Chris: Well, not sure if you remember, but I did say that I was going to make "Do You Want My Help?", my romance fiction archive, so here's the new chapter for it. Hope you like it. And it's like two romance stories in one.
A fan of fire emblem: Thanks, and Erk x Fiora is believable. And I did update Farina's Diary, but it got nuked and deleted.
Jinn the Master Sage: Well, you just click on my SN to view the profile. And I'm glad you like the fic.
HikariUsa: Thanks for the compliments, and here's an update.
Inferno-Hero: Yeah…Sorry…I forgot that you guys were planning one. Ooops.
Ivanfanatic: Glad you liked it…And Erk can be nice! Just…maybe not always…But he can! He's human too!
Farina: No he's not.
Shut up.
Kiyoko-chan: Thanks for the compliments, and thank you for reviewing.
Nightmare: I believe that I am the proud writer of the only Erk x Fiora fic in the history of Fire Emblem. I hope. And here's your second chapter.
Sword of Seals: Sorry about that…And they were in an inn, not outdoors. So yeah.
Eris of Thane: Glad you like it. Here's another one-shot thing that I hope sounds complete.
Chris: And just so you know, this story has the pairing from the last chapter. Just not the same situation or history. Just imagine that Erk x Fiora has been a viable pairing and has happened. Other than that, no relation to the last chapter. This is an archive, not a full-fledged story. Just making sure you guys know that. Oh, and just to tell you, this is really, really long.
Just Gotta Keep Trying, My Friend
"Kent, my friend! What are you doing today?" Sain, a brown-haired cavalier with green armor walked up to his red-haired companion. Sain slapped his friend on the back. "Today is a great day, right?"
"Sain, what did you do now?" Kent, wearing a face of much suffering, turned to his friend. The sun shone off of his blood-red armor. "I hope you didn't molest any of the female villagers."
Sain looked shocked. "Kent, how could you suggest such a thing about your best friend?" But then he grinned. "Ah, I know you don't mean it." Sain ruffled his partner's hair. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something."
Kent pried Sain's hands off of his hair and faced his friend. "A problem? Well, of course you can talk to me. What is it?"
"Nah…This is more of a personal problem. You know…Girl stuff." Sain chuckled. "Normally I wouldn't care if people heard…But I'd rather not let that happen, you know? This is important."
"Oh, of course. Come on, we'll speak in my room." Kent led the cavalier towards the inn where they were staying. They had just returned from Nabata, and Hector had decreed that the army deserved a couple of weeks off. So currently, they were in Ostia, drinking, fooling around, and staying in the castle and city inns. Currently, however, everyone was out partying. Or passing out drunk, as the tastes may be. So the inn was completely deserted when Sain spilled his problems to his friend.
"Okay…See, I have this friend, right?" Sain sat on a chair and turned it so it faced Kent.
"Yeah…You're talking about yourself, aren't you?" Kent folded his arms. "Come on, I've heard that a lot."
Sain grinned sheepishly. "Well, yeah. It's me. Anyway, there's this girl I like."
"You like a ton of girls, Sain. You'll have to be more specific."
"Good point. Well, this girl is beautiful, of course, and charming, pleasant to be with, witty, and…Did I mention beautiful?"
"Sain, you say this to every girl. While that rules out some people…Like Hannah, it doesn't really help."
"Ah…Sigh…" Sain looked at the floor. "Well, actually, Florina attracts me the most."
"Florina!" Kent leaned forward. "You mean the girl who is deathly afraid of guys and is probably most afraid of you? Hahahahaha! Sorry, but what makes you think you have chance?"
"Aw, come on, Kent! Don't laugh! I'm completely serious here!" Sain looked pleadingly at his friend. Kent calmed down.
"I'm sorry, Sain. I was just kidding. Anyway, what was it?"
"You know what it is! I need advice on how to get her to notice me more! Of course, I usually wouldn't go to you for romance advice…But then if I did my usual things, Lyn and Florina's sisters would hurt me." Sain moaned in his hands.
"Ah…I see…What have you tried so far?" Kent scratched his chin, thinking of how Sain could approach the shy pegasus knight.
"Oh. Well, there were the lavish compliments…"
"I know that wouldn't work. You can't compliment Florina like that! Come on, she's shy, Sain. You know those types of things would just scare her more."
"Then there were the gifts."
"Gifts? Did you say who they were from?"
"Of course!"
"….What were the gifts?"
"Oh, you know. Perfume, clothes, stuff like that."
"Eh, I guess that's better than your overbearing compliments." Kent ran his hand through his hair. "Is that it?"
"I did try asking Fiora for her help, but then she was too busy helping Erk. She did say that if I made Florina cry, she's break my arms. And as for Farina, well, she gave me some advice…But then she threatened to break my neck if I did anything bad to Florina. As if I'd do that!"
