Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, if I did… then… why I'm writing this then?
The Firefly Festival
Green shaded leaves were falling on top of her; the snow was starting to cover her body and the garden. Eirika ran happily in the snow with her typical royal attire and cape, her hair moving smoothly behind her back. The winter was just starting and she enjoyed it, even more than rain. Eirika happily threw herself in the snow that covered the ground, swinging her arms and legs at the same time.
"Oh, that's so nice, Eirika!" Another voice behind her squealed excitedly. "I want to do it too!"
"Come, come Tana!" Eirika gestured her to approach her, still in the ground.
Both twelve-year-old girls giggled while they played in the snow, after a few minutes Tana stopped and glanced to the surroundings, slowly approaching Eirika. "You know…" she started nervously but excited. "I-I kissed Ephraim!"
Eirika gasped and placed her hands in her mouth, visibly amused. "Oh my… really!" she exclaimed as happily and excited as Tana was, then her expression saddened. "Not fair…"
"What's wrong Eirika?" She said, approaching her friend.
"I-I don't know how to kiss…" She said timidly, looking at her fingers.
"You could ask Innes how to teach you…" Tana suggested but Eirika had a disgusting expression in her face, Tana corrected herself. "Ok, that would be weird…"
"Very." She added,
"Um, um…" Tana placed her index finger in her chin, thinking. Her eyes wandered in the castle gardens and near halls. A seventeen-year-old redhead was sitting on a wooden bench, placed in the border of the outer halls. Tana giggled enthusiastically "What about Sir Seth?"
"S-Seth!" she cried out, flushed and extremely embarrassed. "What are you saying!"
Seth got up of the bench very quickly, answering to the Princess cry, as fast as he could run he approached her and Princess Tana to aid them. "What is wrong Princess Eirika?" he said, catching his breath. Tana giggled innocently.
"Eirika was just going to ask if you could teach her how to kiss, Sir Seth." She said meaning no harm, but Seth's reaction was either combination of choking to death and laughing or just plain shock.
"T-Tana!" she yelled again at her friend who thought she was doing a good deed, obviously she didn't know about Eirika's little crush in the soon-to-be general… strangely enough he just smiled nervously.
---
The sensation of the soft, pink fabric made the coldness of the night more bearable, however she wasn't capable of sleeping, the low and sometimes scary whispers of the wind made her feel more uncomfortable. Princess Eirika got up of her royal sized bed, glaring at the curtains which moved softy because of the wind; she sighed deeply, realizing how thirsty she really was. She walked gracefully through her room towards a little table placed near the window: there was a little glass of water, hall-full with a jar of more water beside it. She filled it and drank it slowly, looking at her surroundings.
The sky was starting to clear up, they had been through a horrible rain season, but winter was close now so the clouds weren't that frequent anymore, instead they got replaced by some mist in the nights. She got a glimpse of the little sun rays behind the clouds. She smiled at the sight of a clear sky of mixed colours; blue, orangle, red and pink melting in one lovely and unique spectacle.
Eirika yawned, she wasn't tired at all but she didn't have a full rest night because Ephraim needed to write an –important- letter for a certain Princess of Freila and to be honest Ephraim's handwriting isn't kingly at all, so Eirika had to stay up helping his twin brother in his secret love quest. She couldn't sleep mostly because of that but she couldn't get one single night of sleep without having silly dreams regarding Seth and herself when they were younger.
The last dream she had, according to Lute's supremacy and know-it-all ability, resembled the need she had to let her feelings out and show her love to the mystery man which was obviously a red-headed Silver Knight, it's not like Lute said it, anyway.
"Lute rambles so much." She said to no one in particular, "She could just say that I like Seth… oh…" she sighed.
Finishing her glass of water and rambling she opened the doors of her bathroom willing to take a good, long and relaxing hot bath to ease the coldness of the morning and the romantic dreams she had about Seth and her persona.
---
"Lady Amelia!" The young girl stopped in her tracks at hearing a familiar voice call her from the other side of the hallway, her chestnut eyes met a young boy's emerald. "Wait up!"
"Sir Franz, Good Morning" she smiled at the boy who seemed tired at this early hour in the morning. "Is something wrong, Franz? You seem… exhausted." She said worriedly, forgetting her manners, not like he noticed.
"I, uh—"Franz searched for something is his pocket; it was a folded piece of paper, the expression in his face was something between shyness and embarrassment. "T-The other day Forde was teaching me how to draw and uh… I made this—it's nothing compared to my brother's pieces but…" He said sheepishly, handing the piece of parchment to her, Amelia opened it carefully to reveal a portrait of a smiling girl, coloured with watercolour, it wasn't like Forde's artwork but he deposited so much effort into it.
