Welcome to the fourth chapter of my story. I am excited as this chapter will be one of several key chapters in illustrating how Gareth grew up separated from his sister and in the rather unpleasant court of King Garon. I am delighted as I can really begin to make changes that will affect the stories later chapters and plot. Hope you enjoy.
I'd like to thank Mercedes Dawn for reviewing my last chapter, I must say that I was not expecting it, so thank you. As far as your question concerning Gareth and Eleanor's names, well do recall that neither their birth father or birth mother is actually from Hoshido, thus they did not give them Hoshidan names. You will learn more about Mikoto's original home later on in the story, but in short her home was a bit of a melting pot.
This chapter begins at Krakenburg Castle in Nohr capital of Windmire two weeks after the end of chapter three. I have created names and identities of all of Garon's concubines, and his children. Man is it going to be busy and rather unpleasant. Heads up Garon has five concubines in my story and a total of nine biological children, with Eleanor effectively adopted as his tenth child.
-Krakenburg Castle 1575 A.G-
The throne room of Krakenburg Castle was a large hall that typically was rather busy when the King was in residence, yet today it was packed with all the members of the Royal court, from the king's five concubines, the nobility, and all of Garon's children from the eldest, Xander, to the youngest, Elise, who was but four. The courtiers, nobles, and children stood nervous and anxious as they waited for the king to appear. The Nohrian throne stood empty and daunting at the far end of the hall, the throne was stark white with what appeared to be white roots leading towards the King's seat. The seat itself was made of aged ivory carved in a draconic theme with the arms of the throne itself made from a pair of Gethin's talons. Next to the throne were lances, axes, aged swords, and a few banners from King Garon's various victories and conquests. Behind the throne, the stone walls were dark with thick bronze roots coiling and unfurling towards the audience.
Near the back of the large crowd, an aged knight with graying hair stood in his black armor gazing with little interest and a fair amount of distaste at the throne. Leaning against a pillar the knight turned his attention to the rest of the large chamber, the silver vines decorating the stone pillars glinted in the light illuminating the greed in the eyes of the richer dressed nobles who held themselves towards the back of the crowd. The stairs leading towards the throne were empty save for the rich red carpet that brought more color into the throne room. Disgusted by the opulence on display and the greed he saw the aging knight turned his gaze towards the throne once again waiting for the king to make his appearance. The knight had not long to wait, as in a flash King Garon appeared at the top of the stairs drawing wary glances from the nobles at the back of the hall.
The king stood tall upon his dais gazing upon his subjects, his eyes resting briefly on his concubines and children before he turned to address the court in its entirety. The king's posture was firm and commanding, like a general addressing his soldiers. The king wasted no time with introductions and immediately went straight to business. "I have called you here for several reasons. The most important of which will be a focused discussion on the ills facing our nation and the best way to alleviate the suffering of our people. Over the next few weeks there will be opportunities for you Lords and Ladies to present your case regarding your lands and profits. It seems that for now the influx of food from the Ice Tribe will be enough to keep most of our citizens from starving, but if our understanding of Hoshido's barrier is correct this will not last long." At this, there was an outbreak of nervous chatter from the nobles. "Though this is troubling we are making efforts to circumvent this curse Hoshido has brought upon our lands. Before we begin discussions, I have an introduction to make. Iago bring him out." Garon ordered.
The tall and greasy haired sorcerer bowed to the king and with a flash of light vanished, seconds later the sorcerer returned with a green haired lad dressed in fine grey and bronze clothes with red piping lining his sleeves, and a pair of brown boots on his feet that he was clearly uncomfortable with. The child had a disgruntled look on his face and quickly shot the king a dark look before Iago returned the lad's attention to the crowd before him. Children in the royal castle were typically a delight, as enjoying his children's company was one of the few activities that caused the grim and often dour king to relax. Unfortunately, it was an unwritten rule in the castle that none of the visiting nobility bring their children to the castle. The cause of this rule was clear as the five concubines turned their sharp eyes to the child, their pleasant expressions only barely masking their irritation.
"This boy is Gareth, my ward." Garon declared. Immediately, the concubines irritated eyes sharpened as they began to judge the green haired youth with suspicion.
