Mischief Mage: Just to clarify, the engagements between Eirika and Innes and Tana and Ephraim are NOT arranged.
Castle Frelia. At peace. Untainted by the evil that had swept the continent not so long ago. All nations of Magevel had reconciled and lenient punishments were dealt to Grado due to the war being caused by the dark stone rather then by ill intent. Villagers in the victim nations had spent months lobbying for harsher punishments. Rumours flourished; bartenders swearing that the Royal twins had started the war, having stolen Emperor Vigarde's mauve hair dye, which of course was easier to believe than an Emperor leading his nation to war according to the whims of a rock the size of a large marble. It had become an exhausted cliché to say "The rock made me do it!" as the actors' enraged stage wives pursued them across the stage, brandishing steel rolling pins, an innovation that had been developed during the time of war, making breaking into a soup kitchen without at least 50 cavalry a suicide mission.
Nations were further united by the numerous marriage ties that had been made. Now, if a Frelian spat at a Rausten citizen, a politician of Grado would be complained to which would cause a hasty discussion with a contact in Jehanna, which would result in a message being sent to a dear cousin in-law in Renais who would ride up to Border Mulan and give the Frelian a sharp kick in the meat and veges with steel capped boots within an hour of the crime.
Frelia, where even the weather seemed elated, villagers swearing that there had never been a brighter summer or a more mild winter. From above the castle gardens, two figures could be seen running through the rose bushes, hands held tightly. Princess Tana and King Ephraim, engaged to be wed. They turned a corner to enter a secluded rose garden, they looked around to see that they were alone before flinging their arms around each other, holding each other tightly, lips locked. They sat down beside the stone fountain. But as soon as he had sat down, Ephraim leapt up, yelping.
"AHHH! GET IT OFF ME!"
Tana leapt up after him to pull off the previously concealed bear trap which Ephraim had sat on. Bear trap removed, Ephraim remained standing, rubbing his backside gingerly.
"Don't you dare tell me that someone must have left it there by accident" he put in before Tana could open her mouth
"They could've"
"That's what you said for every spot that we came to. Bear traps in the rose gardens, a hidden pit beside the camellia bushes, a trip rope across the pathway to the geraniums, piranhas in the pond. Oh! And you can't seriously think that someone had let twenty hunting hounds into the gardens to give them a bit of fresh air. I'm sorry Tana, but this is Innes's doing. He is the one with the power over your royal hunters"
Tana looked down dejected before looking up, the light of a new idea twinkling behind her dark eyes. She grasped Ephraim by the hand and led him down a track of rose bush hurdles into the castle. Ephraim knew where they were going. He had been there in the dead of the night when Innes had been either asleep or conveniently needed elsewhere. Tana stopped at an ornate door and opened it to her room. Ephraim followed her in, closing the door behind him and locking it. He strode the middle of the room where Tana met him with a kiss. Ephraim put his strong arms around her, hands straying in opposite directions. He ran his hand through her thick hair when,
SNAP
"SHIIIIT!"
One arm still around Tana, Ephraim broke away from her kiss, shaking his hand in an attempt to dislodge the mouse trap that held tightly to his fingers. The trap clattered to the floor and Ephraim blew his fingers.
"I'm guessing that the Royal huntsmen goes all the way down to the rat catchers?"
"Looks like it"
"Innes had that put in your hair without you noticing?"
"I guess so."
Ephraim drew away quickly, pulling his unbruised hand out from Tana's skirt warily.
Tana sat down on the side of the bed that she normally sat on, almost in tears.
Ephraim sat down on the opposite side of the double bed before deciding to move over to her side, having just sat on a mattress of nails.
Tana began to weep, her head in her hands, Ephraim put his arm around her.
"The sooner we get married the better" Tana said between sniffs.
Ephraim sighed and looked out the window overlooking the courtyard. He squeezed Tana tightly. The guests were arriving.
