((Re-edited since first upload.))

Haha, I finally stopped being lazy and started a new FE story. Now, this inspiration pretty much came out of nowhere. And the pairing is very random, I know. But, I had a nice plot going in my head and I REALLY like these two characters, so why not? Also, I didn't like any of the available pairings for either of these two characters, so… amuse me, won't you?

Oscar: … Wait, this story is about me?

FireEdge: YUP! You… and ASTRID!

Oscar: O.o

FireEdge: Well, I'm mostly trying to focus on Astrid's (and possibly Oscar's) history/story, so I think the romance would be taking a little more of a backseat. No guarantees, though, since I could change my mind in a snap. Either way, I hope you'll all enjoy this, anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Defying Fate

Chapter 1

Dear Astrid,

I apologize for not writing you sooner, but my husband does not like it when I write to my family or friends. As you know, he fears that I will betray his secrets. Luckily, I was able to send this letter to you in secret when I visited a nearby town.

I miss you, Mother, Father and our other siblings very much. I have not heard from either Susan or Diane. I suspect that my husband hid their letters (if there were any) from me. He hardly allows me have any contact with anyone, or anything, outside of the castle. Sometimes, I wonder how different my life would be if I hadn't married Ian.

You know, he seemed so charming when Mother introduced me to him; even if he was nearly twice my age. He was still handsome, and he was rich and seemed kind enough. However, when we returned to his estates, I soon found out that he is a very possessive person and becomes jealous very easily. That is why I am not allowed out of the grounds or to contact anyone. He is afraid that—because I am young—I will flirt with other men and be unfaithful to him.

This has only been my first year with Ian, and I dread to wonder what will happen in the coming decades. Perhaps things will improve… Though, I highly doubt that. Susan's marriage is much worse than mine, I know. At least Ian does not physically abuse me. Diane never did talk much of her life; maybe because she is afraid like I. My wish is that you, Astrid, will not suffer the same fate as we do.

Please, try and write to me, dear sister. I would like to hear of how our family fares. Perhaps if your letter is innocent enough, Ian will let me read it. Since Elijah and Joel had joined the Begnion army, I haven't heard any news of them. If you or our parents have received any word of them, please tell me. My heart aches at the thought that either of our brothers might have suffered in battle.

Sincerely, your sister, Elizabeth

Astrid placed the unadorned piece of stationary on her desk, her hand shaking slightly. Closing her eyes, she forced the tears that threatened to flow forth to contain themselves. She bit her lower lip and sat stiffly in her cushioned chair until her emotions were once again under control. It was nearly supper time, and she couldn't risk her mother seeing that she had been weeping.

Pushing her chair back and standing up, she smoothed out the lines in her gown. Looking at her hands, she realized that her hands still shook. Though her sister had not written in detail of her suffering, Astrid easily read between the lines and she could almost feel the pain that beset her sibling.

Of course, this was not the first time that she had had this sort of revelation. Both her other sisters had sent at least one letter to her, describing their new and horrid marriages. Astrid could not surmise why her family was plagued with such misfortune. All her three elder sisters were possessed by terrible husbands and one of her twin brothers, Elijah, had lost an arm while serving the army.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. Swiftly, she grabbed to letter and its envelope and hid it under a stack of books in a drawer. Only when she closed it and calmed her nerves did she open the door.

The servant girl before her bowed slightly and told her that supper was ready and awaited her in the dining hall.

"Thank you, I'll be down in a moment." Shutting the door, she waited for the servant's footsteps to fade down the corridor.

Letting out a sigh, she strode to her desk once more. Opening the same drawer, she pulled out several sheets of papers. Each was a letter from one of sisters. Staring at them, Astrid once again drifted off into thought.

When she had received this letter from Elizabeth last week, the noblewoman had come to a verdict: she would not succumb to the same fate as her sisters. Astrid was nineteen years of age and more than ready to be married off. She was lucky that she was still unmarried. Not lucky enough however; a few months ago—following her birthday—her mother had found her a fiancé.

His name was Raul, and he was a baron of a rather large estate. She had met him on numerous occasions, and he proved himself to be a quiet and polite man. However, he was nearing forty-two and his servants were always silent and refused to speak of him. No matter how much she asked them to tell her about how he was like on his estates, they always excused themselves and walked away. That alone made her suspicious, doubled with the fact that she knew better than to judge by what a nobleman said and did in front of other nobles. Her sisters were proof enough of that.