Lorette, the king's third concubine and current favorite, stepped forward with her purple gown and rich black hair, her aristocratic face set in a pleasant manner as she addressed her 'husband.' "My darling," Lorette began, her thick Cheve accent ringing pleasantly in the ears of the assembled nobles. "Surely it would be better to hand off this child to a noble family to raise, he clearly is important enough to catch your attention, but you have so many children. Why take responsibility for one not of your own my darling?" Lorette questioned with faked innocence.
Garon's dark gaze rested heavily on the boy before turning to the black haired Chevois woman and the rest of his concubines. "He shall stay with us. The boy shows promise and I shall not see it wasted." Garon declared in a tone that brooked no discussion. Turning his attention to the assembled nobles, he gestured towards a man entering his middle years, with graying hair and rather simple clothes. "I would like to welcome our newest noble, Lord Bernard a commoner who rallied the forces of the late Lord Eurig after his gaffe in the most recent battle with the Matara to the north. Your experience with the Matara will be useful in determining the actions our nation should take in the coming months and years." Garon intoned before taking his seat.
Looking out into the sea of unknown faces Gareth shut out the droning of the King and the assembled nobles. The Royal Family immediately drew his attention, not only were the concubines and the children dressed in fine clothes of black, purple, and lush reds, but the concubines were eyeing him with distaste and suspicion as he slipped away from Iago and made his way into the crowd.
Slowly walking through the crowd, Gareth turned from the hostile eyes of the concubines and hunching his shoulders he sought to escape their gaze. Moving past the ladies his pointed ears caught the ladies talking amongst themselves. "Why would Garon take on a ward, you don't think that little boy is …" The raven-haired concubine question trailed off.
"Of course not, there is nothing of Garon in his features. The lad has neither the hair color, the jaw, or even the eyes of my beloved. And with those pointed ears of his it's possible that he's not even human." The most regal of the ladies declared, her rich brown hair and fine features shining bright with scented oils.
"It's clear that the boy is no son of my beloved." A rather fierce looking woman with lavender hair declared, her eyes challenging the other ladies. "But I think that the boy might bring challenges and difficulties regardless of his relation to Garon."
"Agnes, surely you are not implying that Garon intends to supplant Xander and our own children with this green haired mongrel?" Lorette questioned her disdain clear in her voice.
"I'm not surprised that a foreigner from Cheve would not know this, but several of Nohr's greatest Kings and Queens, were actually adopted children chosen over the previous ruler's own flesh and blood to rule the kingdom. Perhaps Garon intends to introduce a little competition for the crown." Agnes argued insulting the black haired Chevois woman.
Moving forward faster Gareth finally put enough distance to escape the judgmental words of the concubines. Glancing back to be sure that he had escaped Gareth suddenly found running headfirst into a black armored man. Rubbing his sore head Gareth glared irritably up at an aging knight with a grim face and a large scar crossing his lips and over his eye. Smiling at the boy, the aged knight's face lost a bit of its grimness.
"I understand your desire to get away from these people young one, but a swift exit would only look suspicious." The knight cautioned.
"But I am not doing anything suspicious, I just don't like the king, and those ladies are looking at me like I am some kind of threat, but I haven't done anything!" Gareth angrily stated exasperated at the situation.
Glancing at the boy the knight noticed that the child was not nervous or frightened by his surroundings and his situation, but rather angered and irritated. The boy would need help, if he was to survive the next year amongst this court. "Listen Gareth, I can see that you are not happy about your situation, and I cannot blame you, but you need to understand exactly what you are dealing with."
"What do you mean?" Gareth asked suspiciously.
"First off, understand that the King is not one to forget the slights or insults that he has received, his vengeance can be swift and harsh."
"… You don't have to tell me about that, I have seen his anger before." Gareth replied, his gaze distant as he recalled that night in Avignon several years ago.
"Then you are aware of your most distant threat. The King is a danger, but if you do well in your studies you should escape his wrath. Your greatest threat is actually the concubines and their children." The knight warned.
"What makes them so dangerous?"
"You need to realize this, and you need to realize this fast. Those five women are some of the most vindictive and jealous creatures I have ever seen. They are competing with each other for the king's favor in hopes that he might make one of them his Queen. Foolish women. They should know by now that they will never compare with Arete, much less with Katerina." The knight exclaimed with a dark and loathing look directed at the women.
"Understand lad that these ladies have been in competition with each other for years, and now that their children are of an age where they can be useful, I expect that life at court will become very dangerous."
"I heard them talking about me as I walked through the crowd, they seem to think me a threat." Gareth mentioned.
