Two men stood on a hill, overlooking castle Caelin and the village surrounding it. One man looked to be ready to start a trip, holding the strings to a bag that rested over his shoulder in one hand. His green armor could barely be seen, hiding underneath a brown cloak. In his other hand, he held a lance, colored to match his armor. The other man wore a simple red tunic, matching the hair atop of his head.

"Look, I know you want to go, but remember, you will always be welcome here."

"And I'll be sure to visit you from time to time, so you can hear about all the exciting missions I've been on and all the beautiful maidens I've escorted." The traveler said, smiling broadly. "And to visit Romeo as well, I'm sure he'll miss me dearly...if only a certain someone wasn't keeping us apart..."

"Well, I'm sorry, but Romeo belongs to the military, and we need all the experienced horses we can get. I really wish we could afford to give him to you."

"Right right, I'm just ragging on you; you needn't explain it yet another time. Take care, old friend. Don't get so caught up in all this political stuff that you forget to have fun every once in a while.

"You take care too, my 'Boon Companion'. Be sure not to fall for every pretty lady that you see."

"I make no promises...those always come back to haunt me."

"I bet." The red-haired man grinned, holding out his hand. "So long Sain...And good luck."

"I wasn't aware there any other kind." The traveler replied with a grin of his own as he shook the offered hand. They both laughed at that, and after their hands separated, Sain stepped back, "So long Kent."

What the Future Holds - Chapter 1

"Hmm...Let's see here..." The knight-turned-mercenary browsed over the posted jobs on the mercenary request board. Now with the war over, more and more people required help to fend off bandits and help with other tasks that were necessary for the recovery of the country. "Fight off bandits from my farmland...Seriously, are these bandits that desperate? Sounds more like he's being robbed by small children from the town, starving and unable to afford food." He said in disbelief. Farmers could be so naive sometimes.

"Drive out bandits from a nearby cave...who would want to take over a cave? Probably just some guys down on their luck." Sain shrugged, and continued looking for a more worthy job.

"Ah, here we go, 'Noble Lady requests escort to Etruria. Unable to pay in advance, but double the normal rate will be paid upon arrival.' Now that sounds like a job!" He grinned widely, snatching the piece of paper off the wall before walking up to the information desk. "Excuse me, I'd like to take on this quest here," he said to the receptionist, a fairly pretty, young woman, probably the daughter of the guild's leader. He handed her the sheet and showed her his best smile, which, to his disappointment, was completely ignored. She looked at the sheet, and shuffled through her pile of papers until she found the desired sheet, pulling out from the pile.

"Alright, follow these directions to meet your employer." She said, sliding the paper closer to Sain. "Also," the girl added, pushing another sheet forward along a quill pen and gesturing toward the ink bottle, "You'll need to sign this paper. It's a promise to come back and pay the guild a tenth of your payment. If you report back successfully, it will go on your mercenary record, allowing customers to specifically request you for future jobs. Good luck, and don't die," she stated, monotonously, like she had done that speech one too many times.

"Ah...Thank you miss. I could never crease the face of a beauty such as yourself with worry, so I'm sure to return safely." Sain's proclamation was met with a bland stare, at which point he decided to take the directions and make his way to meet his employer. 'I wonder which sort of beauty awaits me...' He thought happily as he strolled out of the guild.

/-(_)-\

Sain, excited about his new job, walked into the inn described in the paper he received. "Hello, my good sir, I'm," Sain glanced at the paper again to make sure he got the greeting correct, "here to see the Princess." The man at the front desk nodded, and handed him another slip of paper, a number clearly written on it. Sain attempted not to look too happy with the fact that he was just moments away from walking into a beautiful young woman's room...invited nonetheless! 'Room 35 huh? I wonder what she looks like. Obviously she'll have to one of the prettiest ladies to ever grace this world with her presence,' he happily thought to himself as he walked up the stairs to find the room.

He easily found the room he was looking for, the door marked with a steel plate with the number '35' etched into it. Briefly pausing to ready himself, he lifted up his hand and knocked on the door a few times. "Hello, I'm here for the escort job of 'the Princess'" he said loudly so he could be heard on the other side of the door.

"Oh, I'll be right there." A melodic-yet somewhat familiar-voice called from the other side. The door opened, revealing a redheaded, young woman...with whom Sain was already well-acquainted.

"Sain? Wh-Why are you here?" she asked, seeming very surprised, but relief was also evident in her voice.

"P-Princess Priscilla! I thought you were going with Raven?"

"Ah, that...didn't work out." She replied softly.

Sain mentally kicked himself for his comment. 'Obviously something must have happened if she needed an escort. Now there's only one thing to do, and thankfully, that's something I pride myself at being great at'. "Well, unfortunate as that may be, I will take great pleasure in seeing you to your home safe and sound. I told you I'd never leave you, and this just goes to show even fate desires that I keep my word in this case, despite the fact that you released me from that duty when we last saw each other." Sain finished, mentally patting himself on the back for a fine recovery.

