Here it is! Chapter 2! If anyone has suggestions or comments or questions, let me know! I'm honestly surprised FFT doesn't have more Delita/Ovelia fics... I guess people just don't want to make him more of a decent fellow. P Later in the chapter, I have borrowed script from the PSP version of the game (many thanks to RevenantThings for providing the full script on Gamefaqs!) And no, I don't own Final Fantasy tactics, 'tis the truth.
For the Kingdom of Peace
Chapter 2: Let it be not in Vain.
The ride was a silent one, neither having much to say or the comfort of a steady ride to do so. Hours had passed and Ovelia found herself having a hard time staying awake. By the time she became conscious, she realized she had completely fallen against Delita as she slept. She immediately jerked herself awake and away.
"Forgive me."
"No offense was taken."
The quick look at the man's face told her that he really didn't seem to have noticed and was deep in thought about something. She wanted to ask, but thought better of it.
Ovelia noted that they had entered a heavily forested area and were picking their way carefully around ancient trees and swampland. Suddenly, Delita stopped and she saw that his hand was on the hilt of his sword.
Delita dismounted the chocobo. "A temporary delay, my apologies."
Ovelia's eyes widened. The monstrous inhabitants of the forest suddenly appeared from behind trees, and rose from swamps. Quick as lightning, Delita made short work of the goblins as he wielded the powers of the Holy Knight. She had seen her personal Holy Knight guard, Agrias, practice some of the attacks Delita was using. The goblins stood little chance against the Judgement Blade, but the undead monster that stood behind the goblins suddenly called forth a bright ball of thunder anima and shot it toward Delita, as he was finishing a second goblin.
Before she could see what happened, she was jerked around by the chocobo. A goblin readied to strike, but the bird took a massive bite of the enemy's shoulder first, forcing him to withdraw. Ovelia started chanting a holy spell of Aegis to protect herself and the bird.
No sooner had she finished her spell, did Delita employ the Hallowed Bolt to strike the last of the enemies in the swampy waters.
"Are you unhurt?" Delita asked, as he headed toward her and the chocobo.
"I am fine," Ovelia replied, and blushed slightly. "L-let me help your wounds."
"Be not worried, the wounds are insignificant. I thank you for your concern, my lady."
Delita deftly swung himself back on the chocobo behind Ovelia, and the giant bird automatically continued forward.
Ovelia was faced with silence again, and she tried to think of something to say for the next relatively long period of time. She was a captive after all, why was she even trying to spark a conversation with her captor? Now she felt very cross with herself. She should be screaming for help, or be jumping off the chocobo right now. She mentally slapped herself. She wouldn't make it far at all, what was she thinking? And the man, at least he had some manners and did not treat her brutally. But it still does not change the fact that he was her captor and—
"There should be no more enemies, if that is what your tense shoulders speak of."
Ovelia snapped out of her inner dialogue.
"...oh...no, no...I—"
"Something worries you overmuch, my lady?"
Ovelia felt another wave of annoyance for some reason. "No, I should not have any worries at all, should I? For I am only a captive and know naught my immediate fate!"
"My greatest apologies, Highness," Delita replied. "You will come to realize that to play some games successfully, one cannot give away all the moves. You will be safe in my care, I will not abandon you."
"I find it overly strange that my captive promises to be my hero when he knows naught of me but my royal status."
Delita opened his mouth to say something but closed it. She was a sharp girl, he realized. "I had come to save you from an evil plot by the White Lion. Were that they succeeded, you would not be talking to me right now. I am a knight bound to protect you for your safe succession to the throne. If that makes me a hero in your eyes, then so be it."
Ovelia felt like she'd just been chastised as if she were some dimwitted girl. Still, she'd still be comfortable if he could provide her with a name of any place, or any person that she is to be brought to. She shifted uncomfortably. Every word that left her lips sounded ignorant and carried no strength; as much as she wanted to appear more collected than she really felt. There was another question that bothered her, and she thought of every way to phrase it so it might sound more intelligent.
"For a girl who has lived her whole life in a monastery... what hope do you find in me to knowledgeably rule a kingdom? I know naught of politics, I could help no one. I would be but a pawn for others to use. I am a name with a body attached, a rag doll could suit me no worse."
Delita looked at her in surprise. It really was rather sharp of her to realize that she was going to be tossed around just like that... a rag doll. She was nobility, and his original plan for her had held no more sympathy than he had for others of noble class. He actually felt a little sorry for her, and his hatred for all nobility softened somewhat only for her, who seemed so untouched by the corruption of power.
"Regardless, remember that your life is valued. Perhaps not in the way you prefer, but for the sake of a kingdom. A Queen educated in the ways of the Holy Word seems a kinder monarch than one spoiled in his crib."
"Pray, what is that sound? It roars!" Ovelia said, holding onto the bird a little too tightly.
"We are approaching Zeirchele Falls. We must dismount and make our way across the bridge on foot."
