Disclaimer: I do not own Konami or Suikoden, and no matter what anyone may think, I am making no money from this story. This is all for fun.
Timeline: One year after the Fire Bringer War.
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Gentle RainThomas rolled onto his side and tried desperately to fight the urge to pull the covers over his head. The offending sunlight that seeped into his bedchambers from the partially opened drapes had drawn his mind from the peaceful slumber he longed to return to. Regardless of his own desires however, he resigned himself to his fate, as he donned a sleepy smile as he pulled himself out of bed, running through the mental list of long-standing projects he would need to either oversee or determine how they were progressing.
Thinking back at the simple life he once had, working in the far Outlands with his mother, he wondered how he could be so fortunate to have come upon such a wonderful life. Most however, would not consider the death of their mother or the siege of one's home as fortunate, but for Thomas, accepting the bad allowed him to appreciate the good. It was just that simple.
It had been, by his count, a little over a year since the great Fire Bringer War, a year since he stared down the cause of all the destruction and death, the sorcerer Luc, in the hopes of protecting Bishop Sasarai. A year since he was sure he was going to die, and realized all the things he'd miss when he did. That was what gave him the strength to move beyond his own personal tragedy. He never considered himself brave by any stretch of the imagination, but in that moment, he stared death in the face, and did not look away. Whether intended or not, it gave him a sense of pride at his own meager role in saving the continent.
Still garbed in his sleeping gown, Thomas made his way to the adjoining office and sat himself behind the ancient, weathered desk, determined to file through at least a third of the documents that awaited him before breakfast. For reasons he could not begin to understand, every day was a better blessing than the day before as he slowly adjusted himself into the role of master of the castle. And so he wondered what blessings would come to him this day.
The gentle lull of rolling thunder brought his mind from his own musings as he turned his head to look beyond the pained-glass window to observe the darkening sky over the distant horizon. It appeared a storm was brewing, and from the looks of the clouds, it would be quite the downpour.
Thomas smiled again and shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at the stack of waiting parchment before shaking his head only slightly and pushing himself up from his chair. He had intended to tour the grounds to observe first hand the construction of the soon to be pride and joy of Budehuc Castle, but the weather would not oblige. Thus, he would simply alter his schedule; the duties would be there when he returned after all.
Dressed in his usual garments, Thomas stepped from the entryway of the manor and stared out over the grounds. Even from here he could see the top of the construct peeking above the roof of the inn. It had been quite a surprise when the building of the school had been suggested to him. Eike and Ernie had approached him in his office one day, suggesting that the children of Budehuc Castle should have a place to study. This was surprising in and of itself, as Eike rarely did anything so openly and Ernie was often too timid to make suggestions, but regardless, Thomas thought it a brilliant idea. Apparently, so did many of the residents, as most of the shopkeepers offered to volunteer to teach trade classes for any interested child, even Juan, after much coaxing from Emily offered to set up the gymnasium with Kenji.
What had surprised Thomas even more than the recommendation of the building of the school however was how fast news of the facility spread. In fact, a great majority of the documents waiting his approval were applications from parents from as far away as Caleria wanting to send their children to the university. It gave him another sense of pride that his own little castle had established quite a name for itself.
Thus, the criteria was set, with Ernie responsible for the Math and Science while Eike took care of the History and Literature scheduling. Money for the construction wasn't a problem either, as the swell of soldiers stationed at Budehuc during the Fire Bringer War had caused the castle coffers to bulge to generous levels. Though most of that was now gone for the construction of the school, Thomas couldn't think of a better use for the money.
As he continued walking deeper into the grounds, the castle master smiled almost despite himself at hearing the loud, barking voice of Jefferson as the appointer issued commands to the construction crew working on building the school. For reasons Thomas could not fathom, the drill sergeant had appointed himself Dean of Teensy Pupils and made every effort to ensure the construction went off without a hitch.
Thomas, for his own sanity however, decided not to investigate further while Jefferson was in the vicinity. The last thing he needed was yet another title. And so, the young man continued on his walk, smiling and talking to every resident he had come across, making sure their needs were met and they were happy. It was, in his opinion, the part about his position he liked the most, serving those he could. Life after all, was not to be hoarded, but shared, which was why many residents from Zexen had found their way within the castle walls to call Budehuc their home.
Whether by instinct or some inner, driven force he wasn't sure, but Thomas had soon found himself walking towards the castle gate without a clear understanding of his own reasons for doing so. Regardless, his spirit had suddenly plummeted upon seeing the absence of the usually hyperactive commander of the guards at her desired post. It was not Cecile before him but Elizabeth, Cecile's second-in-command.
Feeling a small pang of guilt that he was not pleased to see the young guard doing her desired task, Thomas approached to speak to the young woman.
It took many moments before Elizabeth noticed the master's approach, but she turned, she stammered nervously, as if in the presence of one beyond her station. "M, M, M, Master Thomas...how nice to see you today sir," the young guard said, bowing in much the way Cecile had shown her. "Are you making your rounds of the castle today sir?"
