Comfort

- - -

Present in one of the many grooming chambers of Castle Renais, King Ephraim stood before a mirror, resplendent in his formal wedding attire. He took a quick breath. He ran his right hand lazily along the new wave of stubble gracing his chin. He took a thin brush and combed back his teal hair. He straightened his white vest, clasped the thing closed with golden buttons, and sighed. He tapped his foot against the floor of the chamber. He took another quick breath.

"It's about that time, isn't it, Seth?" he asked his loyal retainer. "How do I look?"

Seth scratched his fire-red head and looked him over before shrugging. "Like a king should, my lord."

"Seth, do you have a moment?"

The knight nodded. "I believe it will be several minutes before the ceremonies begin, yes."

"Yes, well…it is that…Lady Tana has been acting a bit strangely over the past few days."

"Is that so?"

"Well," Ephraim said with a little chuckle, "stranger than usual, at least. I can't understand it, but…it seems as though she is a bit more content- maybe a bit more eased in my presence. It's almost as if…"

"Hm…"

"She's more comfortable with me," Ephraim finished. He turned to the knight commander and sighed. "Women are…a bit difficult to understand, are they not?"

Seth smiled and closed his eyes introspectively. There was some truth in that. At times, much truth in that. Women were an interesting breed, doubtless. As fellow members of the caste of humanity, they should be much alike. But to us menfolk, Seth pondered with an inward chuckle, they are very strange. Even despite all the reservations and all the pressures of society placed upon them, their spirit shows itself often in other ways. And Seth reckoned they would do things in their own domain that no prideful men would ever dare doing.

"Perhaps they are, my lord," he answered at last.

"I should explain," Ephraim continued, a smile breaking over his face. "The whole thing began about a week ago…"

- - -

Eirika sat on her bed in her chambers, a grooming brush set in her hands, sweeping through the locks of her hair. Tana sat beside her in the relative darkness, as orange dusk filtered through the small window atop the wall. It was far too small to climb through, but it gave decent light.

The princess looked off into nowhere and sat thinking. The brush moved automatically. So much had happened in the aftermath of the war. At the expense of what means did this end come? The continent was in tatters. The southern empire had lost its father and its son and now the mighty begged for scrapped at the knees of its destroyer. The great southeast had lost a mother, and its prince had found his way back to a ruined sanctuary.

But it would do no good to talk about the past. The nagging little reminders of a people in crisis and of a disastrous omen took distant second to the social foreplay of royalty. After all, King Ephraim was to be married to Princess Tana! The new king of Renais and the sister of the Frelian heir apparent were to be wed in a ceremony! All the king's men had gotten to talking about the saucy little affair, and all the commoners were abuzz with gossip in the alleys and in the streets.

This was a momentous occasion among momentous occasions for the mouths of the kingdom that fed on the airs of royalty and lived to critique their every action. The marriage was an opportunity! An opportunity to form a connection with a fellow kingdom, an opportunity to hear stories of scandalous indiscretions in the night, an opportunity to add some intrigue to their otherwise piddling and uninteresting lives. All the attention-givers gave a lot of attention out this week, and they all put in hours of good, dishonest work to do so.

"Oh, Eirika…" Tana said, "In less than a week, I'm to be married to your brother! Simply thinking about it"- she shuddered and laid a hand on Eirika's shoulder- "sends chills running up and down my spine!"

"I trust it is a good feeling, Tana?" Eirika asked, still brushing. The room was beginning to turn from orange to black, and Eirika briefly considering lighting a candle.

"Oh, Eirika, it is a wonderful feeling! I am so in love with him! I can't wait for the wedding."

Eirika's muscles tightened a bit and her heart bristled. She decided it would be wise to light that candle before it became too late. She rose from her bed and lit the candle, which sat comfortably on a corner of her oaken desk. She brushed her fingers along the various things lying around- a brush lying here, a locket lying there, a timepiece over there. A pleasant flowery smell began to waft up as the candle burned, which Eirika appreciated. She returned to the edge of the bed and put an arm around Tana.

"I'm so happy for you, Tana," Eirika replied, though her voice came from elsewhere. "I know you two will be very happy together."

"Do you know what this means, Eirika? After Ephraim and I are wed, we'll be almost like sisters! Oh, we'll have such a good time! We can groom each other's hair, talk about things, eat outside in the terrace of Castle Renais…"

Hearing Tana go on and on made Eirika feel warm inside. Still, there was an unexplainable emptiness inside her. Something about all of these goings-on discomforted Eirika, but she didn't know quite why. After all, it was always everyone else who was well off, wasn't it?

