Timeline: Set after the Vanessa/Syrene support A conversation, and between chapter 19/20 of FE8
A/N: This fic was written with the "screw it, write whatever" and "how many characters can I stick into one fic" mentality, with an added bonus of "can I make fun of them? If Yes, add." In other words: for lulz, not plot.
Sisterly Meddling
Syrene smiled as her little sister headed off, ready to face the enemy after their short conversation. Vanessa's back was as straight and rigid as ever, the young pegasus rider intent on fulfilling her duty to the utmost of her ability…and made, as her older sister predicted, an unconscious beeline for Prince Innes.
Oh yes.
Though Syrene had told Vanessa not to say who she liked, Syrene could make a very good guess to who exactly the lucky guy was. She was Vanessa's older sister, after all.
Syrene's smile widened as she watched snowflakes continue to fall down, covering their tracks as they left the battlefield.
This was going to be fun.
x x x
"Father Moulder, what would you say about hosting a little winter solstice celebration?"
Moulder almost dropped his staff at Syrene's out-of-the-blue question. "You want to…what?" Moulder blinked.
"Well, I've been thinking…" Syrene trailed off. "We've been so busy with preparations to defeat the Demon Lord that the camp has become, well, depressed. I thought it might be good to have a little winter solstice celebration to lighten the mood."
"Ah," Moulder said, beginning to understand. The army had been rather quiet lately; serious in catching up to Prince Lyon and stopping the end of the world and all. Princess Eirika, for one, was quite clearly troubled to know that she had lost her dear friend to none other than the Demon Lord…and that there was no longer any way to save him.
"And I suppose it would be inspirational to remember Saint Latona and her triumph over the Demon Lord…" Moulder murmured.
Syrene's eyes brightened. "Great! I'll leave the sermon part up to you and Princess L'Arachel. Ta!"
Moulder almost dropped his staff again as Syrene flew off on her pegasus. L'Arachel? Sermon? What?
x x x
"Come on, Eirika! Do say yes!" Tana begged, clutching onto the Princess of Renais' shoulders. "It'll be fun!"
"But-but—" Eirika sputtered. She'd been in the middle of polishing her sword and had been just about to leave with Seth for another practice session when Tana had burst into her tent, practically bouncing, and proceeded to plead to Eirika to 'get Ephraim to let the army have a winter party!'
It took a few moments for Eirika to piece everything together. Basically Tana had gotten this great idea: since the winter solstice was coming up in a few days, why not let the army have a little fun? Wartime or not, it was traditional to celebrate on the longest night of the year. Besides, Tana reasoned, they weren't in Darkling Woods yet; the army could afford to take a day off, secure the area, and relax for one night. There was just the small problem of getting permission for doing all of that, and since this was effectively Ephraim's army…
"Why don't you ask my brother yourself?" Eirika said, bewildered.
"I tried!" Tana wailed (actually wailed, which just confused Eirika even further), "but he's sparring with my brother right now and I know Innes would never agree to a party and besides getting your brother to think of anything other than fighting is just—urrgh! You're the only one that can get both of them to listen!"
A crooked smile began to form on Eirika's face. "I don't know about that. Your brother's stubbornness could be legendary."
"Hmph. I know that; I grew up with him," Tana grumbled. Then she promptly went back to pleading. "Eirika, I know it all sounds very frivolous, but—I think—we need this. Everyone's been so sad lately. Even you, and don't you dare say there's nothing wrong. I-I know we can't just forget, but it'd be nice for a short while, you know?"
"I guess…" Eirika began.
"Actually, I agree with Princess Tana," Seth said, suddenly. He had been standing at the tent entrance waiting for Eirika to finish putting on her armor for their practice session when Tana had rushed inside. Since they were not fighting off monsters at the moment, and thus no need to defend the princess from marauding monsters, Seth had refrained from drawing his sword and let Tana conduct Princess Pretty Please. Up until Eirika had asked him (silently, with a desperate glance) Seth what do I do?
"The men are disheartened," Seth continued, "both with this dreary winter weather, the oncoming foray into Darkling Woods, and the long days of the battlefield. It would be good for the army to have a little bit of cheer to look forward to."
"Is that so," Eirika said, making an odd glance towards the Silver Knight that Tana didn't quite understand. At least, not why Eirika was looking at Seth's shoulder rather than his face, with an expression that was not quite frustration but definitely not approval. Tana's own expression fell, thinking that Eirika wasn't going to agree. She squeaked when Eirika lightly poked her.