"Well, sorry to say this, Sain, but you've gotten the image of being a womanizing pervert throughout the camp."
"What? Me? Dear, young, handsome, darling Sain?" Sain gasped. "Why…I'm offended! Just because everyone is so beautiful doesn't mean I'm a pervert! Or a womanizer! That's just how those girls are! Beautiful!"
Kent sighed and shook his head. "Right. And how many girls have you tried to get a date with?"
"Hmmm…" Sain thought and started counting them off on his fingers. "Fiora, Farina, Rebecca, Priscilla, Lyn, Serra, and some various others from Caelin and Ostia."
"Sain! That's almost all of the girls in the camp!"
"Really? Now that I think about it...Wow! That is almost all of the girls!" Sain brightened. "Too bad none of them ever accepted."
"Think about it, Sain! I mean, girls don't like it when they see you eyeing other girls! Would you like it if you saw Florina looking at some other guy….Like Hector or something?"
"HECTOR! That big oaf? He doesn't possess even half of the charm that I have!" Sain pounded his chair angrily, outraged at this comment.
"Uh…While that may be true…I bet that you wouldn't like it if you caught Florina gazing at Hector."
"You're damn right!"
"Good. You understand. Now, how about I propose a deal with you?"
"Well…Sure, Kent. What is it?"
"I'll help you get information on Florina and see if I can influence her to like you more."
"Great!"
"Well, in return, I want you to help me out with my own relationship problem." Kent looked at the ground. "I have no idea why I'm coming to you for help…But I might as well."
Sain's eyes sparkled as he leaned closer. "Oh? And who might this lucky lady be?"
Kent's face reddened. "Um…Uh…It's…uh…Priscilla."
Sain grinned widely. "Priscilla! Kent, my friend, you've made a good choice! With that flame-red hair and scrumptious figure! Why, if I wasn't going for Florina myself, I'd go for her again!" Sain sighed romantically. "Such a lovely angel Priscilla is. But Florina is better."
"Right, Sain, right. Anyway, help me with Priscilla, and I'll help you with Florina. Deal?"
"Deal, my friend! Ah…But first, I would like to know why you want me to help you with Priscilla. I mean, aren't you perfectly capable of asking her by yourself?"
"Why don't you tell me why you like Florina first?"
"I asked you first. So I have higher priority."
"Not fair."
"Tough beans, Kent."
"Grrr…Fine."
"Hee hee…So Kent?" Sain leaned forward, his eyes gleaming mischeviously. "I bet it's something deeply romantic that you hide behind your dutiful façade! Staying true to your duty! Only taking peeks at her on your free time, but never approaching because of your stations! How romantic that is!" The cavalier's eyes were shining, imagining Kent as a duty-bound hero, watching his only love from the sidelines.
"Sain! You sound like a moron!" Kent's face grew red, and he pushed his partner back in his seat. "Well…" His voice dropped, and Sain had to lean forward again so he could hear. "Uh..." Kent's voice dropped even lower. "You might be right."
"What was that?" Sain grinned. He had caught part of that, but he just wanted to hear it in full.
"I said you might be right, okay? Geez, give me a break!" Kent exploded, tired of Sain's teasing. "Yeah, yeah, you're right! I'm that guy who always minds his job! Unlike you!"
"Why, I never!" Sain looked offended again. "Name the last time you saw me slacking off at my post!"
"You sure you want me to?"
"Go right ahead! I bet you can't even name three!" Sain folded his arms, smiling broadly, obviously thinking that Kent couldn't name three.
"Well, there was that time when we were fleeing from the Taliver bandits and were staying in that run-down castle. I seem to recall that you were sleeping on guard duty."
Sain's smile faltered, but he regained his composure. "That's just one!"
"And also when we were at Caelin Castle and you were distracted by your rounds by one of the city girls. Um…Michelle. Was that her name? I'm not sure if you succeeded in wooing the girl, but I do remember a couple of…shall we say, disturbing, noises coming from your room."
"Argh! Fine! That's two!"
"And recently, I've caught you sneaking peeks at Florina in battle, on guard duty, in the girl's baths…"
"Hey! How'd you know? And…Why were you near the girl's baths anyway? Looking at Priscilla?"
Kent flushed again. "I was not! I was…uh…Just there to make sure you weren't doing anything perverted! But enough of this! You still haven't told me why you like Florina the most!"
"That's right…" Sain shrugged. "It's relatively simple, you see. I mean, counting all of the lovely girls in our army…Not really counting Hannah cause…Well, you know why. Anyway, I've mulled over the various girls in my mind for quite a while. First on my list of girls was Lyn."
"You will call her by her title, Lady Lyndis!"
"Aw, what are you going to do? Arrest me because I didn't call her that? She lets everyone else call her Lyn."
