Eh. I have writer's block. Short little drabble about Marth and Shiida. And a Pegasus. Uh huh.
Fire Emblem is owned by Nintendo & Intelligent Systems, lucky bastards.
Shiida scowled at the Pegasus, who turned her head away from the handful of hay and pouted. The winged equine was heavily pregnant, and the Talis princess was beginning to worry the Pegasus would be malnourished when its foal was born.
She tried again, but was rejected. Her frown deepened. "Fine! You can starve, eventually, you'll figure out you need to eat! Your mate wouldn't want to see you die," she added, more softly. "Or your foal. You have food in your stall, please eat it." She reached out to stroke the Pegasus's mane, but the horse flicked its silvery tail, and stalked off, nearly limping with the huge bulge in its stomach.
Shiida scoffed, and stalked out of the stable, barely acknowledging a young stable boy who bowed as she passed. Her feet slapped against the cobblestone path, leading to the Aritian castle, her red and gold dress fluttering about her ankles. Since the war's end, she had taken to wearing more feminine clothing, but only when necessary. Today, for example, there had been a meeting with the nobles, discussing the need for the Prince to take a wife and be crowned king.
Of course, Marth hadn't made the announcement to the public yet.
Not four weeks ago, the country had been stabilized enough that the Prince could focus on his personal life. He'd taken Shiida into the palace gardens, showed her a way beyond the walls, taken her to a hillside outside the capital… Sun setting in red and purple, upon the rolling mountains in the distance…
She looked to her left hand, examining the thin, silver band on her ring finger. She'd seen the true engagement ring, passed down through the Lowell family for generations, but they had decided to keep it a secret for the time being. The ring on her finger was so fine; it was hard to see unless you really looked.
But it was still a ring. The ring.
There were only a few people who knew of Marth and Shiida's engagement. Marth's elder sister, Ellis, knew of it, and so did the elites of the elite Temple Knights. Shiida's parents were coming to visit in a week, and she planned to tell them in person then.
But now, Marth was busy, filing the forms that would make their engagement—the world still rolled off her tongue awkwardly—official, so he could announce it to the world.
She slipped through the door to the kitchen of the castle, weaving through cooks and servants, climbing stairs, tracing her mental map to Marth's study. She could bother him and he wouldn't be too upset, right?
Besides, she had other news for him that she'd been waiting to say for a few days. It nearly burst inside of her, and she couldn't wait any longer.
The study door came within sight, but as she reached to open it, it did so on its own, and Marth fumbled out, looking stressed.
"Stupid Macedonians," he muttered. "They're such greedy little…" He trailed off as he spotted Shiida, and grinned, enveloping his fiancé in a big but gentle bear hug. "Hey, Shi," he said, pressing his cheek against her head and planting a kiss on her scalp. "How are you?"
"Really happy," Shiida replied, looking up at him. He was nearly a foot taller than her, and she rested her chin on his chest. "I have something to tell you."
Marth ran his fingers through her long, bright blue hair. "Shiida," he said, "You aren't going to like this, but I need to run an errand. There's a Macedonian noble here, and I need to go talk to him. It shouldn't take more than half an hour. I promise, as soon as I get this done, I'll have the rest of the day to be with you, okay?" She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly pressed his lips to hers. "Don't worry, I promise I'll be back."
Shiida nodded, kissing him again, then let him sprint down the hallway, cursing in a way only a select few would ever dare hear him. Such as herself.
She smiled to herself, and then relocated herself from the hallway to his study. The room was slightly oversized, with a single desk facing a picture window, and an elegant couch tucked into the corner. Shiida moved to the desk, and peered over at the documents littering the beautiful surface.
Letters to nobles were predominant, accompanied by official notices and, when Shiida shifted an order to rebuild a bridge near the western part of the country, a list of the best pastors in the land.
Something else caught her blue gaze, however, and she moved aside the documents to see a couple of letters. She picked them up, feeling the thick parchment in her war-torn fingers.