Sighing, the scarred knight ran a hand through his graying hair and turned to look at the lad. "Those women are suspicious by nature and your introduction to the court will have only made them more paranoid. They either see you as a threat to their plans or a pawn that can be used to advance their own aims."
"The lady with purple hair seems dangerous at least." Gareth allowed glancing at the tall and fierce lavender haired woman.
"That is Agnes, the king's second concubine, she was one the army's most fearsome warriors. Her strength, ferocity, and sheer intimidation won the army many battles during the latter half of the Twelve Years War. Her greatest accomplishment was when she with her small battalion held Pyrus Pass against one of Hoshido's counterattacks. Her bravery and boldness caught Garon's eye and she used that to gain a place at his side. Of all his concubines, she is the most blunt and forthright."
"So, while she's dangerous, it should be simple enough to avoid her wrath. Does she have any children?" Gareth questioned.
"Avoiding her wrath might be trickier than you think, but theoretically, yes. She does have one daughter, Camilla, who is the king's eldest daughter, although there have been rumors of late that this might not be the case."
"How about that woman who questioned the king? Is she a threat?" Gareth questioned.
"Lorette? ... Normally she is not too difficult, but she is a noble from Cheve, and as such she holds to certain preconceptions of commoners. Of all the concubines, she seems to love the King the most, and is the king's current favorite. She will most likely see you as an obstacle and a drain on the king's time. I would avoid her and her three children, Felix, Ethan, and Marie. Your very existence will put you at odds with them so I recommend avoiding them if possible." The knight replied nodding towards Lorette's children. Felix and Ethan were clearly twins with dirty blonde hair and identical features, but it was the youngest Marie that was observing Gareth with calculating brown eyes.
Glancing over at the concubines Gareth saw the black-haired woman arguing with the other royal ladies with a venomous look on her face. Lorette turned and making a sharp gesture towards himself, their eyes met. For but a moment, he saw the woman's anger, disdain, and utter loathing. Turning away from the women Gareth faced the knight and asked, "Why do they seem so cruel? They haven't even known me for an hour and yet they already hate me."
"Because they are entitled royals who see threats to their power everywhere." The knight spat. "In this court, children are one of the surest ways to better one's standing with the king. With you at court the previous balance has been disrupted. Lorette is the current favorite partly because she has given the king the most children, but in her joy, she has made enemies of Agnes and Fay."
"Which one is Fay?" Gareth questioned, refusing to believe that his introduction to the court could truly change anything.
"She's the blonde dressed in a cloak of raven's feathers. Fay is the King's fourth concubine, but more than that she is one of the most skilled sorcerers in the nation. She is powerful and from what I can tell, a rather capricious creature given to bouts of cruelty for little reason. Her son, Leo, seems to have avoided her cruel disposition at the very least. If I were you Gareth, I would avoid Fay at all costs. She has been known to make her enemies vanish without a trace." The knight answered in a grave voice, causing Gareth to break out in a nervous sweat.
"Please tell me that the others are better." Gareth pleaded.
The knight's face darkened as he turned to observe the group of ladies whose agitation was still clearly visible. "I am afraid not. Of all the women, Garon's newest concubine, Natalia, is likely the least dangerous, but she is a leech and a drain on the nation. She is constantly trying to better her position by getting her relatives into positions of power. She is a disgrace." The knight declared with venom in his voice.
"Does she have a child?" Gareth questioned.
"Aye, she does. Maximus is a young lad approaching in his fifth year. The boy by all accounts is a playful child, but rather petty. Overall, Natalia is not too much of a threat to you personally, but she represents some of the worst aspects of royalty." The knight stated causing Gareth to nod in agreement.
"What about that woman with the dark brown hair dressed in rich reds and blacks? What should I know about her?" Gareth questioned nervous at what he might find out.
"That is Diana, the king's first concubine." The knight began his face solemn and dark. "She is descended from Nohr's last royal family, the Cyneors, and as such she has a great deal of power amongst the old nobility. She was the woman that Aldric, Garon's late father, had chosen for his son, but Garon found Katerina, and the rest is history."
"She actually seems to be the most pleasant of the bunch."
"Hah, you'd be wrong lad. She is the most conniving of them all. The others desire the power, prestige, and wealth that comes with being Queen, but Diana has her sight not only on the crown, but on the future as well."
"What do you mean?"