"Oh, Franz." She said sweetly, looking at the piece of paper. "You stayed all the night awake doing this…?" He nodded and mumbled something inaudible. "Thanks!" Amelia said cheerfully, folding the drawing and placing it in a secure place. "I'll treasure it…!"
"So my brother showed you that little drawing he did?" Forde appeared out of nowhere, he was surely hiding somewhere with his goofy grin plastered on his face. If there will be an apocalypses in the world with everyone dying, Forde would still hold the grin. Franz actually jumped because of his sudden appearance and then twitched because of his remark. "I must say, he spent the WHOLE night drawing it… and he sometimes mumbled something like: I would lo—Wah! Franz! Watch were you aim that sword! You could have killed me!"
"That was the point!" Franz yelled practically in his ear. "Don't you have to go on a meeting with General Seth!"
Forde looked at a clock hanging near where they were standing, his eyes widened when he saw that he was one hour late for the meeting. A big cloud of smoke was the only thing left where Force once stood.
"Er, Franz?" The blonde looked at her, she pointed at the watch. "Didn't you have to go to that meeting too…?"
"… Holy!" Franz mimicked his brother, running as fast as his legs could.
---
Ephraim walked in circles, he was very nervous, really nervous. The doors in his chambers swung open revealing Eirika in her casual attire and red cape. "What's wrong, brother?" She said, closing the doors.
"Oh… I… just sent the letter." He said trying to hide his nervousness, something he wasn't good at. She didn't know this side of Ephraim, since they were kids he only remembered Innes when they went to Freila and he didn't seem to have that much of a love interest in Tana. He must be really good at hiding his feelings because if it hadn't been for a poem –which was obviously written by Forde- she found lying in his room, she would have never know that her brother actually returned Tana's feelings.
"Don't worry brother." She said in a reassuring tone. "I believe she will return your feelings sin—"
"Have you two talked?" Ephraim instantly got up of the chair he recently sat on. Eirika shook her head, trying not to laugh at Ephraim's attempts to calm down.
"I have to check the town, out people have worked for weeks since they said they were going to make The Firefly Festival…" Eirika said in a reminding tone and Ephraim sighed deeply, he was already stressed and he didn't need more paperwork. "I believe you should take a break, brother and let me handle things…"
Ephraim smiled pleadingly at his twin sister, Eirika returned the smile as well, nodding. "You can leave now, then"
"As you wish." she said exiting the room. Ephraim watched her leave and then turned around to see the piles of paperwork he had, oh this was going to be long and boring but mostly long.
Eirika left the royal wing of the castle to approach to the kitchen area to supervise how everything went, seemingly everything was okay so she passed by quickly, heading for the conference room in the other wing of the castle. When she got there the knights that were in the meeting were just leaving, some with sleepy faces and other talking among them, she noticed a tall, redheaded man carrying what looked like paperwork under his arm and talking with Forde and Franz, not very happy.
"I'm sorry General Seth…" Forde said, running a hand through his golden locks and scratching the back of his head, typical gesture he had went he was either nervous or embarrassed. "I guess I don't have an excuse for this time…"
"If you are going to be late at least don't fall sleep in the middle of the daily schedule." The redheaded said in a calmly yet severe way.
"Good morning Princess Eirika." Forde said waving a hand at the distance, she smiled as she approached the little group, Seth bowed at her respectfully and she sighed. Her heart repressing the urge to tell him the entire things she had written in her diary, in napkins, secretly in an old tree… "We have to go, General, Princess." He said, patting Franz's head. "Come, we have to discuss something regarding a sword throwing." His younger brother gulped soundly.
The two knight left, starting to argue at the distance with a very flushed Franz and very annoyed Forde.
"Seth." She said grabbing his attention.
"Yes, your highness?" Eirika frowned, Seth sighed apologetically. "I'm afraid I can't drop the tittles. We are in the castle, out of the open." Seth's eyes were filled by guilt and betrayal, Eirika just sighed as well.
"I was wondering if you have heard of The Firefly Festival." Eirika said, curiously waiting for his answer, testing his memory.
"Yes, I re-remember the last Firefly Festival, five years ago." He said, gazing at the floor and then asked "What about it, Princess?"
Eirika smiled. "Well the townsfolk is planning it again, this time isn't a little celebration since they will praise Renais Restoration. Ephraim is very busy with the castle activity and uh—something." She paused looking for any hint of suspicion on Seth's face, then continued. "So I'm in charge, would you mind accompanying me to the town?"
