A/N- This takes place shortly prior to, during, and after Chapter 15 in FE3, Book 2. There are both spoilers for that chapter and ending spoilers for a couple characters. Thank you to Mark of the Asphodel for giving me some helpful advice to improve the story. I hope that everyone enjoys this!
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem and anything associated with it do not belong to me.
The sun was just peeking out over the hill as Abel put the bridle on his horse. It was a familiar act for the former knight and one that he normally found comforting. Not today, he thought. The gelding suddenly started to paw at the ground and snort nervously, having picked up on his rider's distress. Abel quickly laid a steady hand on the horse's neck in an attempt to calm the gelding, but his action proved to be useless, most likely because couldn't calm himself enough to be able to offer comfort to his horse. He didn't dare try to speak to the poor, nervous gelding as he was certain that he wouldn't be capable of keeping the emotion out of his voice and that speaking at this moment would only make the situation worse.
Perhaps he'll throw me today and I'll be unable to fight, Abel thought as he mounted. Defiance ran through him, as it had so many times since his capture. He simply wouldn't fight. Perhaps he could even get close enough to General Eibel to run his lance through him. Let that be a lesson to his captor that he would not be controlled like this. That he'd never turn his weapon against his lord. He had his pride!
His defiance fled as quickly as it had appeared as he remembered the general's words. "Your wife's life is in your hands. Do as you're told and she'll live. Don't and... Well, I can't be held responsible for the consequences."
Est...
He had not seen her since their capture, but he could picture her perfectly every time he closed his eyes. Her bright eyes, the way her face lit up when she smiled, the way her nose twitched when she was annoyed... As the memories played out in his mind, he could feel his eyes begin to water, but he quickly blinked it back. Tears would not save him or Est from their current predicament. He wasn't honestly sure that anything truly could.
Pain ripped across his heart as he remembered the last time he had seen his wife. He could still hear her scream and see the terror on her face as she fell from her pegasus. It had been his fault. If only he had spotted that sniper in time, if only he had gotten to her before the enemy had reached her, if only...
His horse suddenly danced sideways, bringing Abel out of his daze. The former knight quickly gathered collected the horse and urged him forward. He didn't dare delay another second. Not while Est's life hung in the balance.
Sire, please forgive me. Est... I cannot lose her now. I cannot.
...
Abel's clenched his teeth as he waited at his assigned post. His orders stated that he was not to move until the first members of the army came into his line of vision, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to fight. Eibel had set him directly in the path of the army. They would have to go through him to get to the castle and he didn't dare hold back. He was being watched and any hesitation on his part would spell death for Est.
His whole body stiffened as he caught sight of a red armored knight in the distance. Recognition came to him in a flash as he stared at the knight, frozen for a moment. That had to be Cain. Not only did the armor look like Cain's, but the horse that the knight rode strongly resembled his old friend's warhorse.
Relief and happiness flooded through Abel at seeing that his friend had survived Altea's fall, something that he had not known until that moment, before it was replaced by horror as his situation came back to him. The realization of what he would have to do hit him so hard that he almost dropped the ridersbane in his hand. He had no doubt who Eibel would expect him to target now. Desperately, his eyes sought for another option. Anything that would allow him not attack his best friend.
A strange paladin dressed in black followed his friend and Abel took the opportunity. He did not wish to attack at all, but with Est still in enemy hands, he could see no other options. He knew that his captor would not be satisfied unless he appeared to be fighting with all his skill and with a ridersbane in his hand, he would have to attack a mounted knight as long as one was in range if he was to keep his wife out of harm's way.
With a cry, Abel urged his horse into a gallop and charged at the black cloaked knight, who cried out as the weapon made contact. Abel managed to dodge the knight's counterattack, although just barely.
Cain spun his horse around to face the incoming attacker, confusion and pain spreading across his face as he recognized the enemy in front of him. "Abel? Is that really... What are you doing here?"
Ignoring his friend's questions, Abel made a move to charge at the other knight, but was halted as Cain stepped in between them. Before either knight could make another move, a familiar voice called out to halt them.
It took all of Abel's self-control to turn his head to face his lord as the prince approached. "Sire..."
"Abel?" The disbelief and horror in the prince's voice felt like a physical blow to the young paladin.
As Abel choked out the explanation for his betrayal, he found himself unable to meet his lord's eyes. Despair flooded through him. It was too late now. He could not bring himself to strike at his prince and he was sure that Eibel would have been informed by now that he had chosen to side with his lord. His whispered apology did nothing to ease the pain as he thought of his beloved wife.
Marth's face, upon hearing his explanation, turned white. He turned to a young blond haired girl who had come up behind him during the conversation and asked her to use something that he called a "rescue staff."
Abel had never heard of such a thing, but his confusion turned to shock and joy as his wife appeared, very much alive, right beside the cleric.
She met him with apologies and he quickly attempted to reassure her that she was not to blame for this mess, but their reunion was cut short as another wave of enemies came at them.
...
Est...
Abel's grip on his horse's reins loosened as he stared off into the distance for a moment, calling an old memory of his wife from the back of his mind. It was a memory from a happier time before this war and before he had been branded a traitor.
And before she left me. Abel couldn't bring himself to say the words aloud. It was too painful. He'd lost his honor, his friends, even a large part of himself as he'd never be capable of returning to the person that he'd once been, and now Est had vanished as well without so much as a goodbye.
He could not return to Altea now. There was nothing waiting there for him but pain, sorrow, and shame. The darkness made it difficult to see, but Abel didn't hesitate as he urged the horse forward. After all that had happened, he would not lose Est too. He couldn't.