Disclaimer: Fire Emblem and all related names and concepts belong to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.
Characters: Uther, Hector.
Author's Notes: I was miffed over the lack of a European release date for Fates (still am), but I've accepted that I'm going to be stuck re-playing and writing for the old games for a little while longer. That said, I've been meaning to write Uther. As I probably have said in the past, I really liked what little we saw of him in FE7 and wish we could have gotten a little more on him. His relationship with Hector is really sweet in an abrasive way, and I've been wanting to write a little bit of it. I guess I finally got around to it.

Brothers' Day Out

Uther sighed, resting his cheek in his hand as he shut his eyes for a moment so he wouldn't have to look at his textbook anymore. He was so tired of languages, diplomatic customs, and the finer details of Lycian intrigues. He tried to be interested, and he at least retained enough of what he learned that he genuinely felt he could reliably follow in his father's footsteps, but he had slept little last night (that was what he got for letting his homework pile up) and he was so… tired…

"Lord Uther," he heard his tutor say, "If you're so tired then perhaps it's best we stopped for the day."

"No, no," he said, not opening his eyes as he weakly shook his head. "I'll do it, I'm just-" he interrupted himself and pulled his hand out from under his cheek to mask a yawn.

"It's alright, my lord," she said kindly. "We're well on schedule for this year anyway… you should go out and enjoy the day. The rain's subsided, so Lord Hector will probably want to go out."

"The rain stopped?" His eyes flew open and he turned to look out the window. "How long have I been dozing off?"

"About ten minutes," his tutor said, only to gasp as he jumped up and ran by. She'd said twice now that it was alright for him to leave, so he saw no sense in waiting for a third time. Especially since she was right- his little brother hated being stuck inside, but their attendants wouldn't let him leave the castle grounds without him. So Uther had promised him that once he was done with his classes for the day and the rain subsided, he would take him into town.

As he barged through the hallways, he tore his elaborate cape from his shoulders so he wouldn't have to do that when he reached his room, all the faster to put on his simpler outdoors mantle. On his way there, though, he was approached by a boy about half his age, with the same bright blue hair and eyes, dressed in similar finely tailored clothes… who many would say were wasted on his rambunctious nature. When he spotted his older brother, the boy stopped, crossing his arms. "Uther!" he said, "You said you'd sneak out of the library as soon as the rain stopped!"

"I know, I know," Uther said, apologetically as he kept walking, "I dozed off."

"YOU? Dozed off?" Hector looked positively stupefied. It was the first time he'd heard of his otherwise perfectly noble brother doing something so out of line. He turned on his heel and jogged alongside his brother, who had stopped running and only walked at a brisk pace to avoid glares from staff. Still, Uther had already had his growth spurt and little seven-year-old Hector obviously hadn't, so Hector had to jog to keep up with him.

"We can laugh about it all you want later," Uther promised. "I need to change into some outdoors clothes and then we can go into town." To be honest, Uther didn't mind being his brother's designated escort whenever he wanted to go outside. It got him out of the castle too, and watching the little one got his mind off of the… things going on. He changed more quickly than most commoners thought possible for a nobleman, gripping his brother's hand and leading him out of the castle.

The fresh air outside the gates did him good as they walked into the capital's streets. Citizens greeted them respectfully and cheerfully. After all, they had both appeared in public often and their attendants and retainers as well as their parents had made sure the public image of them was positive. That they often left the castle without a posse of knights to protect them helped. Some of their retainers felt their habit of doing so was asking for trouble as they were easy targets, but the capital city of Ositia was so safe and familiar that they always brushed such concerns aside. Besides, Uther had gotten freakishly tall following his growth spurt and he was pretty sturdy. He was sure that if anything happened, he could hold it off for long enough that Hector could get the city guard to help them.

Uther waved back at a small group of girls his age, one of whom had waved at him from across the street, watching them as they huddled back together, giggling and blushing. Hector looked up at him, grinning. Young he might have been, but he was already well aware of Uther's need to marry when he was old enough and how badly just about every girl in Ositia wanted to be his wife, whether they knew him personally or not. "Stuff it," Uther said, ruffling his hair. "You'll get the same treatment when you're older."

