Author's Note: Oh great, hahahaha, I finally decide to write a fanfiction, and of all things, I wrote one for Odin Sphere! LOL, so much for being obsessed with Fate/Stay Night, eh? Anyway, I strongly believe that I butchered everyone's personalities and characters here, but inspiration hit me like lightning, and I found that I could not resist its wild, siren call. So, here's the product of that compliance!
Yes, F.Y.I., some of the dialogue between Gwen/Oswald are more or less taken from the game. This is based on Chapter 7 (the Epilogue), Act 6, after all. No credit taken for those – they're all stuff from the great George Kamitani. This fic is part-retelling (for those who haven't read the scene) and part-extension.
Blue Trinkets's fic, "A Time For Us", is similar to mine in that it's based after Epilogue Act 6 and before the Armageddon, though I swear to you that I have NOT read his fic before creating this. Now that I have read it, however, I can tell you that the major differences between our fics are the viewpoints that we've chosen to write from, my slight slant into the comedy genre, and well, lemon content. You should check his out, if you're interested in M content and if I may say so, darn good writing. Mine's fairly clean, I'm sorry to say. XD
Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all ownership to the characters in this piece of fanfiction. You can sue me for bad writing, horrible grammar, etc, but nothing else :D
Cursed Curiousity
An Odin Sphere Fanfic
Odin Sphere © Atlus and Vanillaware
Oswald
The sky is emblazoned in reddish gold, with sunlit rays filtering in through wisps of clouds. The lush dark green of Nebulapolis is a stark contrast to the sunset, and the view is one of the most beautiful things that Erion has to offer. Morosely, I stare out at the dark outline of the mountains, hands clenched tight against the ivy-bound balustrade. My knuckles are white with force, yet the pain does not register; such is the intensity of thoughts swirling through my mind.
If I love her... I should let her go. She has already saved me from Leviathan, the last dragon, and even from the clutches of Queen Odette in the Netherworld. She has gone against her father for me, and I am sure that it has hurt her so. So… Ugh. It is so difficult to make one simple decision. It is harder for me to let go of a single girl than it is for me to kill thousands of lives. I laugh darkly at my own black humour.
Is this the power of love? If so, it is more powerful than the Belderiver could ever be. I glanced at the Psypher-tipped sword by my side, the same sword which has saved my life countless times, and which has doomed my soul to eternal shadow.
I have once heard it said that hearts are often broken when words were left unspoken, and in the same way, 'tis better to have been scorned in love than to not have loved at all...
My musings are broken by a soft hand on my shoulder. I jump violently in shock, and in response, the hand jerks away. I turn, and see that the owner of the hand was no other than the girl that I had been thinking of. For a brief moment, I catch wind of a fragrant scent, and just as it quickly as it appears, it is gone.
"Gwendolyn..." Why does the sight of her always take my breath away? She is wearing her mother's dress; a tasteful blend of black, white, and blue, as well as her usual feather headdress. Her silky, silvery hair is a stark contrast to her electric blue eyes, waving gently about her shoulders in rhythm to the evening breeze. She looked every part a goddess. Except... I took a double take. Except for the tinge of sadness deep in those sapphires. I clench my fist.
Newfound inner fortitude and determination suddenly materializes within me at the sight of her eyes. As long as I live, even if my love was unrequited, I would never allow her to suffer because of me.
I place my hand on my heart as if I could protect it by doing so. "It pains me to keep you here, knowing that you had such conflicting feelings about us. Yet, in spite of that, I still could not stop myself from pursuing you." My eyes fell to the floor. "If... if you want to leave... then I..." My throat closes in on me. I will not stop you – that was what I wanted to say. Coward that I am, I cannot finish the sentence which diverged heart and mind.
My mind stated, but my heart conjured. I want not reality, but illusion.
Upon hearing my words, a beautiful rose blooms on my angel's cheeks as she shakes her head in denial. The slender valkyrie takes a step forward towards me, never breaking eye contact all the while, and with hand on breast, boldly declares in a soft voice, "Oswald... it does not matter to me that my feelings were caused by my father's spell. To be with you, I will willingly face any hardship."
I dare not look her in the eyes, for I fear that I may find only lies.
Her voice is sincere and full of determination, and I stifle a gasp at them. In spite of myself, my lowered head jerks up as a small dove of hope threatens to burst aflutter from my chest at those words. I urgently felt the need to convey the rest of my feelings to her; so long have I kept them suppressed that I could hold it in no longer. I barely notice myself take a step forward, hand still on heart.