The two young ladies sat silently in the candlelight, Eirika's arm still around Tana, her eyes bent toward the ground, thinking. Eventually, Tana broke the silence and rose to her feet.

"Well, I should be going. You all have been so kind letting my brother and me stay here in the castle. I can't thank you enough. Anyway, I think I should be off helping Ephraim prepare for the ceremony."

"Well, it is always our pleasure to have you here," Eirika responded, also rising to her feet. She embraced her dear friend, putting her hands on Tana's shoulder and looking square into her eyes. "Congratulations, Tana. I'm sure you and Ephraim will be very happy together."

Tana smiled and placed a kiss on Eirika's cheek before giggling and leaving the room. As the door shut behind her, Eirika sighed and fell lifeless on the bed. She placed a hand on her heart, closed her eyes, and held it.

…Why must I always tell the truth through lies?

- - -

"You must know that I do not entirely approve of this, Tana."

Innes fired an arrow into the target. From two hundred feet it was a direct-hit; miniature splinters of wood soared in multiple directions.

"Oh, Brother, why do you have to be like this? Can't you see? Ephraim and I are in love! Whenever I'm with him, I feel so special!"

"He finds you 'special' then? Would he take notice of such important things to you women as your summer dress? Has he ever done such?"

Another arrow, notched and fired; one ring from the center at two hundred feet.

"Oh, Innes…I can't believe you would say such a thing! Ephraim knows not to judge me merely on my appearance. He loves me for the love I show him, for my innocence"- snicker- "and for my kindness."

"Obviously not for your modesty, though."

Another arrow, notched and fired; two rings from the center at two hundred feet.

Tana huffed, as if to say 'well, I'll be!' She looked up at the sky and away from him in a childish display of frustration. It was a very sunny day. The sun lapped at her gorgeous blue shoes, at her casual blue dress, and at her soft skin.

The sun bit and nagged at Innes' feet, at his collar cinched too tight and too high, at the buttons and the fringes of his vest, and at the tips of his fingers. The heat trampled his face, prickled his eyes, sweated his skin and generally bothered him. The sun laughed and mocked him.

"Innes, why must you always say such hurtful things? I love him! This isn't just a remnant of a childhood crush. I feel as if we really know each other now. Whatever feelings you harbor towards Ephraim do not matter. He is a kind and loving man, and I truly love him!"

Innes scoffed. "…Bother. Aren't you a bit young and inexperienced to judge whether this is 'true' love or not? I'd assume it's rather difficult for an airhead to understand such a thing."

Another arrow, notched and fired; three rings from the center at two hundred feet.

"Innes…oh, Innes, stop it!" Tana said, trying to quell her hysteria. "I swear, you don't even care about me! You just think me a foolish child! But you never realize I have needs too, do you? I was always a bother to you, wasn't I? I would have thought my becoming queen of Renais would please you, seeing as I would be away from Castle Frelia!"

Innes closed his eyes and drew breath sharply. "Is that so…"

Another arrow, notched and fired- a complete miss.

"That's it," Innes said calmly, stringing the bow into a little harness and strapping it onto his back. He looked around, past the green hedges and the ramparts of the Renais castle, and met her glance. "Sister, do you really think I despise you so much I would want you gone from the castle? Do you actually believe I object to this wedding because I wish to meddle in your personal affairs or impede the path of your life?"

Tana sniffed, a few tears running down her face. She took quick little breaths to steady herself, her lips pouting and her eyes wide and wistful. "Y-yes."

"Then you're more of a fool than I thought."

"Ah!" The tears began to flow freely down the young lady's cheeks and she began to sob. Innes briefly considered rolling his eyes and walking away. Instead, he clenched his teeth and threw his arms around his sister. The archer seemed as surprised as Tana was at the sudden gesture. The sudden, violent thing was turned quickly into a slow embrace, with Tana's head against her brother's shoulder, his hands brushing her hair in a comforting manner. She cried while being discomforted with thoughts of how she burdened him.

After quite a while, they separated from each other's arms.

"Innes…I'm sorry for inconveniencing you so," Tana said, wiping her own eyes as she peered into his, "I'm just a little girl at heart, I guess."