To Isaiah Mina, in response to your marital requests…I have spent my hours with you, and have determined you to be a very pleasant young lady. To combine the houses of Mina and Lowell would surely prove beneficial to Aritia in the whole…
Shiida scanned the paper, not really reading the unmistakable handwriting. Isaiah? That slut noble woman from the north? Marital requests?! "But…you're marrying ME!" she gasped aloud.
No.
He wouldn't.
He couldn't.
Not Marth…
Was he…was he cheating on her? HER?
Shiida let the paper slip to the ground, and she stumbled back, clutching to the wall for support. It had to be a joke. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't…she had to be jumping to conclusions too fast. Being too untrusting of her fiancé.
But she had no other explanation.
*
Marth finished his meeting in less than ten minutes. Mostly, that had been because the noble had not been feeling well, and had requested he converse with the Prince later. Not that he was complaining.
He hurried back to his study, breaking into a run whenever he was alone, and slowing to a brisk walk when he wasn't. His study felt like it was the farthest place from the noble's suite, and it would be years before he reached the room—and his beloved. It was a relief when he arrived.
Nudging the door open with his shoulder the second he could, he moved into the study, opening his mouth to speak, but instead was met by the tear-streaked face of Shiida.
"How…how COULD you?!" she practically screamed.
Marth froze. "How…how could I what? What's wrong?"
"This." She shoved a paper into his hands, and he scanned the first few lines, turning white as he realized what he'd written. "You…you've been…!"
"That's not it!" Marth argued weakly. "Shiida, you have this all wrong—"
"You bastard!" Shiida closed the space between them, and brought her hand across Marth's face. The slap seemed to echo in the room, and Marth looked at her, stunned into silence.
"Shiida…" he murmured, but she stalked out of the room, leaving him alone.
She'd just walked out on him…maybe even their engagement. He hadn't meant for her to read those letters! Had she even finished reading them?
Or had she been rash, and jumped to conclusions?
Or had he made a mistake?
He gathered the paper off the floor, his cheek smarting, and sat on the couch, burying his face in his hands.
Had the one person he'd ever even considered being in love with just walked out on him?
*
Ellis glanced up from her bed as someone knocked on her door. She glanced to the head of the elite group of the Temple Knights, Kain, who was sitting next to her feet, a hand resting on her leg.
The paladin coughed, and shuffled away, pulling back the bookcase that lead to Ellis's secret passage. He disappeared, leaving the Aritian Princess alone in her quarters.
"Come in," Ellis called, sitting up and fixing her dress.
Her warm gaze turned into concern and worry as Shiida rushed in, throwing herself at Ellis and crying into her shoulder.
"Ellis!" the Talisian Princess sobbed. "I…I don't know…what to do!"
"Shh," Ellis replied, stroking Shiida's back to try and calm her down. "Calm down, Shiida, and tell me what's going on."
The younger blue-haired female was practically in hysterics, and Ellis had to listen in hard as Shiida choked out an explanation.
"Marth?" Ellis summarized. "Cheat? That's unlikely, Shi, he's got too much moral for that." She grabbed Shiida's shoulders, and forced the young woman to sit straight, so she could look at her. "Are you sure?"
"No…" Shiida whimpered. "But…oh, Ellis! I hit him! I…I was so mad…I couldn't…" She inhaled sharply. "I know he's not perfect…and…and I know he makes mistakes…I don't want to believe he'd make one this big, though. Just not this big of one."
Ellis frowned. "Shiida…did you read that whole letter?"
Shiida froze, then shook her head, bowing it shamefully so her blue hair fellow over her red face.
"Then you don't know what is truth here, and what is not. Let Marth come to you, let him explain himself. He'll tell you the truth, if I know my brother, he isn't going to let you leave him without an explanation, first."
The Talisian nodded, then wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Thank you, Ellis…" she murmured.
"Have you told him?"
