Hey there, Mark-Kris Robin Lancer! Here's my giftfic for you!
I apologise for the delay. I had the fic mostly ready around Christmas Eve, but wasn't fully satisfied with it, and no matter how many edits. But at this point, I don't think I will change it around any more.
In a way, it's both one of my best and one of my worst pieces. It's good because I finally managed to put pen-to-paper to one of the earliest concepts I've had for a FE fic, and it feels like I've come full circle. It's bad because because I feel that no matter what kind of polish I try to put on it, something is still off - it still feels like a weak piece.
It's a story that falls between 6 and 7, and focuses on the blood price Hector agreed to pay when he picked up Armads.
I've title this piece Promises, because it revolves around promises, overt, implied or otherwise. It also, indirectly refers to the way I feel about the piece too - something that conceptually had promise but somehow only managed to be that and no more.
And without further ado, I present Promises!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem in any way, shape of form.
It's hot.
He's surrounded.
The battlefield around him is a sea of flame, littered with charred corpses that are unrecognisable.
Hector wipes the sweat dripping from his brow, and readies his axe for his next opponent.
But there is none.
The last he remembers, a glowing pair of white-hot orbs burst forth from the flames and an unbearable heat takes him before it all goes dark.
"…and that concludes my report of the western Lycian regions, milord," finishes Matthew as he looks up at his lord.
There is a brief pause as Hector's mind snaps back to reality, "I see," he replies, taking a moment to adjust himself. He'll have to read the report again later on to actually know what's going on, but he'd never tell Matthew that.
But of course, Matthew is far too perceptive to let that slip. "Forgive my rudeness, but have you not been sleeping well recently?" he inquires as a smirk begins to form on his face.
Hector knows Matthew well enough to know that he has two kinds of smirk. The first is when both corners of his mouth curl, and whatever riposte he's about to launch is purely in jest. The second is when only the right side of his mouth curls, and it means that it's a serious inquiry. The smirk is definitely of the latter, and knowing Matthew, dropping the formalities was not a slip of the tongue.
They lock gazes. It's a wordless exchange, and even without words, Matthew immediately knows the cause. The smirk is now completely gone from his face, replace by a worried frown.
"It's the visions again, isn't it?"
Hector's silence is a more convincing confirmation than any kind of flustered denial.
Matthew knows better than to extend a hand and pry further. After all, he was there when Hector made a pact with Durban's spirit. Instead he simply gives his lord a curt but respectful nod. "It would appear that you are not fully focused today, milord. Perhaps we should continue another time," he responds as moves towards the door.
"Please do not tell Oswin about this."
Matthew's choice of words is a tongue-in-cheek response, but carries none of the light-heartedness that should have accompanied it.
"I don't need to."
"You desire strength? Then prepare yourself. Once you have gained such power… Your life will not end in a comfortable bed. You will die on the battlefield. In the savage garden of war's bloody delights."
"My lord, NO! You can't! This is madness!" roars Oswin. "You cannot make such a pact without considering it carefully! Matthew! Say something to him!"
Matthew opens his mouth, but no words come out.
Hector raises a hand to cut Oswin off as he begins to start again.
"I don't care. I came this far to help Eliwood. And help him I shall. Armads! Lend me your strength!"
"Very well," replies the ghostly voice, "it is yours."
A flash of light engulfs Hector…
"…and that is why I fear security in the border regions have been growing complacent as of late," finishes Oswin.
"Hmmmm," murmurs Hector. Again, he has not been fully focused on Oswin's report. "That could be an issue."
Oswin fixes him with a frown; there's a joke that he's always frowning, but this one is a little deeper than most. "Is something troubling you, milord?"
Seeing the frown, Hector hesitates for a moment. He knows that frown. It's the one that he's never won against if he knows he's in the wrong.
"I have been… tired of late. Perhaps we should reconvene another day," he replies, as he tries to brush off Oswin's concern. Unconsciously, his posture tenses in the hope that Oswin will not pursue this further.
The frown stays, and Oswin does not move an inch.
Hector knows where this is going, and finally lets his tense stance drop. "I've been thinking… about that day," he finally admits.
Oswin's face remains impassive, but it's clear from his eyes that his steely resolve has been diluted with a mix of regret and reproach. After all, there is but a single day in their long, albeit rocky, friendship that caused such a divisive split that still has not fully mended.
There is a pause. Hector obviously expects Oswin to prompt, preach or berate him further, but he does not. Instead, the next few words that come out of Oswin's mouth shock Hector to the core.
"I do not believe you made the incorrect decision."
Hector looks at the man he would count among both his closest friends and trusted vassals, unable to say a word.
"As your friend, I cannot agree with your decision. But you have made it, and as your vassal, I will support you and protect you with my life until the very end. Please do not forget that."
As Oswin opens the door and prepares to leave and open the door, Lilina's voice can be heard in the hallway.
"Please don't tell Lilina about this, even after I'm gone."
"I don't need to."
"Sir Oswin, I must apologise to you for making such an odd request."
"Not at all, Lady Florina," Oswin replied as he shifted uncomfortably in his armour.
Said request had been to bring Lilina to her, alone. Normally she visited once a day with her father, so the request itself had been odd indeed.
"Lilina, come here," Florina motioned from the bed.
It was a heart-wrenching sight. The physicians had done all they could, and even the archbishop Lord Pent had recommended had no answers.
"You called for me, mama?"
"Yes, I did, dear," Florina croaked out as she half-sat up. "Now, I want you to listen very carefully. Mama is going to go away soon, for a very long time."
Lilina pulled her mother into a tight embrace. "I don't want mama to go away," she pouted as she shook her head.
"Don't worry, I'll always be watching over you. But there is something else very important that I have to tell you. Can you promise me that you will listen carefully and do as I say?"
Lilina nodded.
"One day, papa will have to go away very, very suddenly. He might not even have time to say goodbye like I will."
Oswin's eyes widened at Florina's words.
"When that happens, dear, I want you to promise me that you'll stay strong. Also, papa doesn't like to talk about it, so don't tell him I told you about it, okay? It's a very important secret that he doesn't want others to know, ok?"
Lilina nodded. "I promise, mama. I promise I'll stay strong when papa goes away, and I promise not to tell anyone."
"…and the other day Cecilia showed us how to utilise multiple seals in the one circle for advanced magic!"
"It must be interesting," Hector replied. It's not that the conversation disinterests him; he has trouble focusing after his earlier conversations with Matthew and Oswin.
"Father, is something the matter? You haven't spoken much today."
Hector figures that there's no point to hiding it from his daughter. "Yes, I have had some… difficult conversations today. I have been forced to confront the unpleasant fact that there's a lot I haven't been able to do, and that the time I have remaining is limited before I can do no more."
It's a very roundabout way of saying that he will meet death without specifically mentioning that it will be on a battlefield, but it nonetheless is the truth.
Lilina's eyes widen for a little, but by the time her father has finished speaking, the surprise has changed into resolve. Hector's unsure why the talk of his death would cause such a response, but the words that follow made it clear.
"Do not worry, father. I promised mother a long time ago that I would stay strong, should there come a day where neither of you are here anymore."
R&R, y'all.
Over and out.