"But we are her vassals, and serve under her! It is only right that we call her by her full title!"
"Keep going on with those rules and soon one will bite you in the back."
"Hmph."
"Getting back to track here…Lady Lyndis, there, happy? I called her Lady Lyndis."
"Just continue with the story." Kent sighed and waved Sain on.
Sain nodded. "You've got to admit, Lyn sure has a great figure. And her personality isn't bad either. It's not like you'd want to kill her or kill yourself after spending a lot of time with her. I mean, she is a little short-tempered…But she does have it where it counts. And she's simply gorgeous…Too bad I heard she's got her sights set on Eliwood."
"Oooh…Beaten down by Lord Eliwood. Boy, sucks to be you."
"Yeah, I know that. Next up is Florina, but I'll get back to her later. Let's get to our resident healers, Serra and your lovely Priscilla. Serra is…interesting. Not bad to look at, truly. She might get you annoyed after a period of time…Speaking from experience here. But I thought about it after a while, and while she is fun to hang around with, she's really not what I look for in a perfect girl."
"You want bigger breasts or something?"
"Yes. Wait…Hey! Kent!" Sin whined, unhappy at this attack on his character. Kent was too busy laughing in order to say anything else, so Sain just went back to his story.
"Hmph. Anyway, Priscilla was next…She was actually second in my little list of girls I should try to marry…But then now that you want her…Eh, I'll leave you two alone. Betcha I won't be the only one with noises coming out of his room next year at Caelin, huh?"
"Sain! That is entirely inappropriate!" Kent stopped laughing and looked angry enough to punch Sain in the head and then knock him around with his sword. Sain held up his hands as some sort of truce, and continued.
"Anyway, Priscilla is a ravishing beauty. Of course, I'm not sure if she's really interested in a guy at the moment, but I'm sure if you save her life a couple of times, it'll all work out. Because from what I've figured out, I believe all she wants is a man that will protect her. Apparently, I don't fit that bill, because she didn't really warm up to me. But hey, you can be her shining knight in armor instead! Or is it knight in shining armor…? One of those."
Kent perked up. "Oh really? Hmm…Well, I never knew that. Thank you, Sain."
"My pleasure. Next up is that charming village girl, Rebecca. Tremendous cook. Almost as top-notch as Lowen's cooking. And that's saying a lot. And she's very easy on the eyes too. Very nice, charming, and a down-to-earth girl. Great hunter as well. Um…But I don't think she likes me because someone spread rumors that I was selling spots for spyholes for the girl's baths. I did nothing of the sort, I tell you. That was all Merlinus. I just made the holes."
"More information than I needed to know, Sain. Go on."
"Oh, right! Next up are Florina's sisters, Fiora and Farina. Fiora is just like you, actually! Well, except that she's a girl, has teal hair instead of orange, and is a pegasus knight. And she's a little taller too…I think. But other than that, you two are almost alike! I would have thought that you two would have become a couple almost instantly!"
"Ah…We might have…But, you know Erk, right?"
"Yeah, the mage kid, right? Reads way too much? Has to have someone force him to eat?"
"Well, apparently Erk and Fiora are an item already."
"And I missed this! Impossible! I would have been notified about this! Or at least seen it happening!"
"Well, they keep their relationship under wraps, okay? Don't want people like you bothering them."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Farina?"
"Ah yes, the last of those lovely sisters. A lot more aggressive than the shy Florina or the stoic Fiora. She has a deep desire for money that probably branches off of the desire for safety and happiness for her sisters. Extremely forward, and she won't mind kicking you in the balls if you bother her. Luckily, I am not one of those people who have to suffer that kick. I hear she kicks really, really hard."
"I'll…uh…keep that in mind, Sain. Carry on."
"And finally that lovely Florina. With her long, orchid-colored hair, her slim figure, her almost childlike innocence…Ah, she portrays the perfect picture of an angel! An angel come down from heaven to help fight against this crisis! Why, she is so perfect, she could even be a reincarnation of Saint Elimine! And her shy nature just appeals to me! I must find out why she is like that, and when I do, I will find a way for me to enter her heart! I would love having her at my side in battle! And in the bed too, if you know what I mean."
Kent sighed, more than used to Sain's…uh…coarser humor. "That's just great, Sain. Anyway, I'll help you get info on Florina, you get me help for Priscilla, and we'll both win." Kent pushed himself off of the seat. "I think I'm making a big mistake."
Sain slapped his partner on the back. "Don't worry, my friend! This will go perfectly!"
Poor Sain didn't know how hard it would be for him to get that information. Of course, on the other side of the coin, Kent also would have a hard time. So both of them were proverbially screwed. In other words, they were screwed. Proverbially screwed just sounds cooler.
