Chapter 2) Haven

"Why can't I go see Alicia with you?" Azel complained as we walked through the gardens. He was done with his lessons, and I had a break, so he insisted we walk together. I believed he just wanted to ask me about this, though. In the gardens, no one could overhear us. "I've been writing her for four years! I really want to see her!"

"Will your motion sickness let you make the trip?" I countered gently, steering him away from the corner of a garden box. He was prone to not watching his feet and getting bruises, and it worried me greatly. "It is quite a ways to Jungby."

"That's…" He groaned, stomping his foot. "Argh… I want to not get sick!"

"I wish the same, but while you do, we must take precautions." Seeing him sulking, I decided to compromise. "If you can make it to Dozel without getting sick, then next time I am able, we'll visit Alicia together."

"Really?!" He lit up immediately but the smile quickly turned into a frown. "Wait, I can't go this time at all?"

"We already made arrangements for you to stay at Dozel while I was away, remember?" I smiled slightly, deciding to be teasing. "Besides, I'm not planning on visiting Duke Ring this time, so you can't sneak off to visit Aideen."

"I-I wouldn't!" However, his blush said otherwise. He'd become infatuated with Aideen, and I supposed I couldn't blame him. Aideen was very beautiful and, more importantly, she was kind. "I'd behave!"

"Of course. I'm not delivering any poems, by the way."

"I-I wouldn't let you!" His blush deepened and he scowled. "You don't know what it's like to love someone anyway."

"I love you."

"Not that sort of love!" Still, his scowl did soften a bit. "But you're twenty now, Arvis. Aren't people bothering you about taking a wife?"

"They are, yes." I had quite a few throw themselves at me, truth be told, but no matter how nice they were, I always just saw my father's mistresses in them, and refused to court anyone. "Any wife I take would have to be someone who you liked, though."

"Really?"

"Of course. I could never be with anyone who wouldn't love you or Alicia." They were my everything, my most precious people. "You both would have to like her too."

"But so few people like me…" Azel's expression fell. "I don't want to keep you from being happy, Arvis…"

"Azel." I stopped walking and knelt down to look him in the eye. "Azel, you are my little brother. Anyone who doesn't like you is not someone who would make me happy. If anything, they are someone who would make me absolutely miserable."

"You sure?"

"I am absolutely certain." I smiled at him and, tentatively, he smiled back. "Your happiness is part of my happiness."

"Okay…" He hugged me tightly and I hugged him back. "I need to finish packing."

"I probably need to get back to work." I pulled away and ruffled his hair. He made a face, but still smiled. "I'll see you at dinner."

"See you then!" Azel ran off, nearly tripping on a loose stone. I debated following to make sure he didn't hurt himself, but I knew that such behaviors were more 'smothering' than anything, so I whispered a little prayer that he wouldn't bust open his knee, again, and returned to my study.

Aida, to my surprise, was there, and she looked startled to see me. "I thought you were on break," she laughed, tucking some papers under her arm. "You're back early."

"No, I took my break a bit early," I replied. I checked the doorknob and noticed something. "Did you break in here again?"

"You really need a better lock. It's far too easy to pick."

"One of these days, I hope you tell me where a bishop's daughter learned to pick locks." I laughed when she simply grinned. "I could've sworn you had the day off today, on healer's orders."

"I was bored, so Father said that I could do some light work. I knew you'd protest, so I tried to time it for your break." She playfully scowled and I rolled my eyes. "But you caught me."

"Is that actually light work?"

"It is. By my definition." That meant it wasn't really 'light' at all. "Relax. I'm recovering very well. Father is just paranoid."

"Well, you did recently give birth after a rough pregnancy." I dropped my gaze, guilt clawing into me. "I'm-"

"If that is yet another apology, I will whack you in the head with the papers I'm holding." She rolled her eyes and gave me an exasperated look. "It was my choice, made with my father's input, and you paid for all the medical expenses. And you're continuing to pay for Cyas's."