"You've played chess before have you not lad?" The knight questioned earning a nod from Gareth. "Then you might know that it is best to think several steps ahead. Diana, is a planner with a great love of intrigue. She seeks to get her son, Charles, to replace Xander as the crown prince."
"Xander, I heard of him. He is the king's eldest son. I hear that he has been training with the Royal Guard." Gareth replied. "Why would Diana want to get rid of Xander? Isn't he part of her family?"
The scarred knight sighed and turned his attention to the young prince in black and gold armor standing near the dais with his attention focused on the talks between the nobility and his father. With the teen's light blonde hair and focused features, Xander's resemblance to his father was clear for all to see. "…You will learn that family is not all about blood. It is about loyalty, sacrifice, respect, and above all else: choice. Bonds forged between good friends can be stronger than that of familial ties. Comrades forged in war can be closer than siblings, and there are times when one's own family will betray and murder for reasons as petty as greed. Listen well boy, do not tie yourself to these royals. They are not to be trusted. Betrayal lurks just beneath their skin."
"They sound unpleasant, but surely they can't be all bad, especially the children. I mean that girl can't be more than four years old, do you expect me to believe that she is a devious backstabber?" Gareth challenged pointing towards a young blonde-haired girl with pigtails clinging to Diana, likely her mother.
"… Of all the royal family you can trust Elise, if for no other reason than that Diana has left her actual upbringing to the girl's wet nurse, Cassita." The knight allowed. "Don't let one little girl's innocence make you believe that the family is any good. They are royals, they have power, and they will use it for their own interests not caring what lives are lost or who suffers, just so long as they get what they want." The knight sneered as he cast a dark glare at the royal family.
Gareth stood there staring at the knight and thinking back on the casual and hurtful manner that the king had treated himself, Gareth found himself agreeing with the knight. "I guess it is easy to ruin lives when you have so much power, so what do you suggest I do sir?"
Shocked at Gareth's voice, the knight turned and saw the boy staring up at him looking for not just advice, but a plan. "You may call me Gunter, young one. Now as to how you should proceed I recommend …"
-Krakenburg Castle one month later-
It did not take long to realize that life at Krakenburg was completely different from Dusk's Shield. Lessons came quick and fast. History lessons, mathematics, literature, music, and combat training. Days were spent learning, practicing, training, and eating when there was time. Within a week Gareth was exhausted, as he found himself not only struggling to keep pace with the hectic schedule of his lessons, but there was no one to confide or even talk to. So far, the concubines and their children steered clear of him, isolating him from virtually all contact. The only time he actually encountered one of the royal children was when his tutor brought him to the training courtyard early while Lorette's twins, Felix and Ethan were still practicing.
The two boys were clearly surprised by his appearance during their training, but quickly recovered. Sharing a wicked grin, they turned to their Chevois instructor who had begun to make his way to intercept Gareth. Moments later the Cheve soldier gestured Gareth and his teacher over. "My students have suggested that we end their practice and start yours with a friendly spar."
"I am not so sure that this is a good idea Lucas. Having the Royal children fight one another, even in spars, is not a good idea." Gareth's instructor replied.
"You worry too much Sir Marcus," young Felix replied. "We will take it easy on Gareth here."
"Besides it is not like the king's children will be fighting each other, we'll be fighting an outsider, an interloper." Ethan added with a sneer directed towards Gareth.
"Now see here young master there is no nee-" Marcus began his face furrowed with irritation.
"I accept." Gareth stated interrupting his teacher. Ignoring Felix and Ethan's taunts, Gareth moved towards the weapon stand and grabbed a practice sword and dagger, making his way back to his opponents, he noticed that some of their bravado had faded as he stepped forward confident and eager for the challenge.
"You sure you want to challenge us no-name? We have been training for the past few months under a real Cheve Knight. You don't have a chance." Felix boasted as he hefted his practice sword.
"We'll make you cry for your mama you little upstart!" Ethan crowed with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"So, who's first, the babbler, or the boaster?" Gareth taunted as he settled himself into his stance, with his sword blade raised and ready at his shoulder, and his dagger held at the ready near his body. "Because as far as I can tell, you two seem more at home with a bunch of gossiping milk maids."
"You'll pay for that mongrel." Ethan snarled as he stepped forward and angrily readied his blade.
"Be sure to leave a piece of him for me brother." Felix called out as he glared at Gareth.