Sain sighed. It had been about a week since that agreement with Kent, and he wasn't having much luck. He had spotted Raven watching him, as if daring him to come within twenty feet of his sister. Sain knew that it was just brotherly protection and stuff, but it was giving him a headache. So far, all he had gotten was that Raven would seriously harm anyone who would hurt his sister, army members included. 'Okay, this is getting annoying. If I'm not going to get anything by talking to Priscilla because Raven won't let me, I might as well see if Raven can shed some light on this.' So Sain walked up to the silent, red-haired mercenary, who glared at him. "Good day, Raven!"
"What do you want, Sain?" Raven folded his arms.
"Quick to the point, I see."
"Helps me from having to deal with morons."
"Ah…Good strategy. Anyway, I need to ask you for some information. Um…Help for a friend, you might say."
Raven narrowed his eyes. "What kind of information?"
Sain scratched his cheek, carefully wording his request. "Well, since you are Lady Priscilla's brother…I believe you might tell me what Priscilla might like in a man. You know…In a husband. Because I'm doing this for a friend…"
"This friend had better not be you. I've heard a lot of your escapades."
"Um…It's Kent."
Raven stopped glaring. "Ah, so you're searching for information for someone other than yourself, correct? Well, Kent is a trustworthy character, and I believe he wouldn't try to harm my sister. He does seem devoted to his honor. Of course, you are too, Sain. I realize that. It's just that you're more…outgoing than him."
"I completely understand Raven." Sain nodded. 'No I don't.'
"I'm sure you've figured it out. My sister is a sweet girl. When she was a child, she would always tell me that she was waiting for her knight, her protector that would shield her and guard her from all of the evils in the world. She loves those fairy tale books, where the heroine would be saved by a warrior who endured a countless number of trials for her. You know, those people who uphold honor above all else and follow the code of chivalry to a letter. Someone who would take an arrow for her."
"Ah…My friend would be the perfect hero for your sister to adore! But what feelings does Priscilla already harbor for the members of this army? As her brother, I'm sure you would know."
"Hm…I don't know if I should be telling you this…But if it will help my sister find her knight, then I'll tell you. She considers Hector and Eliwood friends, not boyfriend material. She thinks Hector is too violent and she's already noticed Lyn trying to make her move on Eliwood. As for Kent, she does think he's close to a protector and hero. Not extremely, since they haven't seen action together that much. She likes Erk a lot, since he was an escort for her, and did protect her from various bandits, thieves, and riff raff. But then, Erk's with Fiora. That kind of broke her heart, but she got over it. As for you, well, she thinks you're like a hero too. Just not the right type of hero. She really doesn't like guys who eye other girls."
"My loss. I really should stop doing that."
"Maybe you should. As for everyone else, she either doesn't know them that well, or considers them friends. But I think your friend has the greatest chance at the moment." Raven smiled slightly, then frowned. "But if I find out you're lying to me, then you'll really regret it. And I mean really." He gave a predatory grin. "Tell Kent I wish him best of luck."
"No problem." Sain eyed Raven warily and walked off, slightly giddy at the fact that he finally had some information to give to Kent.
While Sain was pumping Raven for information, Kent was approaching Florina's sisters, intent on fulfilling his own end of the bargain. Unlike Sain, Kent had made lots of progress, asking Lyn and a few others about advice for Florina. Obviously, he kept it a secret that it was Sain who wanted the information, because if he didn't, chances are poor Sain wouldn't have an unbroken bone in his body.
'So far, I've found out that Florina really likes flowers and pretty things…Not a surprise there. She's extremely nervous around males. Also no surprise, as there are people more obvious than Sain out there. She likes to go riding on her pegasus during break, probably during the afternoon. And…Oh yeah, Florina is extremely cute. Heard that last one from Hector. Figures.' Kent waved to Fiora and Farina, who were sitting down at a table, busy eating a couple of snacks that they had pilfered from Merlinus.
"Hey Kent! What's up?" Farina waved back. The blue-haired pegasus knight took another bite out of the chocolate chip cookie she was eating, and promptly started choking on it.
Fiora sighed and pounded her sister on the back. "Don't eat so fast, Farina!" Fiora turned her attention back to Kent. "Good afternoon, Kent. Are you doing well?"
"Good day, Farina, Fiora." Kent nodded gravely. "There is something I need to discuss with you two."
"Not more rules! It better be something other than rule-making!" Farina sat up, extremely alarmed at the idea that the two of them would create even more rules that would restrict the merrymaking around the camp.
Kent shook his head. "No, Farina. It's about your sister, Florina."
"Florina? Did she do something wrong?" Fiora looked at Kent worriedly.
"No! Of course not, Fiora!" Kent sighed and scratched the back of his head. 'This is going well.' "May I take a seat?"
