Duty

I often see him there, watching over his charge, the person he swore to protect...

And I wonder, why won't he let go?

That person has another protector, one who will always be there, one who shares more than a sense of duty in the task. One who is motivated by a stronger force: love.

Yet he is stalwart, unwavering, omnipresent, and will never let himself break away, and I worry for him...

It is true that duty is a critical thing, a task that we men and women of honor must live up to, but is it necessary to allow oneself to be consumed by it?

I glare at Lyn... Why doesn't she see his devotion?

I glare at Ike... Why won't he let Soren leave?

Mark stands by Lyn's side, ever vigilant, never letting her go, yet that crimson shield will not lower itself and move away. It insists on standing there, standing before her.

Elincia, my sister, shall always be by Ike's side, but Soren insists on staying there too, even to the point where his presence is no longer valued by the General...

I see Rebecca, her eyes burning with jealousy at Lyn. (1.)

I see Geoffrey, he'd never admit it but my brother's always been in love with Elincia. Though Ike is a respectable and mighty warrior, he's only known Elincia for such a short time, while Geoffrey's loved her since the day he first saw her. His eyes burn with a subdued but chilling anger that I've never seen in him before.

But what can Kent do?

What can Soren do?

He just stands there, always claiming to protect the person he swore himself to, but never really doing the job.

And I see that look of longing in his eyes. Kent would never admit it. Soren would never admit it. But even though he denies it he wants to be recognized, to be given that honor, to have the same devotion returned to him.

And I want to smack him in the face. I want to force him back into reality. Lyn is smitten by Mark. Ike is smitten by Elincia. It is time to move on, time to take a different path.

One, hopefully, with me...

But I can only stand there, heart breaking at the sight of him, unable to do a thing to help him, for he won't respond, ever...

Kent... Soren... Your sense of duty is commendable, but I... I cannot bear watching it wear you away...

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1. Rebecca/Tactician was a random pairing inspired by the fic "Until the Dusk." Written by Green Paladin.