Cold
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Franz had never liked the cold.
Even while others had welcome the refreshing bite of winter air after the burning heat and fire of Nerelas Peak, Franz had huddled down, grimacing slightly as he felt a gust of chilly wind slice through his tunic.
He didn't exactly know why it had been like this. Ever since he was a child, one of his greatest pleasures had been relaxing in front of the cheery fire his father had just finished building, a warm drink in hand. He'd detested being sent out into the cold to chop firewood, and the threat of being forced to spend the night out in the freezing weather had always quelled thoughts of mischief that bubbled up so frequently in his childhood.
No, he had never liked the cold.
Amelia hated the cold too.
As he lay in the darkness of his tent, eyes half-open, he could hear the sound of her steady, regular breaths. Her forehead pressed against the back of his neck, and her arm snaked around his stomach, holding herself close to him.
A murmur of contentment escaped her lips as she subconsciously pressed closer, seeking the warmth of his body. Franz smiled softly as he reached down to pull up the thick woolen blanket higher up around the both of them.
This had all started shortly after they had left the deserts of Jehenna, and Fall had started to bring it's chilly winds and frigid nights upon their group. Upon pulling back the flap of his tent, Franz's eyes had widened in surprise at the sight of Amelia sitting there, huddled under her cloak.
She had simply looked at Franz, an imploring look in her eyes. "Cold." Was all she uttered.
It quickly developed into a routine of sorts. Night after night, Franz would be lying in bed, his eyes closed, as he heard her soft footfalls, and the rustle of the tent flap being untied. He would smile as he felt her lie down next to him, and she would let out a sigh of contentment as the two of them nestled close, sharing the warmth of their bodies. They'd never gone farther than that – as far as Franz could tell, Amelia saw absolutely nothing sexual in their acts.
For all their attempts at being discreet, however, he was certain the entire camp knew about this already. However, no one had ever brought the subject up in front of Franz. He suspected General Seth disapproved – and disapproved strongly – of this arrangement, and it would only be a matter of time before the Silver Knight took him to task over this issue.
He sighed softly, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.
A light snowfall marked the final leg of their journey towards Castle Rausten. Franz kept a light hand on his reins, a morose expression on his face. The chilly air was again putting a damper on his mood and enthusiasm, and it was only the promise of reaching Castle Rausten (and an adequate amount of fireplaces) that managed to put a smile, however slight, on his face.
"Franz."
He turned at the sound of his name being called. Just behind him, General Seth rode up, his expression unreadable.
"How are you holding up?" There was something in the General's voice that made Franz cringe inwardly. He knew this talk was in all likelihood not going to be a pleasant experience.
"I'm fine, sir." He replied tersely. Almost subconsciously he nudged the reins to the left, steering his mount further away from the General's. Of course, General Seth's steed kept steady pace with the younger horse.
They were silent for several minutes as the company continued their journey through the thickly forested regions. Finally, the General cleared his throat and began to speak. "Franz. You and Dame Amelia…"
The stony silence from the young cavalier was all the response necessary.
"Armies traditionally discourage fraternization between males and females in the ranks, for rather obvious reasons. Now, many of the soldiers have gotten… close to each other." Seth closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "That is something I cannot prevent nor control, even if I disapprove of such things. However, even then, there are lines to be drawn." Seth paused for a moment, as if unsure how to properly continue. "Your relationship with Dame Amelia has… progressed to a stage where I can no longer turn a blind eye to your actions."
"We're not doing anything wrong." Franz replied hotly. "It's just-"
"Regardless of whether you believe what you've been doing is wrong," Seth cut him off. "I, and King Ephraim, believe otherwise. And our authority on this matter supersedes yours."
Biting his lip, Franz forced down a reply he knew would end up being considered insubordinate.
"Franz, from now on, you and Dame Amelia are not to see each other past sundown. If you insist on defying this regulation, the… necessary procedures will have to be taken. Am I clear on this?"
"…"
"Franz."
"… Understood, Sir."
The dying rays of the sun filled the stable with an ethereal glow as Franz finished rubbing down his horse. The beast gave a contented whinny and moved several steps forward to take a drink from his trough.
"Franz? Oh, there you are." He heard her voice just before she rounded the doorway to meet him. "I've been trying to find you ever since we reached this place."
"Oh, Amelia. Hi." Franz said. He managed to smile - slightly. "Castle Rausten really is impressive, isn't it?"
"It's huge." She nodded, agreeing readily. "Almost as large as the Grado Imperial Palace."
"Mmm. Hey, have you checked out our guest quarters yet? All the rooms even have their own individual fireplace." He paused, unwilling to say what came next. "I… I guess you won't need to come over tonight."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a frown appear on Amelia's face. "Franz? What's wrong?"