"No problem! What's stopping you?" Farina grinned, and motioned to a seat on the other side of the table. "So, whatcha need to know?"
Kent nodded thanks and sat down. "Well, I'm trying to find a way to help an…uh…acquaintance become closer to Florina's heart." 'That sounded really corny. I can't believe I just said that.' Kent coughed nervously, clearing his throat. "I thought, as her sisters, that you might help shed some light on this matter."
"Your friend wouldn't happen to be Sain, would it?"
"What! How did you know? Uh…I mean, that was a nice guess." The cavalier looked at the table, embarrassed. Farina let out a long laugh before answering him.
"Come on, Kent! Nothing's more obvious! First of all, Sain had already asked us for our help. Second of all, the only person you'd even consider helping would be Sain, since he's your best friend. And finally…Yeah, it's just obvious. Because you wouldn't go through that whole spiel if it was advice for you."
"Sigh…I guess you're right. Anyway, are you going to help me?" Kent looked up hopefully at the two sisters. The sisters looked at each other quickly before turning to Kent.
"Okay, we'll help." Fiora nodded at Kent.
"Under a couple of conditions though." Farina held up a finger to stop Kent from celebrating too early. "One. You must make sure that Florina does not get her feelings hurt by Sain. The two of us know that Florina can take care of herself, but that doesn't stop us from looking out for her."
"No problem. Sain won't do that. He knows how to stay committed to one girl."
"I'm glad to hear that." Fiora looked skeptically at Kent, her voice suggesting that what Kent said wasn't that believable.
"No, I mean it! Sure, he may be…roguish as times and it does seem that he's someone who would dump a girl at first chance, but I know he's not like that! Deep down inside, he just wants to find a girl he really connects with. And he also wants to have fun trying to find that girl. Ever wonder why he's always smiling?"
"Good point. Maybe you're right. After all, you're his friend." Fiora shrugged. "We had more conditions, but since you seem so convinced about the righteousness about your friend, we've decided to tell you all you need to know."
"What? Fiora!" Farina turned to her sister. "Are you sure he's telling the truth?"
"Farina, mercenary work has made you paranoid. I'm perfectly certain that-" Fiora was about to continue when Kent slammed his hand down on the table.
"Excuse me! I am a Caelin knight, and my word is my honor! I would never lie to a friend or comrade! My honor is my life!"
Farina managed a small smile. "I see…Sorry about that, Kent. I didn't mean to insult you. Just a slip-up."
"Thank you."
"Anyway…" Fiora quickly glared at Farina before turning back to Kent. "What do you need to know for Sain? I never thought I'd be saying that…"
"Me neither. I never thought I'd be helping him get a girl." Kent shook his head, wondering about the overall strangeness of his mission. "Well…I'm sure she's told you some things about her feelings about the guys…More things she likes…And why she's so afraid around men. And…uh…Maybe drop a good word or two for Sain."
"I can help with the good word and the things she likes. Florina goes to Fiora more for the personal stuff. Lucky sister." Farina pouted.
"Florina hasn't seen you in a long time! Give her some time. She still has to get used to you being around."
"Fine, fine." Farina grumbled. "Anyway, I assume you already know that Florina likes flowers, right?"
"Yeah, that's almost common knowledge around the camp." Kent nodded.
"Hmm…Well, it does please her to get things for her pegasus as well. Also, she's very fond of fruit. But now, I believe what she misses most is a part of our homeland. I bet that Florina would simply love a gift that would remind her of home. And…This is a secret, but she likes wine as well. I remember this time-"
"Faariiina…" Fiora flashed a warning glance at Farina. "I don't think that's such a great story to tell him."
"Aw, come on! It was funny!"
"Let her tell the story on her own."
"You're no fun." Farina folded her arms. "Hey, I think Florina's coming back from her ride. Might as well see if I can get her to like Sain more." She pushed herself up, and ran towards her sister. "Talk to you later!"
Kent thought about the new information. "That was useful. At least Sain will be able to choose better gifts now."
"I assume that he was the one that sent the chocolates, huh?"
"Most likely. You know how he is."
"Yes, unfortunately, I do." Fiora kicked a table leg. "Well, might as well fill my part here. For one, your Sain is near the middle of her list. She thinks Sain seems fun to be with, but she's kind of daunted by the fact that it seems that Sain has already been out with every girl in the world."
"Which is completely untrue."
"I agree. But I'm sure Farina will dispel that illusion. Actually, Florina thinks Sain is like a male Farina."
"Like she thinks I'm a male you?" Kent smirked, remembering when Florina was telling him of her family back home.
"Um…Right. So Florina is more afraid that she won't measure up to the other girls than she is of Sain's…habits. Florina does respect Sain, and thinks he's an excellent fighter. She also notes that Sain seems perpetually cheerful, and that nothing gets him down. Florina wishes that she could be like that sometimes."
