Disclaimer: I do not own Last Exile.
The Man Called Freedom- The Scarred Man
Was he glad to wake up in a soft bed with the smell of tea drifting over him? He wasn't sure. But there he was, covered in a mound of thick blankets and twisted roses that stuck to him relentlessly. One look at his bare arm had him sitting up and looking down at his other arm and his chest. Roses. Everywhere, roses. He grunted, reaching up to his shoulder and trying to grasp a bunch of leaves to pull them off. They didn't move and all he felt was skin beneath his fingers. He brushed at his chest; no movement from the flowers there, either. His actions ceased to be gentle. He must have been yelling, because out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone rush into the room, grabbing his scrabbling hands and pinning them to the bed. A second person rushed in and struggled to push his head to the pillow, the muscles of his neck straining against the restraint. They looked worried, and with the last look he got before his head slammed back, he saw blood. Blood on his chest and blood on his hands.
-o-O-o-
The black mask shifted. She had the distinct and uncomfortable feeling that he was examining her. The feeling only got worse when she realized why. Her nightdress had only thin straps on her shoulders and ended a couple inches below her knee. And it had lace trim. And it was pink. And covered in flowers. Unlike her.
Finally, through her horror, she heard him clear his throat.
"Get dressed. I'll wait out here until you are ready."
Sophia gathered what remained of her dignity and gave a firm nod before walking stiff-backed away from the door and into her room. She heard Tatiana say something she couldn't make out before the main door slid shut.
"Sophia!" Tatiana called.
The Empress only stopped because of the oddity of her companion using her given name without at least adding 'ma'am' to the end. "Yes?" She turned to meet the younger woman's eyes.
Tatiana looked concerned. "Are you alright?"
Sophia forced a smile. "Of course. A little embarrassment never killed anyone."
Tatiana shifted. "That's not what I meant."
Sophia was confused. "Then what…?" Then it came back to her.
"You were yelling in your sleep."
She didn't have to ask what she had said. She already knew. "Oh. I'm sorry if I woke you."
"It's fine. I just… Are you sure you're alright?"
Sophia nodded.
"Commander Arthai spoke to me… You do know he's gone, right?"
Another nod.
"And you know that it wasn't your fault, right? You know you didn't kill him."
"But I did," Sophia whispered.
"No," Tatiana said firmly. "You didn't. He knows it, I know it, everyone else knows it. It's time for you to start believing it."
Sophia sighed. "Thank you, Tatiana. I'd better get ready. We don't want to keep the captain waiting."
Tatiana smirked slightly. "We don't?"
Sophia chuckled softly and went into her room, the door clicking behind her.
-o-O-o-
His mouth felt dry and his throat burned when he swallowed. He opened his eyes cautiously. How long had he been asleep? He lifted his head up enough to look down at himself. No roses. Just a bandage. His fuzzy mind registered that as odd, but he vaguely remembered something clawing at his skin. He let his head fall back and after a few long minutes, his mind began to clear bit by bit. Oh, right. He'd done it himself.
-o-O-o-
Sophia walked silently beside the captain… That is, until she realized where they were headed. She looked up at Freedom and the corner of his mouth twitched up in a tiny smile.
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.
"Well, a little, but…"
Freedom stopped and turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest.
Sophia stopped as well, her face showing confusion. She snuck a glance at Tatiana, but the other woman didn't seem to know any more than she did.
"I am…" the captain started, "… I am not used to politics. Or rather, I try to avoid them. So…" His deep voice trailed off. "Be patient with me."
Once more, Sophia felt a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could work something out with Freedom.
-o-O-o-
He faded in and out of sleep. At last, he heard voices around him. People murmured his name in question and confirmation. So they knew who he was. He vaguely wondered if that should worry him. He decided no, on the grounds of not caring. He opened his eyes and the room went silent. As his vision cleared, his eyes darted from face to face. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He frowned. They were asking him something. His name? But they already knew his name. He would only be confirming it. What fate would await him then?
-o-O-o-
That hope lasted all throughout breakfast and through the quiet walk to the conference room. It still hadn't deserted her as she took a seat next to Tatiana and as the captain stood at the head of a long table.
Then Freedom opened his mouth.
The hope shattered.
"I've asked you here because of your relationship with the late Alex Rowe and his ship the Silvana."
Sophia's face drained of all color and emotion. "Excuse me?" she asked flatly.
"It is my intention to find that ship." He locked his gaze onto hers. "And you know where it is."
"Is that what this whole thing was about? Aiding us, cloaking yourself in mystery, demanding I come to this… this detestable place; it was all to get your hands on a better toy?" Her voice was rising higher than it should have been, but she didn't care. "And then I get here and you treat me like… Well, captain, you've done a great job… a great job of insulting the one person you need as a friend." She got to her feet and heard Tatiana scramble up as well, most likely surprised and confused. "I can assure you, sir, that I will not help you find the Silvana and you shall never find it on your own. Now, I will go back to my ship, captain. I will have no further dealings with you and you will from this moment be considered a pirate in the eyes of the empire." She stared back at the masked man, waiting for him to make a move. To her surprise, and anger, he sat down.
"Despite your feelings on the matter," he said smoothly, "I rather like this place. Any idea why?"
Sophia remained silent, gritting her teeth.
The captain's eyes shifted to her left, toward Tatiana.
"It's both a strategic wonderland and nightmare depending on your position, planning, and skill. If you take the time and play it right, you can use the poor visibility and jagged cliffs all to your advantage."
Freedom nodded.
"And if I'm not mistaken, you've been here for quite a while with unlimited access and time to strategize all you wish."
Freedom smiled.
Sophia's eyes widened. Oh no.
-o-O-o-
So they knew now. One of the men had tipped water into his mouth. It helped clear his throat, but he still coughed a few times before he was able to answer their questions. His name? Alex Rowe. They seemed surprised despite the fact that they had known for some time. His name had become rather infamous, so he supposed it was only natural. They talked amongst themselves for a while, and Alex was becoming more and more annoyed with both the men and himself. It was bad enough that they were talking about him as if he wasn't there, but his mind also had to be so uncooperative that he couldn't concentrate enough to make out more than a couple words here and there.
Disith, one said. Was that where he was? He thought it more than possible but he couldn't think of what made him so sure.
The Empress mentioned another man. Empress? If he was in Disith, these men were so far out of the loop, they might as well be at the Farthest Mark of the universe. There was no Empress, but an Emperor. Unless…