"You were my guiding star, shining brightly as I roamed across the dark earth." Looking straight into her eyes, I quietly confide my innermost thoughts to her.
It was too much. At my words, Gwendolyn's gaze drops to the floor, and both of her small hands rose up, only to meet atop her breast, as if holding onto the feeling that is love. Her face turns a deeper shade of crimson at my words. Is it embarrassment? Or is it love? I cannot tell.
"Until I met you, my heart was empty." You are my reason for living.
I have started the ball rolling, and now I cannot stop it. Unconsciously, like a man possessed, I close the space between us, and pull her gently shaking shoulders towards me. The scent earlier...! She smells like the dewdrops after morning rain. Was this what beautiful smelt like? I wondered.
The suddenness of my actions causes Gwendolyn to slightly lose her balance, and she gasps softly in surprise as she falls towards me. Her hands are on my biceps, and her blush increases tenfold at our newfound intimacy. I smother a smirk as her gaze does not rise to meet mine.
"But, it's different now. Now, I know of joy and terror: happiness in bathing in the light that is your love, and fear of losing it, a light more precious than life itself."
At the confession of my own fears, Gwendolyn's head perks up in defiance. "It's not an illusion! It will never disappear... My love for you will shine like the stars, forever..."
Overcome with passion, I could not help but pull my wife closer to me still, into an embrace.
I never realized beforehand, until now, how hard the floodgates of desire were to close.
Gwendolyn
Valkyries do not fear death. If there is anything that they truly fear aside from a dishonourable death, it is intimacy. Most would balk or scorn the very mention of the word, or any other synonym: sentimentality, affection, compassion. Only the weak or insane would demand such things, and my father, Demon Lord Odin, understood that best out of all the steel warriors that he ruled over.
Valkyries were women that stood out from the norm; they were strong and powerful, like my sister Griselda, and would allow no man to conquer her and live. To be married, forced to love and be subdued by another man, and to lose one's purity... that was the ultimate disgrace for the valkyrie.
That was the spell which I had been put under, for disobeying my father's orders so he would not have to execute his... my half-sister, Velvet. It was the twist of fate which would eventually lead me to become Oswald's wife, and right now, to fall into his arms.
I gasp as Oswald roughly pulls me into a tight embrace without warning, the arms that were previously on my shoulders entwining themselves about my waist. His grip is strong, and I jerk forward unceremoniously into his arms.
I can feel my cheeks blaze hot crimson, and in blind panic, I instinctively try to resist his actions. I have never been hugged in my life, and it is suffocating, the lack of space. Only years of battle stop me from hyperventilating in shock.
Then I remember that I am not under threat, that this is the man I love, and allow myself to melt into my husband's lean arms. Slowly, I come to realize that I have never felt safer or happier in my life than I was in Oswald's arms. I close my eyes and inhale the masculine scent of my husband, enjoying the feel of his muscular body against mine. Our holds on each other are equally strong, as if we believed, as if we were frightened that if did not hold on tightly enough, our beloved would vanish into thin air.
His hand moves up, ever so slowly, to stroke my hair. He was my love, my life, my world.
"Please..." I whisper, suddenly afraid. "Don't let me go..." I don't want to ever lose you. I... I love you, Oswald.
If anyone asked me right then what my wish was, it would have been to remain frozen in this embrace, forever in time.
Brom
Dwarves are renowned for many things: their love of drink, their gruff demeanour, their obsession with the lustrous metals and ores of the earth, and, most of all, their legendary ability to forge or smith enchanted blades and armour of the highest caliber without rival, in all of Erion. The dwarves are also the only ones who can forge the souls of the dead: the Psypher crystals.
However, one thing that many people do not know about dwarves, is that like the Elves, they had an insatiable lust for ---
"Brom! Brom! Come here, quick!"
--- knowledge. I sigh deeply at the evidence of this fatal flaw in the proud Dwarven race as I turn without resistance towards the sound of the hissed whisper. Curiousity always killed the cat, I thought, but at least cats have nine lives.
Myris
The double doors to Oswald and Princess Gwendolyn's bed chambers were slightly open, but nevertheless, I felt compelled to knock to warn Princess Gwendolyn of my entrance. I adjusted the tray of teacups and teapot that I was carrying, so that it balanced on one paw, and raised the other to knock. Just as my paw was about to rap polished walnut, I heard Oswald speaking, and froze on the spot.
"You were my guiding star, shining brightly as I roamed across the dark earth."