"He does seem to carry that aura of happiness, huh?"
"Yeah. So there you have it. That's what Florina thinks of Sain." Fiora clasped her hands. "As to her fear…You know that you rarely see any males leave from Ilia."
"Yeah, I've always wondered about that. Why aren't there any male mercenary groups coming out from Ilia? Given the land's reputation for having the best warriors around, you would think some guys would get some of the action."
"Yes…Well, the men usually work trying to tame the land to plant our crops. The plants require care almost every minute so they are very busy. But enough about that. Florina has had some…bad experiences with men. She's not the tallest girl around, and during basic schooling, she was picked on a lot because of her height. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the teasers were guys. And after she joined the military school, it was almost all girls."
"Ah…I see."
"Correct. This is about the first time in a couple of years that Florina has had this much contact with members of the opposite gender. I'm sure she'll get over it, but it takes time. A couple of months traveling cannot erase years of isolation."
"Nice phrase."
"Thanks, made it up myself. Tell Sain that I wish him luck, and that he doesn't take it too fast. Florina's a timid girl. She likes taking things slow so that she doesn't get over her head."
"I understand. I'll tell him that right away." Kent stood up, smiling. "Thanks for your help, Fiora."
"No problem." Fiora etched a quick salute before leaving, probably to go search for Erk.
"I just hope that this whole thing is worth it." Kent muttered under his breath as he walked towards the inn, trying to memorize all of the information.
"Kent, boy do I have information for you!" Sain smiled broadly and clapped his friend on the back, motioning Kent towards a seat.
"Same here, my friend. How about you go first, and then I'll tell you the things I heard." Kent sat down, wearing a small grin of his own.
"Very well!" Sain rested his arms on the sides of the chair. "Apparently, you have the best chance of becoming number one in dear Priscilla's heart! Try approaching her now and talk to her! I'm sure it'll only take a little bit of trying before she falls completely head over heels for you! Kent, you are so lucky to have a girl drop into your lap like that!"
Kent brightened. "Ah! Why…That is good news! Now it's time for me to fulfill my part in the bargain. Florina likes you at the moment. Not as boyfriend material, not yet, but likes you as a friend." Kent smiled wryly. "Seems that your reputation precedes you, Sain. She thinks you're extremely lucky with the ladies and that she doesn't measure up to your standards. Other than that, she thinks you're a terrific fighter and a great person to be with. And as for your gifts, her sisters tell me that she misses her homeland. I'm sure a present that might ease her longing would be well appreciated, if you know what I mean."
Sain's eyes twinkled. "This has worked out perfectly, my friend! Well, there are things I must do! Thank you very much for your help!"
"Same to you, Sain! This is doing better than I ever thought possible." Kent shook Sain, slightly giddy at finding out that Priscilla already liked him. The two friends parted company; Sain heading for the market to find a gift for Florina, and Kent searching for Priscilla so that he could talk to her for a while.
"Argh! Hector said this was the biggest market in all of Lycia, and there isn't a single thing from Ilia! Come on, there have got to be some goods from there!" Sain strolled through the marketplace of Ostia, looking frantically for some sort of gift from Ilia. "I've practically seen things from every other country other than Ilia! Magic necklaces and jewelry from Etruria, sculptures and carvings from Bern, Nabatan artifacts, weapons crafted from Sacae and the Western Isles, and paintings from Lycia!" Sain was going out of his mind trying to find a gift. It didn't help that the marketplace seemed to be its loudest at this time and day. And all of the merchants yelling out facts about their wares at full volume didn't help either.
Out of the corner of his eye, however, he spotted a stall whose sign said that they carried goods from the whole continent of Elibe. He pushed back the curtains that covered the entrance, and saw a gleaming store, with merchandise packed all around. "This is amazing…Maybe they do have everything in Elibe."
"Ah, welcome to my humble store!"
"MERLINUS?" Sain stared at the shopkeeper. 'Yep. There's the blue hair, the overly plump body…That's Merlinus.'
"Wha? Sain! I see you found my shop! Officially I'm not allowed to set up shop, but since we're already here, Lord Hector gave me permission." Merlinus bowed. "How can I help you?"
"Uh…I'm not sure it's the best choice of action to tell a member of the army what I need to buy."
"Don't worry, my friend! Whatever you buy is a secret between you and me! Merchant's Honor!" Merlinus crossed his heart, a big grin on his face.
"Merchants have honor?"
"That hurts, Sain, oh yes it does."
"Sigh…I guess I'll trust you. I'm looking for something from Ilia."
"Ilia, you say? Why, I think I might have some stuff from there. Just wait a second." Merlinus disappeared for a while, and then returned, holding a small box filled to the brim with various objects.
"I assume you were successful in your search?" Sain raised an eyebrow at the box.