"Oh, don't look so down, Tana. I'll talk to my brother." Eirika smiled.
Tana squealed and gave Eirika a gigantic hug. "Thank you so much! It'll be fun, I promise! Syrene said she's already made preparations and everything."
"Syrene, is it?" Eirika laughed. "Now I'd thought it was all your idea." She sheathed her sword and pushed open her tent flap, glancing back for a second. "Seth, give me a moment? This shouldn't take too long."
"As you wish, Princess Eirika."
Tana smothered another squee of happiness as the tent became quiet again as Eirika left. Tana glanced at the Silver Knight, who was still looking at the closed tent flap after Eirika had left.
"Don't worry General, I'll make sure you get some alone time with Eirika."
Tana giggled as she left Seth trying not to sputter denials.
x x x
"Oh, so that's what Tana was talking about?" Ephraim grimaced. "I'm going to have to apologize again, aren't I."
Eirika rolled her eyes. "You'd better. Really, brother, I thought you were trying to make a better impression for Tana."
"Hey! That's not— whoa there, Innes. You're looking like a sourpuss."
Later, Prince Innes would conclude that he needed more practice in using the Face Of Brotherly Disapproval. As clearly, it hadn't worked.
x x x
"Okay, now I'm curious—just what's going on with you?"
Kyle's head jerked around to look at Forde's perpetually grinning face as the red knight had his horse trot up alongside Kyle. Kyle frowned. "Excuse me?"
"That," Forde lazily pointed towards…particularly nothing, on the other side of Kyle.
"I don't have time for this," Kyle muttered, urging his mount to move ahead of Forde.
Irritatingly, Forde kept up his pace (for once). "No really, Kyle—what's up? You keep staring at the woods, like you think monsters are going to jump out at us at any moment."
"They could," Kyle said automatically. "A knight should never let his guard down."
"Oh come on man, we've already scoured this area. All the beasties are goners—"
"No thanks to you—"
"Hey! I wasn't napping this time!"
"That's a first," Kyle deadpanned.
"Har har. No really, Kyle. Did you lose something? That wooden figurine of yours or something? I've never seen you so interested in foliage before."
Kyle turned to look at Forde, a bit surprised that the carefree knight was so observant. "Well, if you must know, Syrene asked me to look a particular plant as we traveled. Since she's on a pegasus she can't see anything more than the tops of trees. She said it was necessary for the winter party tonight." Kyle conveniently left out the part where Syrene said the search should help him loosen up. Because so far, it wasn't.
Forde raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What is it?"
"She never gave me the name, for some reason. Just told me it was a plant with smooth oval edged leaves, and white or red berries…"
At this, Forde burst out laughing. "Really? She wants that? Ha! Well, I guess it wouldn't be a Frelian winter party without one—"
"One what?" Kyle asked, frowning. "You know what it is?"
"'Course I do; I'm the one who likes painting scenery, aren't I? Gotta know what I'm drawing, after all," Forde grinned.
"So what is—" Kyle began, frustrated at Forde's evasiveness.
"Hold on a tic," Forde said, and cantered off, leaving Kyle behind still confused, a state that rarely came to the green knight.
A few minutes later Forde returned, flourishing a bit of shrubbery with the exact description Syrene had given Kyle.
"Ta da!" Forde said with a positively mischievous grin, one that Kyle had once thought was only in the realm of the young thief scamp Colm. Forde dangled the bit of greenery over his head, wiggling his eyebrows that made Kyle highly suspicious.
"Is that it?" Kyle said, keeping his hands on the reins just in case this was some sort of joke on Forde's part.
"Sure is," Forde drawled, tossing Kyle the shrubbery. "I saw it in a tree a few paces back. Figured I'd save you the eyestrain of looking for something you've never really seen before."
"Oh. Well, thanks," Kyle said, carefully observing the cluster of leaves and berries in his hand in case Syrene asked for more. Then he tucked the bunch of greenery in one of his saddlebags.
"Hey, when you give it to Syrene, hold it out at head height."
Kyle blinked. "Whatever for?"
Forde grinned. "Just do it. It's, uh, the best way to present it. Yeah, it's the easiest way to recognize—"
"What? Forde, what is it about this plant that you're not—"
Forde was laughing as he cantered ahead, with Kyle trying not to look like he was chasing Forde and failing miserably.
x x x
"Don't deny it," Syrene said in a sing-song voice, as she presented a platter of cookies to her younger sister.
