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For the Kingdom of Peace

Chapter 3: Across the Bridge


Delita found the situation awfully not amusing. He was surrounded by guards and now Ramza has showed up with Larg's powerful mercenary, the Fell Knight Gaffgarion; and is pretending to be wholly innocent. Ramza always did follow his half-brothers for as long as he could remember, surely he is still their charming lapdog. Delita gritted his teeth, giving Ramza a look of loathing.

But the shock and hurt that registered on Ramza's face didn't escape Delita's gaze. It was genuine.

"Are you mad??" Ramza shouted angrily. "I knew naught of any of this! What of you, Delita? You now play party to their plot?"

"Surely you jape!" Delita replied sarcastically, somewhat at a loss about his old best friend's loyalties, but not enough to forgive him for what Ramza's noble family had done to his beloved little sister. "I came to rescue the princess! I would not see her made a tool for others to use to their own ends!"

Gaffgarion gave out a shout of laughter, drawing his sword. "If you would lie, boy, at least lie well! You are no knight errant! You were paid to take the princess. Do not play the fool with me! Name the man who bought your sword!"

"I sell my sword to no one! Do not count me among your lot!" Delita shouted back at the man in bronze. He tightened his grip around Ovelia, even though she was trying to tell him that she was fine and could stand on her own. But then, she didn't know why but she was enjoying having her hand held and being in the embrace of this mystery man, regardless of what others were saying. She was being childish, and she knew that she cannot just trust people for who they were. Oh but, it was still so romantic like the tales...

All the knights around were readying their weapons, Delita noticed. And he also noticed that he didn't have his out. He looked down at Ovelia, who seemed more than fine, and withdrew his arms, quickly drawing his sword.

Gaffgarion always looked like a man who enjoyed life almost too much. He was in a constant mood of amusement, and this young, charming little knight was making him chuckle full-heartedly. "Spare me the lecture, I ask for a name! You'd have me believe some bright-eyed pup caught wind of this plan and rescued the princess in the name of justice!? Who gives you your orders? Who told you of this plot!?"

Ovelia looked over at Delita, who was looking down at the man in full contempt. "That is not for you to know." He pointed his sword at his direction. "Northswaine's Strike!" He yelled, and a magical spear of holy retribution shot from beneath Gaffgarion.

Immediately, the whole place was thrown into commotion as everyone readied their arms and shields. Gaffgarion could not avoid the holy spell no matter where he escaped to and the pain seemed to impale him through. All the muscle in his body seemed to throb uncontrollably, but the battle-hardened knight ignored the pain, and quickly headed up the cliffs toward the bridge.

"Stay back!" Delita hissed at the old man, and swung Ovelia behind him. The knights she faced on the other end however, were coming onto the bridge as well. Voice shaking, she uttered the holy protective spell of Aegis as quickly as she could—which still took a good minute—while helplessly watching the knights draw nearer. "Aegis!" She cried, enveloping both her and Delita in a strong protective field.

"Hold on, Your Highness! I am coming to help!" Agrias yelled from the waters below as she saw the enemy knights descending on the princess. Delita saw her trying to forge against the current of the waterfall towards the bottom of the bridge and wondered what she was doing.

"Do not be so sure of that!"

Agrias whipped her head up angrily. "Have you any idea what you do? The path you tread leads only to perdition! An adopted daughter she may be, but a daughter of kings no less! To lay a finger on her is treason!"

Gaffgarion shook his head in amusement. "Of that, I am well aware. But your daughter of kings stands in the way of kings-to-be! Princess or no, her worth is spent. And those born of kings do not outlive their worth."

"Do you mean to mock her!?"

"No more than we are mocked." Gaffgarion said, looking down at the holy knight who was making her way toward beneath the bridge by jumping across the large smooth stones "Have you once seen a man of royal blood stay his hand when a commoner blocked his way? The only difference is that those of royal blood are protected by lackwits like you, who swear fealty without even a thought! Even should the princess live, it would be only as a pawn in another's game. To kill her now is a mercy!"

"Then it is a mercy I will not see her done!" Agrias yelled as she sliced her sword through the air in an elaborate sweeping motion. "Judgement Blade!"

Within moments, the knights that were coming towards Ovelia on the bridge were trapped in a large mound of holy ice, which also formed a barrier so the other knights behind them couldn't get through. So, Delita mused, she is also a knight of the holy sword.

Ramza and his small motley band of fighters tackled away at the knights behind Gaffgarion, who had put most of his attention on Delita. Gaffgarion made no attempt to step on the bridge and instead stepped to the side of it. "Understand, son, you are just a boy trying to play a man's game!" Then he slashed the air at Delita bellowing the dark technique, Shadowblade.

The heavens seemed to darken above Delita as a bloody eye opened rending the sky, draining some of his life energy in a second and weakening him to his knees. Gaffgarion had avoided coming too close to Delita, and Delita knew exactly why. Two can play this game of long-range sword spells, Delita thought as he noted the enemy knights had been pushed near the old man while fighting off one of Ramza's monks. Quickly evaluating the distance he needed to counter Gaffgarion and the surrounding two men, he ran forward and cried Hallowed Bolt, calling upon heaven's wrath to strike the old man and the group around into agony and speechless silence.

Gaffgarion fell to his knees, energy sapped and shaking violently. "Dammit...!"

