Part I: Birthrights and Love
Hayden
The stink of war reverberated through his body. Like a thick paste, it clung to his insides. Every part of Hayden hated it, and relished it all the same.
"Cecilia, take the reserve forces and flank them from the west," Hayden spoke in a rough timbre. "Show the barbarians no quarter."
"As you wish, father," his green haired daughter said. She cracked the reigns of her horse, ushering it forward and away from the group.
"I wonder how the savages will react to a woman leading our forces against them," Heath mused, leaning on his spear as he gazed at the battlefield next to his father. The rough terrain allowed Hayden and his commanders to watch from the top of an outcropping rock. The spacious boulder served as a viewing and commanding overlook for Hayden's commanders.
"As we are unsure of their culture, it can't be discerned. Taking prisoners would be the proper route to that answer, milord," Gunter said, titling his head to the ground.
Hayden headed off the response that no doubt bubbled at Heath's lips. "Prisoners are unnecessary," the Emperor droned. This mantra he had repeated time and time again through the course of the past few years. A phrase that became a motto for the conquests of Hayden Reinheart.
"But I do not deny they will feel fear," the greying Emperor chuckled. His advisors around him joined in, thankful for humor on the bloody day. "Cecilia is capable of trouncing them. My blood has the lineage of conquerors running through their veins."
Heath stood taller at the words his Emperor spoke. "Father, let me lead a charge against the enemy. Let me show them the might of Lokirian nobility."
"You are a second child," rebuked Hayden, casting a look at Heath. "It is not your place to lead charges on the battlefield. Your sister will one day be Empress, and being recognizable to the army is imperative."
"I can do just as good of—"
"Silence!" crowed Hayden, physically turning toward his son. The Emperor caught himself, and breathed deeply. "Heath, you must stand back and watch. One day, you will lead your sister's armies as general. For now, Cecilia must gain the favor of the people who will one day fight her battles."
The green haired prince snarled, "I will fight." Without waiting for a response from his father, Heath turned one hundred and eighty degrees and marched off.
"Lord Reinheart!" cried Gunter. The old guard was the only man to speak up against Heath's insubordination.
But Heath paid the knight no heed. He leapt onto his wyvern and departed to the battle.
"Let him go," Hayden muttered to Gunter. The knight had made for his horse to pursue the prince. "I will have words with him later."
"Milord," Gunter dropped his pitch an octave. "If that is what you command, then it shall be done. But is it not prudent to keep your son safe?"
"I appreciate your concern." Hayden smiled at his general's worries. "Heath is capable, I will give him that. He is in no danger from the savages. Not enough that I would risk my head of the Emeraldguard for such a trivial task as looking after a competent warrior."
"You honor me, Emperor," the knight thanked, kneeling to the ground.
"But you also wear the black armor of a man who has sworn every oath in service to my family," Hayden continued. "I permit you to go into battle under the task of watching over the bastard. He needs battlefield experience."
Gunter turned his head towards the only man on the rock wearing clothes beneath his station. "As you wish," the black clad soldier uttered.
Stefan, Hayden's bastard son, left the gathering of Lokirians with a half-smirk and not a word. Gunter drew both of his swords and followed the bastard. The two quickly departed without their horses. There existed no need for the mounts as the savages drew ever closer.
Emperor Hayden Reinheart calmly observed his daughter's forces crash into the barbarian army. The footmen of the desert people were broken by the Lokirian cavalry.
"Milord?" queried one of his advisors.
Hayden turned, breaking gaze at his daughter. The interruption carried on. "Would it not be prudent to go out into the battle yourself? With the sword and armor—"
"No, I do not find it prudent," the Emperor responded, holding no ire back. "The sword and armor are not to be wasted on these infidels. They were meant for stronger opponents."