Vanessa flushed, trying very hard not to big-eye the assortment of cookies in front of her. The fresh-baked cookies. The fresh-baked, homemade cookies her sister had made, that she knew were Vanessa's favorite… Only half-reluctantly did Vanessa take a cookie, glaring at Syrene in the only way sisters could.
That's not fair, Vanessa's eyes said, while she mumbled around mouthfuls of cookie, "Thanks."
The winter solstice celebration was now well underway. After setting up camp, a few sparse decorations had gone up. Most of the attention had gone into the food preparations and music. After a retelling of the triumph of the Five Heroes over the Demon Lord by Moulder and L'Arachel (it was supposed to have been a brief retelling, until L'Arachel had gotten very into it and began 'acting' the role of Saint Latona. It wasn't shortened either by the magic background storytelling Lute and Artur were conducting as well, although that was mostly Lute), people had drifted off to eat, drink, and be merry. A simple little celebration, for a small bit of happiness between battles.
"You're having fun I hope, Vanessa," Syrene said, patting Vanessa's shoulder with her free hand. "I did say you need to relax."
"Y-yes!" Vanessa stuttered, standing straight as if she was out on the battlefield and her captain had just given orders.
Syrene tsked and poked Vanessa. "Didn't I just tell you to relax? You're standing at attention like this is a military assignment."
Vanessa's shoulders slumped. A fraction. "Sorry. I'm just…I'm really not used to formal occasions," she confessed.
"What? You can't be serious," Syrene said, incredulous. She quickly slid the platter of cookies on a nearby table to turn her full attention on her sister. "Besides, this is hardly a formal occasion."
Syrene waved a hand towards a corner of the clearing, where Joshua was currently running a shell game with a few of the other men. Vanessa could see Garcia and Gerik crowded around the tree stump where the game was being played, as well as a corner of a blue cape that implied Colm was in the mess too. The faint protest of 'hey! I wasn't ready yet!' and the presence of the archer girl Neimi hovering at the edges confirmed Vanessa's guess.
"I'm usually on duty…" Vanessa protested.
Syrene raised one elegant eyebrow. "Guarding Prince Innes, no doubt."
The slight flush on Vanessa's face and her scrambled attempts to say otherwise told Syrene she'd hit the target square on.
Syrene poked Vanessa again. "Well then, as your captain, I hereby order you to stand attendance to our Prince Innes for the rest of the night. That's an order rider," Syrene said as she cut off Vanessa's baffled sounds for explanation, and gave her sister a light shove towards the Frelian prince.
Vanessa took a few hesitant steps away. When she looked back at her sister and saw Syrene doing the 'Obey Big Sister' look, Vanessa turned back around.
Syrene watched as Vanessa hesitantly moved towards Innes, then with a bit more confidence. Syrene also saw Innes' grumpy expression (no doubt disapproving of all this festive shenanigans) turn to a more pleasant one as he saw Vanessa approach. It was almost as if he (gasp!) enjoyed someone's company!
Quickly Syrene slipped away. Time to put the other part of the plan in action.
x x x
Amelia nibbled the bottom of her lip. "Are you sure this is going to work, Ewan?"
Ewan was busy flipping through pages of the tome and his sheets of notes. "'Course I'm sure! Uh, mostly…"
"You couldn't be surer before Ross started climbing?"
"Hey, I only got this tome from Knoll a week ago!"
At this moment, Ross was slowly and carefully inching himself across a precarious tree limb. Clenched between his teeth was a slightly crumpled bit of greenery with a few berries. Making sure not to disturb the people below him, Ross continued his delicate mission.
The mission? To tie a certain plant bundle on the tip of a tree branch. The plan, as concocted by the trio of rookies, was for Ross to climb as far out over the tree limb as possible, because it was faster than using a levitation spell (and Ewan hadn't gotten that far in his dark magic studies anyway). Since Ross would need both hands, once Ross had gotten into position, Ewan would use some magic to tie down the plant bundle (he knew that much). Amelia was there to run a diversion if necessary.
"Almost…there…" Ross muttered underneath his breath.
It was then that The Plan…went to Plan B.
x x x
Later, Vanessa would only remember a few things: a crashed table, food everywhere, a sprig of mistletoe tacked onto a tree branch above them via dark magic, Innes' arms around her and his lips brushing hers, and Syrene's laughter faintly in the background.