Before Delita could react, the old man uttered something and vanished into thin air. The rest of the Order was immediately thrown into confusion at his sudden disappearance. The head knight that led the Order was still frozen in the ice of Agrias' Judgement Blade in the middle of the bridge. The men he led who were stuck behind him immediately took note of the explosion of the barrier of ice in front of them. Their leader shattered along with the ice, revealing Delita, who kicked the remnants of ice and limbs off the bridge. The holy knight gave the trembling knights a simple look of cold amusement, and the junior knights of the White Lion immediately fled without further hesitation.

"Princess Ovelia!" Agrias cried from afar, running toward her liege and kneeling before her. She gave Delita a quick glance and ignored him. "Are you unhurt?"

Ovelia smiled, bending down to help her loyal guard and friend up. "I am fine, you?"

"As long as you are well, I have naught to worry about." Agrias said fiercely as she took the princess' arm, leading her away from Delita. She didn't notice the princess' hesitation and bewildered glance back at the other holy knight.

Delita did, however, and took a step forward; his lips drawn in a thin line. "Let the princess with me. She will be safer in my care," he said, staring at his former friend, Ramza.

"What is this game you play with us, Delita?" Ramza replied in a strained voice.

Delita raised a brow in mock disbelief. "Game? I do no more than speak the truth. You've made an enemy of the entire Order of the Northern Sky. Where would you now take her? Think Ramza. This was Duke Larg's plan—and he would not act without counsel of the queen. You cannot trust the Crown. Would you then turn to Goltanna? No, that would be folly. He would only offer up your heads in hopes of keeping his own."

Ramza and the holy knight, Agrias, looked no more enlightened than before. Delita, annoyed, half toyed with the idea of just snatching Ovelia away and leaving. The lady holy knight narrowed her eyes at him.

"And what, ser, would you propose to do?"

Delita crossed his arms and smirked. "I would do only that which you, my lady, cannot."

"You speak in nothings!" Ramza yelled. "Delita, what has happened to you? Are you not the just, honorable friend I grew up with and saw as a brother?"

Delita sighed heavily, closing his eyes. He turned his back towards them and made a step to leave. He stopped, however, and lifted his eyes to the passing clouds.

"It was Tietra."

The sounds of the waterfall seemed even more deafening in the silence that followed.

Who was Tietra? Ovelia wondered. She noticed that the boy, Ramza, looked extra grim and despondent at the mention of her name. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it when Delita spoke again.

"She watched over me then—as she does now."

Delita could feel all their eyes on his back. He wanted to walk away and leave Ramza and all the memories he stirred up again on the bridge. But his legs had rooted down and he could not will them to move.

"I—we both fought for her, Delita. When Ziekden... when Ziekden fell in the flames and I couldn't find you... I realized something. I had been living my life the only way I knew how. But no more. I now adhere solely to the path of justice and honor—for all living beings regardless of class."

"So you have." Delita turned back around and looked at his old friend. Ramza had grown. He no longer looked the gaunt, bright-eyed boy who saw respect only in his elder half-brothers. There was a more mature and cautious look that Delita was secretly relieved to see. But Ramza was Ramza. Ramza will always have that innocence. An innocence wholly devoid of understanding the devious ploys of the world. Ramza would face any injustice head-on, prudent or no. As he looked at his friend, Delita softened his tired gaze and let go some of the bitterness he had for Ramza.

But...

"What plans have you now that you have regained the Princess?" Delita asked.

Ramza looked at Agrias, who looked at Ovelia and back at Ramza.

Delita smiled, shaking his head. "Ramza, you have not changed. You ever will be honest and just, yet rash and impetuous. I seek a different road for justice, but one cautious and slow to unfold. You say you are here to save the Princess. I saved her from the White Lion's plot at Orbornne long before you had any idea of it. Let Princess Ovelia with me."

Suddenly, Agrias stepped forward angrily. "Ser, I thank you kindly for your concern for the Princess. However, Princess Ovelia has been placed under my protection since her long stay at Orbornne Monastery. I will not leave her."

"Then the decision lies with her. I dare say, you offered little protection leaving the Princess unguarded in the Monastery..."

"Why you—!"

"Lady Agrias!" Ovelia cried, staying Agrias' hand as she reached for her sword. "Ser Delita, Lady Agrias is a knight of the Lionsguard and is sworn to protect me. She goes where I go. Will you not join us instead?"

"If that is the case, then I have other matters I must attend to."

Ovelia frowned and tilted her head slightly. "Did you not say you were also a knight bound to protect me for my safe succession to the throne? If so, extra allies should not be seen as unwelcome."

Delita turned his gaze to Ramza but said nothing. Ramza... Ramza's cowardice in the face of his brothers... his inactions... the Beoulves were the ones responsible for Tietra's death. Nobles... No matter what, Ramza shares their blood. A part of him longed for the days when they traveled together, laughed together, and talked of an ideal society together. Ramza was back now. It could happen again... but it can't. He himself has changed. And his carefully laid out plans were not going to go to waste. "I shall leave her with you for yet a little while longer." He turned around to walk away.

"Delita!" It was Ramza's voice, but Delita did not turn around. "I did not think we would meet again, but... I am glad we have."

"And I hope this meeting is not our last, Ramza." The walk to the end of the bridge felt like an eon. When at last he felt the dirt path under feet, he let out a deep breath and whistled for his chocobo.