A slight, self-amused smile tugged at the young man's face as he noticed the nervousness the second-in-command had shown him. She'd learn eventually that he was just an ordinary person and not to be so formal, but Thomas had other things on his mind at the moment than to convince Elizabeth of that. "Yes, I wanted to check the construction of the school before the rain came, but, er...Jefferson sort of intimidates me a bit so I'll see how its going later," Thomas paused to look down at the snow-white canine guard of Budehuc as Connie had flopped her body in front of the gates. "I'm surprised you on post today, I had thought Cecile was on duty."
At this, the young guard had fidgeted even more nervously, as if she were about to tell a terrible secret. "Um...Commander Cecile asked me to switch with her, she said she wasn't feeling well."
At this, Thomas had become slightly alarmed at the realization that his friend was sick enough to cancel her post. In the year he had been here, he had never seen her miss an assignment. "Cecile's not feeling well? Is she ill? How bad is she?" Thomas began, berating the guard with a multitude of questions.
"Uh...I don't think she's really sick sir, at least not physically," Elizabeth began, wondering how to word her response so as not to betray her commander. "If I may be so bold sir, I've noticed the commander has been distant lately, and I feel there is something that is deeply troubling her, but I'm not in a position to pry into the life of my commanding officer."
Thomas chuckled despite himself. "It's never prying to be concerned over a friend Elizabeth, Cecile's not the kind to carry hard feelings."
"I understand sir, I will certainly keep that in mind." Elizabeth said, bowing again to the castle master. "But if you would like to speak to the commander, another of our guards told me she was down by the lake," a hopeful smile crossed the young woman's face as she stared at Thomas. "Perhaps you could make her feel better sir."
Despite his best efforts, Thomas could not hide the heat that painted his cheeks. "Oh...um, okay. I will have a talk with her," the young man said, looking into the sky once more and watching the darkening sky loom overhead. "And Elizabeth, if it starts raining, use the guard station to stay dry. I wouldn't want you getting sick either. In the mean time, I'll go see how Cecile is."
"I understand sir, and thank you Master Thomas." Elizabeth said, bowing again to the castle master as he walked away.
Thomas made his way around the eastern district of the castle, down the stone steps that led to the path that would take him to the lake. As he continued, he noticed the small, unattended garden that had been devoid of a gardener since Barts had returned to Iksay to help restore the village. The thought brought a slight sense of unease at the many friends he had made during the Fire Bringer War, yet there were so many more friends that had found a home at Budehuc that he could not feel the burden of loss for long.
As he continued to make his way past Scott's trading house, Thomas saw the silhouette of the familiar form of his Guard Commander standing amidst the backdrop of the glimmering lake. Just the sight of the young woman caused an unexpected flip within his stomach, but his steps did not falter.
As he approached however, the young knight turned to watch him for but a moment, a small, uncertain smile tugging at her lips before turning back to stare at the lake. "You know," the castle master said as he approached, "I don't think you need to worry about anyone stealing the lake Cecile." Thomas said in regards to her customary armor he often saw her dressed in as he allowed a slight chuckle to pass his lips at the silly joke he tried to pass off.
Cecile turned only slightly, her eyes barely following his approach as she shrugged her shoulders a fraction of an inch in response. "I just wanted to watch the water for a while. It helps me think."
Thomas took the pause as an opening to address his concern. "So, Elizabeth said you wanted to switch shifts..." the young man said, uncertain how or even what to ask his friend. "Cecile, is everything okay?"
The somewhat confused yet even more flustered expression that flashed briefly across her face spoke volumes to the concerned young man. "Wh...what do you mean Master Thomas? I really don't understand what you're getting on about."
The young man felt deeply concerned now, noticing how desperately Cecile tried to avoid eye contact with him. He felt an even greater twinge of guilt in understanding that his duties had kept him from seeing the commander's distress before now, and even slightly angry with himself that that distress had to be pointed out to him by someone else. "I mean you look...er...that is, I just get the impression something is bothering you."
Cecile opened her mouth slightly to reply to the unchallenged concern, yet when she looked into the dark eyes of her dearest friend, filled with worry and compassion, all words failed her. Instead, she chose to make her escape and found the opportunity to do so as a fat drop of rain landed perfectly on the tip of Thomas' nose. "It's going to rain Master Thomas," the armor-wearing young woman said as she stared at the darkening sky before turning away from the worried castle lord. "You should get inside before you get sick."
Already anticipating her response however, Thomas reached a steady hand and laid it on Cecile's shoulder to stay her retreat. "I'm not going anywhere Cecile, and neither are you until you tell me what's bothering you."
A shiver passed over Cecile that had nothing to do with the decreasing temperature as she turned her head to address her leader. "Please Master Thomas," she pleaded half-heartedly; yet the stern expression worn by her captor told her there would be no escape.
"Cecile," Thomas began, ignoring the frequency of the falling drops that had dampened his jacket and trousers. "Whatever is upsetting you so, I want to try to help. I don't want to order you to tell me, I want you to confide in me under your own will. So, will you let me help you?"