The aide backed down, falling quieter than silent. But Hayden knew the man had a point. As his predecessors had ages past, Hayden had the blessed armor and weapon of the progenitor of the Reinheart lineage. They were a sign of the conquests of Lokirian Emperors. He would have ventured out into the thick of the strife had it not been for one deciding factor.
Hayden Reinheart was old.
What if he failed to meet the expectations with them? The people of Lokiria would only talk about the weak Emperor Reinheart. How he was not fit for rule, or command in battle.
That could not happen. That must not happen.
A wyvern's screech jolted Hayden from his stupor. Heath shot down from the clouds above with a group of dracoknights. Together, they struck against the desert barbarians who had dared encroach upon the Empire's lands.
Not bad. The Emperor raised an eyebrow at Heath's skilled assault. None of the dracoknights were brought down, and they killed at least a number equal to theirs.
A gust of wind blew across the rocky plains, carrying with it a conflict not far away. As Hayden's cape tussled with the wind behind him, his eyes lowered to see Gunter and the bastard.
They worked well in tandem, a common quality of master and apprentice. They held a gap between two rocks where savages surged through.
"They would be upon us if not for Sir Gunter," laughed a man behind Hayden. "Our knight is worth dozens of them!"
"They are holding out against quite the onslaught," Hayden observed. "Gunter has once again earned his place."
"What about the bastard?" asked the same nobleman.
The Emperor ignored him and refused to acknowledge his bastard's skill. He continued to watch the desert people's slow demise, allowing battle to serve as a suitable distraction.
[X]
Hayden trudged through the mass of Lokirian soldiers. The armored men stepped aside for their Emperor and his entourage.
Behind him followed his son and daughter, as was right. At their heels marched Gunter and unexpectedly Stefan. The bastard normally never tried his chances at the tip of the spearhead formation. Gunter typically kept him away, as was also right.
"Who were they again?" Stefan whispered in a hushed tone. Though to Hayden's ear, the bastard might as well have shouted it.
"Nabatnans," Gunter supplied, his voice softer than a feather. "Our armies strayed close to their lands in efforts to secure fertile land. They weren't very fond of it."
Emperor Reinheart closed his ears to them, and set his eyes upon the destination. Two heavily armored soldiers held one of the most massive men Hayden had ever seen. The tan colossus was on his feet, putting himself half a foot above the most powerful man in Lokiria.
All the rustle from the subdued Nabatnans and Lokirians dissipated. All eyes watched the leaders of both armies.
"Have you a name, Nabatnan?" Hayden asked, tilting his head up. He grimaced. Must the most powerful man in the world adhere to someone else in such a way?
"I am called Hawkeye," he responded. The barbarian leader lowered his head respectfully.
That gave Hayden a triumphant grin. "As with my previous conquests, I shall offer you the same choices they received. Bend the knee and swear yourselves to the Empire of Lokiria, or I shall destroy you. I have no quarrel with your people, so I am of the forgiving mind. Should you walk away, I give you my word no more of your people shall be harmed."
Hawkeye was silent for an everlasting moment. Then, "You are kind in your terms, Emperor. But the Nabatnans do not bend the knee to anyone."
Emperor Reinheart grit his teeth, "You would place your pride above the safety of your people?"
The hulking Nabatnan's laugh rolled over the soldiers in the vicinity. "Emperor, we bow to none. It is not my pride, nor any of my brothers and sisters. We as Nabatnans hold freedom to the highest regard. Do what you must, but we will not kneel."
Hayden saw red; an anger the Emperor had not experienced for years. In an unconscious effort, his arm outstretched parallel to the ground. Silence dropped over the gathering again.
Beads of light gathered at the Emperor's hand. Each like a firefly, they flew and coalesced in Hayden's hand. An eyeblink later, a regal blade with a tint of green resided in his grip.
Moving the large blade without effort, Hayden pierced Hawkeye's heart. The Emperor let nothing influence his cold expression.
Shouts of protest and agony sprouted in the subdued Nabatnans. The Lokirian soldiers hefted their weapons as a silent threat.