So the sound that had been roaring in the background was the Zeirchele Falls, a famous, wondrous waterfall known throughout Ivalice. She had only read about it in books. Based on what she remembered from a map, she could scarce believe she had gone so far from the monastery already...
Delita had already dismounted and was offering his hand to help Ovelia. After a second, she snapped out of her thoughts and took his hand.
"Is this not the largest waterfall in Ivalice? I have read much about its splendor!"
Delita smiled slightly as he adjusted the straps and checked on the chocobo. She could act a cool and well-mannered princess, but the bright innocence that shone in her eyes betrayed the young, curious girl she really was. For a princess, he suddenly realized, she was very modestly dressed, and her front locks of her hair were braided in such a simple, plain fashion. Of course, she did grow up in a monastery, perhaps even the blood of royalty could allow her to be so humble.
"Then the bridge should offer us the most excellent viewpoint."
Delita looked up after a moment of silence and saw that Ovelia was already walking towards the bridge. Cursing his wandering mind, Delita quickly led the chocobo to catch up to Ovelia. At least the princess was starting to enjoy this journey as a tour. It made the whole kidnapping process much easier than he had thought.
He looked around for anything out of place. The roar from the falls made it hard to hear for unwelcome sounds. As he walked onto the bridge, his sense of security fell away. Something didn't feel right. Not to mention, this is a perfect spot for an ambush. Not a second later, he barely heard the sound of boots behind him, and reached for Ovelia's arm, dragging her behind him. She was completely oblivious, enjoying the mist from the falls before the sudden jerk. Instantly, all the joy in her eyes paralyzed into fear and confusion.
Knights bearing the arms of the Northern Sky filed out of the forest from both sides of the bridge, trapping them in between. The Northern Sky belonged to Duke Larg's order... Ovelia's heart jumped at the sight of the Duke Larg's standard, but quickly gave way to fear as she remembered Delita's words.
"Stand aside, ser! You are defeated! Surrender the princess, and no more blood must needs to be spilt!"
Delita took Ovelia's hand and held it tightly.
"Do you so enjoy the taste of lies? Your orders are to see the princess dead! And once I've watched you feed the falls her blood, I'm to believe you'd let me live, a witness to your crime?"
The knight looked suspicious and much angrier. "What foolishness is this? We came to save the princess, not to kill her! What could we possibly gain by Lady Ovelia's death? We wish only to see her freed from the Black Lion's claws!"
Ovelia looked at Delita uncertainly. She was amazed at how unperturbed he looked, though the tightness in which he held her hand seemed to betray his anxiety.
"Your Highness!"
Ovelia knew that voice. She looked wildly through the mist of the falls in the direction from whence it came. "Agrias!!" She shouted helplessly from the bridge. Agrias seemed to be with a group of people she didn't know, but they must be friendly since Agrias was with them.
At the sound of the woman's voice, Delita had likewise looked over the bridge to find its source, except his eyes landed on someone else, and his gaze hardened. "Ramza...?" His old friend looked different from what he remembered. At least his taste in dress has improved substantially.
"Delita!! You live!" Ramza shouted in amazement and joy.
"So I do." Delita replied and clenched his teeth as memories of Tietra's death came back to him. "And you, ever our lord brothers' faithful hound?" he shouted back.
Ramza looked hurt and shocked, but before he could reply, the head knight to the right of the bridge stepped forward. "Good, it seems we are no longer alone. Gaffgarion! Kill them all!"
Delita hadn't noticed the old man dressed in bronze armor who was in Ramza's party. His respect for Ramza fell another notch.
"You would now betray us?" Agrias shouted at the old man, who looked just as calm as before. In fact it seemed everyone in the party including Ramza looked angry and betrayed. Delita wanted to laugh.
The old man looked back in feigned shock. "Betray you? You have a viper's tongue, milady. I betray no one. I am in the Order's employ, and they are of it. My task was to see the princess safely abducted. And theirs, to see the one responsible silenced."
The knight named Agrias looked thunderous. "You mean to say the kidnapping was a ruse?" she shouted. Delita wanted to laugh again. If he wasn't trapped between enemy forces on a bridge over a raging waterfall, he would have found their ignorance extremely amusing.
"The princess is an obstacle to the throne. So long as she lives, the threat remains that someone could assert her claim above Prince Orinus's. Two heirs are one too many!" Gaffgarion explained, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword.
Ovelia felt the world tilt. So it was true, what Delita said was true, Duke Larg was going to kill her. Delita felt a pull and his gaze snapped back to Ovelia to find her overwrought with anger and sadness at hearing what he had already told her, coming from someone else's mouth. He quickly put his other arm around Ovelia's shoulders and kept her steady.
"If," Delita began as he glared at both parties, his voice even but lined with ire. "her death is certain, then let it least not be in vain. Kill her if you must, but let it be held she was taken by Goltanna's men. Do that, and the stroke that fells a problem princess at once brings down a rival Lion. That was no doubt Larg's plan all along...Or was it his? Such a plot has more the feel of Dycedarg's thinking." His gaze swiftly swept to Ramza. "Would you not agree, Ramza?"