"Well, it's the least I can do." It was just our luck, though. Aida and I had both agreed to have no-strings attached sex, and despite our precautions, she ended up pregnant and, like Sunna, Aida was allergic to some of the components for all the known miscarriage teas. "How is Cyas doing?"

"He's doing well. Growing strong. It's a bit rough, being a mother, but I have plenty of help."

"I see." Still, this reminded me of a new proposal I was working on. Our society wasn't a safe place for a single mother and her child, even when they were well respected, like Aida. I wanted to give them help.

"Lost you for a moment." Aida was suddenly in front of me and she laughed when I yelped. I hadn't expected her to get that close. "Are you making a mental note to push something through again because it affects someone close to you?"

"When it affects someone close to me, I research and find the problems are worse than I could have ever thought." I was keenly aware of my own ignorance, and strove to learn as much as I could to better society. "I wish I were more observant so that I didn't need those prompts, but that is neither here nor there."

"Arvis…" Aida sighed, shaking her head even as she smiled. "You can't save the world, you know. You can't save everyone."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

"And things like this remind me that while you and I are physically compatible, I'd probably kill you within a week of actually being married to you." She looked pointedly at the mess of papers on my desk. "That reminds me you'd last maybe five minutes. Maybe."

"I suppose so." I did have to laugh, and she grinned triumphantly. Regardless of the troubles, she really was my dearest, and honestly only, friend. "Please remember to rest while I am away. You're still recovering, for one thing, and if I'm taking a break, so should you."

"I will; I will. You're like a mother hen."

"I suppose it's left over from raising Azel." I shrugged and she snickered. "Are there any messages you want me to give Alicia? I know she'll ask about how you're doing."

"Just tell her that I'm doing well, and that we're both recovering."

"I will." I began nudging her out the door. "Also, please don't pick the lock while I'm away. I keep it locked for reasons."

"Yes, yes, I'll just figure out where you hide the key." She laughed and darted away, and I rolled my eyes again and shut the door.

I still had a bit more work to do before I left in the morning. Alicia never liked it when I put off important work to visit her.

"Why do I always get sick?" Azel groaned as we rode into Dozel Castle's courtyard. He'd just finished off the last of his nausea medicine, and was well enough to sulk. "Argh…"

"It did take longer for you to get sick, and it was milder than before," I reassured, stopping the horse and dismounting. I reached up to help him off and he used the opportunity to give me a quick hug and make me smile. "You should eventually be able to make the journey."

"I really want to meet Lady Sister, though. You suck at describing things and people. Probably because you never think about it."

"No, I suppose I don't." It was a thing Alicia and I shared, actually. Neither of us really thought much about describing the people around us. Honestly, now that I was thinking about it, I wasn't sure if she knew what Aida looked like, despite my talking of her often. "You will meet her, Azel. It's simply a goal to strive for."

"I suppose." He sulked a little more, but cheered up quickly when he caught sight of something. "Lex!"

"Hey, Azel!" Lex called, running down the path towards us. Duke Langbalt followed him at a more sedate pace. "Hello, Arvis!" Lex managed a perfectly timed sudden stop and bowed to me politely. Servants appeared right about then to take Azel's bags. "Thank you for letting Azel stay over."

"Thank you for letting him stay while I am away," I replied. It really did make me feel better to know that Azel wouldn't be left alone while I was away. "I appreciate it."

"It's no problem." Apparently done with politeness, Lex seized Azel by the arm. "Come on! I've something to show you!"

"Lex, you need to…" Duke Langbalt began, reaching us at last. However, Lex and Azel were already running off, with Azel waving goodbye over his shoulder. "I promise I teach him manners."

"It's fine," I reassured, waving back to Azel until he was out of sight. It always hurt to see him leave. "I do worry that the 'something' is another prank, though."

"So long as it's as clever as his other ones, we'll all get a laugh from it." Duke Langbalt smiled slightly, but it disappeared quickly. "A shame Lex isn't the Major Neir. He's far cleverer than Danan."

