Hello again, FE fans. I've decided to incorporate more than one storyline (probably three at most) into this fic, though they will mostly be subordinate to the main one. In this chapter, we begin with a little spilling of beans, followed by the first part of the side story. Read on!
Chapter 4: People to "Count" On
"Soren…I suppose it's time you let the cat out of the bag on what you meant," Ike told the mage as everyone (including Pollack) had gathered around their own private table for the morning meal. The room was lit by a lantern and the light from a single window, and was free of decorations. The table was filled with an assortment of foods: plates of meat, baskets of bread, bowls of fruit, and some plates of sweet delights as well. The crew of the ship was outside clearing the decks of the dead pirates, and cleaning up the mess as well. Mist had asked to help, but said there was no need. Now, everyone (including Nailah) was around the table, interested in the big secret Soren had been hiding.
"Alright…" Soren said before taking a deep breath. "Everyone, I've been keeping something about my heritage from you all. Only Ike and a select few others know this secret. I've kept this hidden because I feared you would reject me, and even now I have that fear."
"So…spit it out!" Mia quipped. "I'm on the edge of my seat here!"
"Don't worry about it, Soren…I'll still like you no matter what you are!" Mist said, smiling as she always did. "And I'm sure everyone else here will too."
"Guys…I…I'm a Branded," Soren said with a look that suggested that just saying those words was like the greatest agony possible.
"Branded?" Boyd said, scratching his head in puzzlement. "I'm not sure what that is. Ike, could you explain?" But instead, Nailah began to explain the nature of the Branded.
"The Branded are the result of having both beorc and laguz blood in your veins. Laguz who disdain them call them 'parentless'."
"Yes," Soren then said, continuing where Nailah had begun, "we Branded are a crime against the goddess…in beorc society we are ostracized, persecuted and hated; in laguz society we are viewed as invisible, not even acknowledged to exist. To laguz, we are supposed to be phantoms."
"T-that's horrible!" Mist exclaimed, a look of sheer disgust on her face.
"Woah…that's pretty harsh," Boyd quipped, wearing a look of awkward surprise.
"Well, that certainly explains why you never talked to most of us," Gatrie added, suddenly feeling enlightened on a question that had never been answered for him.
"Wow, I had no idea," Rolf gasped. Mia, however, did not seem so surprised at this lie. She had heard the tale of how Lehran and Altina kept their child a secret, and how that led to that great lie. She had been one of those chosen to accompany Ike and Micaiah into the Tower of Guidance. Rafiel, who was familiar with the customs of the laguz, was also unsurprised.
"Well, I still like you, Soren!" Mia said. "And I'm sure everyone else here does too; right guys?!"
"I know I do!" Rolf said, smiling pleasantly to make Soren feel better. "Without your smarts, I doubt we would have beat Ashnard, or saved all the petrified people!"
"I can't say you being part-laguz will change how I see you," Gatrie said. "To me, you'll always be our little master tactician. You've pulled some really wild plans from up your sleeve, and made it all work. I can't hate that kind of genius!"
"My country has numerous parentless, and all of my people, no matter who they are," Nailah replied, "live in harmony without persecution. I do not consider them to be shameful, let alone phantoms."
"Yeah, you're still pretty good in my book," Boyd replied.
"I have spent much time with parentless, and I also share Nailah's view," Rafiel answered. "And it is obvious to me that everyone else in this room has no malice toward you." The mage, moved by this unanimous show of friendship despite his status, could not help but start to cry.
"I…I…thanks guys…" Soren replied with the biggest smile he ever had.
"All right, all right, quit crying so we can have breakfast!" Boyd complained.
"Yeah! I'm starving!" Pollack quipped as he grabbed an apple from one of the bowls and began to devour it. Without another word, everyone at the table began to eat, though in a more civil manner.