"Nuh," Hector said, in that characteristic tone of voice only he could pull off that said 'I don't care if I am a noble, I never asked to be one.' "You're gonna be Marquess after dad. You're gonna put up with this so I don't have to."

"Those are bold words, from my future right-hand man." They had it all figured out- when they grew up, Uther would become Marquess Ositia –and thus leader of the Lycian League- in succession of their father, and Hector, who had no interest or patience for diplomacy but loved strategy and physical exercise, would be his right-hand man and military commander. He didn't realise yet how much work that would be and how desirable he would be as the second-most important man in Lycia. Still, if he could somehow protect his brother from that treatment, he gladly would… it was better that only one of them had to suffer through a life of etiquette they weren't interested in.

They popped in and out of some stores in the merchant's district, looking at the work of the local blacksmiths. His interests weren't as firmly rooted in the military as Hector's were, but Uther could appreciate a good piece of armour or a well-forged weapon as well as any other warrior could, and his fencing instructor had told him to stay on the lookout for a sword or other weapon he could master beyond just the basics he was learning; Marquess Ositia had to be able to protect at least himself in battle, after all. "Have you chosen yet?" Hector asked as they left another workshop, and Uther shrugged.

"No, not yet. I enjoy shooting, but Marquess Ositia should be on the frontlines." He wasn't overly worried about it; he had plenty of time to make his choice.

"You should get an axe," Hector said. "I mean, have you seen dad? He's huge and super strong. If you're gonna be like that too, you could get an axe and just cleave your enemies in two." Uther laughed as Hector made a motion as if he swung an invisible heavy axe down with two hands. "In two, Uther!"

"Ah, as true as that is, the sword is more regal and befitting a man of our position." He stroked his chin. "Sir Aiden says all nobles of Lycia are educated in it, and it's definitely easier to use than an axe."

"You should stop worrying about what you look like and go with what you like," Hector said, making a pouty face. "If you want to shoot, then get a bow and get better at shooting. I'm gonna be your general anyway, I'm gonna be the one on the frontlines." Uther smiled, ruffling his hair. If only it were that simple, he thought to himself.

"Hey, wanna go for a bite and a drink?" he asked the little one, his expression turning from a smile to more of a grin, betraying he was going to suggest something they shouldn't really be doing. "There's a new pub in town where they don't know us yet. I'd love to see the look on the owner's face when we walk in!"

"Ohhh, I'm in!" They sped up, hurrying through the streets as Uther looked out for the sign marking out the establishment he had spoken of.

As they walked, though, they passed by a girl leading a cart loaded with fruit, and Uther stopped in his tracks, turning around to see if she was who he thought she was- and she was. "Hey!" he said, catching Hector's attention as he raised his hand in greeting, "Mariella!"

The girl turned around, stopping the donkey that was pulling her cart and smiling back when she recognized him. "Oh!" she said, walking around the cart to curtsey, "Lord Uther!" She smoothed out her skirt when she ended her curtsey, folding her hands in front of her and looking at him a little nervously. Hector knew who Mariella was, of course- she was kind of hard to miss when he went out with his brother as often as he did. She was the daughter of a fruit farmer who lived and worked just on the outskirts of town, and supplied some of the local stores with their –really good- products. This wasn't the first time they'd run into her; in fact sometimes he suspected Uther chose routes through the city that would cross hers on purpose.

"And Lord Hector," she suddenly said, as if she only now realized he was here too, and curtsied again. She wore a super simple dress compared to what their female tutors, attendants, and peers wore, and in a few spots the brothers could clearly see where it had been mended, but somehow she looked way more elegant than most young princesses Hector had met. "What brings our noble lord's beloved sons into the city today?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Nothing special," Uther said, politely averting his gaze from her when he realized it made her nervous and instead looking at the fruits on her cart. "You know how we hate being cooped up in the castle. Are you alright?" he looked her down. Her dress seemed to be fine, but her hair hung down her face in messy, only half-dry strands. "You look like you came here through that rain."

"We did," she said, reaching into the cart and showing them a sopping wet cloak and a tarp, which she had supposedly used to cover her dress and her goods. "When we left, it didn't look like it would clear up anytime soon, so…"

"Really?" Uther said, confused, "The astromancer at the castle said it wouldn't last longer than the morning. That's why I promised him," he gestured his head towards Hector, "that we'd go out into the city today."