It did nothing, and the unarmed Nabatnans attacked the armored men. The Emperor turned away from the slaughter with his head held high.
Cecilia frowned towards her father, "Was that truly the best option?"
Hayden paid her no heed. He would not be lectured by his own daughter. Not on this.
Heath, in stark contrast, nodded approvingly. It only served to reaffirm the Emperor's opinion of his son. He would make a hard general.
Whether a good one or not was yet to be seen.
"Milord, it is best that we leave this place," Gunter said, being the only one of Hayden's inner circle to approach him after the bloody display. "There are over a thousand Nabatnans who want your life."
"I care not for broken soldiers," Hayden spat. "They are nothing without their head—a still wriggling snake's body. We must plant a boot down on them, and prevent any rapid actions."
"I concur," Gunter nodded. "If we make an example of them, it may hinder furious sentiments from the other Nabatnans."
"Kill them all. Prisoners are unnecessary," Hayden barked. His soldiers sprang to obey and relay the command. Not even a minute later, the screams picked up.
"Now that our little skirmish here is done, it might be best if we return to Grisstal," the captain of the Emeraldguard suggested.
Hayden walked away from the killing circle, the screams fluctuating and dissipating with no rhyme or reason. "It has been a while since Lokiria hasn't an enemy to fight," the Emperor stated, some form of cheer in his voice. "Perhaps it is time for a celebration?"
"A reasonable decision, your highness," Gunter agreed. "I will relay that information to our runners so the city can prepare."
Emperor Reinheart nodded, and Gunter did not leave his side. Narrowing eyes turned to the black armored knight asking a silent question.
"Emperor, I was hoping to speak to you about Stefan," the old knight spoke with carefully chosen words.
All mirth left Hayden Reinheart's eyes as he simply replied, "Sir Gunter, you had better speak with the runners should we want to be well received upon return."
The black clad man bowed deeply. "As you wish, milord."
Hayden grunted in annoyance and began searching for a horse. He'd just won a battle, and all he wanted was to get back to his city.
Stefan could be dealt with at any time.
Author Notes: So here we are again! Back at the start of a big project! Though I actually have written out detailed outlines for this fic this time (Not quite done at the time of writing this, just got impatient to sink my teeth into this idea), and from that I can tell it will not be as long as Final Emblem.
I've got two goals for this fanfic, or rather two aspects I want to improve myself on. Character interaction, and character development. That is why the chapters will either be from Stefan, or Lucia's POV. This chapter, and all starts to new Parts will be done from some other character's perspective simply for a change of pace for me.
This means no more switching location/perspective during chapters multiple times. It also means shorter chapters, varying from less than this length to 4k words or so. I can't say anything concrete now, but this is my objective.
In case you didn't notice, this fanfic doesn't take place in an FE world you're intimately familiar with. I'm done with trying to appeal to the new fans from FE13 and setting my stories in the world of that game. They didn't show up when I wrote Final Emblem, at least that I can tell given the difference of views comparative between Final Emblem and Sanity. If you were a new fan and you tried reading it, you have my respect for trying something new. Thank you.
This author note is drawing on too long for me to talk about anything else I want to, so I'll save it for next chapter. If you have any questions at all, or even have ideas/suggestions, by all means contact me.
But one last thing XD This is my 50th fanfic! Going into my fourth year of writing, and I hit that big number! It's been great, and here's to the next fifty!
Trivia! I mentioned this fanfic takes place in a world that you are not familiar with. But contrary to what you may think, this world is a Fire Emblem setting. When IS released the 25th Anniversary book for the series, there is a single page devoted to a FE title that was planned for the Wii and never made. It has some concept art that I was taken with. Nearly everything on that one page shall appear in this fic. You may even notice that Stefan is the main character in it ;) This is as close as we'll ever get to ever getting this title, so I hope you enjoy this fanfic.
