DISCLAIMER: I don't own Fire Emblem.
Final
"Do you think it'll hold, Seth?" The general glanced over the hastily constructed desk with slight amusement, almost laughing when a corner of scorched wood broke off and landed on the desk leg (once part of the castle's throne-room floor).
"Milady...I would be more concerned about the castle holding." Seth replied, tapping his lance against the floor softly as he looked up to the ceiling, a burned Renais banner hanging solemnly from a rafter. Eirika had emitted a gurgling noise of indignation by this point, but her twin spoke up first.
"Seth, I know about the two of you. Drop the titles." Both the noble lady and the warrior flushed at Ephriam's words and settled in awkwardly onto the floor, the silence only being broken by the rustling of parchment and the quiet murmur of thanks as Seth handed his lord a quill. The once light atmosphere turned brooding again as the male heir of Renais inhaled and asked the question that nobody wanted to answer.
"...So...who was Lyon?"
Blood-colored eyes locked with Ephriam's teal. "A prince. A vessel. A friend. Who do we want him to be?"
Eirika paused and jerked the feather away from her brother with what had to be a practiced air and began to trail black lines across the paper in a doodle-the outline of a face, soon framed by Lyon's recognizable hair. "He was a human, first and foremost." The men nodded quietly, her twin letting her finish before snatching the pen back.
"And he was mere apt to study than spar." From the faceless body's head he drew a neck and a frail outline, a hand lightly holding a book. Ephriam sketched his friend's cloak and clothing before Seth politely asked for the quill and pulled the paper towards himself.
A palace hall surrounded the boy, three portrait frames behind him. "He was driven by love..." Eirika's face was put into a frame, "And...by kindness." A dog was placed, curled at Lyon's un-drawn feet, before Eirika spoke again.
"But Seth. He also was controlled by greed." The paladin nodded and handed her the feather so she could etch a shadowy hand. She put details into the floor of the hall and onto the blank tapestry before letting out an "Oh!" and drawing the shape of Grado in the last frame. "And by a duty he did not feel ready for."
Ephriam jerked the pen away again and said rather loudly, "And by the Demon King," He looked to his sibling with a 'How could you NOT include that?' gaze while he gave Lyon a massive shadow, which Eirika gave horns after taking the quill back. Seth couldn't resist adding a tail to the image before he gave the prince a crown.
"He was a prince." Eirika confirmed and drew a vine around the entire image, human faces appearing here and there among the flowers. "Ruled most of all by his people." She paused and looked at the still blank face, then to her beau and brother. "But we still don't know who he was."
"No, Eirika. We do." Ephriam sighed, tracing the dog lightly with his finger. "You just can't draw that."
"Or say it. We still don't have a eulogy." Seth pointed out, tapping his brown quill on the jagged desk top. As the tiny cloud of white ash settled on his fingertips, he looked to the Renais twins and held up the paper. "But...do you think we can ever give one?"
"...No."
Eirika let out a hollow chuckle before taking the drawing away from Seth. "Lyon will always be faceless to the world, then." She paused. "Not to us, though."
"No," Seth agreed, "Not to the three of us."
Ephriam sighed as he rolled his right arm. "You want to keep it that way? You can always run with the speech, Eir." His twin nodded and smiled, looking to her love for approval. The Silver Knight gave a smile in return, and with that she stood and strode to the fire, dropping the paper into the blaze. The three watched it burn, and as Seth put the fire out with his foot the king spoke. "I think that is the best farewell we could give him, after all."
This time, not a thing had to be said as the ashes fluttered away.
Fin
CREDITS: Inspired in part by Your Better Half, in another part by the flu.