"..!" I emit a soft infrasonic gasp characteristic of all Pookas and nearly drop my tray as soon as I realized that I had stumbled on an intimate moment between Oswald and Princess Gwendolyn. I already knew of how much Princess Gwendolyn desired love from another, and I felt naught but joy for her right at that moment. She had finally received what she had most yearned for, and she was truly lucky to be wed to someone who treated her as well as Oswald did. It almost makes it seem as if the Demon Lord's curse were a blessing in disguise... Mistress Velvet ought not to have worried at all.
But, if Princess Gwendolyn were to ever find out about such a private intrusion...! I whirled around 180°and hid behind the safety of the doors, praying that the sharp eyes and ears of my valkyrie princess and resident shadow knight had not picked up on the slight rattling of the teacups. Thank goodness for Pooka feet! They were padded, and made being unheard and unseen a lot easier when compared to the clumsy and noisy human form.
It seemed like forever before I managed to calm my erratic breathing and successfully quelled all giggles that threatened to escape my throat at hearing Oswald's love profession. I proceed to walk away, but accidentally overhear another piece of dialogue.
"It's not an illusion! It will never disappear... My love for you will shine like the stars, forever..." I hear a rustle of clothes and armour clink. What were those two up to...?! My eyes widen at the implication of that sound, and once again, I nearly drop my accursed tray as both my face and heart heated up at my mistress's words to her husband.
Oh, I shouldn't, I really shouldn't. My dear princess will never forgive me for this... I'll go at the first sign, but I have to make sure that she's alright, and that Oswald won't take advantage of her.
I was drowning in curiousity's grip, and knew only one way to escape it. I quietly and gently placed my tray aside, and motioned to the dwarf that was sitting but a few meters away from me.
"Brom! Brom!" I hissed quietly in the darkness, uncertain of what to do in the light of such intimacy. It was true that I had accidentally witnessed a private scene between Master Cornelius and Princess Velvet in the Forest of Elrit, but they still had their clothes on! I place my paws on one of the doors, and quietly poke my nose in.
Brom
"Whot is it, Myris?" Making no effort whatsoever to recollect my thoughts, I put down my pen, push my chair back, and strode quietly towards where Myris was. Ever since forging the Riblam for Fairy Queen Mercedes, I have put the lid on my blacksmith career, and have resorted to writing instead.
The normally calm female Pooka was literally beside herself with excitement, her bunny-like paws wedged on the small opening between the large doors leading to Gwendolyn's and Oswald's master bedroom. Her behavior right now reminds me of a young dwarf who have just discovered their first nugget: disbelief and joy etched over every feature. I quirk a thick white eyebrow at her strange behaviour, and with the hardness of a diamond, restrained my gnawing curiousity.
"Myris," I grouched in a loud, reprimanding, Irish baritone, "whot d'ya think yer doin – "
"Shh! They might hear us!" Myris' hazel eyes are wide, and her long, rabbit ears twitch anxiously. My own eyes widen in return. Were we under attack? I comply without hesitation, and unconsciously tense my body. I ball my fists, and quickly thought of escape routes. I glanced around the room for available makeshift weapons. Dwarves, after all, are as proficient in the battlefield as they were out of it.
"Is it an enemy?" My pulse speeds up in anticipation, my voice low.
"No. Only Princess Gwendolyn and Oswald are in there." She glances at me for one short moment, before settling her gaze back into the opening between the doors. I breathe an immense sigh of relief, and relax my body posture.
"Ye scar'd me there for a moment!" I accused Myris, who barely hears me. "And it's Lord Oswald, Myris. It doesn't matter if he's not of noble or royal bloodline. So, whot are ye doin', spying on Gwendol - ?"
"Princess Gwendolyn, Brom. You should address her as such, even if she has been banished from her kingdom." Again, her gaze darts back and forth between the door and I. I could have imagined it, but I thought I saw a smirk play out across her face at throwing my own correction back at me. I felt a rush of embarrassment, but did not give her the satisfaction of seeing me flinch.
"Fine, lassie," I roll my eyes. "Whot are ye doin', spyin' on Princess Gwendolyn and Lord Oswald?"
"I - I was not spying on them!" Myris's attention is fully on me now. Her ears and whiskers are twitching in downright indignation, and her face is slightly flushed. "I was going to serve them tea, and I stumbled upon them like this."
"Is that so?" I lapse into silence, brows furrowed in deep thought. Eavesdropping was a sin, and so was spying, but, in spite of that, I could not help myself. "So whot are ye lookin' at?"
