You are in your rights to insist that he leave you be you know." Lady Chris offered as she stirred her coffee.
"Yes, I know. But I would rather have Shabon and Toppo sleeping inside where it's warm and dry than on the ground in a tattered old tent. It's not fair to them, they're just children."
"Then why haven't you come to Thomas sooner? He would have gladly offered you a room."
"I was lead to believe that only those who were saving money to build their own houses by selling their goods were allowed to take up residence in the castle. We have nothing to sell so I thought we weren't allowed."
"That's terrible thinking on your part." Lady Chris said with a laugh. "But very honest. That's most admirable."
Nei blushed and turned her attention to Shabon and her own untouched cup of coffee. Toppo approached Nei and whispered something in her ear. She thought for a moment and turned to Toppo.
"If you're absolutely sure that's what you want I can't say no."
Toppo smiled and nodded slowly.
"What, what's going on?" Thomas asked as he studied the situation. The servant he called for arrived and bowed in the doorway.
"Toppo, you go with him and round up our belongings. We'll be living in the castle from here on out." Nei smiled at the young man and he saluted her before leading the servant out of the room and castle.
"It's very kind of you to do this Sir Thomas. How can I thank you? Both of you?" Nei asked and shifted Shabon's weight in her lap.
"Let me use your jongleur rune when I need to. That will be enough thanks for me." Lady Chris said then sipped her coffee with a smile.
"No thanks are needed! It's so much safer in the manor. But if you could sing for us every once in a while I wouldn't mind." Thomas laughed sheepishly. They fell into a content silence for a very long time before Toppo and the servant came back. Thomas stood up immediately and greeted the pair at the door. "Well if this is everything, I can show you to where you'll be staying. Do you need a hand carrying anything?"
Nei gestured over to the instruments that were perched in a corner of the hall. "If someone wouldn't mind carrying those…" She stood up from her chair and cradled Shabon in her arms. "My hands are full." Lady Chris smiled and grabbed the fiddle and bouzouki from their resting spot and followed the others who were following Thomas to their new accommodations.
Shabon rolled around in her half asleep state and mumbled something about clouds. Toppo snickered and rolled her over which made her jolt upright.
"Toppo! You ruined my dream!" Shabon shouted in frustration. Her morning grogginess slowly wore off and the realization that she wasn't in a tent slowly crept in. "Where are we?"
"The castle." Toppo whispered with a grin plastered on his face.
"SHUT UP!" Shabon shrieked. She climbed out of the large down bed she'd dreamt was a cloud and ran across the floors to the door and pulled it open. She skittered into the hallway and froze. "No. Way. Toppo! Did you see this! We're inside the castle! Look how shiny everything is!" Shabon's enthusiasm was tangible and Toppo delighted in her running the entire length of the hall their room was in.
"Come back inside." He whispered as Shabon ran up to him, her cheeks flushed and body out of breath. She slipped her small hand inside his large one and he led her back into the room. They explored every corner of their new space, reveling in the smoothness and sheen of the wooden floors, the colors of the wallpaper and the softness of the couch and beds.
"Sir Thomas just gave this to us? I can't believe it! He's so nice." Shabon climbed back onto the bed and rolled around on the comforter and pillows. "Hey…Where's Nei?"
Toppo shrugged. "She was gone before I woke up."
"Hey Toppo…do you think she likes that big guy with the purple hair? Would he take her away from us if they got married?" All playfulness had left Shabon's face and her eyes turned red as she fought back unwanted tears.
Toppo shrugged again and sat down on the bed next to Shabon and pulled her into his lap.
"Why the sad faces? Missing the tent already?" Nei asked cheerily as she entered the room unnoticed. She was carrying a tray that had several different plates and cups on its shiny silver surface.
"Don't leave us Nei-Nei!" Shabon cried. "You can't!"
Nei set the tray down on the small round table by the couch and joined the others on the bed. "Now who said anything about me leaving?"
"That big scary elf is going to take you away from us!" Shabon wailed.
"What big scary elf? Did you have a bad dream Shabon?" Nei questioned, searching for some logic to the more and more outlandish responses Shabon was giving her.
"Him!" Shabon pointed towards the door that was still wide open and standing mid stride outside of it was Roland. "He's going to take you away!"
"Excuse me?" Roland stammered as he turned to face the performers. "Take who away?"
"You can't have her!" Shabon drew out slowly, threateningly.
"Shabon! What sort of mad ideas have you got cooking in your little head? No-one is taking me away from you and he's not a villain! He's a knight." Nei scolded. She turned to Roland; "I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into her-"
"Well he's not going to take you away yet!" Shabon tried to explain as she calmed down from her hysteria. "You'll get married first. Then you'll forget all about Toppo and me and run away."
Roland turned a dark shade of red and Nei frowned at her young ward. "No force on earth could make me leave you, Shabon," Nei took Shabon's face in her hands and kissed her forehead gently.
"Will you accompany me for a walk on the grounds this afternoon?" Roland blurted out so fast it sounded like one word.
"I'm sorry?" Nei turned her attentions to Roland. "Could you say that again?"
"I-said…I have to be going, I need to uh, walk the grounds this afternoon." Roland turned promptly on his heel and swiftly left the hallway. He was angry with himself, with the irrational child and with the world. He'd decided late last night that he was going to ask her on a simple date, decided that there couldn't be any harm in catching her first thing in the morning and asking for her to go on a walk with him, maybe give her a tour of the grounds. But no, he'd chickened out at a very crucial moment because the last thing he wanted was to be seen as the bad guy by the small girl she was so fond of. He stormed past Borus and Salome and out onto the manor steps where he did everything in his physical power to not collapse. Roland did not like being in love.