"Good morning to you, my radiant and stunning friend," Duke Oliver said joyously as Reyson stepped into the great meeting hall in Mainal Cathedral where the senators of Begnion met with the empress to discuss matters of state. The hall, with a high-vaulted ceiling that seemed to stretch upward forever, was filled with sunlight, which poured through the stained-glass windows, depicting the epic battles of Begnion's first apostle, Altina, holding in each hand one of her holy swords. One window had been taken out, after Sanaki had commissioned a new one to be made. The vastness of the room made Oliver's robust greeting echo slightly. The old, corrupt senate had been dismantled inadvertently by the deaths of its various members, and only Duke Oliver, who had switched sides upon meeting Rafiel, and Sephiran, who remained in his post as Prime Minister to repent for his mistakes remained, besides a senator who had remained silent during the Daein occupation and War of Radiance. In the place of the old senate, Empress Sanaki appointed new senators, including the fiery-spirited heron prince.
"Ugh…please stop complimenting me like that, you fat oaf," Reyson groaned as he walked over to his seat. "I'm not a pretty piece of artwork to be admired. And I am not your friend, either."
"Come now, my white-winged beauty," Oliver cooed. "Can't we let bygones be bygones? I have long since realized that beautiful creatures such as you are most captivating when free from bondage! Besides, was it not I who personally ceded Serenes Forest, which had been a part of MY demesne, back to you and your family?"
"You only did it after the Empress personally threatened to cook you in your own corpulence," Reyson spat as he adjusted his wings to his new seat. Just then, a pair of senators, young and vibrant, entered the hall. Soon four others followed, all of them young and eager to push their ideas for change in Begnion. Finally, Sanaki, who walked in a regal gait, her vibrant and powerful personality seeming to radiate from her even when she was silent, joined them, with Sephiran, his wings still well-concealed by his robes, . The great wooden doors closed behind Sephiran, and the other senators awaited their young empress to sit down before they seated themselves.
"Before we begin," Sephiran said, looking around at the new senators, "we must ensure that the quota of senators is in attendance. I will now call out your names, and if you are present, indicate that you are present, in a manner that does not displease our Empress, of course…Henri, Duke of Clubia."
"Present," said a silver-haired young man with soft green eyes.
"Aiesha, Duchess of Culbert," Sephiran called out.
"Here," spoke a ginger-haired maiden sitting next to Reyson.
"Kay, Duke of Gaddos."
"Present, my Empress," a blonde-haired young man,with a wispy beard spoke.
"Fir, Duke of Clubea."
"Here," an aged, but vibrant man with smooth black hair answered.
"Vivian, Duchess of Asmin."
"I am here, Duke Persis," a purple-haired, middle-aged woman replied.
"Darius, Duke of Salmo."
"Here," a powerful, brown-haired man with a pointed beard spoke.
"Gavir, Duke of Seliora."
"Present," a red-haired young man with a diamond earring in his left ear answered.
"Oliver, Duke of Tanas."
"I am here, and might I say you look quite lovely today, oh, glorious Empress," Oliver answered with a flourish and a twinkle in his eye which caused Sanaki to sit back more in her chair, a bit nervous.
"And lastly, Reyson, Duke of Serenes Forest."
"Here," Reyson answered, giving Oliver a mean glance.
With a nod, Sephiran turned to Sanaki. "My Empress, all of the senators are present. May we begin the proceedings?"
"We may begin," the young empress replied before adjusting her seat a bit closer to the oval table that the senators now sat around. "Has anyone any matters they wish to bring to the table?" Wasting no time, Reyson raised his hand, his index finger pointed to the ceiling.
"Duke Serenes?" Sanaki said, acknowledging the heron. "Speak of the matter that concerns you."
"Thank you, Empress," Reyson replied, bowing his head in ritual gratitude. "Senators of Begnion, I have been approached by the king of the Phoenicis Federation, the esteemed Tibarn, with a request for military aid."
"What? Why should we help those sub-humans?" Darius spoke and he stood. Before he could say much else, he was met with a terrifying glare from Sephiran.
"We will no longer tolerate the term 'sub-human' in this hall, Duke Salmo!" Sephiran said coldly. "If you wish to remain in this meeting to voice your own issues, refrain from interruption and from using that vile term."
"Sephiran, please calm yourself!" Sanaki pleaded to her Prime Minister and friend. Sephiran, realizing his flaring temper, composed himself and sat back down, as did Darius. Once that occurred, Reyson continued.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, the Phoenicis Federation is under attack by a threat that has kept itself quiet during the Mad King's War and the War of Radiance, but has suddenly risen in violent rebellion."