Ethan waved to show he heard as he approached his opponent. "I'm going to show you your place." The royal prince growled out only to receive a smirk from Gareth. Irritated Ethan sprung forward, and with a quick horizontal slash he started the fight. Only to have Gareth step forward and smoothly parry with his sword and finish the fight with a single stab of his dagger to Ethan's gut. Falling to the ground in pain Ethan clutched his belly as tears formed in his eyes.
"Shall I get your mother little prince?" Gareth mocked the injured boy.
Enraged that this upstart had hurt his brother, Felix stepped forward and without warning began to attack Gareth. Slashes came quick and fast, as the prince drove the green haired lad back with his vicious assault, but Gareth never blocked or parried, merely stayed just out of range as the prince continued to push the attack. Tiring from the mad rush Felix lunged forward trying to catch Gareth. With his dagger, Gareth deflected the blade past him and brought his sword down on the prince's right elbow forcing Felix to drop his weapon. Raising his foot Gareth tripped the prince and with a quick turn brought his sword down hard on Felix's left shoulder.
"Enough!" Lucas shouted ending the fight as he rushed forward to observe the princes for injury. "Easy there lad, let's get you and your brother down to the healers."
Clutching his wounded arms Felix turned his attention to Gareth who looked calm and fresh as he stood behind Lucas observing the teary-eyed princes with contempt and disdain. Being led away from the courtyard the twin's eyes vowed revenge.
With the courtyard empty of the twins and their trainer Gareth turned to Marcus to continue his practice. As Gareth readied his weapons and began to practice his swordplay, his instructor observed the lad with a keen eye. Though he seemed calm and confident, Marcus noticed his eyes warily watching the twins slip out of the courtyard.
"Why did you humiliate them Gareth? You know that you have earned yourself the ire of both them and their mother, you should know by now to stay out of their way." Marcus warned, not eager to see such a promising pupil be brought down by the pettiness of the royal court.
Still working with his blades Gareth replied. "Because, they needed to know that I am not just going to cower from them. If I am going to survive here I need to prove that I am valuable and potentially dangerous, otherwise the concubines will soon get rid of me."
"They wouldn't dare lad, you're the king's ward."
"Which is the only reason why I am still here. Do you know that every servant I have met has tried to get information out of me? They want to know where I'm from and why I'm here. I won't tell them anything. My past and my secrets are my own, but I needed to prove that I can be just as dangerous as they are. If nothing else this will at least stir up the waters and possibly redirect their strategies away from me."
Shaking his head Marcus turned away from the boy and nervously observed the entrance to the courtyard. Lurking near the entrance was a servant dressed in fine clothes who was taking no efforts to disguise their spying. They had likely seen all that transpired, but there was no telling how much they had overheard.
"Gareth let us end early today, I think it will be best that we both be somewhere else for a while." Marcus suggested as he kept a wary eye on the servant.
Gareth turned in surprise at this, but his protest immediately died as he caught sight of the servant. Nodding in agreement, Gareth returned his weapons and quickly departed the courtyard, taking some unfamiliar passages to get himself away from his usual haunts. Within minutes, he had descended several levels and he found himself in a hallway with tapestries depicting a grand hunt for a white stag. Resting against the wall as he tried to reorient himself, Gareth found his attention drawn towards the tapestry. The hunters were astride their horses chasing down the deer with abandon, curiously though the hunters were armed not with bows but rather axes and other weapons of war. The deer itself was odd, not only because of its color, but because its antlers were dripping red. His musings were interrupted as a door opened up and a woman in simple rough clothes stepped out followed by a young girl with a bright and happy smile and blonde pigtails.
"Oh, it looks like we have a visitor Elise. Now who might you be young man?" The woman asked with a kind smile that gave her an air of safety and peace.
"Oh Cassita, this is Gareth. He's my new not-brother." Elise stated as she dashed towards the young boy and grabbed his hand dragging him before her wet nurse.
"Ah I see, I have heard of the king taking in a young ward. I haven't seen you around Gareth. What brings you down to our corner of the castle?" Cassita questioned as she smiled fondly down at Elise who was all but jumping for joy.
"Well obviously he's finally decided to come and play with me." Elise declared with a giggle.
Gareth stared at Elise, bewildered as the girl dragged him into a chamber strewn about with toys, balls, and colorful pillows. Cassita followed after the children and closed the door and watched with a smile as Elise settled the clearly confused and suspicious boy down as she grabbed some of her favorite figurines, including a knight, a lady, and a stag. Soon enough Gareth found himself playing along with Elise in a grand game involving a race between the knight and the lady, and an adventure through the forest of pillows.