"I'm sure Danan tries his best."

"He does, but the boy doesn't understand limits, and is always needing someone to bail him out." Duke Langbalt scoffed. "And sometimes, one's best isn't enough if you're not willing to put in the adequate work to actually improve."

I had no idea how to reply to that, and felt distinctly uncomfortable, so instead, I made sure to change the subject. "Ah, pardon, but if you don't mind, there was a policy I was thinking about introducing, and I'd like your opinion on it."

"Hmm? Ah, of course." He smiled slightly. "This is why you're a good man, Arvis. You don't play favorites, unlike our king and prince."

I wisely chose to not comment on that and instead talked to him about my concerns with single parent households and some of the difficulties I had seen and heard about. Asking his opinion on various political matters had been something I had simply started to be polite, after Lex had befriended Azel. However, I quickly learned that Duke Langbalt was one of the few people who was exactly as smart as he thought he was, and that was extremely. Also, for all his faults, and there were many, he ruled his lands fairly and he worked as hard as I did to ensure their safety and prosperity. In all honestly, his envy towards the other houses was likely due, in part, with how he worked hard and yet received no acknowledgement for it.

"I almost forgot," Langbalt said, once the political talk reached a natural conclusion. I subtly glanced up at the sky, noticing by the sun's position that I needed to leave soon. "Tailtiu has been badgering us to let Lex stay over, and apparently, when she learned Azel was here, she has been all but demanding it."

"I have no quarrel with that," I reassured. In fact, I was glad Azel could spend time with his only other friend. Bloom would keep them out of too much trouble, especially if Ethnia tagged along like she normally did. "Should I plan to pick Azel up from Friege then?"

"Yes, that'll keep my servants from drowning in all the letters sent. I have no idea where the girl found so much paper."

"I'm sorry to bring so much trouble."

"Kids will be kids. That said, you should probably get to… wherever it is you go."

"It's simply a place that lets me relax for a while." It was my haven, where for a short time, I could pretend I wasn't the Duke of Velthomer. "If Azel could handle traveling better, I'd take him too."

"Ah, a place like that." Duke Langbalt nodded, understanding. "I've a cabin in the mountains for a similar thing. I tend to go there in the winter and chop wood. Good practice, and its less my people have to do when the weather grows cold."

"I wish mine had more benefits for my people."

"Maintaining your sanity is the best thing you can do for your people." The 'unlike your father' went unspoken. People no longer gossiped about him thankfully, but his shadow hung over me always. "You honestly probably take less days than you should."

"Well, I have my little brother to raise."

"I suppose that is true." Anything else he might've said was cut off by the sounds of many things crashing and many people yelping. Duke Langbalt laughed heartily while I sighed, knowing exactly what happened. Lex had pulled off yet another successful prank, it seemed. I hoped he wouldn't give Azel ideas. I didn't have enough servants to deal with the mess.

When I made it to Jungby, I rented a stall in the inn stable, as was typical for travelers visiting family, and headed to the church to meet Alicia. She met me on the way and happily led to her house, because she now had a house and lived on her own. I went through about five stages of panic when I realized that, and a couple more when I saw how small it was, a simple one-room home with a kitchen and a bathing area. Alicia, however, was very proud of it, so I tried to bite my tongue. It mostly worked.

"I think I see a hole in the roof," I noted as I fixed the blanket she had pinned up to divide off a 'work area'. She was currently in the kitchen area, making tea. "I should send people to make sure it'll hold in a storm."

"It's already been fixed up," Alicia retorted, not looking up from mixing up the tea. I knew she was scowling. "There's nothing to worry about."

"It's a legitimate concern. Another is that you're a fourteen year old living on your own."

"I'm not that far from the church."

"Well, no…" I finished pinning the blanket and stepped back. "Did something happen, though?"

