Fire Emblem: The Sacred Flames
A/N: I have way too many stories I have yet to finish. But my inspiration is currently on FE7, and so I have to work on what my inspiration is focused on if I want to get anything done.
This story is a "what if" scenario in which Lyn did not return to Sacae after the death of her grandfather, but remained in Caelin as its marquess. I'm also assuming a Lyn-Rath A-support so that Lyn can become Sue's mother. The second half of this story will go into FE6, which I have not played. If I get anything wrong from that game, please let me know!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Fire Emblem series or anything familiar you may see in this story.
~FE7~
Prologue
One year after the defeat of Nergal …
Mark wandered the grandiose halls of Castle Caelin. Its gray walls were decorated with tapestries and portraits; banners and flags hung from the pillars that were scattered throughout the corridor – just as he remembered. Servants and knights hurried past him as they rushed from place to place, busy with preparations for the event that had brought Mark to Caelin in the first place.
Lord Hausen, the longtime marquess of Caelin, had passed away earlier that year. Mark had been in Kathelet when the news had reached him. He had met with Lord Hausen only once, but Mark remembered the late marquess to be a kind and noble man.
With his death, the next person in line for the throne was the lady Lyndis, the granddaughter of Lord Hausen and the only surviving member of House Caelin. She was a close friend of Mark's, and it was her ascension ceremony that he had come to attend.
However, he was concerned about Lyn's choice to remain in Caelin. Lyn was not only a Lycian noble; she was also of Sacae, the daughter of the Lorca chieftain. Raised in the plains for the first fifteen years of her life, there was still much that she didn't know about the world outside of Sacae. She would be subject to prejudice from the people and marquesses of other Lycian territories … perhaps derision from even her own people.
Even without considering those problems, what could have made Lyn choose to stay in Caelin in the first place? Lyn always spoke fondly of Sacae. It was evident that her heart longed for the plains of her childhood. Mark had believed that Lyn would return to Sacae after her grandfather's death. And yet, she decided to stay. Why would she?
No, he couldn't start having doubts about his friend. Mark told himself that Lyn knew what she was doing. She was a strong woman, and would succeed and whatever she chose to do.
"Oh, Mark! You're here!"
Upon hearing his name, the tactician threw a glance over his shoulder to find Lyn standing behind him, a cheerful smile on her face. She was not dressed in her usual Sacaean garb, Mark noticed immediately, but a pale blue formal Lycian dress. It was so unlike her, and Mark's worries reared once again in his head. Would Lyn be able to adjust to being the marquess of Caelin? What if the pressure of the task destroyed her completely and forced her to become someone that she was not?
His misgivings would have to wait. Now was not the time for dark thoughts. He had to be supportive. A warm smile gracing his face, Mark returned Lyn's salutation. "It's nice to see you again, Lyn."
"It's been far too long, Mark, I missed you," Lyn said, giving him a hug. "Did you come for the ceremony? Hector and Eliwood will be attending, too."
Mark nodded. "I won't be staying long, though," he added, pulling away from her embrace. "I came to say goodbye."
"You're leaving? Again?" Lyn sounded disappointed. "What a shame … I had hoped you'd stay a little longer."
"Yes, but it is time I take my leave of this place," Mark said. He paused for a second, distracted by Lyn's uncharacteristic clothing to say anything more.
"Hm?" Lyn noticed the funny look on her friend's face. "What's wrong, Mark? Oh, is it these clothes?" she asked, before he could reply. "Lycian dress is so uncomfortable. It doesn't really suit me. But …" Lyn took a deep breath, and her eyes misted slightly. "I want to do my best … for the people of Caelin."
"Oh, Lyn …" Mark sighed.
"Sometimes, I wonder if my grandfather wished I was more of a lady," Lyn went on. She didn't seem to have heard Mark. "My mother was a kind and gentle person. I wonder if he wished I was more like her …"
"Your grandfather loved you, Lyn," Mark assured her. "Don't you remember? He held on to life for you, even while Lundgren was poisoning him. You helped him recover from the poison. I'm sure … he's proud of you, no matter what."
"Mark … I thank you." The fire and determination returned to Lyn's eyes, and Mark knew that his words had restored her conviction, if only a little. "You're right. I'll succeed my grandfather as Marquess Caelin. I know it won't be easy, but I'll do my best. For my grandfather's sake and the citizenry of Caelin."
That was the Lyn he knew and admired so well. The last of his doubts vanished with her confident declaration. Mark was certain that Lyn would become a great and respected marquess.
"Lyn …"
The rough yet soft voice was familiar to Mark's ears, but he couldn't recall whose it was or where he had first heard it. Lyn, on the other hand, recognized it immediately. "I'm here, Rath!" she called.
Rath, of course. Although they had met earlier in the journey than many others, the quiet nomad rarely spoke to anyone. Mark and Rath were on good terms with each other, but when one was commanding an army of over forty people – especially when said army consisted of many people with strong personalities – it was easy to forget anyone who didn't stand out. The tactician felt his face flush as he remembered the embarrassingly frequent times he would forget Rath's presence. And not just him – Dorcas, Jaffar, Renault, even Ninian …
Truthfully, Mark was rather surprised to see Rath in Caelin. Despite the closeness that had developed between Rath and Lyn, Mark would never have expected him to stay with her in Lycia. Having some knowledge of Rath's past, Mark had expected the nomad to return to Sacae and his tribe as soon as he possibly could.
"Mark … It's been a while," Rath greeted. He was standing beside Lyn, although a few steps behind her. In contrast to Lyn, he looked the same as always.
"Yes, but he won't be staying for long," Lyn informed him, turning to Mark again. "Mark will be leaving after the ceremony."
"That's right," he corroborated. "I have to continue on my journey."
