Hey again! Thanks for everyone that reviewed, I tried to take all of your advice into consideration for the next chapter, but I may not get to everything because that's just how the story is planned out. Please review! I know people are reading, last I checked there were 72 different people that actually got to the page, but only four reviews... well, I can't force you to leave feedback, but know that it is greatly appreciated! It's the best way for you to offer your insight to the story and make it better for the enjoyment of all!
And without further adieu, on to the story!
Chapter 2:
Enigmatic Princess
"I... I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis."
The partnership between Lyn and Mark had led them to Bulgar for supplies. Lyn had enough gold to last them a good amount of time, which was encouraging because neither had any idea how long they were going to travel together. However, leaving the city they had encountered two young knights, both of whom tried to come unto Lyn. Mark amusedly recalled how she rolled her eyes and told them both off for being such lecherous buffoons. They had then left the city, but that was when the situation became interesting.
Promptly upon leaving, they were ambushed by bandits. Surprisingly enough the two knights had stepped in to help, and under Mark's command, they had defeated the enemy easily enough. But the situation continued to become murkier as the knights began to explain their mission to find a missing noble of the Lycian territory of Caelin, who had eloped with a nomad ten years prior to start a new life on the plains of Sacae.
Mark had understood what the knights were insinuating long before Kent, the serious, red haired one, had reached the conclusion of their story. They think Lyn is the missing royalty of Caelin.
He wasn't sure what to think of their story. His first instinct was to laugh at it. It was just so absurd, so incredibly unbelievable that there wasn't any possible way that it could be true. It was surely a way for the knights to trick Lyn and take advantage of her somewhere down the line. Mark had seen it before; knights claiming to be chivalrous completely fooling the prettiest starry-eyed maidens, only for the young girls to come back in some time with shame for what they had done. And Lyn really was a beautiful girl.
Wait, what?
Mark immediately recognized the shift in his focus from the story itself unto the emerald-haired girl from the plains. These kinds of thoughts, although unusual, were not new to him. After all, he was 21 years old, and it was very natural to notice the physical beauty of women when he saw it. It still surprised him, however, and it felt wrong to think of Lyn that way. She was his soldier, after all, and any emotional attachment to her would undoubtedly detriment chances of victory. This isn't emotional attachment, Mark reasoned, she really is very beautiful.
Finally, his thoughts returned to the knight's story. Is it really so hard to believe? Mark had noticed that Lyn was not the usual plainswoman. Everything about her, from the form of her swordsmanship, the manner of her speech, even from her posture and the way she walked just exuded so much grace and finesse.... she couldn't be a simple commoner. He had been around nobles and royalty before, and the kind of elegance they displayed was definitely a learned behavior from youth. Lyn was undoubtedly raised by someone possessing those traits... could it have been the Lady Madelyn? Slowly, the story became more and more plausible in Mark's mind.
"How can you be sure?" Lyn's response broke Mark's train of thought. He hadn't even considered what could have been going through her mind. She had an interesting glint in her eyes that betrayed her curiosity.
"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable," Kent said and smiled.
"You... knew my mother?"
"I've never met her personally, but there are portraits of her in Castle Caelin," Kent replied, and there was another moment of silence. Lyn crossed her arms over her chest, looking towards the sky.
"Lyndis... that is what my family always used to call me... to everyone else I was Lyn," she said and bit her lip. Suddenly, she remembered something from the battle. "Wait, that bandit, he called me Lyndis too!"
Sain's eyes hardened. "Must be Lundgren's henchmen," he said. Kent nodded in agreement.
"He is your grandfather's brother. Without you, he is in line for the throne in Caelin. You may not like it, Lady Lyndis, but you are a threat to his ambitions."
"But... I... I don't care about a silly title!" she said, exasperated. Kent and Sain said nothing, wearing grave looks on their faces. Lyn sighed and found suddenly found her boot very interesting to look at. Her shoulders began to sag, making her look older than she was.
Kent was thankfully perceptive enough to pick up on her nonverbal cues. "Of course, this is much to take in at once. We will give you time to think. We hope you'll have made your decision by nightfall. Come, Sain." Sain looked for a moment like he was about to protest, but thought better of it, nodding and following his friend. Now, Lyn was left alone with Mark, who motioned for her to sit down on the grass next to him. She accepted the request, resting her chin on both hands.