There was silence in the musty stable for several long seconds as Franz stared at the ground, not answering. Finally, he spoke. "General Seth… He… he wants us to stop seeing each other at night. If we don't…" He let out a sigh of grim resignation. "I – we – will be punished."
"…Oh." Amelia lowered her gaze down to the dirt floor of the stable, eyes downcast. "Then…"
"Maybe the next time we find a town, I can purchase a few more blankets for us."
She chuckled, but there was little mirth in that sound. "It's not only the warmth, Franz, it's… it's you. I feel safer… just having you close to me."
Franz managed a sad smile. "Me too." He stood and walked closer to her, raising his hand to stroke her cheek. "Maybe after this whole business with the Demon King and Prince Lyon is over… I could leave the army, and then they wouldn't have any more objections to us being together."
"No." She shook her head glumly. "You're a better fighter than me, Franz. You're more valuable. I'll leave. I've always been more of a burden to everyone anyway."
"That's not true." Franz said. "You're not a burden to me."
She smiled through the first gleam of tears that were beginning to form on her face. Leaning forward, she embraced him tightly. "Thanks, Franz."
He wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Anytime, Amelia." He whispered in reply.
That night, the castle was attacked.
Caught unprepared and unawares, the forces of Rausten were decimated in a matter of minutes. Soon they had breached the entrance to the castle, and forces of Grado stormed inwards.
Alerted by General Seth, Franz quickly donned his battle armour, and headed out into the melee.
It didn't take very long for him to surmise that the battle wasn't going well. Throwing himself into the fray, he quickly cut down several foes in his path as he headed towards the throne room. Lord Mansel and King Ephraim would be there, and they were his first priority.
Or so he thought at that time.
A cry of surprise and alarm sounded from one of the darkened corridors to his right. His blood froze. He knew that voice.
Amelia!
In a matter of seconds, he had fought his way to her side. He could see three soldiers standing over her still form, slumped over on the ground.
No… NO! His heart in his throat, Franz lunged at the closest of the trio. His blade quickly tore through a seam in his opponent's armour, and the soldier collapsed silently. Startled, the other two foes drew their weapons, but Franz dispatched them with swift, brutal strikes.
His weapon clattered to the cold stone floor as he crouched by Amelia. Even in the dim light, he could see the dark red of blood seeping into her clothes.
She opened her eyes. "Franz…" She murmured. "Franz…"
"Shh. Don't talk." In the semidarkness, and with her tunic so thoroughly soaked with blood, it was near impossible to discern the extent of her wounds.
Reaching into his pack, he drew out a vulnerary. 'This is going to sting for a bit, but-"
"Franz." Amelia started again. Something in her voice made Franz halt, lean closer to catch whatever it is she wanted to say.
"It's…" She gulped, swallowed hard, trembled. "It's so cold…" She whispered. "So… cold…"
The she leaned her head back on the tiled floor of Castle Rausten, closed her eyes, and became still.
Too still.
"It's been some time since I've been here." Franz said as he glanced around the cemetery. The morning sun splashed golden highlights over the fields. Then, he refocused his attentions on the graveyard headstone in front of him. "I'm sorry for not visiting sooner, but…" He shrugged. "Life got in the way, I suppose."
He inclined his head back, looking up at the sky. "I just got a promotion the other day, you know." He chuckled. "Now I'm a Captain of the Guard. I'd like to think I'm doing pretty well for myself. Do you?"
He was silent for a long moment – pensive. Then, standing, he walked over a placed a bouquet of flowers on the grave.
"Sundrops," He said softly. "Amelia's favourite flower."
"And believe me, I'm happy you chose them for my sake." Her voice cut through the relative quiet of the cemetery as she threaded her way through the headstones.
"Amelia." He smiled more fully now.
"Did I keep you waiting?" She asked as she reached him, entwining her hand with his.
"No, not really." Turning back to the gravestone, he bowed his head. "Farewell for now, father."
That night, he lay in bed, Amelia nestled comfortably in the crook of his arm. Softly, he ran his fingers over the faded scars on her torso. Two years ago… The wounds had been serious, leaving unable to participate in the final battle in Darkling Woods. He'd stayed by her side then, every single hour… waiting for her to recover.
But it was over now. The war had been won. After coming back to Renais with Franz, she had left the life of a soldier, allowing Franz to see her freely once more.
Amelia shifted slightly, settling herself into a more comfortable position. "Mm… Franz?" She said softly, almost a whisper.
"Yes, Amelia?"
"…Warm." The was a pause. Then she continued, almost in a long slow sigh, "It's warm."
In the darkness, he smiled.
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