Two hours later Gareth found himself resting next to Cassita as Elise ran around the room tossing her favorite ball into the air. "She's a special child, bright and happy. You won't find much of that in this castle I'm afraid." Cassita shared. "So, tell me Gareth, why are you here? I don't think it was to play by that confused look you had not too long ago."
Gareth nodded in agreement, as he watched Elise with a fond smile. "Yeah, I needed to get away from everything for a while. I've likely made Lorette quite mad."
"Trust me dear child, that is not a difficult feat to accomplish, that woman is very easily upset by even the very appearance of us commoners. I would not worry too much about it. Stay out her way and the incident will quickly be forgotten."
"I don't think she will forgive and forget this any time soon, but I think its best that I get going. Thank you, Elise, for the invitation to play, I had a great time. If you would not mind, might I visit again?"
"Of course, you're welcome anytime" Elise said with a smile.
"Thank you." Gareth replied with a fond smile. Exiting the room Gareth felt as if a weight had been lifted from himself. All the stress, the worry, and suspicion was cast aside as he got to enjoy himself and forget for a moment all the troubles surrounding him. As he climbed the stairs and found some familiar halls, he resolved to return tomorrow after his violin lesson.
On the morrow, Gareth found the castle a different place than it was the day before. The servants were more distant and wary than they had been before, one or two still attempted to pry into his past, but most of the servants regarded him differently as if they now considered him more than just a transient figure in the castle. Going through his lessons that day Gareth focused and performed his best, making the most of his time with his history and music lessons. His time with the violin was one of the few means he had to express himself. Although his music was rough at times, his ability to play the violin with great passion and emotion was one of the most freeing times he had.
After his violin lesson, Gareth made his way down to the kitchen and grabbed some food from the cooks, the most professional of all the castle's staff. The men and women who served in the royal kitchens were all handpicked for their skill and their loyalty to the king. In the court's rather hostile environment, the kitchen was one of the few sanctuaries, as the King did not allow his concubines any power over his cooks to prevent them from killing each other. Thanking the cooks, Gareth followed the path he took the other day and soon enough found himself at Elise's playroom.
Knocking on the door Gareth found himself face to face with someone he had only seen at a distance. Her lavender hair brushed her shoulders in waves and her wine hued eyes were narrowed in suspicion as she stared at him. "Camilla what are you doing here?" Gareth stuttered.
"I'm the one who should be asking that." Camilla stated as she stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her. With her hands on her hips she stared at Gareth waiting for an explanation.
"I'm here to play with Elise."
"Of course, you are." Camilla replied with false agreement. "I don't trust most around my baby sister, so why should I let you enjoy her company?"
"Because - wait I thought all you royal siblings hated each other?" Gareth asked befuddled.
Camilla sighed as she leaned against the corridor's wall. "Most of us do. It not really our fault as our mothers pit us against one another in hopes of gaining favor with father. I admit that I hate several of my 'siblings' but I could never hate Elise, she is the cute adorable little sister that I have always wanted."
"… She does remind me of happier days." Gareth replied thinking back to the distant and dimming days before Avignon, a bittersweet smile appearing briefly on his face before he dragged himself back to the present. "So, you've taken on the role of protecting Elise, why would anyone want to harm her though? She's too young to really take any part of the pointless drama going on."
Camilla nodded in agreement, her demeanor softening a bit. "She is, but don't think that others won't try and make use of her in their stupid schemes. Dianna and Charles have made use of her in the past to advance their position. I love her too much to see her used as a tool, so I have done my best to make sure that she is protected."
Leaning against his own wall Gareth observed Camilla anew. Though at first, he thought her a distant person who would only be an obstacle and threat to him. Although from her demeanor and the passion in her voice, maybe she was a better person than he originally thought. "You know I have no interest in the throne or anything. If I had my way, I would be out of here and back home."
"Why you don't want to be part of our loving and happy family?" Camilla asked mockingly in a sweet voice.
Chuckling Gareth shook his head. "I know the king won't let me go. I'm too valuable to him or something. I know I'm not getting out of here any time soon, so it is useless to dream. I need to focus on surviving this place." Camilla nodded slowly. Perhaps Gareth understood the realities of court better than she thought. "Yet, when I played with Elise, I felt lighter, like the weight of this place was lifted for a time. I don't want to hurt her, or use her in any schemes. I don't have any plans except to survive."