"Brom, I asked you to come here so you could see for yourself." Myris's voice barely contains her excitement.
I involuntarily step closer to the door, my desire to know what was beyond them overriding my better self-judgment. I could hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door, but I could hear much better if I could just lean against the door and listen to its vibrations.
What on Earth could Lord Oswald and Gwend – Princess Gwendolyn - be doing alone behind those doors? Surely they can't be having – no. They haven't gotten that far in their relationship yet, have they…!
When I spoke, my voice was an octave above normal. "Are they havin' sex!?"
Myris
What…!? How Brom so quickly came to that… conclusion, I shall never know. Princess Gwendolyn and Oswa- Lord Oswald were not ready for that kind of intimacy yet!
"N-no! It's nothing like that," I can feel a healthy red tint blossoming on my cheeks, and I avert my gaze in embarrassment.
"Then... whot?" Brom sounded confused, and I could sense that he was only moments away from losing the battle between his self-control and his curiousity. I waited patiently for that time to come, happily watching the pair through the door's opening whilst the dwarf remained just a foot away from behind me.
"Myris?"
"Yes, Brom?
"...Move over, please."
I allowed a smile to cross over my features before complying, quietly settling back into the shadows as I watched the scene before me unfold.
-----
"Fer cryin' out loud, how long d'yah think they'll stay together like that?"
"I don't know. Hush now."
"Oughtn't we stop 'em?" Brom stroked his beard indecisively.
"No, I don't think so. Let's leave them alone." Myris smiled, and took Brom's arm in her own. Quietly, the pair slunk back into the shadows, leaving the two lovers alone at last.
----
Gwendolyn
We stayed like that, in each other's loving embrace, for a long time. It could have been minutes or hours: time peeled away like layers on an eternity onion.
"Gwendolyn..." My husband's voice was low, and hearing it right beside my ear sent shivers of delight up my spine.
"Yes, Oswald?"
"You said something that I cannot forgive," There is a playful lilt to his voice, yet I cannot help but feel a magma jolt of fear and regret lance through my heart.
"I'm – I'm so sorry – I take it b - " I stutter in my haste to apologize, but Oswald cuts my sentence short, his voice gently reverberating through his body, and in turn, through mine.
"You said that your emotions were caused by a spell. Well… that isn't completely true." He pulled away a little, just enough for us to look each other in the eyes.
My breath hitches in my throat. What... what was he trying to say?
"Do not think badly of your father, Gwendolyn. He never did cast a love spell on you; only a sleeping one."
Embarrassment attacks my face full force as my eyes widen to the size of the Psypher on Griselda's spear. "How – how do you know that?"
"Onyx informed me of your plight, after he had a visit from your father in Volkenon. It appears that he, too, was promised your hand, and knowing that you were under a sleeping spell, took you away from me, so that he might have kept you while you slept. He knew that you would flee from him once you awoke."
"..!" For a moment, fear floods my system as I imagine the things that could have happened to me while I had slept. Only Oswald's arms around me prevent me from sinking to the ground from the weight of embarrassment, and I hurriedly turn my face away from the shadow knight in order to hide my blushing. All this time… I had thought that my feelings for him were false…
So, that bird was right. I did fancy him at the beginning. My love for him was not an illusion after all. Oswald... Oh, Oswald... What else have you done for my sake?
"Why are you telling me this?" I ask weakly.
"...It's because..." Oswald's eyes are intense as they look into mine, his voice husky. Was it my imagination? I vaguely notice the distance between our faces become dizzyingly small. "I never want you to ever feel as though you are an object."
My mouth parts slightly in half-gasp; and the shadow knight takes that moment of vulnerability to strike. The next thing I knew were the feel of his warm, soft lips on mine.
-----
BAM! A small cloud of dust flies out as Alice hurriedly shuts the door to the magical world of Erion.
"Phew!" Gently removing her black cat Socrates from her lap, Alice breathes a huge sigh of relief.
"I'm sure glad that I closed those books just in time! I'm too young to experience romance like that. Eww!"
Placing the large, dusty volume on the floor,
Alice's eye is caught by the sight of another volume, one entitled 'Armageddon'. "I think I'll read this instead; how about you, Socrates?"
Final A/N: ZOMGZ, I can NOT write fluff. BLURH.
Like it? Hate it? If you have time, please review. All forms of constructive criticism is very much appreciated.
Crazylobo