However, Astrid could not find a solution to her problem. How could she escape her fate—short of killing herself? She had racked the question for days now, and finally had found an answer. She would follow the example of her brothers and enrol in the Begnion army.

Steeling herself, she prepared her mind and her speech that she would deliver to her parents. No matter what they said, she was determined to go through with this. It was the only way she saw that could help her escape.

---

Tears rolling down her cheeks, Astrid finished packing her bags. Her hands shook once more as she stripped off her clothing and donned her riding breeches and her hunting tunic. Pulling on white gloves that stretched to her elbows, she laced up her sturdy, white riding boots. She strapped on the light armour that had belonged to Joel when he was younger. It fit quite well and was easy to move in. Lastly, she picked up her bow and quiver.

It was the only weapon she knew how to wield—since she had taken up archery lessons a few years ago to pass the time. Her marksmanship was pretty good, also, since she went hunting with her brothers before they joined the army three years ago.

Wiping the last remains of the salty liquid that stained her face, Astrid picked up her belongings and strode out the door.

Her talk with her parents had turned out much better than she had expected. Of course, her mother exploded at her decision, but after some words from her father her anger had slowly abided. Her father had reluctantly let her go, only because he had thought that she was going through some 'phase' brought on by Elijah's injury. Though he didn't show it, she knew that he thought that she would return within a week.

Either way, she knew that she had to leave immediately and attempt to be relocated to a more distant training camp. That way, if her parents decided to change their mind about letting her go, they would never find her. Another danger was her fiancé. There was always a chance that he'd interfere.

Arriving at the stables, she carefully saddled and bridled her mare. Tying her bags behind her saddle, she pulled herself up and trotted out of the gates of her family's lands. She let herself look back once before she galloped down the road. There were no regrets in her heart.

---

Astrid collapsed onto her cot in the dreary room of the soldier's barracks. She could hardly believe that it had been already six months since she had left home. Time had passed so quickly.

Her training here had been rigorous and hard; especially for her. Many of the other female recruits were stronger and more adept with their arms since they were usually former farmers. Astrid's body wasn't used to vigorous activity, though her horsemanship was exceptionally good.

However, after all these months, she had improved noticeably. Her endurance and strength had increased and so had her skill with the bow. She had also learned how to ride and fully utilize the skills of a war horse.

Astrid was, simply put, proud of herself. She had proved her parents wrong; she had not come back crying after a week. And better yet, she was finally finished her training. The black-haired noble was almost positive that they would soon dispatch her to fight. While she was not eager to kill, the thought that she could finally prove herself very much appealed to her. Unfortunately, that dream wouldn't be realized.

Despite the freedom she had finally gained, her family had still managed to find a way to haunt her. This time, she could not escape. Baron Raul had found out about her escapade and demanded that they bring her back into the safety of her home. He would not allow his future wife to be put in harms way because she was acting like a silly girl.

So, her hard-earned liberty was now lost. She was to take the boat that her parents had booked and return home as soon as possible. If she didn't obey, she'd probably be taken home by force.

If that wasn't bad enough, they had hired a mercenary to protect her while she was abroad. Astrid had just trained in the Begnion army! Didn't they think that she could at least take care of herself? Anyway, she was only taking a short boat ride home. It would only take a week or so to reach the port nearest her family's estates; why in the world would she need a bodyguard for?

Standing up, Astrid began to resignedly pack away her belongings. No matter how ridiculous everything was, she had no choice but to go along with it. Maybe she couldn't avoid her fate after all.

---

Why won't the stupid rulers work! Now I have to use "---" instead... Er... Ahem, well, that's the end of the first chapter. Sorry that it's so short. It seemed appropriate to end it where it was, though. Just think of it like some sort of prologue… I was going to write a bit more about her training, but that wasn't appealing to me and I couldn't do it. No worries, though; next chapter will be much longer… I hope… Anyway, I shall be introducing Ike and company next time, so things should be much more exciting.

Oscar: Ah… that means that I'll be appearing next chapter?

FireEdge: That's right! Hehehehe.

Oscar: O.o Please review.

--FireEdge--