It had been more than a year since the war of the Stones and King Hayden had felt it time for a reunion of the original party. Courts were left to the leadership of trusted advisors as warriors and leaders from all the nations journeyed to Frelia. Many came in pairs, Kyle and Syrene arriving from Renais to cheers from Forde who had moved to Frelia to be with Vanessa. Seth had arrived in a wagon, both his legs in thick casts. In a freak accident, he had fallen off of his horse, which is a big deal because he had a BIG horse. But to be exact he had fallen off his horse which had been standing on a steep ledge over a valley of pricker bushes, thus explaining his shattered bones.
Eirika and Ephraim had arrived a day earlier than the rest, anxious to see their respective fiancés again. Tana had met them with cries of joy while Innes had met, Ephraim at least, with scowls.
While Tana and Ephraim had gone gallivanting off through the castle, Eirika and Innes had gone down to the gates to greet the guests. This was part of a programme which King Hayden had devised to put an end to the idea that Innes was an unpleasant piece of work who could carry a grudge to the end of the world and back, stopping only once to yell at Ephraim's bedroom window to keep away from his sister. It was an idea that Innes, in fact, secretly liked to cultivate.
So far, Innes had handled his duty has welcoming host admirably, mostly for Eirika's sake. He had restrained himself when L'Arachel had commented on ways in which the royal gardens could be improved; however the expression on his face as Ewan ran through the gardens sending fireballs at the petrified hounds suggested that the only reason that he hadn't gutted the young sage was because he didn't want to get boy blood and guts splattered on his pale suit. Ewan's antics raised the question for Eirika.
"Innes, why are their hounds in the gardens?"
"Foxes have been making burrows in the flower beds"
"But why twenty hounds?"
"They're pretty big foxes"
"So why did you decide to dispatch them the moment Ephraim and Tana went for a walk?"
"Foxes can be vicious you know"
"And why were the dogs half starved?"
"I had to make cuts somewhere. This reunion has already exceeded its budget. Besides, hungry dogs will be more enthusiastic to attack foxes than bloated mutts"
"But didn't you think that they might attack Ephraim or Tana'
"The royal hounds are trained not to attack the princess and Ephraim can handle himself"
"You planned your response didn't you?"
"You know me far too well"
Before long, the sun had set. The guests had been shown to their rooms where they now slept. All the windows of the castle were dark, save one. King Hayden sat at his desk, hair tousled after pulling at it in frustration, bits of paper lain before him, each with the name of a guest on it. He had taken it upon himself to organise the seating arrangements for the next day. Last time the task was given to Innes, Tana was left in the corner bawling while he and Ephraim duelled, swing from banners and edging across bookcases while Eirika hid beneath the table having given up on trying to control them. But then, if the task were given to Tana, the only difference in the result would be that the duel would have been started for completely different reasons and Tana's tears would flow at a slightly accelerated rate.
If Tana and Ephraim sat to one side of me and Eirika and Innes to the other…then they wouldn't have to look at each other. But then that would leave Innes facing Ewan.
Hayden groaned, last time Innes had taken a trip to Caer Pelyn, he had returned with charcoal black hair after chasing Ewan all through the valley pelting him with everything from bird's nests to poultry. Ewan could be moved but if he did, then Saleh would have to move with him. But then the only place that Saleh could be moved, Myrrh would be out of sight, which Saleh would NOT be happy with. Hayden had once suggested that Saleh tie Myrrh's foot to his own. This remark had been met by a stare that quite clearly said "If-you-dare-say-that-again-i-will-stick-my-mend-staff-up-your-left-nostril". Meanwhile, there were couples which would need to be kept together, Franz and Amelia, Forde and Vanessa, Kyle with Syrene and Lute and Artur. And then Franz wished to sit beside his brother and his brother's wife beside her sister and so forth. It was almost too much.
Just then the oil lamp on the corner of Hayden's desk went out with a "wuf". Hayden sighed, he picked the lamp up and shook it hopefully. No luck. The lamp was as dry as the jokes he had told Fado during those awkward silences as they both held their son's who pointed at each other with broken toy swords.
Hayden pushed his chair back and walked out of the room and down the stairs to the oil storeroom. He was not going to miss being king once Innes and Eirika were marri- wait, what was that noise?