"Marriage is a brave new world," he answered in a flat tone, feeling uncomfortable under the lightness of her glance, so he looked up and away towards the rolling hills jutting past the horizon. "I'd not be surprised if you were feeling uncertainty about the whole matter. You're leaving the comforts of our home and"- Innes' voice soured a tinge- "entering his. I'm only doing what any self-respecting brother would do for his sister. I'm trying to protect you."

"Innes…So, you'll give us your blessing for our union?" Tana asked excitedly.

"Huh. I'd think you wouldn't need my blessings. You already have Father's blessings already."

"But don't you see, Brother? That's why I came to talk to you! I want to have your blessing! You're my brother, and I love you! You've been so kind to me over the years. The least I can do is find whether you have faith in me as a woman or not."

The day was clear and silent save for a few stray clouds and the chirping of some lively bird-creatures darting hither and thither through the sky. Innes placed a hand on his chin, and the thinker turned back towards his sibling.

"Ah, Tana. Unable to see any further than simple love. Always so simplistic and naive." He sighed. "Tana, are you truly happy when you are with him?"

"Yes, Brother! I am!"

"…then marry him, if you will. You have my blessings. It's obvious I can't dissuade you from your path, so I won't even try."

"Oh, Innes!"

The girl threw her arms around her brother and squeezed him tightly. He fidgeted and looked off into the distance. Such uncontrolled emotions irked him. They were so unnecessary, so off-putting. And yet, if his sister were happy, then he was-- happy? Maybe that was a good thing.

"Oh, Brother, you're such a comforting person!" Tana said, pulling him closer by the neck and unwittingly causing him a significant amount of discomfort. "I need comfort in these days…there's just so much going on, and I'm so lonely…"

And Innes thought, Lonely? I thought he was keeping you company? Or is there some other discomfort you are feeling? Well, then. I believe I'll never truly understand you, Sister. I don't I believe want to, either.

Finally she let go. Excusing herself, she ran off with some speed, a great smile on her face accompanied by a bit of reluctance tugging at the corners of her lips. He shook his head and sighed as he watched her slip away, but he couldn't help smiling at her childlike exuberance.

The bubbling blue river ran rampant, but where would its waters wait?

- - -

Eirika took a bit of time to rest her weary feet. Around her in the large chamber, servants and pages and scribes bustled around exchanging orders and pages and parchment, drafting invitations to the ceremony, and addressing matters needing address. King Ephraim sorted through the chaos and stood before Eirika.

"I didn't quite realize how extensive the preparations for a marriage are!" Eirika exclaimed with a semblance of a laugh. "Such a great event takes a great deal of preparation and…care."

"It must be done. The necessary nobles and dignitaries must be informed, the catering must be seen to, the decorating and architectural flourishes of the wedding chamber must be built and perfected…there's a lot of things that need tending to."

Eirika gestured to a chair identical to hers beside. "Would you sit a moment, Brother?"

"Alright. I suppose I have the time." He sat and placed a pensive hand on his chin as he looked around. "So much to be done…Marie has promised to have my doublet and overcoat finished the day before the ceremony."

Eirika nodded. "Marie is an excellent tailor, yes. I'm sure she'll do a wonderful job."

"And the chefs have promised us a fine feast for after the ceremony. They say a full stomach cures all ails."

"Yes," Eirika agreed, "a good meal can certainly warm the heart. Which reminds me- have you eaten, Brother?"

"Then there are the arrangements about the location…the marriage is to take place in the grand hall, but there is a great deal to be done in such a short time…"

"Brother?"

"And as for the guests, the Frelian ensemble have arrived but we can't be sure our messengers have arrived in Jehanna and Rausten to deliver the invitations…"

Eirika gently prodded her brother in the back. "Ah, Brother?"

"Oh," Ephraim remarked with a start. "I'm sorry…I've had my mind on other things…" he leaned back against the chair and stroked his sister's cheek with a hand. "I've neglected your feelings."

"Brother, stop," she insisted with a firm but embarrassed tone. "I didn't wish to bother you. I merely wanted to say that…that…"

"Mmm? What is it, Eirika?"

"Oh, it's…ah, it's nothing. Never mind."

"Oh, come on," Ephraim said with a smile. "I know you enough to tell when something is on your mind. You're my closest companion, Eirika. Even after my wedding to Tana, we'll always be close, I assure you."

Eirika swept a few locks of hair out of her ears and tried to pretend the hectic atmosphere in the room didn't bother her. She fidgeted uncomfortably in the chair and tried to pinch her hearing so that she could make out only Ephraim's voice soothing her.

