Chapter 1
Luneth gulped down his third red fruit milk and put the glass back on the wooden bar silently. Normally, in the same situation, people would have slammed the recipient and some would have even broken it in the process; however, the silver-haired teen was beyond that kind of open display of discontent. The once carefree and cheerful Luneth was nowhere to be seen tonight, at Ur's pub. Instead was seated a pensive boy who merely nodded with a faint smile as the waitress filled his glass again.
One advantage at being one of the Warriors of Light was that all his orders were on the house. Except the alcoholic drinks, the innkeeper had said, knowing perfectly well that Luneth never drank a single drop of alcohol anyway. Tonight, the boy had settled for his favourite drink, but not even the sweetness of the beverage managed to soothe the bitter feeling gnawing him from inside, a bit more every day.
Oh, and he had been counting the days – eighty-three of them – since that glorious date on the calendar when all four brave and valiant Warriors of Light had come back after purging the world from evil. The Rebirth, everyone called it now. It was exactly like those tales Nina used to read to him: adventurers on a mighty quest for good and justice, obstacles and trials on their way that could never beat their unfaltering wills, then the defeat of evil, the return to the homeland with honours and love as rewards.
Love.
Yes, love was always the final reward which every knight hoped to receive in exchange for their heroic actions. The pure and untainted love of a maiden princess, as beautiful as the goddesses of the world and as sweet as honey. Forever and ever.
'Bullshit.' Luneth thought as he found his glass emptied for the fourth time. Tales were by definition a creation of humankind to make up for what reality lacked. Oh, there weren't so many differences between tales and reality, but even the faintest differences could turn joy to sorrow and care to pain.
When Luneth looked closely at it, everything had actually started like in tales. It was only the ending which reminded him in quite a cruel way that he was living in a real world, not in a book. Then again, it depended on the point of view. Anyone else in the village would claim with no hesitation that the epic of the four Warriors of Light was a living tale, and that the knight had even found his princess.
Luneth rested his cheek on the palm of his hand, playing with his glass. The knight and his princess, yeah.
"Do you want something to eat? You know you just have to ask." a kind and cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hm? Oh, no thanks, Meena. I've decided to fill my stomach with milk tonight." Luneth replied with a bright smile. Only his close friends would have noticed the pretend behind that smile.
"That's not good." the girl replied as she slipped a small plate with a slice of strawberry cake in front of Luneth. The latter thanked her before digging in. No matter the situation, he could never resist such a treat, especially when it was his favourite cake. It didn't distract his thoughts enough, though.
The knight. Formerly a guard of his Highness King Sasune, now Great Commander of the Royal Army and Knight of the King's Guard, namely Ingus.
The princess. Formerly a princess of Sasune, now still a princess of Sasune, namely...
'Drop it.' Luneth thought darkly. It wasn't official yet, but rumours spread faster than plague and soon enough all kinds of gossips about how Princess Sara was going to abandon her current title to shoulder that of 'Queen' had reached the ears of every single person on the Floating Continent. And naturally, a queen wasn't a queen without her king. On that point too, rumours were circulating everywhere on who would succeed the old monarch.
One name could be found on most people's lips: Ingus.
'Ridiculous. He's an orphan with no noble rank whatsoever. He's like me, damn it!' Luneth plunged his spoon in the unctuous whipped cream and brought it to his mouth. The sweet taste melted on his tongue and soon faded away.
Exactly the same way his hopes had melted and faded away.
"Men are so obtuse... Must I say it plainly? I want to stay with you a bit longer! There!"
The silver-haired boy refrained from letting an annoyed sound come out, but the scowl on his face was an open book to his current sentiment. Or rather, resentment. It was one thing for Sara to utter such words, but it was another one to hear Ingus' answer to them. Any sensible man of his rank would have humbly decline and argue in favour of her duty towards her kingdom. Luneth had been so positive of Ingus' reply that he had almost choked at the blonde's next words.
"As you wish, Milady. I will stay by your side until the end of time!"