"No one hurt or threw me out, Arvis." She knew my real question in an instance, of course. "I left to make room in the church."

"Why would they need more room?" I checked to make sure the table and chairs were sturdy and even before sitting down. Based on how easily she moved through the kitchen, she'd clearly been here for a little while. She must've wanted to surprise me.

"It's the drought." She climbed up on the counter to try and grab something. "Ugh… I hate being short."

"I'm literally right here." I got up again and picked her up off the counter. She scowled up at me, but I simply smiled. "You're not that short either." She honestly wasn't much shorter than me, which made some sense. Our father had been rather tall, and my vague memories put Sunna at around the same height as Mother. Of course, I wasn't certain on that. Every year, it became harder and harder to remember them. I no longer remembered what Mother looked like, only her smile and her voice. "What do you need?"

"There's two mugs that the villagers put up for me, but it was a really tall person."

"There are… was this person half-giant or something? I can barely reach it." I only managed to secure the two mugs by going on the tips of my toes and straining. "Why would they put it there?"

"I don't know." She took the mugs from me and 'subtly' nudged me back to the table and went back to making tea when I sat down. "What were we talking about again?"

"You were telling me about why the church needed more room."

"That's right." She fiddled with the stove and sighed. "Arvis, can you light this for me?"

"You should have enough fire magic to do that."

"Those pixie things don't like me."

"Yes, they do." I was always surprised by how she couldn't sense the pixies. Some days, I thought it was because she was so scared of fighting and so naturally hesitant in hurting a person. Other days, I thought it was because she was scared of her heritage, embracing it only because it was her connection to Azel and me. "But I'm sending someone to fix your stove."

"Oh, I suppose." She pointed to where she needed the fire and I tossed a little fireball into it. Something like this didn't require a tome, especially when you were of Vala's blood. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I ruffled her hair, noting it was getting long, longer than mine. "So, I know that the country was in a drought. It resulted in a lower than usual harvest."

"Yes, it did." She poked me back over to the chair and then went back to making the tea. "Jungby was hit particularly hard, though, so we had a lot of children abandoned."

"They were…?"

"Their families couldn't feed them, so many dressed them up prettily and left them on the street in the hopes that someone more fortunate could take care of them. Others just gave them to the church directly." She set the kettle on the stove to boil and went back to the mugs. "So, the church was overwhelmed a bit. I didn't really now what to do with the children, so I requested moving out so that they had more resources."

"Duke Ring…"

"He does what he can, of course, but Jungby was hurt badly enough that we have to import food, I think."

"That takes time, even with the good relations." This did make me worry, though. We needed ways to quicken trade in case of emergencies, and better shelters for orphaned and abandoned children. I also needed to check in Velthomer to make sure my own people were safe. I'd thought we were doing well, but now, I wasn't as certain. "May I borrow some paper?"

"There's some in the work area. There's a pen too."

"Thank you."

I found the pen and paper easily and quickly jotted down my thoughts to make sure I wouldn't forget. When that was done, I folded up the paper and tucked it into my bags before sitting at the table again and simply relaxing. It was different than I expected, but it was actually more soothing, being in this tiny house, because it was just us. I could close my eyes and pretend that we were a 'normal' family. Of course, it was hard to keep up the mental image, since Azel wasn't here. Our family was the three of us, and wouldn't be 'complete' otherwise. So, eventually, I opened my eyes and thought about something to ask Alicia about to continue the conversation. However, as I thought, I noticed something. Her frown wasn't her 'concentration' frown. It was a 'sad' frown.

"What happened?" I asked. She glanced over at me curiously. "You're sad about something. What happened?"

"You can tell?" she asked, and groaned when I nodded. "Oh, I need more practice if you can see through it that easily." She scowled and looked annoyed, so I stifled my laugh. Honestly, I was a bit relieved. I had talked to Cowen about what lessons a healer went through, and something he'd said worried me deeply. Cowen said that all those in the medical field were taught how to be calm at all times, especially darker circumstances where others would panic, so that they could react quickly if need be and to be the pillars of support. Many healers isolated themselves to make that easier, but Alicia wasn't so closed off yet. I dreaded the day she would be. "It's nothing to worry about. I'm just sad because I was helping with a patient, but we lost her."