"I know, Brother," she said. "I don't doubt that. It is only that…I merely need some time to sift through my thoughts. I'm a bit out of sorts. I'm sorry, I just don't know what to think right now."

"Well, If there is anything I can do to help, feel free to ask," Ephraim said, placing a hand gently on his sister's knee. "If I have the time, I will certainly do what I can to help."

"T-thank you…Brother."

"Well," he said, rising from his seat, "I should be going. There are still matters to which I must attend." Ephraim tweaked his collar pointlessly and nearly stumbled into several people as he passed through the crowd. The wedding was looming ever closer.

Eirika looked after him and couldn't help think how lucky her brother was, whatever "lucky" might end up encompassing-- he was to be married. Her brother, to be married- to her dear friend, nonetheless! It was a prickling, unavoidable little matter, and it concerned and preoccupied her to the greatest extent that it could.

Eirika had never really taken the time to consider the gravity of the situation. There were a million little fears she had about the wedding, all of them lurking just beneath the surface. The irony was that the young lady couldn't be happier for her brother and her friend at the union in which they were about to engage.

But she was going to lose a brother.

And she was going to lose a friend.

- - -

Passing through the halls of Castle Renais, Eirika ran into Tana returning from outside the walls.

"Eirika! How good it is to see you!" Tana said, reaching out for her friend's hands and twirling about the marbled halls of the castle in a fey dance routine. Eirika was briefly startled into silence before laughing and smiling warmly.

"It is good to see you, too. You're happy today!" Eirika said quietly, with a cheerful tone but a half-heart.

"My brother Innes just gave me his blessings for the wedding! I can't tell you how happy that makes me!"

Eirika had an idea of just how happy it made her. "That's…great, Tana."

"But how are you feeling, Eirika?"

It was a bit startling to hear the question from the blue-haired woman bubbling so happy and carefree in the halls. The question itself snaked its way into Eirika's heart and into her head. How are you feeling? She couldn't honestly say she knew. Her emotions were a thick fog; they were being carefully and meticulously hidden from her.

"Well, I'm…I'm alright, Tana. I am a bit tired from working, but otherwise I am fine. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just asking. I haven't been spending as much time with you lately. Ooh, I know!" Tana said with a sudden extra burst of enthusiasm. "I still have to get a wedding dress! I don't want to bother the Frelian tailors to make me a dress, so how about we go into the city and buy one? I've been saving up gold for just an occasion like this!"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, Tana." Eirika said, continuing on in her reserved tone. "When do you want to go look?"

Tana stopped to think for a moment. She thought about the next day, then she remembered the story about the mongoose and the snake. The snake decided to move one minute too late, and--

"Let's go today!"

"What? Today, really?"

"Yes!" Tana said, taking one of Eirika's hands in hers and tugging her along through the halls. "I've nothing else to do today, and Ephraim is busy with the wedding preparations, so he has no time to spend with me. Let's go shopping together!"

Eirika smiled as the wave swept her along. Such enthusiasm! She admired that. So innocent and sweet—sometimes, in the worse times and the better, she wished that maybe she could be that innocent.

- - -

The tailor was bustling with activity. It was open and free, with the door propped open, inviting the common man to dispel their reluctance and come on in. It wasn't a big place, but a quaint little store with a lot of charm and a healthy amount of embellishment on the storefront. The theme of the room was a dull, quieting brown with a tinge of gray in the walls and an unfettered shade of white hanging on the ceiling. The place smelled like liquor, maybe something made with manaberries from the forests of the north and hand-fed pampered stalks of rye, smashed and fermented. The other scent was a heady, sophisticated musk that affronted the drunkenness of the place but still managed to do a damn decent duty covering it up.

Tana ushered Eirika along to a long iron clothes-rack stretching from one wall to another, about ten to twelve cow-lengths long and stuffed full of gowns of all sizes and manners. Tana sifted through the racks and passed judgement on each one.

"Hmm…no, a bit too big…too small…a bit too green…too big…looks too small…too big…"

Eirika watched on, looking around to see the other dresses hanging at other places throughout the room. Many of them were very nice, but few of them were particularly quality. Remembering the sweating tailors pressed tightly into a garret in the castle, so dedicated and bound to their work, Eirika became increasingly less sure of the trip's purpose.