"Lyn..." he began, but the pained expression on her face made him forget what he wanted to say.
"I don't know, Mark. I just don't know. My mind is telling me that it's just too convenient of a story," she said with an intense expression on her face. "But still, there is evidence that I can't ignore...Lyndis... I never thought I'd ever hear that name again..." She then let a little smile slip. "When I first started this journey with you, I believed that it was just going to be about seeing the world, improving my skill and maybe even crossing paths with those bastard bandits," The smile disappeared at the mere mention of the raiders and her palms tightened on her bare knees. "I... I was all alone in this world, just the daughter of a slain chieftain. But now? All of a sudden, I might have a grandfather and a Lycian heritage too. This changes... everything. I'm sorry it has to be this way, Mark. Of course I won't force you to do anything..."
Mark hadn't thought of what this meant for their personal journey up until that point. On one hand, it was everything he could hope for. Helping a Lycian noble claim her rightful place on the throne was a surefire way to gain both experience and recognition. It would catapult him from an unknown apprentice to a legitimate professional. Sain and Kent would surely come with them, meaning he would have actual knights under his command. The whole situation was one incredible stroke of luck, an opportunity that he would be insane to overlook. By the sound of Lyn's voice, she was already leaning towards going with Sain and Kent.
On the other hand... he would be lying to himself if he told himself that he wasn't disappointed that it wouldn't be just the two of them making a name for themselves together. There was something appealing about growing alongside someone else, fighting all odds and eventually succeeding beyond their wildest imagination. But that was realm reserved for myths and fairy tales; those kinds of stories simply didn't happen in the real world. Besides, it would be selfish of him to make this decision. Who was he to tell Lyn that she shouldn't apply all means necessary to find out who she was? It was obvious that she was questioning the foundations of her past, and if there was even the slightest hint that a lead existed to solving her mystery, then she had a right to follow it. It still caused him to hesitate; not to mention there was the rather unnerving situation of a Lycian lord hiring brigands to bring their heads back on a silver platter.
But she was waiting for an answer from him. Forcing himself to look directly into her probing eyes, he nodded. "Lyn... Lady Lyndis... I intend to follow you on this journey. I believe I can be of assistance to you; this campaign possibly could be long and dangerous, but I believe it would be best for both of us if I went along," said Mark, sounding far more conclusive than he actually felt. It surprised him that he was able to sound so confident.
Lyn simply smiled bemusedly at him. "Campaign? You don't have to make it sound so dramatic."
"Forgive me, but I believe that this inheritance dispute will be anything but clean and quick." He hated sounding so pessimistic, but it was the truth.
"I care not for the throne of Caelin or any other Lycian territory. But of course you're right. If this granduncle of mine was willing to hire bandits to try and assassinate me from so far away, maybe it'd be best to stay on guard. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have your help, Mark. Your military advice... and your friendship... are greatly appreciated,"
"It would be my honor, Lady Lyndis,"
"One last thing Mark. Drop the 'Lady Lyndis' nonsense. That's an order,"
Mark laughed out loud. "As you wish, Lyn,"
***
The sun had finished its trek across the cloudless Sacaen sky and was finally retiring over the Bernese mountain range in a fantastic display of vibrant colors. However, Mark was walking with the sunset to his back and half-heartedly watched as his shadow grew deeper and longer in front of him. There was a distinct sense of uncertainty in his stride. He couldn't help it.
We're going the wrong way.
He had only been with Lyn for a week and he was already questioning her judgment. She was definitely a willful girl, one who it was difficult to say 'no' to once she had her opinion made. As agreed upon, Sain and Kent had returned at sunset the day before and they set out the next morning. Only, Lyn didn't want to head directly towards Lycia. She wanted to go towards a shrine in the east and pray for a safe journey to some sword. The idea seemed to pique Sain's curiosity, but both Kent and Mark were less than enthused. While Kent didn't complain, Mark felt it necessary to object. Lyn didn't take the inquisition to lightly.
"Listen, Mark. I know you don't understand. I don't expect you to understand. Just know that this is important to me, and leave it alone." Those were her sharp words from earlier. Mark knew he had to talk as if he was treading on eggshells in regards to faith; people easily lost themselves in their passion. Needless to say, it didn't quite turn out as he had hoped. Now, Lyn was walking ten paces in front of him; the two knights were marching in the middle and Mark brought up the rear. He could only sigh, mentally noting every time his shadow became a shade deeper and a few inches longer.
