A/N- This was written for FE_Exchange at LJ for Sasori_akai. You mention liking Cecil/Rody, so I hope that you like this. This is rather loosely based on your first prompt, but I hope that it's still okay. Happy holidays!
The nights like this were the hardest. When darkness had fallen and silence overtook the normally busy fortress, he missed her presence the most. During the day there was so much to do that he didn't have much time for any thoughts outside of his duties for that day, but at night there was little to keep his mind occupied.
"Cecil," Rody whispered as he closed his eyes and pictured her in his mind, wishing that he could be with her again, even if it was for only a short time. He knew perfectly well though that he'd have to wait for a bit longer before that could happen. Their lord and lady needed them both where they were for the time being and that overrode any sentimental attachments, so they would stay where they were until the situation changed. Until then though, he had his memories of her and infrequent letters to keep him company. And, of course, he had his dreams as well, Rody mused.
Perhaps it was past time for him to retire for the night...
"Sir Rody?" A soft voice said from behind Rody, interrupting his train of thought suddenly enough that all the young paladin could do for a moment was turn and stare in confusion at the young man who had spoken to him. Recognition came to him quickly though as Rody collected his thoughts. The young man was a new recruit to the army, so green that he had yet to see battle at all and was currently acting as an assistant to Sir Frey who had been visiting them for the past week to check on their progress and general situation.
"Sir Rody?" The young knight asked again timidly, obviously thrown off by the fact that he had yet to respond.
"My apologies," Rody told him with a friendly smile. "What can I do for you?"
"Sir Frey would like to see you immediately, sir! I'm to take you to him."
Rody nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Lead the way then and thank you for your help."
The paladin found himself trying to stifle a yawn as he followed the younger knight. He was tired from the long day, but it wouldn't do to allow his exhaustion to get the better of him while there was still work to be done.
Frey greeted them both with a smile as they entered before dismissing the young man who had guided Rody here for the remainder of the night. After the young knight had departed, Frey and Rody quickly got down to work reviewing the plans for the following week as Frey had some reservations about whether the current set-up was truly the best option. After an hour of thorough discussion and careful decision making, the plans were set and the two knights parted.
This time Rody didn't dawdle as he made his way back to his room. He was physically exhausted and emotionally he was feeling increasingly discouraged the more time passed. Rumors continued to fly that the attempts to unify and rebuild the war torn continent were not faring well and, certainly, he could see some of the results of the current instability even in simply trying to keep order in this one area. A part of him simply wanted to collapse into bed, but there was still one thing that he wanted to finish before he turned in for the night.
Rody headed right for his desk as he entered his room, where a letter that he intended to send to Cecil waited for him. He had begun it a couple of night before, but he hadn't yet had the chance to finish it and considering that he needed to have it done by tomorrow if he wished to send it in the near future, he needed to complete it tonight.
Sending personal mail wasn't an easy task, but the king and queen, in their wisdom, had decided to institute a new system using pegasus knights as messengers to deliver mail from soldiers stationed around the empire to their loved ones so that, even if someone ended up being stationed away from their loved ones for a particularly long period of time, they could still keep in touch with their family and friends. Although the system was not yet fully developed, it was proving to be a very welcome addition for a number of soldiers, many who were farther away from home then they had ever been before this given the size of the new empire and many who had not seen home for far too long. Waiting for a messenger to arrive that was headed in the destination that you wanted though could be a trying experience and Rody didn't want to miss the chance to send this letter to Cecil as there was no way of knowing when he'd get another chance.
So, he settled down and completed the letter, trying to fit everything that he wanted to say to her on to that piece of paper. Although the letters were no substitute for being able to see and speak with her, being able to write did help some.
By the time he finished, Rody could barely keep his eyes open, but he was pleased enough with what he had written, so he sealed the letter and wrote her name and rank on the front of it.
As he stood up to get ready for bed, his eyes fell on the last letter that he'd received from her and smiled as her closing words came back to him.
"When the time is right, Rody, we'll be together again. Until then, we must be strong and do our best. That will make our reunion all the more wonderful."
"I know, Cecil," he muttered as he picked up the letter in his hands. "There is a great deal to be done and I miss you dearly, but... this is for our future. I won't forget that."
Although the work that lay ahead was still daunting, Rody found in that thought renewed strength and determination. The knight gave the letter one last look before laying it down on his desk and heading off to bed. He'd need his rest if he was to face all that awaited him tomorrow.