"That's too bad," Rath said. The nomad sounded no different than usual, but Mark took the acknowledgement of his departure as a sign that he would be missed.
Not for the first time, Mark was beginning to contemplate whether he truly wanted to leave his comrades for what could be forever. He had been in Pherae and Ostia earlier in the year, attending Eliwood and Hector's ascension ceremonies. The two lords and their fiancées, Ninian and Florina, had also been disappointed to hear that he was leaving.
Of Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector, Mark was the closest to Lyn. He had known her the longest, and she had saved his life when they had first met on the plains. Never seeing her again would hurt him so much more. She had become his best friend during the two journeys they had ventured on together.
Even facing the possibility that he may never see some of his comrades again if he left, Mark knew that he would never be satisfied with simply staying in one place. He was a traveler at heart. Mark wanted to explore unseen places, to see and learn more than he ever could if he stayed in Lycia. He would miss everyone, but he knew deep within himself that he would take his leave of Lycia someday.
"Oh, Mark," Lyn suddenly started, "I almost forgot. This may be a bit premature, but …" A faint blush colored her cheeks. "Would you be our first child's godparent? We would never have made it through the battles for Caelin and against the Black Fang if it weren't for you."
Rath nodded in agreement, and for a moment Mark was too overwhelmed to speak. He was surprised at how highly all the three lords regarded him. Eliwood and Ninian had wanted him to name their first child – he had suggested Roy for a son and Maia for a daughter – and Hector and Florina had also asked him to be their first child's godparent. For the third time that year, Mark was … touched.
"O-of course," he finally replied, his voice shaking from emotion. "I would be happy to be the godparent of your first child."
"Great!" Lyn exclaimed. "Thank you, Mark!"
"I beg your pardon." General Wallace, one of Lyn's vassals and a general whom Mark knew very well, loomed behind Lyn and Rath. He had managed to approach them while escaping anyone's notice. "Lady Lyndis, let's go."
"I'm coming Wallace," she said. "Mark, I'll see you at the end of the ceremony." And with one last smile, Lyn followed Wallace down the hall.
~FE7~
The ascension ceremony for Lyn took just as long as Eliwood's had been, but neither had been as long as Hector's. Mark had to chuckle at that. Hector, who hated ceremonies and formalities, was the new Marquess Ostia, the leader of the Lycian League. It hardly seemed to suit him, but Mark knew that Hector would do his best as well.
Several Lycian lords and nobles had attended Lyn's ascension. He didn't know the marquesses of most of Lycia's other territories, but Mark noted with a hint of distaste that the marquess of Araphen was present – most likely not by choice, but due to necessity. There was no doubt that Caelin and Araphen's relations would be strained, with Marquess Araphen's hatred of Sacaeans and his refusal to help Lyn during her campaign to take back Caelin from Lundgren.
Also present in the throng of marquesses and nobles was Lord Erik – the son of the former marquess of Laus, now Marquess Laus. Why he was allowed to remain in control of his territory, Mark would never know. Both Erik and his father had supported the rebellion against Ostia. His ascension – which Mark most certainly did not attend – had also taken place that year, after Hector's but before Eliwood's.
Speaking of Eliwood … out of the corner of his eye, Mark thought he saw a glimpse of red hair in the crowd. But it had disappeared almost as soon as he had seen it. Not wanting to cause a commotion by looking for Eliwood when he may not have even seen him, Mark decided against pursuing the flash of red. Try as he might, he didn't see Hector, Florina, or Ninian anywhere. But Mark knew that they would have been present.
Feeling uncomfortable in the mass of people, Mark made his way towards the edge of the ceremony grounds – far enough from the crowd for relief, but still within the vicinity so that Lyn would be able to find him. Mark let out a breath of relief once he was away from the horde of nobles. His gaze drifted to the setting sun in the distance. As the end of the day neared, so drew the close of the chapter of his life adventuring with the Lycian lords and their comrades.
"Mark …" Lyn's voice came from behind the tactician.
Had she been waiting there for him the entire time? Mark slowly came face to face with Lyn, for what would possibly be the last time. "Lyn."
"Will you be going now?" she asked quietly. "Are you sure you can't stay?"
"Lyn …" Mark paused for a second, then began again. "Two years ago … when we first reached Caelin … you asked me the same thing. Do you … want me to stay?"
"No … I know you can't," she said, answering his question as much as her own. "But still … I'm going to miss you. We've been through so much together."
"I'll miss you, too," Mark said. "But … you have Rath here with you – and Kent and Sain and the others. You'll be a fine marquess, I know you will."
The lady of Caelin nodded, her eyes looking unfocused and watery. She too was aware that it would be a long time before they saw each other again, if ever.
A long silence passed between the two, neither knowing what to say. Then, Lyn threw her arms around him and Mark did the same, the two sharing a final heartfelt embrace. They remained that way for about a minute, until Mark separated from Lyn and stepped back. "Well … I should leave now. It's time for me to go."
The tears came to Lyn's eyes, but she was smiling even as the tactician retreated into the sunset. "Thank you for everything, Mark. We'll see each other again … someday. I know it."
~FE7~
A/N: I know there are some unanswered questions at the end of this chapter, perhaps too many for me to list them all here. But rest assured, I'm going to do my best at addressing each of them throughout the story. I don't like plot holes, so I'll try not to make one.
Also, I tried to make the prologue of this story similar to the epilogue at the end of Eliwood and Hector's tales in FE7, where the tactician goes to the main lord's territory to attend their ascension ceremony and if the lord is paired then their future bride gets to say something too.
Finally, I've started editing a few of the chapters that I've already written. I should probably start working on chapter five instead, but I really want this to be high-quality work, and that means going back and editing previous chapters as I see fit.