"Well," Mariella said, crossing her arms and looking at them in mock indignation, "Perhaps it had not occurred to you, my lord, but we peasants do not have the luxury of professionals telling us what the weather will do. Hey!" she reached out, daring to slap him on the wrist when he suddenly stuck out his hand to snatch two apples from her cart. "I have to deliver those to-"

"Oh shush," Uther said, interrupting her. He gave one of the apples to Hector, rubbing the other one against his sleeve. "You always bring extra."

"I have to, because a certain prince keeps stealing them during my moments of unawareness."

"Awwww." Hector watched the exchange in mild fascination, biting his apple as Uther pretended to be hurt. "I admit I didn't think of that. What if I paid for them?" Mariella didn't respond, only looking at him with a challenging look in her eyes, so he stepped a little closer to her and leaned in, putting a kiss on her forehead. When he stepped back and finally bit his own apple, she covered her flushed cheeks in shock. "There," he said after swallowing his first bite, having used that time to observe her embarrassment. "Will that suffice?"

"I'll say!" she said, trying to recollect herself. "You can't just do that- imagine if anyone had seen it!" Uther only kept grinning, so she calmed down and patted her donkey on the side. "Well, I should get going… before we're late for our deliveries."

"You do that," Uther said. "I promised the little man we'd grab something to drink at the new place."

"Pfft. Going to scare the fear of Elimine into some poor newcomer again?" Still, Mariella smiled as she said it. "Good day, Lord Uther. Lord Hector." She curtsied one last time before turning around and taking her donkey's leads in her hand, walking off and waving as she left the brothers behind. Uther waved back, before turning around and refocusing his attention on his apple. Damn, Mariella's stuff was good.

He looked down to see Hector giving him a grin he'd already learnt was trouble. "What are you grinning about?" he asked, "Is there a worm in my apple?"

"I see those girls from before don't stand a chance," Hector said teasingly. "You've already picked your wife!"

"Who, Mariella?" Uther laughed. "Come on, Hector. Just because she can talk to me for five minutes without giggling doesn't mean I'm going to marry her."

"No, but you've never kissed anyone else."

"She's a farmer for crying out loud! Even if I wanted to, Father and our council would never allow it. I'm just using my rakish good looks to get free snacks."

"You keep believing that, Uther." Hector rolled his eyes, biting his apple again. "You only do it with her."

"Drop it," Uther said, "or I will tell your tutors what really happened to your textbook."

"Consider it dropped," Hector hurried to say. Uther smiled, finishing up his apple and tossing aside the core. Oh, there it was. He pointed Hector to the pub he'd been talking about, taking him inside and suppressing his laughter at the owner's stammering as he asked how he might be of service to the two young lords.

It never failed.

It was early evening when they finally returned to the castle, although it was still light out. Uther loved summer because they could stay outside for longer without their attendants fussing over them right away, for this very reason. They had some time- they could bathe, change back into more formal and elaborate clothes, and be in time for dinner with their parents. That was how it usually went on their days out.

But this time, something was different. Uther could tell when they walked into the castle- there was something about the serious expressions on the faces of the guards. As he approached the main hall, hoping to reach the one that led to their respective chambers, he was approached by Sir Gamonn, their chancellor. "Sir Gamonn?" he asked, confused, "Shouldn't you be with Father right now?" He gave Hector a little push, sending him off to his own rooms to bathe, and straightened himself, taking off his mantle. Whatever had prompted the chancellor to leave his parents' side had to be serious. "Has something changed?"

"Yes, my lord," the old man said. "I am… so terribly sorry."

Uther didn't realise his grip on the garment slacked, and he didn't hear the soft thud with which it fell to the carpet. "No," he managed, eyes widened in shock. He shook his head. "No. They're not…" But Gamonn only bowed his head, shutting his eyes. Uther felt his knees shaking.

His parents had been ill for a long time. The strength Hector had spoken of that their father possessed had waned not long ago, and their mother had been unable to go outside for long for a few years now. Recently their conditions had rapidly worsened, which had been part of why Uther's education had been sped up. The best healers in the country had been employed in finding a cure, or at least a way to combat the symptoms… But apparently, it hadn't been enough. "Why were we not summoned back to the castle?" he asked.