Seth nodded, "Sure, m- Princess Eirika." He said hurriedly, not wanting the Princess to notice his impulsive rudeness, although Eirika wouldn't have cared.
Kyle bowed before the Princess and then directed himself to the General who wasn't expecting his presence. "General Seth, Lady Syrene and Lady Vanessa have arrived, they are waiting in the—oh wait, and here they are." He said looking at two ladies with green hair and wearing the Pegasus Knight's fashion. "You were supposed to wait in the courtyard…"
"Calm down, Kyle." Syrene said hitting his shoulder pad lightly, "You are always so stressed about your duty… we would have died out there, it's so cold." Syrene and Vanessa smiled and then bowed to the Princess as well.
"Good Morning, Princess Eirika!" Vanessa said cheerfully, "I see that you and King Ephraim had done a spectacular job with the castle."
"I can't take so much credit, Vanessa…" she said, "You have to thank every townsfolk out there and of course Jehanna, Rausten and Freila."
"Speaking of which..." A young man appeared in the scene, wearing royal clothes and grey hair; his face had an air of superiority but he had a smile on it. "Princess Eirika, long time since both nation reunited."
"Prince Innes!" Eirika greeted him, surprised because of his sudden appearance. "What made you come to Renais?"
"Tana received quite a letter from Ephraim." Eirika gasped slightly, Innes had his own way of protecting his sister and maybe it was a little bit invasive. "She didn't seem scandalized… like me."
"Um, don't worry Innes." Eirika said reassuringly, smiling.
"I don't mean to interrupt you, Princess, but have you seen Sir Forde?" Vanessa inquired looking at the Princess.
"I saw him with Franz, he looked annoyed." Kyle explained. "Come let's find them, I don't want to find a dead Franz…" The two sisters walked along Kyle while they giggled.
"I'm just passing by," Innes said regaining Eirika's attention. "I'm going to Rausten to deal some important issues with Pontifex L'Arachel." Innes turned to leave, but Eirika stopped him.
"I thought you were staying to enjoy the festival…" she said, disappointed.
"I have to watch for Tana." In his own world that meant a yes, since Tana was coming to the festival. "Farewell Princess. I'll try to make it by tonight with Pontifex L'Arachel's company."
He left, heading to the courtyard where a Pegasus waited for him, escorted with other two more Pegasus Knights.
"Princess, let's go." Seth said, walking towards the stable to look for their horses. Eirika smiled, this day wasn't going to be boring after all.
The Star Festival was unlike any other, it was made in full moon nights when the stars shined brighter because of the winter, the festival didn't have any source of lights like candles, instead with the help of the town's men and children, they released tons of fireflies which wizards enchanted to make them glow in different, bright colours, simulating a more colourful starry sky but on the land. The festival was full of traditional games, foods and activities such as the Firefly Catching: the people reunited in Renais Pond where the fireflies danced at night. Every person cacthed a firefly in a bottle and saved it until every citizen of Renais had made their wishes when they were going to be released, forming a beautiful spectacle.
The noon was nearing when Eirika and Seth arrived, but the people didn't seem to get tired, there was only a few hours left for the festival and they wanted it to be perfect. A group of women were doing the signs using oils they have borrowed from some anonymous artist, another group, this time of men were doing all heavy work, like setting the games and moving the boxes with the fruit they were going to sell.
"Everyone's so busy." Eirika said as she got down of her horse, Seth followed her. She walked among the crowd, some of the people bowed at her and others were just too busy –or were loaded with tons of boxes- that just waved.
A young magician was practicing her spells out in the open, near the women painting the signs. Her expression was somewhat of a puzzled one, she was switching between reading the book in her hands and doing the spell, repeatedly.
"Lady Lute." Seth said while the purple haired girl turned around to see her friends, closing the book tiredly.
"Sir Seth, Princess Eirika. What brings you here?" Lute said in her typical oh-so-superior voice.
Eirika smiled, "I offered myself to help with the preparations…" Lute opened her book again, searching for the spell she was practicing with a troubled expression in her face, "Are you having trouble with that spell?" Eirika asked, not believing that her friend; the mage prodigy would be having trouble casting a spell.
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, offended. "I'm Lute, the mage prodigy and I don—!"
"Calm down Lute" a young man with white robes and short curly hair stepped in, also with a book in his hand. "Greetings Princess, General." He said, bowing. "I'm helping Lute with the spell."