Tana continued to sift through the rack, rattling off myriad "too bigs", a minority of "too smalls", and the occasional dismissal of the hue of certain colors. She stopped at a certain little black dress. A blush swept over her face and she couldn't stop herself from laughing- first a little, then a lot.

"Eirika! Take a look at this! What do you think?" she said, removing the thing from the rack and giving it to her friend. Eirika took it in her hands and straightened it out.

It was a skimpy little dress, honestly, made up of frilled black lace in skin-trellis patterns, and at the bodice were small strips of cloth fashioned precisely in the places they should be (though perhaps it would have been more favorable for the bystanders had they not been present). The bottom of the thing seemed to end far before it was supposed to. Maybe the panties came free?

Ironically, the thing was less than fashionable, with shoddy, slippery patchwork around the edges and evidences of sudden abrupt breaks and jerks in the stitching, as if someone were only compelled to work on it during certain moments.

Ah…this is the dress she picked out? Eirika pondered as she fingered the dress, her hands running along the velvety cloth and her fingers pulling in and out of the gaps between the lace. It was soft, certainly, but more so outside than in. She could not control the deep blush that swept over her face. I'm sure Tana could wear this if she wanted to, easily. I, on the other hand…

"Um, I think it's…"

"That's, errrhhhmm…one of our most famous types of dress," piped a man's voice from behind. Eirika and Tana whirled around and saw him: a fat, short little man dressed in a brown vest with a couple of the middle buttons popped off. A liberal fleshing of stubble brushed across his face and from behind his bushy eyebrows a proud gleam struck from his face and from behind his mustache jumped a smile. He cleared his throat with a distinct 'hrrrmmph', and seemed to be unable to speak without doing so frequently.

"Oh, er…I wasn't considering buying it!" Tana said, hastily returning it to its place and trying to hide her beet-red face.

"Ha ha, hhrrhmm. Of course, usually," replied the man as Tana sifted through the rack again, Eirika standing around trying to look casual, "that particular type of dress is given as a present- hhhrrrhmmm!"

"Yes, well, thank you for your help!" Eirika said, peering around here and there quickly with her eyes then shooting a glance back at the blue-haired lady buried in the racks.

"Hrrrmmm…you look awfully familiar, miss," said the fat man, pulling his collar up tight and pulling his sleeves down to his hands. "I feel like I've hhrrhmmm mmm… seen you before, but I can't quite place it…you certainly have an rrhhhmmhh elegance about you, though!"

Eirika nodded and thanked the man with a closed smile, and after a while of simply watching and sizing them up, he walked off, huffing and puffing himself up the whole way.

"Tana, what was that?" Eirika asked as soon as she was sure the man was out of earshot.

"I--I don't know!" Tana replied. "I just wondered, maybe, if Ephraim would like it. If he would notice me in it!" She moved back along the rack and evaded the situation (after briefly wondering if Eirika had meant the weird guy), again pulling out dresses and passing hasty judgments on each.

Ephraim would say it was lovely and nothing more, Eirika thought, and began looking through the dresses herself. At the very end of the rack, she pulled a dress over. Her meticulous eye looked over every corner of its blue glory, from the frills and laces darting the edge to the ample embellishments and accentuation around the chest area.

The head tailor here must be a man of some magnitude, Eirika thought wryly, while at the same time beckoning her friend over and presenting the dress.

"Oh!" Tana said as she saw it. She took the sapphire glory in her hands and held it up to a shaft of light beaming from the far window. She ran her soft fingers along the fringes and felt the softness of its inside. Balancing it between two fingers, she caressed the material. Tana looked back at her fellow royal and a chill ran down her spine. "Eirika, this dress…it's beautiful!"

Eirika broke a smile and looked around, trying to cringe away the smells. The tailor's shop was beginning to empty, and now only a few browsing customers remained. A single shopkeeper behind a simple counter stood looking very bored, accompanied by the strange little fat man in the vest. The fat man laced himself with a mischievous grin and pulled his collar up tighter to his neck. Eirika shuddered.

"I'm glad you like it, Tana!"

"Oh, it is! It's wonderful!" Tana said, looking at the front and the back with equal glee, an indelible smile on her face. She held it up to her body and it looked as though it would fit perfectly. Without warning, she threw her arms around Eirika and squeezed. "Thank you for finding it for me!"