Gamonn looked back up at him. "That was a decision your lady mother made, Lord Uther. She didn't want to ruin your and Lord Hector's day out with bad news." So they had known they had been dying. They had been for weeks, but that they would suddenly grow so much worse that they would be gone… Strangely enough, Uther felt himself getting angry. Not ruin their day? What had they wanted to do? Did she think they wouldn't have noticed their parents missing from dinner? That they wouldn't have asked?

He made a fist, fighting back tears. No. There were people in the hall, he couldn't cry and show weakness in front of them. Not now. "Is… there anything else I should know about?" he said, sounding more accusatory than he had wanted to when he blurted out, "An invasion from Biran? An earthquake severing Missur from the rest of the continent?"

"Lord Uther, I understand your pain…"

"No, spare me your sentiments," Uther said as he turned. "Hector and I will take dinner in our respective chambers. Alone. Good night, Sir Gamonn." With that, he marched off to his bedroom.

Once he reached it, he slammed the door shut behind him, making it over to his bed with shaking legs before he fell to his knees, clutching the sheets and finally stopping holding back. Tears flowed freely from his eyes and into the soft fabric. He sobbed more loudly than he was comfortable with, but decided he didn't care. His parents weren't there to scold him and tell him to put on a strong face for the world anymore. They'd never scold him or praise him or do anything ever again.

He didn't know how long he'd sat there for when he finally regained the strength in his limbs, but when he left his bedroom for the adjacent receiving chamber, he found his dinner still warm on the small table. Sniffing one last time and wiping one last tear away, he sat down and started to eat. Maybe he'd feel a little better if he got food into his system. He was numb as he ate; in an attempt not to think about his parents, he banished all thoughts from his mind, going through the motions and barely aware of what it was he ate.

He didn't hear the door open behind him and didn't hear his brother enter his room until he spoke up. "Uther?" he asked, prompting the elder to turn around and see him. "Can I come in? Gamonn said you were upset."

"Y-yeah," Uther said, setting down his cleared plate. "Come in, Hector. We need to talk." Better that they got it out of the way now.

"Is it about mom and dad?" Hector asked as he came over to where his brother was sitting. "Gamonn told me about them… they're gone, huh..?" the younger's small, fragile voice was heartbreaking, but didn't shake. When Uther looked at him, he saw that his eyes weren't red and puffy, unlike his own- Hector hadn't cried. "They're… never gonna come back…"

"Hector, I'm sorry," he said. "If I'd known this, I wouldn't have taken you into the city. It's my fault we weren't here to say goodbye."

He was startled when Hector suddenly hugged him tight, burying his face in the elder's chest. "Don't cry," he said. "You're Marquess now. You've gotta be strong."

"I know," Uther said, returning his brother's embrace. Hector was right. He was Marquess Ositia now, even if he hadn't been crowned. Even if he hadn't finished his education yet. Even if he were only fourteen years old and mourning the sudden death of his parents. He was Marquess Ositia, and for Lycia's sake he had to be strong, at least for the eyes of the other sovereigns of Elibe.

But was he strong? He wasn't so sure. After all, out of the two of them, he was the one who had given in to his weakness and cried until he had no tears left to shed; Hector had been the strong one, Hector had been the one who had eaten calmly and come to him to comfort him. It should have been the other way around. Uther gently pushed him away, putting his hands on his shoulders and smiling. "You're right," he said.

"Come on," Hector said, pulling on his hands. "Mom and dad are still in their room. Let's go and say goodbye." Uther followed him numbly. He was right. They could say goodbye now. He could promise them he would be a worthy ruler now.

When he left his chambers the next day, he didn't head to the library for his studies, or to the kitchen to nab breakfast, or to his parents' chambers to ask them if there were anything he could do for them. He dressed himself formally, ignoring everyone who asked him if he were alright as he walked to his father's -his- study, sat down at the desk, and pulled a quill and a piece of parchment towards him.

He had to write the announcement that the Marquess and Marchioness of Ositia had died and that their eldest son would immediately take over all their duties, relying on the aid of his council until he finished his education and formally took the crown of Lycia's biggest territory when he became able to do the work on his own.

It was his first, and hardest, task as Marquess Ositia.