Lute arched an eyebrow. "I thought I was helping you, Artur."
"Er, it's a fifty-fifty matter." He said hopelessly, apparently he had the same trouble as Lute casting the spell.
Some of the townsfolk started to gather in the centre of the place, a man began talking, obviously the one in charge of the Festival's preparation, he seemed exhausted, his baggy eyes popping out like some toy. "We are finished for now, people... its noon and we deserve a good rest." There was a collative sigh of relief and the old man spotted the Princess and her knight standing in the crowd. "Princess Eirika! General Seth!"
"Chief, I'm amazed." She said in awe, looking at how they managed to decorate the place with colourful ornaments and flowers. "I'm proud of what you are doing, but, do you want any help from the castle…?"
"No… It is our pleasure to do this festival!" the old man said, very proud of how things were going. "We are celebrating the Restoration of Renais my Princess… and I heard we are receiving special guests tonight."
Eirika nodded, "Yes, Princess Tana is already in the castle, Pontifex L'Arachel's and King Joshua's arriving its still pending."
She didn't really know if Joshua -Er- King Joshua was able to come, since he was busy with the restoration of the restoration of his own country, with the help of the lovely Natasha.
The chief smiled, looking at both the Princess and her Knight. "I would like to invite you to the firefly catching tonight." Seth and Eirika were pleased; the townsfolk made this festival close to February, like another event for the love couples or long lasting friendship. "I want to invite King Ephraim, Princess Tana and as well all the castle to come."
"I would love to!" she said excitedly, it has been so much time since she went to the Firefly Catching…
Eirika clasped her hands together and started to rub them in order to be warmer. The Firefly Festival was celebrated in a cold night, everyone was wearing winter clothes to bear with the cold but most of the people didn't look as if they were passing through a hell of a cold.
"Oh here it goes!" Eirika's thoughts were interrupted by a quick greenish light that flew in front of her; the young girl shoved her empty bottle in front of her trying to catch the little insect, after a few futile attempts she stopped, sitting heavily in one of the benches located near the pond. "I will never catch that thing!" she grumbled to herself resting her hear in her hands. "I bet Ephraim, Tana and Innes are having so much fun… I hate this--" a shiny firefly flew over her eyes, but this one didn't escape, it was already trapped in a bottle and safely sealed with a holed cap.
"Take this Princess Eirika," Eirika looked up to see General Seth standing with the bottle in his hand. "A simple firefly can't ruin your festival, Princess... " He kneeled and placed the bottle in Eirika's hand.
"Thank you Seth…" she said getting up of the wooden bench. "…but what about you?"
Seth just smiled and started walking near the pond where Ephraim, Tana and Innes where trying to catch their own, except for the Freilan Prince who remarkably said "It's a silly tradition, plus… I hate bugs."
Ephraim had managed to catch his own firefly but Tana was having problems keeping her own firefly alive. "Tana, don't! Tan--! Don't shake it like that! You can kill it!" He told her repeatedly.
"Oh, it… stopped glowing." The young Freilan Princess said examining the bottle, Ephraim sighed as he handed is own bottled firefly.
"Take it but don't—kill it please." Innes chuckled; he had a lot of patience. "Hey what are you laughing at? Want a duel? I have my sword with me!"
"Prince Ephraim, I don't think the Pond is the best place for some swordplay." Seth reminded the young Prince,
"Let's catch more, Ephraim!" Tana said excitedly, grabbing Ephraim's arm and actually dragging him to the other side of the pond. Innes scowled while following them closely.
Renais Pond was full with people trying to catch the firefly that will hold their wishes until they were released later that night. The wind blew lightly playing with Eirika's hair and Seth's cape. Some leaves were falling from some nearby trees, old trees.
Eirika suddenly flushed pink, trying to hide her face with her hands. "S-Seth?" she said slowly trying to catch the young knight's attention.
"Is something wrong, Princess?" he asked with concern in his voice.
Eirika shook her head. "I… I just wanted to know if you remembered what Tana said the other day."
Seth didn't say a word for a whole minute, until he gained all the courage he had. "Princess, I remember what Princess Tana said if that what you mean."
"Um, yes but…" her cheeks got from pink to bright red, she was trying her best not to look at him.
Seth hand cupped Eirika's chin, making her look up to him, her mouth opening to say something and then closed. "First kisses are precious. I don't believe you want to waste that on me, do you?" he said smiling and then he straightened his body, embarrassed as well.
