Our first meeting was hardly at Gorge or Oath. No, that was quite a long time ago, back when I was barely a knight and she just a child that clung to her esteemed father. My first thought upon seeing the little girl was, 'how weak'. It was a cruel thought, and hardly right to be directed on a mere child of 9 or 10, but my day could not have been called pleasant thus far and a party thrown by some royals was certainly not the best way to top it off. To my dismay, Father, as the head of the Kanavan Royal Guard, could hardly ignore the leader of the Ruby Knights without appearing quite rude, so we found ourselves approaching the man named Elscud and his daughter anyways. The two adults started a conversation I was rather certain neither of us children could make heads or tails out of, leaving us to stare blankly at each other.
If my first assessment of her was weak, my second would have to be naive. Those crimson eyes were the exact shade of her father's, yet could not have been more different. His held an understanding of the world, and even while glimmering with amusement as they were now, were constantly shadowed by the death and sorrow he had experienced. They were guarded, and always watchful. He had seem too much, killed too many to relax, no matter the environment. She, on the other hand, was innocent in the way only a child could be. Wide orbs regarded everything around her with wonder and the slightest hint of fear, always underlined with a childish fascination and curiosity.
My first reaction was to scorn it, seeing as I had been tainted with death and destruction long before her age. But after a few seconds, it became oddly... refreshing. The bright light that light up her face when her father addressed her, and the shy but unconditional trust she treated everyone with, lacking even the slightest fear of betrayal... It wasn't something I saw often.
The party passed in a haze, most of the time spent trading meaningless greetings to other men and women of high class. Even while being introduced to the royals I would be expected to protect and, if needed, lay my life down for, I found my attention wondering back to the red-haired girl from earlier. She never strayed from her father's side, and I mentally wondered how she would take the news of his new position as one of the Kanavan Trackers. It was news not even released to the actual chosen members yet, but as head of the Royal Guard, father was one of the Queen's most trusted advisers. As his son and heir, the information had been passed to me, and I was sworn to secrecy. My gaze trailed back to the girl still clinging to her father, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
It was a month later when the news was officially released. Only a few days after that, the Kanavan Trackers disappeared, never to be seen again.
It was nearly 3 years later when I next saw her. Oh, I've certainly heard a lot about Elscud's brilliant daughter within that time, but our busy schedules and lack of communication for the most part between our two groups kept us apart. Eventually, the naive girl with the crimson hair faded from my thoughts, though it never disappeared entirely. It was a sacred memory; one that reminded me that within all the battles and war and death and blood, there was still a shred of innocence in this world.
It seemed only fitting that with out first meeting being at a formal gathering, our second would be at the exact opposite; a battlefield; Forsaken Barrows to be precise. I had heard tales of her quick rise within the Ruby Knights, easily proving herself to be a capable leader after her father, but seeing her fight was... enthralling. Unlike the Erudon house's mix of both magic and swordplay, the Sieghart family relied on pure physical strength, quick thinking, and a genius skill with swords. She twisted and spun as if it were a dance, and the monster her partner. A quick feint to the left distracted the orc, and she quickly rolled behind him and knocked him down. Snapping out of my daze, I moved towards the fight and stabbed my sword into the ground in front of the orc. The wave of blue magic that flared forward slammed into it, destroying it easily.
Now that her target had disappeared, the leader of the Ruby Knights turned on me, taking out her fury on me. "I didn't need help!" I raised an eyebrow at her abraisive attitude, but reassessed a second later then I wasn't her target; not really. She had so much untamed anger, she had release it somehow, whether it be through fighting or arguments. I just happened to have taken out her old target.
Never breaking my calm, controlled tone, I quietly advised, "Dont use so many excess movements. It'll tire you out in the long run. And watch that temper of yours; it could get you killed one day." Laughing under my breath at her startled expression (I bet I could've counted the number of people who corrected the leader of the Ruby Knights on one hand), I turned and walked away, heading towards my own men.
"W-wait!"
I didnt slow my stride or turn at her slightly annoyed tone, instead calling out, "Ronan. Ronan Erudon."
There was a hesitant pause from the girl, before she boldly declared, "Elesis. Elesis Sieghart."
Our next meeting was when I was 17, two years later. It was my official coronation ceremony, and unlike the Ruby Knights who keep it simple and barely acknowledge a new leader, the Royal Guard hold a huge celebration. I went through most of the party in a daze, feeling overwhelmed and barely past grieving for my father. He had fallen in a fight against some of Kaze'aze's troops and had barely been laid to rest last afternoon, so why were people saying "congratulations"? There was absolutely nothing to congratulate, and wouldn't be for a long time.
I couldn't help but be startled when that girl- no, Elesis, stepped in front of me. Not that I should've been; I vaguely remembered the Queen saying something about inviting the Ruby Knights. But I hadn't expected her, of all people, to show up. And though what left her lips was another stream of meaningless condolences, what caught me was the expression in her eyes. Those brilliant ruby orbs that had long since lost their naivety over the years, but not their innocence, were filled with empathy and sorrow, unlike the usually pity or jealousy. She was probably the only person in this room who could have any idea what I felt at the moment, having been thrown into almost this exact situation at a much younger age. But there was another expression in them, one that screamed at me, 'What are you doing? Keep your head up, look strong even if you don't feel it. All these people are expecting that of you!'
"Wasn't that what you taught me?" She whispered softly, unheard by the rest of the crowd. And just like I had that day years ago, she walked away.
It was almost laughable that I would meet her here of all places, just as I was starting to think that I should abandon Gorge of Oath altogether after an update of the events in Gaikoz. The group of misfit vigilantes who called themselves the Grand Chase... And standing in front, leading the group, was no other then the Ruby Knights leader herself, the one who had been haunting my thoughts every since my official coronation. There wasnt time to exchange more then a brief glance though, for the events at Gaikoz were pressing down at the edge of my mind and spurring me to action. After a few words and a quick buffing spell, I was on my way to the ends of Bermesiah, thoughts of a certain girl's crimson gaze always lurking at the edge of my thoughts.
Only a few days later, they caught up to me at the gloomy castle. It was better then I had expected really, for such a mismatched group of a fiery swordsman, feisty magician, and an elf charged with the task of keeping the other two in line. They had been joined by another elf, this time male, who seemed hardly better then the other two at controlling his impulsiveness. Our journey through Gaikoz was surprisingly quick; despite their appearances, the team was skilled, and it showed in combat (if not much else). Standing at the now ruined remains of the once glorious castle, I turned to Elesis, preparing myself for yet another goodbye, but was once again caught by all the emotions swirling within their depths.
"Ronan, what are you going to do now? We're going after Kaze'aze."
Maybe I was reading what I liked from her tone and gaze, maybe there really wasn't anything between us after all but... "I see. I would like to join you on your mission and dispose of Kaze'aze."
And I dont think I was mistaken in seeing the brilliant smile that lit up her face.
AN- I wrote this nearly a year ago really, but only got around to posting it here now ^^; The only events here that actually happened were the meetings at Gorge of Oath and Gaikoz, just to clear that up for anyone curious.