Luneth unconsciously clenched his fist and the grip around the spoon tightened. No matter how many times those words would echo in his head, the effect they had on him were still as painful as ever. 'Until the end of time, huh? Wish it was tomorrow.' the teen thought as he shoved a piece of strawberry in his mouth.
And for the hundredth time, he cursed himself. More exactly, he cursed his own slow reactions at the feelings that had surfaced in him. From the beginning until the end, his slow ability to comprehend them had been his doom.
If everything had happened quickly, it would have been less painful. But no, it had taken time for him to let those foreign feelings build up in him ever since his path had crossed with Ingus'. Days and nights, he had wondered about the uneasiness seizing him, the knots in his stomach, and the rush of blood to his cheeks whenever the blonde male wasn't too far from him, whenever their gazes would accidentally meet over a campfire, whenever their shoulders would brush in narrow caves, whenever Ingus would actually tend to his wounds... Whenever they would argue as well.
Refia and Arc were always the ones to put an end to their ceaseless quarrels, not without exasperated lectures about how the four of them had been chosen to re-establish the balance of dark and light and couldn't afford wasting times on petty arguments. But as the journey had unfolded in front of them, Luneth had come to like looking for trouble with Ingus. After all, it was mainly on those moments that the older male would address him. And slowly, very slowly, Luneth had come to his first conclusion: Ingus' company was actually enjoyable.
Then there had been those stolen moments when Luneth would find himself gazing absent-mindedly at Ingus' sleeping face, darkened by the shadows cast by the dancing flames, and those – oh too rare – minutes at various inns during which they would reveal fragments of their childhoods, anecdotes and whatnot; and those had brought Luneth to his second conclusion: Ingus was now his friend.
How stupid he had been at that time for not realizing sooner that his feelings had nothing to do with friendship. That part only came later, as the four chosen ones fought their final battles for the world's salvation, side by side, swearing on their lives to protect those dearest to them and to defeat evil. Multiple times had Ingus come close to a critical state, and every time Luneth would stop breathing. It was almost comical how the truth always hit at the most desperate times, making Luneth draw his third conclusion: he wanted Ingus to be so much more than his friend.
And then, upon the defeat of Cloud of Darkness, Luneth would never be able to forget the grins they had exchanged, the pats on the back shifting to firm hugs, and the sound of Ingus' laugh against his ear, the mess of silver hair as Ingus ruffled it, and a last smile, gentle and genuine that had made Luneth's heart fail a beat. Therefore came his fourth conclusion: their feelings were mutual.
The only event that had been quick in the whole story was Luneth's hope being crushed with one mere sentence from Ingus:
"I will stay by your side until the end of time!"
The silver-haired boy wouldn't have complained if that sentence had been addressed to him. But of course, the dream of getting his own knight for himself was nothing but a dream. A dream which soon turned to a latent poison devouring him slowly as if it enjoyed the mental suffering Luneth was in. For he was stubborn and kept struggling inwardly; it was a foolish battle where a desperate flicker of hope was getting slowly consumed by harsh reality.
Each day that passed saw Luneth's spirit fade a bit more, even if he was still careful not to show it to the other villagers. If Ingus had bothered to come and visit him, maybe he'd feel slightly better. The request was selfish, he knew it, but at least, that idiot could have written him a letter or invited him, Refia and Arc to the castle. But no, the last time Luneth had got any contact with Ingus was eighty-three days ago.
Since the Rebirth, there had been no news from him, no inquiry about how his friends were doing, nothing. As if the whole 'Warriors of Light' adventure was but a distant memory, along with all the bonds that had been created. Perhaps those bonds had been a mere illusion. Perhaps Ingus had temporarily accepted those bonds for the sole sake of his princess, and once the latter was finally ensured to live in a peaceful world, everything else was only a burden to discard.
'Final conclusion: both Ingus and Sara can live happily ever after and be damned for it.' Luneth didn't really like the turn his thoughts were taking. Under normal circumstances, his naturally cheerful character always took over any dark thought he could bear. But now wasn't a normal circumstance. Now he was dealing with something completely alien to him, and he had no idea how to actually deal with it.