She knew what her wish was going to be…
The night fell in Renais Kingdom and the halls of the castle were busy, some of the servants and knights went to the Pond and assist the Firefly catching. One red knight wouldn't miss his favourite tradition in the whole Festival, he yearned to paint the Pond with the fireflies but a green-haired knight stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Oh man…" he muttered to himself, sighing deeply.
Kyle grimaced. "Don't 'Oh man…' me." He said harshly. "Tonight shift is yours, Forde."
"What?" His mouth dropped open. "But… it's the Firefly Catching!" he said in a persuasive tone. He would bet all the gold on his wallet that he was going with Lady Syrene… if only he had that much gold. Kyle's face didn't change at all. Forde gave up. "All right, all right…"
Kyle nodded and left the red knight with his hopes down. At the distance Forde could see how he greeted a green haired lady. Damn him.
Forde walked clumsily and sat in the bench near the gardens, trying his best to be attentive to any sudden or suspicious movement. One hour passed and nothing interesting happened, the sleepiness and the boredom were winning him, his eyes closing…
"Forde" Seth said, placing his hand in Forde's shoulder pad.
"IM AWAKE IM AWAKE IM AWAKE!" he woke up abruptly and very surprised. General Seth sighed. Forde regained his position, now fully awake. "I'm sorry, general…"
Seth smiled, he knew that Forde wasn't paying attention to the Castle surrounding. "You can go and enjoy the festival." He said, sitting where Forde once was.
Forde blinked several times. "Are you sure?"
"Yes" Seth said.
Forde smiled and practically ran to search for his horse and painting tools.
Seth watched him leave and then all his attention was set in the garden in front of him and the castle, half of the knights and servants were enjoying the festival's Firefly Catching as a price for their hard work in the Restoration of Renais, King Ephraim and Princess Tana left for the festival.
The wind made the trees and bushes move lightly, holding in its breeze the smell of water, the Pond was near Renais Castle and it was surrounded by big, old trees. Seth got up of the bench and started walking, hearing the sound that the grass made with every footstep. Why wasn't he celebrating? King Ephraim wasn't in the castle so it was useless to guard a building. Why was he really there? While all his friends were celebrating happily, he was guarding an empty garden. Oh, yes. His strong sense of duty didn't let him to do so, that wasn't the main reason, though.
A red light sparkled before him, taking him by surprise.
"What are you doing here, Seth?" Eirika's voice beamed with happiness, in her hand an empty bottle with a tiny red light sparkling in it. The firefly was enchanted by Lute's and Artur's skills, finally those two managed to master the spell with L'Arachel's help who arrived a few hours ago in the afternoon accompanied with a not-so-annoyed Prince Innes.
Seth looked at Eirika. He couldn't help but smile at the presence of the Princess. "I'm guarding the castle. It's my duty."
Eirika's face softened. "I see…" she said ordinarily and walking towards him. "I wanted to give you this." She placed the bottle in his hands like he did five years ago.
"Why you want to do so, Eirika?" He felt betrayed by his own person; suddenly the Silver Knight wasn't speaking. Seth was. He had forgotten all of his duty, all of his worries, all the things that kept him attached to sanity and to not think of his Princess, like he did five years ago.
"It's… a gift." Eirika said, gazing at the stars. "Seth, remember what you said to me?"
Seth didn't answer until he answered in the most neutrally way he could. "Yes." Oh that was original.
"I don't think you are waste, Seth… I…"
His heart stopped and then he got resurrected by some miraculous force, dropping the empty bottle with the firefly in it. Eirika leaned closer to him, very close, she could listen to his agitated breathing and –if it was possible- his heart. He was just as nervous as she was. Slowly Seth brushed his lips against hers, feeling how Eirika's arms circled his neck motioning him to get closer, so he did, smelling the sweet scent of her hair.
They didn't need to talk, they didn't to give lame excuses about duty or blood and they just stood there enjoying each other's company.
The glass shattered, little pieces of glass were scattered in the grass. A little red light beamed in the sky, flying, holding two people's wishes: to be together.
Forde smiled in amusement, in his way to the festival he forgot to thank his General, he sat down and grabbed his sketchbook. This was going to be way better than a landscape painting. Way better
The End
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I was so happy with the reviews I got with "Duty and Love are four letter words". 5 reviews! That's the max numbers of reviews I have ever had. This one-shot had passed through many names, like Kissing Lessons, The Star Festival and Just Eirika and Seth… The Firefly Festival suited it better than Kissing Lessons… /swt. This is… the longest thing I have EVER written in English; also I tried to add comedy but failed miserably. I hope you guys like it… please leave a review!
Oh by the way I just love Forde's personality!