Before It's Too Late
Hector / Lyndis
It seemed like forever since they began this campaign against Nergal. Their scenery kept changing and now, they found themselves in Ostia once more. This time, the air around the group was more somber. After the death of Ninian, everyone was affected and it seemed that the best course of action was to regroup and start over again with all that they had learned.
It was the evening after the attack by Denning and the army of morphs that Nergal had sent. Everything had settled down and most everyone had headed off to rest for the night. Everyone except Hector and Oswin. Hector found Oswin in the throne room after looking everywhere for the knight.
"...Oswin." Hector said to Oswin after walking to where they were a couple feet apart.
"Lord Hector. I won't be able to send word to Fargus until day after tomorrow about travelling to Valor." Oswin reported to Hector. "You should really go rest."
"Bah, who needs rest?" Hector retorted. "I can't rest while Ostia needs me. Now, is there something you need to tell me, Oswin?"
Oswin looked at Hector, trying not to show hesitation. "I can think of nothing, my lord."
"Stop this! It's plain that everyone is avoiding me. What you're all hiding...I must know what it is!" Hector retorted, starting to get aggravated.
"Lord Hector, you must calm yourself." Oswin replied calmly.
"I command you to tell me what has happened! Say it!" Hector replied, still rather angry. He waited for Oswin's reply and only grew more angry when it didn't come. "If you don't answer me right here, right now, I will cut you down, knave!" he said, much angrier than he was before.
"...Do as you must." Oswin replied, not moving an inch. He saw the surprise on Hector's face at the retort. He waited in the silence of the hall for another outburst or even for an attack. Nothing came.
"...I see. My brother...he's gone, isn't he?" Hector asked, his anger fading out of him and being replaced by sadness.
"Lord Hector..." Oswin said, not wanting to overly upset his lord. The fact that Hector caught on so soon should have been expected.
"I was sure that he was recuperating. That...he had gone somewhere to recover his strength. I thought that was what you were hiding. But...you won't even confess now. That means..." Hector began before looking at Oswin and turning, leaving the hall.
"Lord Hector! Wait! Please..." Oswin called to Hector.
Oswin's request fell on deaf ears. Hector continued to hurry away until he reached his room and close the door behind him. He quickly threw off his heavy armor and tossed his ax in the corner. There was rage inside him from where no one had told him. There was also sadness in the fact that his brother, the last of his family, was gone. Hector was now alone other than his friends. He sat on the bed in the dark, unsure of how to react to the news. He wanted to weep but he didn't want to alert his friends that anything was wrong.
After a moment, Hector heard the door open and close gently. He sighed softly and turned his head. In the moonlight, he noticed Lyndis and sighed softly. "Lyn...you should be sleeping." Hector told her quietly.
"I heard you come back to your room." Lyn told Hector, sitting beside him on the bed. "Are you okay? You were moving rather fast."
"I'm fine, Lyn." Hector replied to her, putting his hand over hers. "I'm more worried about you. This campaign has taken its toll on you." he said to her, running his other hand over her hair.
Lyn looked at Hector, slightly confused about the way he was now acting. It was much different from the Hector that she was used to. "I'm alright, Hector. I came to check on you and make sure that nothing was wrong." she told him honestly before moving to stand up. "I'll let you alone for the night, though."
Hector stood quickly, taking her hand in his. "Lyn, I would rather you stayed tonight." he requested softly. His blue eyes almost seemed to sparkle in the pale moonlight.
Lyn's blue-green eyes met Hector's and she nodded in the quiet. "Alright, I'll stay." she told him, moving closer and putting her arms around him.
Hector held her close to him a moment before he pulled away and looked at her. "Thank you, Lyn." he said quietly before the pair of the laid down together and just talked for a couple hours. It had been a long while since they'd had time to themselves with their travels through Bern.
"Lyn?" Hector asked quietly.
"Yes, Hector?" Lyn asked, looking up at him as her head was on his chest.
"I was wondering something. After this is over, what do you plan to do?" Hector asked curiously.
"Well..." Lyn began, "I was originally going to return to Sacae before all of this started. Now, I'm not so sure what I'll do, especially with my grandfather recovering."
"I see." Hector said, before putting his hand on hers. "I want you to come back here with me after everything is over." he told her. "It may seem a bit sudden, with everything that has happened, but I want you by my side, Lyn. I don't want to wait until it's over. I want you to know how I feel about you as we start the final bit of all this."
Lyn looked at Hector for a while before giving him a sweet smile. "Hector, that would be wonderful." she told him before giving him a sweet, quick kiss.
Hector smiled at her. "And I'd also like to ask you to be my wife. If this is all too much, tell me." he said, putting a hand on her back.
"No, it's fine, Hector. I would love to marry you when this is all said and done." Lyn replied to Hector.
"Then it's settled. After this is over, we'll return here and be wed soon after." Hector said with a smile as he relaxed in the bed. He felt bad for not telling Lyn about his brother but seeing her happiness then was worth all the world to him. Hector gently stroked her hair for a while before seeing her yawn. "Someone's getting sleepy." he stated with a chuckle.
"Oh, stuff it." Lyn replied sleepily as she began to drift off. "It's been a long journey. I'm surprised you're not off snoring yet."
"Snore? Me? I don't snore!" Hector protested playfully, receiving sleepy chuckles from Lyn. "You rest, though, Lyn. I won't be going anywhere." He told her quietly.
"Do so." Lyn mumbled sleepily before nodding at what he said. "I love you, Hector." she told him softly.
"I love you too, Lyn. I love you more than you even know." Hector said, kissing the top of her head before he let his head fall back on the pillows. After this was over, he'd have to become Marquess of Ostia. There was no dodging that bullet. But, with Lyn at his side, Hector was hopeful that he would be able to do a fantastic job. He also saw himself with the little girl from his dreams, a daughter that he and Lyn would create and raise.
However, the future would have to wait until Nergal was killed. Hector knew that the fiercest battle yet would be against this crazed man. Though the darkness seemed all around them, Hector soon fell asleep and his dreams turned towards the little girl with blue hair that he had grown fond of and that his wife, Lyndis would be by his side. Everything seemed to be settled into place after that and his dreams were peaceful that night.
Author's Note : This piece has been a working project for a while and I hope that everyone enjoys it. I really liked working with this pairing after working through my latest new campaign through Fire Emblem.