"Oh, yes!" Merlinus set the box down on a table. "Look through! Tell me if you see anything that you like!"
"Let's see here…" Sain rummaged through the box, looking for the present that he knew Florina would just love. "Hmm…Miniature ice sculptures…Wait, how come these don't melt?"
"Do I look like the kind of merchant who would sell things that melt or disappear?"
"Yes."
"You wound me, Sain! Anyway, I asked Lord Pent to put an enchantment on it that prevents melting and breaking."
"Ah…Smart." Sain nodded appreciatively. "What else is there? A lot of the things in here involve snow or ice."
"That would make sense, since, you know, it snows almost every day there."
"Point taken. Hey, wait a minute! This looks like Florina and her sisters! And they're in front of a house. Where'd you get this?" Sain looked incredulously at Merlinus, who tapped his head.
"Ah, yes. It arrived a couple of days ago. Apparently, that montage was requested by Dame Farina. She decided to leave it here just a couple of minutes ago, saying that someone else would need it a lot more."
"If Farina stops by later, tell her I said thanks." Sain ran his fingers along the curves of the setting, admiring the workmanship. "How much?"
"No cost. Farina said that it should be given to the person who wanted it. Why, I don't really know, but that's what she said. So, take it with you! Do you need a wrapping for that? Glass box?"
"Hmm…Yeah. Place it in a glass cube and put small flowers at the corners. And then wrap the whole thing up."
"Good idea, Sain! It will be done in a few minutes. Since you're a friend and a member in the army, no charge for that as well. I'm killing my own business, but it's worth it. Anything for a worthy friend." Merlinus disappeared again, carrying the small ice and snow figurine.
"You know, Merlinus isn't half bad. Maybe I should help protect him in battle more often."
"I'd extremely appreciate that, Sain." The blue-haired merchant popped up behind Sain, carrying a wrapped package.
"Holy crap!" Sain spun, placing a hand on his rapidly beating heart. "Merlinus! Don't do that!"
"I'm extremely sorry, Sain." Merlinus bowed, and handed the cavalier his package. "I hope the person you give it to will enjoy that."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure she will." Sain accepted the gift gratefully, and then left Merlinus' secret shop. 'This is going to be great!'
"Ah….Lady Priscilla?" Kent walked up to where the red-haired troubadour was sitting. Priscilla looked up from the tome she was reading and smiled.
"Hello, Sir Kent. Is there anything troubling you?"
"N-No…It's nothing important. I just…uh…wanted to talk to you. Would that be okay?" Kent's face was slowly flushing, since he was extremely nervous. This was around the first or second time that he had talked to a girl about something that didn't involve rules or duties.
Priscilla giggled. "Of course, Sir Kent. What is it that you wish to talk about?"
"Just call me Kent." Kent sat down next to her. The cavalier was starting to feel more comfortable around her, so his blush was slowly fading.
"Well, of course Kent. So, why do you want to speak to me?"
"I guess it's just that I want to get to know you better."
"K-Know me better?" Priscilla stuttered, pointing to herself. "W-Why me? Of course, I-I'd like that a lot." She quickly looked at the floor, her face a bright red.
"Why you? Why not you? After all, you're talented, charming, polite, and not to mention, beautiful." 'Crap, I'm starting to sound like Sain. I'm hanging around him waaaay too much.'
"T-Thank you, Kent. I think you're very charming and polite yourself." Priscilla nodded slightly. The troubadour turned to Kent and smiled. "Thank you very much, Kent. We will talk later, right? I don't want to miss you."
"You can count on it, Priscilla."
"Hee hee…Then it's a date. Sometime later?"
"R-Right! Of course!"
"That's good…" Priscilla winked at Kent, and leaned down for a quick peck on Kent's cheek before dancing off.
Kent stared at Priscilla's vanishing figure and smiled. "…I believe that the deal I made with Sain was definitely worth it."
"Ah, looks like you found it. I was wondering how long it would take." Farina glanced at the box in Sain's hands. "Unless I'm grossly mistaken and that isn't a snow sculpture from Ilia that shows me, Florina, and Fiora in front of our house."
"Heh, thanks Farina."
"No problem. Now go give it to her already! I told her that you were coming to give her a present."
"How exactly do you know all this?"
"I'm psychic." Farina winked. "Now hurry up!" She began pushing Sain towards the clearing where Florina was waiting. "I want to see this!"
"Okay, okay, Farina! I'm going!" Sain jogged towards the orchid-haired pegasus knight, her gift in his hands.
'Huh? What's that?' Florina turned, and spotted Sain running towards her. She immediately started blushing, even though Sain hadn't even started talking to her yet. Hell, he wasn't even within ten feet of her yet. 'Calm down, Florina. You can do this. He likes you. Sain doesn't want to hurt me. Sain is very handsome. Gulp…Why'd I just think that?'