This was becoming more than he had bargained for.
Slowly, the shrine in the distance loomed larger into their view. Its walls were old, but were crafted by an artist, not just a builder. Various carvings of horsemen, bison, and birds were visible on the walls, giving the structure an exotic look and feel. The setting sun cast ominous shadows across the walls, a possible foreshadowing of events to come. Mark was hardly a spiritual person, but even he could feel the awe creeping up his spine at the sight of it.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Lyn declared proudly. "This is the shrine the holds the Mani Katti, the most famous blade in Sacae. It is the Sword of Spirits and praying to it will protect us in our journey."
"Ah, how quaint!" sad Sain, his cheery disposition shining through as usual.
"Most of Lycia follows the teachings of Saint Elimine, but it's nice to see that the old customs are still followed here," Kent added. Lyn was smiling, happy that they had taken an interest in her culture. Mark cleared his throat.
"It is truly magnificent." Mark added. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Lyn... I am sorry for being insensitive to your beliefs earlier. I didn't mean to be arrogant... you're right, I can't understand. Please forgive me," he said, feeling this was as good time as any to make amends. Truthfully, he still regretted that they were going to the altar, but he couldn't stand having Lyn acting hostile towards him. They needed to be on the same page, which was proving to be far more difficult than he imagined.
Lyn's eyes softened as she lightly cocked her head. "Mark, I-"
"Excuse me, are you heading east towards the altar?" A woman interrupted with an urgent expression on her face. Lyn immediately became alert and focused.
"Yes. Why? Has something happened?"
"You must hurry and help the priest there. I saw a band of ruffians head in there not long ago. The priest may be in trouble!" The woman was so breathless it was a wonder she was still conscious.
"What? We must stop them!" Lyn drew her sword. The two knights followed her lead and readied their own weapons. "Mark! What should we do?"
They all turned towards Mark. The tactician bit his lip as he quickly analyzed the situation. This isn't our fight. He knew his answer would not be popular, but he honestly felt it was the best course of action. "We... we shouldn't get involved in this. If we engage every band of ruffians that we meet on our journey, then we'll never get to Caelin. We should turn around." A deathly silence followed; there was no movement for a moment and then-
SMACK!
Lyn's fierce backhand caught Mark off guard and threw him off balance. He held his hand to the cheek that was burning from the contact and tried to gather himself. But before he could make another move she had grabbed him by the collar, eyes blazing in a way Mark had never seen before.
"WHERE. IS. YOUR. HONOR?!?" she bellowed into his face. Sain made a motion to hold her back, but Kent put a hand on his shoulder and mouthed 'don't', stopping him in his tracks. Lyn was trembling with anger as her gaze pierced into him like a dagger. "Were you not just apologizing for being insensitive to my beliefs?!? Is the mission all you are concerned about?!? To hell with everything else, just as long as we reach Caelin? Is that it?!?" All of a sudden she furiously sent her fist flying as deep into his gut as she could. Closing her eyes to force the tears back, she let go of his collar and let him wither on the ground, gasping for breath.
Sain and Kent were both solemn as Lyn turned her back to Mark's hunched figure. "Let's go. We must rid the world of these ruffians." And without a second glance, she started walking away, fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"What about-"
"Leave him"
Mark's face was burning from her palm and his gut was aching from her punch, but neither hurt him nearly as much as Lyn's last icy two words.
To be continued...
Bwahaha. I didn't actually originally intend to end this chapter here, but if I added the rest it would become too meaty for my tastes. Not to mention there was a nice cliffhanger opportunity, so I'll save the rest for the next chapter. A few notes:
-That summary in the beginning was almost painful to write. Hopefully, I won't have to do that everytime, most people already know the events of Lyn's story, right?
-I know Lyn seems a little OoC in that last part... hopefully that is explained in the next chapter. I know Kent voiced similar concerns in Chapter 7x (I think that's the one, it's the only sidequest in Lyn's story) with going after Ninis' Grace, but this situation is a little different. All will be revealed in due time! Please comment on how the scene went.
-Like I said, I don't want this to be a retelling of the game's text. I want this to retain the same basic storyline, but dialogue between characters should adapt to the tactician's characterization.
Again, please review! I absolutely NEED to know how I'm doing! This uncertainty is killing me ._.