"I see." My instinct was to hug her, but I knew to hold back. She never wanted comforting when a patient died. She didn't see it as something to be pitied, merely another reason to learn all that she could. Those left behind were the ones who needed the comfort. "What happened?"

"She'd been abused by her husband, and she'd managed to escape with her children. We prioritized the children, of course, so by the time we got to her, she'd suffered too much internal bleeding." She took the pot off the stove and set about making the tea. "I know you can't save everyone, but I do wish I had been a little quicker in noticing how bad off she'd been."

"Just because realistically you can't save everyone doesn't mean you shouldn't try, and try to do better."

"That is absolutely correct!" She smiled and set the mugs on the table. I noticed one was chipped and made another mental note to buy her some more. "I don't want presents."

"What makes you think I'm plotting anything?"

"You're always plotting something, dear Lord Brother. But in this case, you always get the same look when you think 'I need to buy her something'." She suddenly frowned. "Your shirt is ripped."

"It is?" I looked down and saw she was right. I hadn't noticed, but there was a noticeable hole on the sleeve. "I wonder how I got that."

"Here. I'll mend it. You can change into a spare shirt."

"Do I have one? You seized the clothes in my bag to do laundry."

"You are deplorable at laundry." She tugged at my sleeve, still frowning. "Let me mend this. I can do it quickly."

"I give; I give. May I borrow the work area?"

"If you're that modest, you may?" She gave me a confused look suddenly. "Though, I do have a question, now that I think about it. The village girls were giggling over some shirtless people in the square, but I couldn't understand why. It was just a person without a shirt. You see them all the time. I do, at least."

"You do?"

"When people get injured on their torso or abdomen, you have to remove their shirt." She continued frowning, and I did have to laugh. "Arvis!"

"I'll attempt to explain later, but you wanted to mend this."

"Yes, I do. Please change."

"Of course." It took a bit to find a shirt to change into, but I did find a clean one, one with shorter sleeves, and I passed the ripped shirt to her. Then I simply watched her for a while. I tended to, whenever she mended something.

I just found sewing fascinating. There was a special sort of magic in being able to patch something together. It wasn't always a perfect, but it became whole again. It took work, but the broken could heal. Perhaps, with a little extra effort, they could become something more beautiful, and more cherished. Of course, fixing broken people or a broken society was far harder. Perhaps that was why sewing was so soothing. It was an 'easier' version of what I hoped to do.

"Arvis, did you injure you arm?" Alicia asked suddenly, in the middle of a stitch. She pointed to the Holy Mark on my left arm, at the lines that were a darker red than the rest. "I can tend to it after this."

"It's just my Mark, Alicia," I replied. I said the words easily, but dread filled me as I looked at the lines. They were a deep crimson red, in contrast to the paler and more orange red of Vala's Marks. It almost looked like blood trying to strangle the rest. "It is quite the oddity, I suppose."

"It makes sense. If I'm odd, then you're odd too." She set the shirt to the side and got up to hug me. It was a bit awkward, like most of her hugs, but I would trade almost anything I had for them. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't worry about it. I'm touched by your concern." I looked to it again though, still uneasy. It was definitely a Holy Mark and having two separate colors implied two separate Holy Bloods. But I didn't know the color. I knew the colors of all the Crusaders' Holy Marks, but I didn't know this one's color. That implied something that nearly made me nauseous from terror, something that I refused to even think about, for my own safety and the safety of Azel and Alicia. "Though, much as I enjoy your hugs, I do want to drink the tea you made me."

"I should also finish fixing that rip." She stepped away and sat down again, needle and thread in hand. "How are Aida and Cyas doing?"