"…Rebellion?" Duke Clubea exclaimed. "What could possibly cause a rebellion within that Federation? I heard King Tibarn was beloved by all of the bird tribes."
"Not all of them. The rebelling force is the owl tribe."
"A tribe of owl sub…I mean laguz?" Darius spoke up again, correcting himself before he could face the wrath of the Duke of Persis.
"Yes. The existence of the owl tribe has been unknown outside of Phoenicis, at least until now," Reyson answered. "The ravens, being cowardly in nature, have opted to exclude themselves from the battle. After the gruesome slaughter of much of Phoenicis' fighting force during the War of Radiance, the hawks do not have enough power to counter the owls."
"I would assume the beasts of Gallia would have little chance to stave off the owls, since they cannot fly," Sephiran said. "And Goldoa still remains aloof to the troubles of its fellows, despite the new king's best efforts."
"Indeed, Le…I mean Duke Persis," Reyson replied with a nod, almost uttering Sephiran's original name. "Crimea and Daein are still rebuilding, which leaves only Begnion to aid them."
"I am willing to contribute a few squadrons of archers, Senator Serenes," Duchess Asmin replied. "It is the least we can do to even begin to repay for our grave misdeeds against them." While Reyson gave a smile of gratitude to the young senator, the other nobles adamantly refused, for different reasons.
"It seems the rest of the senate is against you, Duke Serenes, and I myself feel that we cannot simply lend military aid to King Phoenicis. I would prefer a more diplomatic approach before we throw away the lives of more Begnion soldiers so soon after the war."
"King Tibarn has already tried talking to them," Reyson replied, his frustration growing. "They are ruining Phoenician homes and lives! We cannot let their crimes go unanswered. I do not ask for their slaughter, merely for them to be taught a lesson."
"I'm afraid I must still turn away your plea, Duke Serenes," Sanaki said apologetically, intentionally neglecting as always to refer to herself in the plural so as to make herself more equal to her senators. "As Empress of Begnion, I must officially deny Phoenicis any military aid." Sighing with defeat, Reyson sat down as a murmur went through the senators.
Before much else could happen, the wooden doors to the meeting chamber were forced open by four heavily armored Generals with silver lances, and stood at the door, soon followed by a black-haired, aging noble with a short mustache, and a look of sheer fury in his countenance.
"I demand your attention, Empress!" the noble roared.
"Count Damiell, have you no manners?" Oliver exclaimed. "We are conducting important senatorial proceedings!"
"Lack of manners is nowhere near as horrid as a lack of adherence to the proper rules of marriage and betrothal!" the count roared. "I demand reconciliation for the loss of my daughter's betrothed!"
"The count has a point," the duke of Gaddos said. "My father, the previous Duke of Gaddos, was to be wed to Damiell's eldest daughter, Lady Astrid."
"But now Lekain is dead, and my daughter is in Crimea; and in love with a lazy-good-for-nothing, no less!" the count continued. "I refuse to let my prized daughter marry a man with a gambling addiction and…pink hair!"
"Better to be a lazy-good-for-nothing than to be a greedy, genocidal megalomaniac," Reyson muttered. Sanaki, having overheard Reyson's muttering, smirked a bit before turning to the count.
"While I will see to it that Duke Kay will repay you as best he can, I will not force Lady Astrid to return here. Only Elincia, queen of Crimea, whom she serves, could give such an order. Crimea is now completely independent of Begnion, and is no longer expected to comply to even my wishes, let alone the wishes of a lesser noble."
"Empress, I beg of you!" the count continued to plead. "I cannot allow a do-nothing like Sir Makalov to be with my daughter! You must do something! Begnion must remind Crimea who…"
"My decision is final, Count Damiell!" Sanaki shot back, standing on her chair. "Begone or I shall have the Holy Guard drag you out and fling you into the streets! I will tolerate no more disruption!" At this, Count Damiell finally ceased his ranting. Scowling at Sanaki, he made a ritual bow before leaving. The armored soldiers, who had not moved since the argument began, finally left, not bothering to close the doors behind them.