Sain finally reached Florina, panting and completely out of breath. "Stupid….Farina…kept…pushing…me…"
"A-Are y-you okay, S-Sain?" Florina looked worriedly at Sain, but the cavalier gave her a thumbs-up and smiled.
"No problem for a daring and strong warrior such as I!" 'I'm going to KILL Farina later!' Sain pulled out the package and handed it to Florina. "Well, my lovely Florina, I hope that you enjoy this…I got it just for you."
"T-Thank you, Sain." Florina timidly unwrapped the gift, and gasped in happiness when she saw what was inside. "This is so beautiful, Sain! I love it!"
"That's great, Florina! I knew you would like it! Only you could deserve such a prize! Since you are so beautiful and lovely, Florina!"
Farina slapped her face. She was watching them from a couple of bushes nearby. 'Stupid idiot! Stop beating around the bush and tell her that you love and her and want to make out with her! It's true and you know it!'
"D-Does this mean that you really like me, Sain?" Florina looked up hopefully, half-formed tears in her eyes.
"Of course, Florina." Sain smiled warmly and ran his hand through Florina's hair.
"D-Do you mean that? Y-You're not just saying that?"
"Definitely. I would never lie to you."
"I-I'm so glad to hear that…"
Sain wrapped his arms around Florina, enveloping her in a hug. Florina broke down and began sobbing on him, immensely happy that Sain truly did love her.
"This is so sweet…" Farina whispered to Fiora and Matthew, who were hiding next to her.
"I'm so happy for our sister, Farina."
"Yeah, so am I. You got that picture, right Matthew?"
"Of course. You can count on me." Matthew snickered and finished drawing the sketch he made of the scene. "Give me a day or two, and I should have it finished."
"No problem. Thanks a lot, Matthew."
"No, no, thank you. This is going to be such sweet gossip, and I'm one of the five people who know about it. Hehehe…Thank you very much, ladies." Matthew grinned impishly and silently sneaked off.
"Stupid thieves…"
A couple of days passed, and soon it was time for Hector's army, A.K.A. Hector's Hecklers, to continue moving along. Because of some last-minute planning on part of Hector and Eliwood, they managed to hold a dance at Castle Ostia to say goodbye to their holiday.
"Jealous Hector?" Eliwood grinned at his blue-haired friend. They were sitting at the bar, watching the others dance, and Eliwood had noticed Hector following Sain and Florina.
"Jealous? Of what?" Hector grumbled, looked into his mug before taking a drink.
"Oh, maybe because Sain got Florina before you did." Eliwood swirled his wine a little before taking a long drink from his cup. "I'm sure you had your sights set on her."
"Shut up Eliwood. Sure, maybe I did, but Sain got to her first so that's that."
"You're just angry that you don't have a girlfriend yet." Eliwood started chuckling, slapping his hand on the counter.
"Bah."
"Oh, I'll see you later, Hector!" Eliwood set his cup down before staggering on his feet, betraying a slight drunkenness on the part of Eliwood. "Lyn wants to dance, and as you know, if she wants something, she gets it!" He ran up to where Lyn was, and soon they were busy dancing.
"Hmph…This is so not fair. Man, Erk got Fiora, San gets Florina, Kent has Priscilla, Eliwood hooked Lyn…This sucks. When am I going to get a girlfriend?"
"Stop being such a pill!" Farina plopped herself into the seat next to Hector. "Come on, dance with me! It'll stop you from groaning and feeling sorry for yourself."
"I think that's the beer that's making me feel sorry, not me. Or maybe I'm too sober. Better drink some more." Hector was about to get another bottle, but Farina stopped him and pulled him off of the seat.
"Don't be a drunkard! It'll be fun!"
"Fine! Fine!" Hector reluctantly placed his empty mug back on the counter before being dragged to the dance floor by Farina.
"Looks like your sister has her sights set on Hector." Sain looked over Florina's shoulder as they were dancing, observing the other couples.
"Yes…She told me that she was attracted to him." Florina murmured to Sain, slowly moving in time with the music. Sain looked up again and spotted Kent nearby.
"Looks like this all worked out, huh?" Sain mouthed the words to Kent, who nodded.
"Yeah…Best plan we ever came up with."
"Well, you just gotta keep trying, Kent. Told you there would be more than one person making noise at Castle Caelin!" Sain grinned widely, winking at Kent. And, for once, Kent mirrored Sain's grin, and winked back.
Chris: God this is too long. But it's like two fics in one. So maybe that's an explanation. I don't know. Well, review and stuff! Tell me if you like it!
Farina: Where do you get ideas for pairings like these?
Chris: It's skill. Seriously. Extreme skill.
Farina: Yeah right.