He was rewarded with the smile he had grown accustomed to during their last journey together, evidence of his success.

"Yes, it seems fate has decided to reunite us once again. But I'm wondering why you are here, and not with Lady Lyndis in Caelin?"

"Lady Lyndis decided to follow her heart, and left to live once again on the plains of Sacae with her love, Rath. Caelin is now under Ostian rule, with Kent acting as Steward. I was offered a position as well, but politics are not my calling. As such, I turned it down and decided to leave in order to follow my own path." He explained, feeling fully confident in his decision.

"I decided to become a mercenary, and my first job has brought me here to be your escort. I hope you don't mind, of course."

"I couldn't ask for a more reliable escort; your presence assuages any worries I had regarding this trip." Her genuine smile was contagious, and he couldn't help but match it with a smile of his own as he walked further into the room.

"You are far too kind, my radiant Princess, but I shall strive to my utmost to be worthy of your praise. Shall we head out?"

"Unless you've come prepared with a horse and a week or two's worth of supplies, I think we might want to get ready today and head out tomorrow." Priscilla answered lightly, smiling at Sain's enthusiasm.

"But, Sir Sain," Priscilla blushed slightly, "you will have to be the cook."

"I would be honored to cook for you, dear Princess." Sain raised his eyebrows, "And, dare I say, feed you?"

Priscilla giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hand, "We'll see, Sain, we'll see." A mock pout appeared on the man's face when he realized he was practically denied.

"Well, I guess it's time to go shopping, care to join me? Just name the meal and I'll find the ingredients. Plus, I find that shopkeepers are much more willing to bargain in the presence of a pretty lady." Like all escorts should, Sain offered his arm to Priscilla, and she willingly grabbed onto it. They both left the room laughing, feeling better than they had since their parting.

/-(_)-\

As the sun peeked over the horizon, two figures stood next to a horse loaded with full traveling bags.

"Farewell Caelin, I leave you today to try my fortune out in the world, but I'll always remember you and the friends I have here." The man in green armor said, starting his walk forward, pulling on the reigns of the pack horse. The other figure, a redheaded girl, paused slightly, before catching up to man, and fell into step next to him.

"With an exit like that, I felt that I should say something as well, but my mind drew a blank." Priscilla mentioned.

"Well, based on your sum experiences in the area, I'd go with 'So long, and thanks for all the fish.'" Sain replied with a straight face.

"True, the fish last night was absolutely wonderful…though I'm not entirely sure that should be all I remember about it." Priscilla tapped her chin thoughtfully. Nothing could stop Sain from laughing at the comment.

"Oh, how I have missed our conversations, dear Princess. Would you believe that most other girls don't acknowledge my attempts to initiate conversation? And some shoot me down outright!" Sain said, obviously considering such a course of action unthinkable, "Oh, what a wonderful world this would be if every girl had your grace and wit. Truly, I always enjoy being in your presence, and I've yearned to hear your voice the moment we parted ways."

"My...you should be careful, dear Knight, lest I might believe you have a serious interest in me," she said, grinning mischievously.

"I think this is a point where I wouldn't mind being a bit careless, I'm a man, and as such, quite prepared to deal with the consequences, if you are...Princess." Sain countered, edging almost imperceptibly closer to the redhead.

"We'll see." Priscilla replied, noticeably more subdued than her joking tone moments earlier. She looked away, trying to hide her blushing face. Sain couldn't believe it; he might actually have a chance. Rather than press on, and ruin his chances later, he decided it would be best to get off that topic.

"Well, as enthralled by this conversation as I am, I do believe a more pressing matter is at hand." Sain paused for dramatic effect, "That is to say, I desperately need to know...your preferences as far as tonight's meal is concerned."

Priscilla nearly tripped up as he finished, "You make it sound as if it's a matter of utmost importance!" She giggled light-heartedly at his statement. What a strange, albeit certainly amusing, man.

"But it is, my dear, for tonight is the first meal I shall prepare for you, and few things are more important than a good first impression!" Sain insisted, smiling widely.

"I suppose that is true...though some things can only be learned after obtaining a deeper understanding than first impressions can grant." She said, sending a sideways glance at the knight before proceeding to tell him about the dishes she would like to have prepared for her on the journey.

And so, the journey of the knight (in spirit, at least) Sain and his princess Priscilla began without a hitch. They just enjoyed the land and each other's company, slowly but surely growing closer to each other. It was fairly uneventful too; no bandits, no angry mobs, no violence at all...Well, that was until they reached the territory of Laus.