Eirika smiled. It was a bit awkward, having a friend who so often threw her hands around her. She certainly loved Tana. Since the moment they first met, they had always been close. But a side of Eirika she never liked to acknowledge prickled at even the thought of Tana's touch. Just keep away, it said. Keep away and I'll never have to feel inferior--

"It's nothing, Tana, truly." Eirika said, putting her hands up sheepishly. "It was just a small favor! It was the least I could do…"

Eirika looked back as Tana continued to nearly squeal with glee over the find.

"I have plenty of gold for it," Tana said, diving into her gold purse and resurfacing with a brimming smile. "Let's go."

She urged Eirika over to the counter, where Eirika watched as Tana lay the dress on the counter, procured the necessary gold from her little pouch, and waited for the shopkeeper to scribe the transaction on his parchment. To her left, Eirika caught a bouncing Tana fidgeting happily. She cocked an eye to the right. The fat man looked on with the utmost interest and wrapped his lips upwards.

Errrhrrrrmm hrrrhhmmm…

Again, Eirika shuddered. She filtered out of the shop, close behind her friend.

- - -

"Ah, feel this fabric, Eirika! It is so remarkably soft!"

Tana undressed in front of the mirror in Eirika's chambers. The dress Eirika held in her hands was spotless and impeccably well kept; indeed it still looked like something worth wearing, strangely enough. In the dim light of her lanterns the dress shone brightly, a sapphire blue radiance with little bits of pearl-white glow echoing across the surface.

"I'll have to ask your opinion as to how it fits," Tana spoke, now garbed only in her pink-and-floral underclothing. She slowly and meticulously dressed herself in the thing, taking care no frill or piece of fabric was out of place. The fellow princess sat on the edge of her bed with her hands folded demurely in her lap, her head tilted down and her eyes tilted up. Looking at Tana, a sudden wave of emotions washed helter-skelter over Eirika all at once, and it was almost too hard for her to handle.

Inadequacies…Tana's beautiful body…she was getting married…never be quite as good…never be as innocent…always be so beautiful, regardless…do well enough alone…

Eirika drew breath, and again, to steady the beating of her heart. She swallowed a full mouth and fought back the wetness on her tongue.

At last, Tana finished making herself look perfect and twirled around to give Eirika a glimpse of her in the dress.

"I have to wonder whether I made an underestimation of myself," Tana said as she swiveled and danced about, trying to get a feel for her movement in the dress. She straightened the edges with a sweeping hand and pressed the bodice upwards a bit. "It feels a bit tight. I'm not even wearing a corset."

"Don't doubt yourself, Tana," Eirika reassured. "You look lovely in that dress! I think we made the perfect choice. I believe Ephraim will adore that dress as well."

"Do you really think so?"

Eirika nodded. She could see a gleam in Tana's eyes and would have perhaps thought it a reflection her own, except the gleam in Tana's eyes was genuine, an expression pure happiness exuded through their blue brilliance. Eirika pressed her smile deeper and deeper into her skull, when all the while it killed her to be disingenuous, to hide behind airs and stew like this--

Eirika jutted out a hand and Tana took it, sitting next to her friend and wrapping a gracious arm around her shoulders

Eirika answered at last. "I know so, Tana."

"Oh, Eirika…"

The young woman looked over to see tears streaming down her friend's face and blotching the fabric of her new dress. Eirika made a playful 'tch' sound with her lips. She pulled Tana closer to her and whispered in her ear, stroking her face and running her hands through her hair.

"Tana, what's wrong, all of a sudden? Is anything the matter?"

"Eirika…oh, Eirika…" Tana choked through her tears that coursed over her pouting lips, "It's such a comfortable dress…it's so tight and so firm around my body, but standing here with you, it feels so comfortable…" She turned to look Eirika square in the eye. "Thank you. You couldn't have chosen a better dress."

The feelings ate away at her; she had to say something--

"Tana," Eirika said, putting both her hands on Tana's shoulders. "I…I have to say something. I'm sorry. I could not be a good friend to you keeping silent."

"Eirika? What is"-

"I'm jealous. I'm envious of you, Tana!"

Tana recoiled back a bit, startled by the sudden nature of her words. Tears began to well in Eirika's eyes too.

"You've always been so happy and carefree, ever since the day we met. Do you remember? And, no matter what happens, you always have a smile on your face. You're such an innocent and loving person…" Eirika turned away and collapsed in on herself. "How could I ever hope to match that?"

Tana shuddered. She briefly considered putting an arm around Eirika, but could not. Her lips trembled and she tried to put her heart's intents into words.

"I…understand, Eirika."