"They seem to be doing well, though I still…"

"You are nothing like our father." She said the words firmly and smiled to emphasize them. "Perhaps you have an illegitimate child like him, but everything is different. It was consensual, you took protections, and you respected her wishes. Our father would've never have done any of that."

"That is true." I sipped the tea and made a face at her, just to make her laugh. "Though, that was quite odd to try explain that particular issue to you." In fact, I'd tried to avoid it, but Azel had written that I was 'off', so she had demanded I explain what was wrong.

"I know where babies come from. There are many diseases and infections associated with the process." She shrugged. "Besides, I am fourteen. The way the village women talk, they expect me having babies before long."

"Please wait a few years."

"You don't have to worry. I don't see myself being a mother ever." She paused in her stitching, her expression going dark. "I don't really have a good example to go off on."

"I see." I wasn't sure what else to say. I still had some good memories of Sunna, but Alicia loathed her with a quiet yet fierce intensity. Nothing anyone could say would change her mind, nor would they change how hurt she'd been over the abandonment. "How have your lessons been going?"

"I'll be a full healer in a couple more years!" She happily talked about all the medicines she learned, glad to change the subject, and I asked questions where I was able.

I enjoyed talking with her. Though I kept secrets, just as she did, it was comforting to know there was someone who understood. I knew she felt the same.

Before I left, I arranged for someone to check the roof and the stove for Alicia, and she'd rolled her eyes, but saw me off with a smile and a hug, as well as a letter for Azel. Then I rode all the way to Friege to pick up Azel, making plans to surprise him with a visit to Belhalla and some stores he'd wanted to visit. It was on the way anyway, so it seemed like a waste. Alicia's birthday was also coming up, so we could get a present for her together.

When I rode into Friege Castle's outer courtyard, I noticed an unusual amount of activity and, strangely, the smell of lingering smoke and char, as if something had been burning recently. I looked around worriedly, wondering if a fire had broken out, but no one looked hurried. They were just… busy.

"Why is it, Arvis, that you always make better time that expected?" Duke Reptor emerged from the crowd, giving me a look somewhere between 'polite' and 'disdainful'. He didn't like me very much, and didn't approve of Azel, but he loved his children too much to really deny them anything, so when Tailtiu befriended Azel, Duke Reptor did his level best to tolerate us both. "I thought I even accounted for it this time, but it seems my estimations were off," he continued, tone carefully polite. His level best wasn't enough to hide it all, but I could appreciate the effort. I could even be a little envious of Bloom, Tailtiu, and Ethnia for having a father who cared so much for them. "It truly is fascinating."

"I might not be trained to fight on a horse, but I am still an accomplished equestrian," I 'explained'. It helped that I traveled alone whenever I visited Alicia, for obvious reasons, and that I took unorthodox shortcuts to have a bit of fun. "Is everything all right? There is a lot of activity."

"It's nothing to worry about. We're simply cleaning up." His eyes flicked over the people, and I noticed most actually seemed to be soldiers, not servants, based on their garb. "We just finished up a hunt for those of the Loptyrian Cult." He said the words distantly and clinically, but I still felt like someone just stabbed me in the stomach. "The fires only just now cooled."

I almost asked him to clarify, certain I had heard wrong. But the group nearest to us stepped away and I had a horrifying view of the remains. There were children in the group. There were children, as old as Azel, younger than Azel even, now nothing more than bits of charred flesh twisted in pain, bones blackened and cracked. Some held hands, seeking comfort in their final moments. Others were strangely curled up, as if they had tried to shield themselves, or someone else, from the inevitable end.

"I… trust that Azel didn't see this?" I asked calmly. It took long years of practice to keep my poise. "He's much too young."

"I thought about having him, Lex, and Tailtiu watch, but before I could decide, Bloom took them and Ethnia into the woods for a hike," Duke Reptor sighed. I had never been so tempted to use Valflame on someone before. I wondered if he'd be so blasé if he was the one being reduced to ash. Though, Valflame didn't even leave ashes behind. "Still, you shouldn't coddle the young, Arvis. They should know to do their duty."