/-(_)-\

After restocking and resting for the night, the pair was ready to continue on their journey...but an unforeseen obstacle decided to impede them and their goal.

"Well, well, look who came back. My darling fiancée just couldn't resist my charm and wit." The brown-haired man laughed at his own, truly miserable, joke, pleased with himself. Even after being taken off his high horse (quite literally) by Hector the last time he'd seen Priscilla, Erik, now the Marquess of Laus, had fully recovered from his pitiful cowardice. Now he seemed to be full of confidence, but who wouldn't be when there was a platoon of soldiers behind him?

Priscilla seemed about to reply, but Sain beat her to it. "Fiancée? Trash such as yourself could never be worthy of my dear Princess's love." Sain scoffed at the man's proclamation. Who did that man think he was? A marquess?

"Uhh Sain h-" Priscilla started, but was too quickly interrupted.

"Who do you think you are, speaking to the Marquess of Laus like that? I could have you thrown in jail for such a statement."

Well what do you know, apparently he was a marquess. That would probably explain the group of soldiers behind him as well. Damn, this could actually turn out to be somewhat annoying. Well, there was no backing down now, not that he'd ever taken that option into consideration anyway, "Throw me in jail? You'd need more than that paltry band to even have a chance of getting close enough to lay a hand on me." Sain smirked at the marquess, as his next actions would determine whether or not he would have to partake in combat for the first time since his departure from Caelin. To be honest, he was itching for some exercise. "I should warn you, I haven't had a good fight in quite some time, so I may go a bit overboard if you keep this up."

Erik growled, his mood so quickly ruined by one single man. Oh how that man would pay. "Get him men, but make sure he's still living afterwards. I want the pleasure of breaking him." Erik demanded, and began walking away as soldiers began to surround Sain and Priscilla. "And capture the girl without hurting her; she's only a staff user after all, so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Eh, figures. Some lords can't even fight for themselves. You know," Sain turned to address the soldiers gathering around him, "We don't have to fight, if your marquess is brave enough to fight for himself. We'll get to settle a dispute between," Sain paused for a moment, "Men…I suppose he does fit within the very loosest definition of the word, and I won't have to hurt any of you for following orders.

Sain's challenge stopped the marquess mid-stride and he turned around, a mischievous smile adorning his face. "The peasant thinks he's a match for royalty? Oh, this will be good. I was going to let you off easy, just a little torture to show you your place, but I do believe I'm going to enjoy seeing the light fade from your eyes as you realize just how far out of your league you really are." Erik made a slight motion with his hand, and the soldiers all backed off. One soldier handed his spear to the marquess, before returning to the entrance with the others. The man shrugged off his cape in a dramatic fashion, grinning in victory, like he had already won the fight, before taking a very loose and open stance with the spear at the ready.

"You know, I was hoping for a decent fight. Please, at the very least, can you avoid embarrassing yourself? You're using a spear in a close combat situation, and your stance is, to be blunt, disastrous." The brown-haired lancer stated, shaking his head. "You wouldn't last a minute on the battle field. Though, I suppose that's the point of being a marquess, you have your men fight for you.

"Well, I'm not in the habit of carrying my personal lance around, and something tells me you wouldn't be sporting enough to wait around long enough for me to retrieve it." Erik retorted, with only the thought of man's imminent death at his hands able to keep him calm through the insults, and just barely at that.

"Nope, we'd be gone before you even made it inside your lavish castle. Of course, you'd probably come back with twice as many men in order to overpower me, if I didn't have the good sense to leave when the opportunity presented itself."

Priscilla was not at all happy about their current predicament. She knew full well that Erik was not going to keep to his word, and in all likeliness send his men in to take down her bodyguard as soon as the fight started. "Please be careful Sain, I wouldn't trust any words uttered from his devilish tongue."

"You wound me, my love; this fight will be fair...well, as fair as possible when common trash dares to face off against royalty, merely two men settling a dispute." Erik answered with a smirk.

"Let's begin. Though, you really should be careful, having your legs that close together makes for terrible balance." Sain demonstrated his point with a short but firm shove, causing Erik to struggle to remain standing. "If this had been a true battle, the addition of a simple trip maneuver is all it would have taken to send you crashing to the floor, where a finishing blow would soon follow."

The marquess growled, thrusting his spear towards the lecturing lancer, only to have it parried and countered with a quick blow to his chest.

"A weak strike leads to a much tougher time defending afterward, as your opponent has the advantage of a prepared weapon. A strong strike leads to a staggered opponent, greatly reducing your chance to be countered, and enabling you to at least prepare a defensive position in the case that one does come." Sain drove forward with a mighty thrust, forcing Erik to block awkwardly, as he was unprepared. The spear flew from his hands, clattering against the cobble road well out of reach.

