Keeping A Secret

***

"You haven't been yourself, Ike," Soren observed after delivering his morning report. "Is it... him?"

The spell caster had been the only one to know of Ike's secret relationship with the Heavenly being, solely because he was the only one Ike trusted. Not without reason, of course. He never once criticized the bluenette's relationship, and had proven very supportive.

"Yes," Ike said through gritted teeth. Every new day as King seemed to be a drag for the mercenary these days. His mind, and especially his heart, was elsewhere. If he didn't snap out of it, he knew Geoffrey, Elencia's one TRUE love, would start prying. Soren had already been keeping him at bay with his mere presence.

Ike looked to see that no one was around, before pulling Soren into the library. "I can't get him off my mind, Soren. Elencia is starting to ask questions, and I just don't know..." the blunette said frustrated. "I'm miserable."

"Ike..." his companion began with a sigh."You're a good man, and a good king. As your friend, I hate to see you like this, but as your adviser, I must insist that you get it together. It's obvious that you aren't okay. Elincia even came to me the other day..."

"What did she ask?"

"Only if I knew what was wrong with you, and I explained that the strain of being a noble got to you from time to time. I advised her to be more understanding."

"Uh-huh," Ike said nodding. "Sorry you have to deal with her, I appreciate you covering for me," he continued and embraced his adviser in a friendly hug. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I could give you a list of scenarios, if you desire, but that would do neither of us any good," the archsage replied, patting the King affectionately on the back. "Now, there's been a disturbance to the south. A farmer claims that a Crow Laguz died in his field. Would you like me to dispatch a team to investigate it?"

"That sounds logical; have the army send word as soon as they get there. Have them bring it here to the castle, and we'll make any other necessary calls then," the commander informed his most loyal adviser, and walked off to attend his daily meeting with the council.

***

Ike awoke with a trickle of drool running down his wrist. He looked over and found that his crimson eyed adviser had been the one to rouse him. "Soren?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his other hand.

"Next time you doze off during an important meeting, do try not to snore. You're lucky the Queen wasn't here, or her questions would be the least of your worries."

"Mm," Ike replied, shaking the hand that had been his pillow to try and return the feeling to it. "What happened with the Laguz?"

Soren gestured to the door, "The troops have returned, and have informed me that the Crow still breathes. I'll have Rhys tend to it, and then you can interrogate it for its activities in our area."

"Thank you, I will see to it," the King replied and stood up. This was the umpteenth time he had fallen asleep during the council meetings. There was just something about them that screamed boring.

Ike never wanted to seem heartless by sleeping, or make people feel that he didn't care an ounce about his country; that wasn't it at all. The blunette had been a mercenary for quite some time, and focused on driving evil away, and helping the citizens in every way possible.

Ike quickly exited the meeting hall, with more important matters at hand, the Laguz Crow that crashed landed in a farmers crops. Somehow, the mercenary felt strange, as he walked towards the holding chamber, like something was very wrong, but could not locate the source of his feeling.

He found Rhys, busily tending to the Laguz's injuries.

"How is he?" Ike asked, approaching the bed.

"It's terrible. He's only a boy... In his late teens at best," the healer replied. He looked up when Ike gasped.

"Fuck!" Ike yelled. "SOREN!"

The mercenary's state grew panicked at the sight of his long lost lover. Pit was only just a teenager when they last saw one another. The angel hadn't changed either except for the blood running down his forehead, paleness, and the crushed bones of his now ebony wings.

"My angel...what has happened," the mercenary said, his voice barely a whisper.