"That is the problem Master Thomas," Cecile whispered, her words nearly lost in the building wind had the recipient of her confession not been standing so close. When she turned a bit more to see him tilt his head curiously, she continued. "You're always worried about everyone else, and always trying to do what's best for others, but...but, there's no one that worries about you. Or at least I thought that anyway.
"Over the last month, I've noticed that everyone keeps piling more work on you, giving you really great ideas to help the castle but at the same time giving you way more responsibility than you ever had before. At first I thought you were being overworked, I mean whenever I saw you, you looked terribly tired. But you never complained about any of it, you just smiled and kept doing what you do and because of that Budehuc is better than its ever been."
Cecile paused to wipe the mixture of tears and rain from her face before continuing. "Then I realized, the reason you never complained was because you weren't being overworked. You have truly become a great master, and you didn't need anyone's support, not Muto's, not Sebastian's, not Martha's...not mine." She said, the final words coming out as the slightest of whispers. "I know I'm being selfish saying this Master Thomas, and I know it just proves what a great castle master you've become that everyone has come to depend on you so much...I just wish you needed to depend on others once in a while."
Thomas narrowed his eyes slightly as he digested the words that streamed from Cecile's confession, reading the true meaning behind her fears. Though he had not noticed it as much, he had become distant due to his duties, not so much in a general sense but specifically he had unintentionally distanced himself from the young woman before him. Watching her shiver as the cold rain continued down upon them and staring into her so often-joyful eyes now clouded by unshed tears, Thomas felt his heart shatter at his own preoccupations.
His hand still resting upon her shoulder, Thomas took a deep breath and swallowed the majority of his fears as he ever so cautiously moved his thumb against the gentle curve of her jaw. "Cecile," he said, his voice deep with sorrow and regret, "I'm so sorry." Licking his lips to stall for time, or perhaps to buy some time while thinking what next to say, the often-timid young man continued. "I want to show you something."
With his free hand he took her hand and proceeded to lead her away from the lake and back towards the central grounds. Though hesitant by the sudden action, Cecile never the less followed, curious as to where her lord was leading her. As they made their way across the spongy grounds to the stone steps that led to the courtyard, Thomas tightened his grip for but a moment, thankful that she had not resisted his surprising actions.
When they reached the central fountain, Thomas stopped yet did not release Cecile's hand. "Do you see this Cecile?" He asked, waving his free arm over the shops that cluttered the vicinity. "Do you know who's responsible for all of this?" He asked, turning to face her once again.
"Of course Master Thomas, you are..." she began, but her words were cut short as he shook his head.
"No Cecile, you are." A smile parted his lips as she gazed at him in confusion. "When we were struggling to bring shops and people to this remote castle, and whenever I felt defeat and poverty was about to overtake us all, you were always there to pull me back up to my feet. You never let me give up, even in the toughest times. Even when the Zexen Council sought to unseat me and went so far as to send two the Mighty Six Knights of Zexen to escort me out. Do you remember that day?"
After a moment of disbelief at the words the young man said to her, Cecile finally found her voice. "Of course I do, it was...it was the worse day of my life." She said, the final words coming out in a hurried expulsion in the hopes that each word would hide within the meaning of the word that followed.
Thomas smiled, nodding his head in understanding. "And do you remember what you said that day, about guarding the castle?"
"I...er," Cecile paused; trying desperately to stop the rising color that painted her cheeks a rosy hue. "I said that...that I protected the castle because you are you..."
"Well Cecile," Thomas said, releasing his grip on her hand and placing both hands on either of her shoulders. "I say, that this castle is only the wonderful place it has become, because you are you."
Shocked beyond words at the realization spoken to her, Cecile struggled to find her voice. "R..really?"
Thomas however, smiled more widely to her and responded by pulling her into a heartfelt embrace. "I hope you don't think I'd lie to you Cecile..."
"N...no, of course not Master Thomas."
"I know I don't say
it enough Cecile, and I'm truly sorry for that, but you're the
reason I've been able to succeed in making this castle the success
it's become." Pausing a moment, Thomas tightened his embrace in
the hopes of better expressing his true feelings. "I couldn't
have done any of this without you, and I need you here, to help me
make Budehuc an even better place."
Cecile smiled widely
against Thomas' soaked jacket and loosened her grip just enough to
wipe the fresh tears from her eyes, this time tears that fell for a
different reason. "That is my vow to you Master Thomas," Cecile
began, returning the embrace. "I shall protect this castle with my
life, not because it is the only home I've ever known, but because
you are its master, and you are you."
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Martha leaned heavily against the counter of her Lottery shop, watching the exchange between the young master and young commander. Though she could not hear the conversation, she had a fairly good notion what was being said. She was after all more than an intuitive busy body, she was a nosy, intuitive busy body.
Yet when the two had embraced, she turned deftly from the scene, feeling the need to give them some privacy despite the fact they were displaying such a scene in the open courtyard. Regardless, a small chuckle came from her aged body as she picked up a roll of tickets and proceeded to close shop.
"All I can say is," she said quietly, her eyes glittering with a joyful pride, "its about time."
-End