Luneth's attention was drawn as he heard someone slipping onto the stool next to him. As Luneth drifted his amethyst eyes to the side, he noticed the newcomer staring at him very seriously.
"Hi, Arc. Aren't you supposed to be with Alus down there?" the silver-haired boy asked as greetings. 'Down there' referred naturally to the continent on the surface.
"Hi, Luneth. I was, until this morning." Arc replied. "Luneth, we need to talk." he added bluntly.
"If it's about my coming to the pub here, I swear I never touch a single drop of alcohol."
"I know you never do. That's not what I'm here for." Arc replied, annoyed. "I've been wondering... what's wrong? And don't play dumb and say you don't know what I'm talking about. I've known you for long enough to notice when you're not acting like yourself."
Luneth let out a sigh of resignation. Of course he knew he couldn't fool the one he considered his brother, and that conversation was doomed to happen one day or another.
"Let's go back home first, OK?" he suggested, and upon Arc's nod, he hopped off his stool, followed by the other boy.
The night was chilly and both boys hurried to the warmth of their house. As soon as Luneth stepped inside his bedroom, he dropped himself on his – undone – bed flat on the back, staring at the dark ceiling while Arc merely sat on his own bed and waited patiently for Luneth to speak.
"I guess I just miss some action. You know, all the fighting and everything." the latter stated after a few seconds of silence. It was a lie, naturally, but Arc didn't need to know the truth. Luneth was convinced that, with time, that issue of his would get solved by itself.
And really, the last thing he wanted was for someone else to learn about his feelings for Ingus. It was simply not right. They were both males, they lived in completely different universes, they were just not meant to be together. Ingus was the highest ranked knight of the kingdom of Sasune and was most certainly going to be crowned king – an event that had never been seen before, but the people would be more than glad to welcome a Warrior of Light as their new king.
Luneth was a mere commoner who, upon his foster mother's request, had taken up a job as a courier on the Floating Continent, to help the Moogles. Arc was working hard to become a renowned scholar, Refia to take after her father's smithy, so it was only normal that Luneth found something to do as well. And travelling around on a chocobo's back wasn't so bad anyway.
The silver-haired boy felt the mattress sagging slightly on the side, and he suppressed the urge to tell Arc to get off his bed.
"Why don't you join King Sasune's guard? You could train and fight there all day long." Arc suggested lightly.
"That's not the same. And I don't want to work for Sasune." Luneth replied, maybe a bit more dryly than intended.
"Why not? The pay is good, and that would reassure Topapa."
"The pay's not a problem. I just don't want to become a guard." Luneth replied, more and more annoyed. And then, Arc pronounced the fated words:
"It's because of Ingus." It wasn't even a question.
Luneth jumped slightly and cursed himself the next second for doing so only served to prove Arc right. He still made an attempt at protesting:
"You silly, why would he have anything to do with this?" His tone was sarcastic.
"You haven't been your usual self since he left. I'm not blind, you know." Arc said, staring straight at Luneth with obvious concern. "Did he do something to you?"
The question almost made Luneth sigh of relief. So Arc didn't suspect anything more than that.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but as I said, I'm just not interested in joining the guard. Must be pretty boring." Luneth replied, carefully avoiding the mention of the blonde male.
"How about you go and ask Ingus directly?"
"Huh? Why would I want to bother going all the way to talk to a jerk who's probably too busy following his princess to deign ask for his friends' news?" Luneth snapped dryly. As he turned his scowling face to the window, he failed to see Arc's victorious expression that was screaming 'I was right about Ingus' all over. Luneth was simply too easy to read.
Taking a deep breath, Arc replied:
"Because the king sent us an invitation to the wedding ceremony of Princess Sara and King Alus, in twenty days." he declared solemnly.
"Engagement ceremony of... wait, what?"
Luneth sat up abruptly, staring at Arc with a frown.
"Did you say with Alus? Not Ingus?" he asked.
Arc nodded with a smile, then from the pocket of his jacket he produced an enveloped which he handed to Luneth. The latter grabbed it, pulled the letter out and quickly read the missive, barely believing his eyes.