"Tut, tut, poor form right there. Lord Eliwood was much better than you when he first picked up the lance. Didn't even drop it once, especially to such an easily avoidable attack. The first thing any trainee learns is that thrusts are much safer to dodge than block. So many things can go wrong on a block: the block might miss entirely, and if it doesn't, a glancing blow could still result in a serious wound, or even...a lost weapon and the helplessness that come with such a blunder."

"Blunder! You're the one that has made the blunder!" Erik was practically frothing in anger at how badly this fight was going. He was supposed to manhandle this commoner before taking the beautiful girl back to his castle, where she would be forced to serve him till he tired of her. Instead, this trash was-was LECTURING him! But, Erik was no fool, and he had been prepared for this situation. "Guards! Seize her!" At his yell, the guards began to move, flooding past Sain and Erik before Sain could think of what to do. He found himself cut off from Priscilla by a wall of armor and spears. "If you do not surrender, your precious Princess will be skewered. I desire her, but it is simple enough to find another woman to satisfy my tastes who wouldn't be nearly as much of a hassle.

"You would stoop so low? I knew you were unskilled, but I had hoped you would at least have enough pride in yourself to be a man when clearly outclassed. To take a woman hostage...I spared you before, but that time is over. If there is even one scratch on her flawless skin, you shall feel it repaid one thousand-fold. Pray to Saint Elimine while you are still able, for you'll get no sympathy from me." Sain glared at his foe with unadulterated disgust and hatred.

"Sain! Please don't worry, I'll be alright!" Priscilla yelled to her knight, "Please, just don't do anything rash!"

"Hah, what are you going to do? Heal us to death?" One soldier joked, causing the rest of the group to burst out laughing. Even Erik had to smirk at that one. It was quite witty.

"Please, I beseech you; let us go on our way. We mean you no harm, and I merely wish to return home after a long journey. There's no need for anyone to get hurt."

"I don't think you're in the position to be bargainin', lady." One of the soldiers patronized, edging closer to the young woman.

Priscilla took a corresponding step back, unleashing a fireball in the man's intended path. Quick reflexes were the only thing that saved him from a fiery death, though the same could not be said for his eyebrows. "That was a warning. If you insist on continuing your current aggressive actions, I promise the next one will do more than singe."

"You said she was only a stave user!" The soldiers yelled at their lord in accusation, all thoughts of attacking the auburn-haired beauty forgotten.

"But-But..." Erik found himself unable to manage a suitable reply. This was supposed to be a simple expedition, but each and every step had backfired horribly. He was supposed to be taking what was rightfully his, but instead, he lost what he already had: his dignity and his soldiers' trust and respect.

"This didn't seem like an honorable quest in the first place." A soldier that had been tending toward the back of the group spoke up. The other soldiers went along quickly, now that the opportunity to dissent had arisen. None of them were eager to face the woman's flames or the man's fury.

Erik, seeing that his men had lost all desire to continue, finally conceded, "Alright, alright. Priscilla and...Sain, was it? You've proved yourselves, so I'll let you continue on your way."

"Did you hear that Princess? He's going to let us go! I knew he'd understand, he just needed a little persuading." Sain rushed over to her and swung her around in celebration.

"Yes, and I'm sure he'll continue to be such a noble person when it comes to any other pretty face catching his eye, won't he?" Priscilla said pointedly, the glare she sent enough to make Erik cringe reflexively.

"Princess, won't you please forgive him? I can't stand to see such a scowl on your beautiful face; I miss the smile terribly. Perhaps if I can't persuade you to forgive, maybe I can get you to...forget?" Sain said softly, tilting her chin slightly upward. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she couldn't help but smile at the man's words.

"Forget? How could I ever...?" Priscilla trailed off, leaning toward her knight, unable to break the eye contact Sain had initiated.

"It's simple. Just close your eyes..." Sain instructed before closing the rest of the distance between them, stopping only when their lips met. It was a gentle kiss, but it deepened as it lingered. Priscilla's arms wrapped around Sain's neck, and Sain found his arms encircling her waist, pressing her closer, and the pair was in an intimate embrace before their lips parted.

"Awwwww," the soldiers around them all cooed at once, bringing Erik to groan, smacking his head with his palm.

"My soldiers are bumbling fools." Erik started walking off, and a smirk came to his face, "Too bad it will never last." Erik chuckled maniacally, drawing a few odd glances from the citizens who wandered close enough to hear.

/-(_)-\

Authors' Notes: This is a work of combined efforts between two very, very passionate Sain fans that go by the names of A Very Odd Fellow and JSB. We have big plans for this story, and we hope that you will bear with us for the ride, whether it takes us a long time, or not that long. This is the first thing both of us have been able to publish on FFN in a long time. Enjoy if you will. Reviews are very much appreciated.