A/N: Well, Chapter Four time. With any luck I'll finish Chapter Five way ahead of schedule~

Nothing really to say here, so I'll get right down to it. Oh, but I had to come up with an adjective to mean "from Talys" so I chose "Talyan". In case that was hard to understand.

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Chapter Four: Talyan Grave

Zuni and Abel touched down on the eastern shores of Talys. Abel immediately strode over to a nearby fortress.

"Ah, this brings back memories," he said wistfully.

"It does?" asked Zuni, who followed his father. "Why?"

Abel mentioned who he was to the guards, and they granted him access.

"Because eighteen years ago, Lord Marth, Sir Jagen, Draug, Gordin, my brother and I took refuge here when Gra took Altea. The king of Talys let us use this then-recently-built fort. Because of our Altean background, he named it Fort Anri, so as to call his protection to it."

"I see…" Zuni followed his father inside. It was a very simple design, not a whole lot of frills, with a definite eye for function over form. Wall reinforcements, sparse furnishings, basic quarters for knights residing there, and so on.

"I slept in this room with Sir Jagen and my brother, Cain, back when they were still alive. Caeda, when she visited, slept in that room, with Lord Marth. And Gordin, Draug, and Malledus slept in that room."

Zuni took a look in each room. Each had a basic bed that could comfortably rest two people, but according to Abel, the knights and tactician all slept in threes. Not exactly great living arrangements, but of course it could have been a lot worse. Cramped bedding was much better than sleeping six feet under.

In any case, it wasn't uncommon for men to share beds in this day and age, especially with the lack of available space. And Marth and Caeda had been close enough friends to warrant sharing beds. It wasn't like people doubted what they were doing in there anyway. They were prince and princess after all. Abel had often been kept awake by the noises Caeda had made in the adjacent room when she and Marth lost control to their tumultuous and confusing emotions for one another.

"Interesting set-up," said Zuni. "Very functional. I like that. But may we visit Princess Caeda's grave now, please?" His impatience was evident.

"What's your rush?" asked Abel.

Zuni wasn't ready to tell his father exactly why he eagerly wanted to go to Macedon. "I just really want to see the grave, that's all."

Abel nodded. "Of course. Let's go." Abel could tell there was something Zuni was hiding from him. But he figured it would show itself in time.

When Abel and Zuni arrived at the Talys Cemetery, they found a person already there, dressed in black, but distinctly regal, clothes. He stood beside a larger-than-average grave, which was adorned with many sorts of gifts, from incense to candles to flowers, and even a few weapons that had been laid down in offering.

Abel happened to recognize one of the weapons, an axe, which he knew had been named Skullreaver by its former owner, the warrior Barst. Barst had quite literally given his axe to Caeda (for of course it was her grave).

The black-clad man knelt by the grave and lay a blue flower on it. Zuni noticed many similar flowers on the grave of various ages. They each looked about a week older than the next. He figured this man must have visited this grave once a week for the last few years.

Abel approached him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," he spoke. Zuni realized the man must be the king of Talys.

"Hm?" said the king as he looked up. "Oh, Sir Abel. Good to see you again after all these years. I could use some company."

"As could I."

"Who's the boy?"

Abel laid his hand on Zuni's head. "He is my son, Zuni."

The king knelt down to Zuni's level, a common occurrence Zuni secretly enjoyed. It made him feel superior, seeing someone kneel before him. Sometimes it was as high an honor as a twelve-year-old could get.

"It is an honor to meet you, young Altean," said the king. "Abel, am I correct in assuming he is a Manakete, like his mother?"

"That is correct, Your Majesty. He's not the only one, though. About four years ago, we had two more. Twins, a boy and a girl. They're back home with their mother."

"I see." The king rose to his feet. "I wish I could share my happiness with you about that, but as you can see, you caught me at a bad time."

Zuni entered the conversation. "Mourning the loss of your daughter, Caeda. Am I right?"

The king chuckled. "He's quite perceptive, like his mother, but blunt like his father."

Zuni smiled, taking that as a compliment.

Abel, on the other hand, was mortified. "He is, is he not? I'm sorry, but—"

"Sorry?" said the king. "For what? His honesty and logic are refreshing in times such as these. Many nations are rebuilding after the war, and monarchies constantly lie to their people. People lie to one another. From things so grave as the status of the economy to trivial as how another person looks. Why, in these obscure times, I must say Zuni here would make a fine leader!"

"Thank you, sir," said Zuni. Changing the subject, he said, "Was she a good daughter?" He already knew the answer, but he felt it an obligatory question.

"Aye, she was. She was beautiful, and she had a hidden talent." The king paused. "Actually, now that I think about it, I wouldn't say hidden so much as that people never seemed to notice it until it was too late."

"And what talent was that?" asked Zuni. Abel smiled, for he already knew what it was, having witnessed it firsthand.

"A mixture of beguiling charm and persuasive logic. In all modesty, it runs in the family. The royal family of Talys is known for its ability to bend and manipulate people to their will. Abel knows this, as I am sure."

"That I do, sir," Abel replied.

"A good friend of mine from Grust, Lorenz, and I often debated topics such as tax codes and economics, especially the trade agreement between Talys and Grust. Talys, being an island nation, exports things such as shellfish, seafood, and certain exotic and—in Grust—rare plants. In exchange, Grust, having more access to raw materials for building than we do, exports said materials to us. Whenever we came to an argument in the policy, he always conceded his point to mine."

"Sir," interrupted Abel, "I do remember Caeda mentioning one argument you conceded to Lorenz."

"… right, about what to do with condemned criminals. He had a lucky flash of inspiration."

Abel felt it relevant to tell his son a quick tale. "Zuni, did you know that Marth convinced General Lorenz to fight against Grust, with the Archanean League?"

"No, I didn't," said Zuni.

"He explained that, by defying the king of Grust, he was helping secure Grust's future. How did that saying of yours go?"

The king cleared his throat and recited the saying he had taught both Marth and his daughter. "It went 'A kingless country is a country still, but a king without subjects rules naught but hills.'"

"I'll try to remember that," said Zuni. "By yours and my father's leave, I believe now is a good time to go to Macedon."

"Anxious, are we?" joked the king. "Very well. Thank you for visiting, Zuni. Live well, grow strong, and be sure, young dragon."

"Thank you, sir," said Zuni, bowing to the king.

"You're quite welcome."

Zuni and Abel left Talys, all the better for the visit. As they travel to Macedon, now might be a good time to check in on the family back home in Altea…

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A/N: Sorry this chapter seems short and forced. Not my best one, I have to admit, but it's part of the story. Again, there's a good reason Zuni's eager to reach Macedon, just be patient.

Next chapter will show what's happening meanthewhiles in Altea, as well as in one other place…

Stay tuned!

Edit: Wow, I epic failed. A reader pointed out to me that I wrote that Caeda recruited Lorenz when she died nine chapters before. I think I wasn't thinking when I thought of that. So I rewrote it to be Marth, because he too can recruit Lorenz. Thank you, Mark of the Asphodel! You get a megacookie for that!