"Alus told me I may receive a surprise upon coming back here, and that's what the Moogle brought us today." Arc explained. "Refia got one as well. I was surprised as well, but Alus said that the negotiations were kept secret until an agreement was found for both kingdoms. Most people won't expect that, but I'm sure they'll be please to see both our continents getting closer through such an alliance. And Luneth, you honestly didn't think that Ingus would marry Sara, did you?"
"That's what everyone has been saying. And they look so good together." Luneth scowled, though the last sentence clearly sounded sarcastic.
"Silly, only one with royal blood is allowed to sit on a throne." Noticing that Luneth was keeping silent, Arc smiled. "So, it was all that bothered you about Ingus?"
"Arc, I don't care about him anymore!" the older boy snapped. "He could be the king of the whole continent, he could marry all the girls in the world, I really wouldn't care anymore."
"You still won't tell me what he did to you to deserve such hatred from you?"
Hatred? Luneth bit his lip. Yes, it was the right word. He hated Ingus. No, he didn't. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything more than disappointment, and betrayal. He still loved Ingus, and it was what was killing him.
"You wouldn't understand." he finally said.
"You can try and explain." Arc insisted, but Luneth shook his head. The brown-haired boy sighed, and after a few seconds of silence, he asked again:
"So, will you come? You'll be able to see Ingus there, and deal with him."
Luneth ignored the last sentence, for the simple reason that it had already popped up in his head even before Arc mentioned it. He'd be able to see Ingus. But would Ingus actually want to see them? To see him? He would probably not be in the mood, after being tossed away like that by the princess. Ingus would always remain a knight, nothing more.
'Serves you right.' Luneth thought bitterly. At the same time, those crumbles of hope he had almost forgot about started stirring inside him, instilling foolish thoughts in his mind. Now that Sara didn't want Ingus anymore, maybe the latter would remember those who had fought alongside with. He'd remember Luneth, the arguments, the laughs, the tensions, the talks around the fire, and all their shared moments.
For a second, Luneth's heart softened. For a second only. Then reason took over again. Ingus would never seek consolation in anyone else, his pride prevented him from doing so; and even if he did, Luneth would never be the one to offer him what he sought.
"I'll take your lack of reply as a yes. I'll send a reply saying we'll attend, then." Arc said, interrupting the long silence.
"I won't." Luneth declared sternly.
"Don't be ridiculous. You have no excuse not to go, and Sara and Alus are our friends. They will be disappointed if you don't come."
"They're your friends." Luneth corrected. "To me they're just acquaintances."
"Luneth, stop acting like a kid and tell me what the problem is already!" Arc started losing patience.
"I just don't want to go, what's wrong with that?" Luneth snapped back angrily.
"You have an issue with Ingus. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, you won't solve anything by staying here and brooding."
"Why do you keep bringing him into the conversation? I told you I don't give a damn about him anymore!"
"Please Luneth, I've known you for long enough to recognize a lie when I see one. You always get itchy whenever someone mentions Ingus' name, you snap at both Refia and me when we talk about visiting him and you don't even bother saying his name! What on earth did he do to you?" Arc insisted, staring with determination at the older boy.
"He did nothing, OK?" the latter let out with clear exasperation. "The problem is not him, it's me. And fine, I'll go to the damn ceremony. Happy? Now I'd like to go sleep, if you don't mind."
With those last words, Luneth fell back on the mattress, turning his back to Arc who sighed silently and shook his head. Before getting off the bed though, he pulled the blanket over Luneth's shoulders and spoke softly:
"I only wish you talked to me more, like brothers would do. Good night, Luneth."
The silver-haired boy hardly suppressed the guilt painted on his face as he heard those last words. And yet, an invisible bulge in his throat prevented him from apologizing.
Twenty days.
Twenty more days before he'd finally see Ingus again. Luneth wasn't so sure whether he was thrilled or disenchanted by the perspective.
TBC.
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A/N: This is going to be a three-shot, with probably an epilogue. Hope you enjoyed the first part!