Shiida hesitated. Ellis was the only other person in the world who knew her secret, the one she'd been carrying for the last few weeks. "I was going to, today," she replied. "But now…I…I need to simmer down. I'll be in the stables." She hugged the Aritian, then left, huddling into herself in confusion and guilt.
Had she been wrong?
*
Night had fallen by the time Marth found his fiancé, sitting on a bushel of straw, watching the pregnant Pegasus lay on her side, sleeping peacefully. The Talisian's lantern flickered, casting shadows across her petite, pretty face.
"Shiida?" His voice was heavy, and she glanced at him, emotionless.
"What?"
"Shiida, please, let me explain…" When she did not stop him, he rushed onward. "Those letters—I was writing them to tell those nobles I was refusing. They were trying to get me to ask them for their hand in marriage, and…and it's hard, when I've already…" He trailed off awkwardly, but his words had caught her attention. She watched him, wide-eyed.
"You're not…?"
"Shiida, you're too perfect to betray."
Blue gazes locked, and unspoken words crossed between them. Shiida made to stand, when, without warning, the sleeping Pegasus awoke and whinnied with pain.
Marth flinched, and looked to the winged horse. "What's going on?" he demanded, as Shiida rushed to the Pegasus's side.
"Dear gods…" she whispered. "It's…it's going into labor!"
Marth felt like he'd just been hit with the flat of an axe. "L-labor?" he echoed.
"There's no time!" Shiida screeched as the Pegasus neighed in agony again. "Marth, find some towels, hurry!" She rubbed the large bulge in the Pegasus's stomach soothingly, coaxing the horse with quiet words of encouragement. Marth did not object, and fled, trying to hunt down anything that would help.
Minutes passed, and there was nothing. The Pegasus yelled in pain again, and Shiida screamed, "Ah! Marth, hurry, it's going to come out!"
In desperation, Marth tore his cape off his shoulders, pocketing the golden crest, and handing the blue fabric to Shiida. She said nothing, instead hunching over the Pegasus. "Marth, get out! Right now, go!" The second he was out of the stable, she used her foot to slam the wooden door shut.
*
It had been three hours, and Marth was only able to pace nervously as his fiancé delivered the Pegasus's foal. The equine's cries of pain bore into his ears, despite the happiness the pain would bring. Would Shiida have to ever feel that? To yell in agony as a child found its way to the world and his mother's arms?
The thought made a shiver rush up Marth's spine.
Eventually, Shiida spoke words he could make out. "Mar…Marth…I…c-come here…please…"
Fear clenched at his heart as Marth pulled the stable door open. Shiida was kneeling on the ground, covered in blood, and looking utterly exhausted and relieved. Laying next to her, between the Pegasus and Princess, on Marth's cape, was a baby Pegasus foal, still covered in blood and pus. The new mother lapped at the foal, cleaning its fur white, looking as pleased as a horse could.
Marth kneeled next to Shiida, who smiled at him. "I…did it!" she said proudly, weakly. "I helped her give birth…I'm sorry for making…you wait. I'm just so happy it was alright…"
"Don't worry," Marth replied, wrapping an arm around Shiida, sitting on the ground next to her. "You did fine. I would have just gotten in the way…"
"Marth?"
"Yes?" He glanced away from the baby Pegasus to her.
"Marth…I…well, the thing I wanted to tell you earlier…before…Marth," she blurted. "I…I think I'm…"
Marth stiffened.
"I think I'm pregnant."
The Aritian Prince was silent for a moment, then a massive grin broke across his face. "Shiida…that's…that…I…"
"Marth?"
"Shi?"
"Do you forgive me?"
He watched her for another minute, seeing the pleading expression in her face. His friend, fiancé…a soon to be mother of his own child…
"Shiida…of course I forgive you." He pulled her close to himself, kissing her long and deep, as the baby Pegasus's eyes flickered open and it cried out for the first time in its life.
Eh, piece of crap one-shot. Whatever. Review please? I fail at romance, I know DX Don't flame me, please. Constructive criticism is so appreciated!
-Muse