"No!" she blurted, startling Tana. "No, you don't. You can't…you can't possibly hope to understand. I…I've always envied you, Tana. Always!" All the traces of everything she bore in her breast streamed down Eirika's cheeks and she turned to meet the other woman with her reddened eyes tucked between disheveled strands of teal.

"You've always been so dear to me," Eirika continued, a hand placed to her heart. "I've never told you how much I've hated you, how often I've pined to be you. All the feelings I felt for you, they were all just hiding behind my jealousy."

Eirika's voice wavered. "But I care for you, Tana. I care for you so dearly! I've never been so close to anyone save perhaps my brother. And I…I don't want to abandon you. I don't want you to drift away from me, Tana! I could not bear even the thought losing you. I just- I just want what you have so badly. I want us to stay together forever. Please…forgive me."

Another chill ran up Tana's spine because it was true, and because she believed it. "Eirika…" She drew closer to her friend. "When…whenever I'm with you I feel so comfortable, so natural. Oh, Eirika, I'm so afraid! I'm so afraid my marriage will be a failure. I'm so afraid of rejection, so afraid of loss, so afraid of being a burden! I don't want to be so foolish…I want Ephraim to love me, I want to be in love, I want to be happy, I don't want to let everyone I care for down! I understand. I understand your confusion!

But…whenever I'm with you, Eirika, I feel alright…if only for a moment or for a night…I feel comfortable. I feel at home when I'm around you, Eirika. You're special to me!"

They sat looking at each other, their lips both experiencing a tremor, water cascading down their faces past their lips and onto their clothing and onto the bed sheets.

Suddenly, Eirika put her hand against the back of Tana's head and pressed their lips together. Tana's eyes widened until they both fell closed-eyed onto the soft bed, Eirika's free hand clutched in both of Tana's. The bed sank down, but bounced them back up again.

Eirika lay atop her, the blue-haired woman's cleavage pressing firmly against hers, her own clothes light and weightless against her skin. The bed was freshly made, but they lay atop the sheets, Tana's scattered blue hair resting against the pillow, her lips entwined closely with those of her friend.

A minute passed- or perhaps it was two, or perhaps it was three- and their lips parted, vivid red leaving vivid red, bottom lip slowly pulling away, shivers running down both their spines like snakes. Then, they pressed their lips together again viciously, Eirika cupping her hands and fingers against Tana's rounded bodice, Tana moving to caress the insides of Eirika's legs. Together, the touch of their fingertips and the gentle rake of their finely filed nails along their bodies were vibrant and stimulating. Eirika pulled back, a hum of satisfaction leaving her lips, her turquoise eyes brimming.

"Oh, Tana," Eirika whispered breathlessly, "thank you for being so true to me."

"Eirika…" spoke Tana, one hand reaching around to clasp Eirika's hand behind her friend's head, and the other burrowing smoothly underneath Eirika's clothing. "Tonight, if only tonight, could I be comfortable with you? Could I be in love with you, if only for tonight?"

Eirika pressed her lips into Tana's, and they were comfortable there.

Only for tonight.

- - -

"Hmm." Seth put a hand to his chin and stroked it. "Is that the extent of the story, my lord?" he said, as curtly as he could have escaped with.

"That is all I know, at least," Ephraim said, shrugging, eyes roving around the chamber. "I don't know what she has been doing during this past week; I've been occupied with the arrangements and such. I only know that Tana has been more open with me, more communicative, more-- comfortable around me."

"And Lady Tana was not that way before?"

Ephraim sighed and smiled with his eyes closed. "I don't know, Seth. And, maybe it is that she is calmer now than she ever was. I think I am finally beginning to understand her now, too…"

Seth chuckled. "That would be a beneficial thing to have in a marriage, understanding, wouldn't it?" said he with a hearty emphasis. "And yet you don't know why it is she changed?"

Interestingly enough, Seth thought to himself, Lady Tana isn't the only one who seems a bit changed…

Ephraim took a second, then shook his head. "I do not know, Seth. Perhaps I never will. But I'm comfortable with the idea. And I have learned that perhaps I should never question a blessing."

An attendant appeared at the door, urging Ephraim to hurry or he would miss the ceremonies- adding, with a mischievous smile, that Lady Tana looked absolutely ravishing in her blue dress. The attendant tugged on his collar, then left.

"Perhaps you should not," Seth said, following Ephraim out. "Never question a blessing, indeed."