"Azel's duties shall be something he and I both agree on, when he is an adult." I struggled to keep my temper. It would be very bad to kill him right now. If I wanted to assassinate someone, I at least needed a good story for it. "Considering his personality, I highly doubt 'executioner' will be on that list."

"Lord Reptor!" a soldier called then, cutting the conversation short. They kicked one of the remains, another child, and I heard a heartbreakingly quiet whimper. "One's still alive."

"Why are you bothering me with that?" Duke Reptor scoffed. He even rolled his eyes. "Crush the skull and be done with it. Threats to the kingdom should be eliminated quickly and efficiently."

But what threat was a child? I wanted to scream that at him. I wanted to demand, in detail, just how a child could be a threat. But I bit my tongue and looked away before the soldier killed the child. I knew he wouldn't listen and Velthomer's position was still fragile enough that I could not afford to so openly make enemies. Worse, he might forbid Azel from seeing Tailtiu, and I did not want Azel to lose one of his few friends.

Then there was the dark red Mark on my own arm. The histories mentioned that the Crusaders took on the power of Gods because they had to counter the godly power of Loptyr. They mentioned that those of Loptyr's blood had 'Holy' Marks too. It was possible, horribly possible, that I, somehow, had the blood. Emperor Galle the Seventeenth might have died without an heir, but it was possible Saint Maera had descendants. There were no records, but then again, there were no records of Saint Maera after his failed rebellion. It was plausible enough that I couldn't dismiss it. But that was just all the more dangerous.

If it were true, and if it was found out, I'd burn. I'd be burned at the stake, just like these poor, poor people. It wouldn't matter if I were descended from Vala, Crusader of Flames. It wouldn't matter if I were, in fact, descended from Saint Maera, who fought against the Loptyrian Empire. If I really was of Loptyr's blood, that would be all any would see and everyone would cheer as I died, screaming in pain. I was afraid of that. I was afraid of leaving Azel and Alicia behind. I had to at least make the world a little better and safer for them before I died. I had to make it more peaceful, more equal, for everyone. It was my job as a Crusader's descendant to do so.

But as I stared at the corpses, just casually dragged away as if they were nothing but charred logs, I decided two things. One, I would never let Azel stay the night at Friege again. Two, I would never allow a hunt in my lands. I had no other way to protect children like this, for now, but I would do what I could. Children shouldn't suffer for their parents' mistakes. Children shouldn't suffer at all, really. I needed… I needed to make a world that ensured that.

I would not stand aside and see children die again. This would be the last time. I would never be this helpless again. I would become stronger, and I would strengthen my position politically, to allow myself that freedom. I vowed that to the dead here, and hoped dearly I could hold to it.

Author's Notes: So, for emphasis, this chapter is about four years after the previous chapter (and five years before the start of Memoirs of the Holy War) meaning that for my personal timeline, Cyas was just born. Have little Azel and a bit of little Lex, as well as some characterization for Langbalt and Reptor. Ftr, Azel and Alicia didn't meet face to face until the events of FE4.

Langbalt being driven by envy and feeling as if it is unfair that the Crusaders were equal yet their descendents play 'favorites' comes from the Oosawa manga, as does his favoritism for Lex (this is before the two of them had the falling out that leads to Lex hating him). Langbalt thinking Danan, his elder son, is an idiot does come from the game, though. Reptor being a loving father is a bit implied in the game, but this characterization is mostly from the Oosawa manga.

Hunts for those of the Loptyr Cults is only very briefly mentioned in the 1st generation of FE4, specifically a village in Game-Chapter 2. However, it's probably an important thing to remember to understand quite a few motivations in the game, at least in my opinion.

The story about 'dressing up children prettily and leaving them on the street' comes from a support conversation in FE6, actually.

Next Chapter – Night