The lavender haired girl eyed Gareth carefully. He seemed sincere and from the castle gossip and her own meeting with him, the green haired boy was not one to deceive. He could be secretive and obstinate, but he has so far never lied. "I guess I can let you join us in our games." Camilla allowed. "But only if you tell me about your fight with Felix and Ethan. I've heard five different stories today about what happened and I'm rather curious." Smiling Gareth relayed the story and soon enough the two entered the play room to Elise's delight.
-Krakenburg Castle two months later-
The introduction of Gareth to the court shifted the balance of power amongst the concubines. The boy was a wild card at court. He refused to ally with any of the concubines and with Garon refusing to reveal the boy's purpose at court, most of the children viewed him as another threat and contender for the throne. Tensions were high amongst the concubines, in particular Lorette and Agnes were at each other's throats. The two had never gotten along with one another as Agnes saw Lorette as a vapid, spoiled, and arrogant woman who was often ignorant of Nohr's culture. Lorette on the other hand saw Agnes as a low born common brute, good for nothing more than slaughter.
Ever since Gareth successfully beat Lorette's twins all those months ago, the Chevois woman began to seek ways to exact payment for the humiliation the boy visited upon her sons. Normally this would not be too difficult, but ever since Gareth struck up a friendship with Agnes's own daughter, things had become tricky. Though Gareth refused to be a part of her plans, Agnes did provide some measure of protection for the boy, ensuring that none of Lorette's spies could get to him. The insufferable barbarian seemed to delight in shielding the boy, if only to irritate Lorette.
Walking down the halls of the castle, Lorette's agitation was clear as her normally well-kept raven hair was coming undone from her intricate braids. Things must be settled. That mongrel of a child must be taught the consequences for his actions. "I'll teach that wretched brat to make fools of my boys." Lorette seethed. The sound of an armored foot dragged her attention away from her thoughts. Turning Lorette spotted Agnes making her way down the hall in her black armor, with her favorite battle axe at her side. From the sweaty mess of her hair she must have been practicing again. The fool woman was actually proud of her time in the army as she routinely took time to practice with the Royal Guards.
"Agnes, still wasting your time swinging your swords and axes, are we?"
"Ah Lorette, how much time did you spend on your hair today? Three hours or four?" Agnes replied ungenerously as she stopped before her rival.
"It was three, but it was well spent as my beloved complimented me before he left for Dusk's Shield. With him gone I see you are returning to your brutish ways" Lorette snidely remarked, causing Agnes to clench her fist.
"And you seem to be back to your inane plotting. Still having difficulties in getting rid of a certain green haired child?" Agnes taunted. "For your own children, Nohrian royalty with the blood of one of the most prestigious Cheve noble houses to be bested so easily and soundly by a no name commoner is certainly a blow your pride and standing at court."
"I would have that wretched child dead and gone if not for your own efforts Agnes!" Lorette vented, irritated and frustrated by her inability to make the child pay for his actions. "Why do you protect the boy? You, yourself said that my beloved might have plans for the mongrel to ascend the throne."
"Simple, it irritates you. Besides Camilla would be mad at me if she found out that I let her new friend die." Agnes replied with a thin smile.
"Don't give me that, you ugly brute!" Lorette shrieked. "You don't care about your daughter at all! You spend more time practicing with your weapons than you do with your own child. You are a horrible mother, and it's by Gethin's blessing that you have been barren these past nine years."
Agnes cheerful façade fell as her hand dropped to her axe. "I would think very carefully of what you say Lorette. Of the two of us, I am the more useful to the King. I participate in the war councils, I help train the Royal Guard, and when he rides to war, it is I who he takes with him. Let's face it, you may warm his bed and please his eye, but you are nothing more than a vapid doll."
"A doll, am I? At least I have borne my love three strong and healthy children, which is far more than you or any of the ladies of the court. I am the apple of his eye and it will always be so. Now begone with you Agnes, your very presence offends me." Lorette sniffed as she turned away.
"You really think Garon loves you?! He doesn't love any of us! We are mistakes that he keeps around because he's too honorable to do away with us. The only thing that any of us have done to please him is bear him children, and I intend to make the most of the upcoming campaign. Who knows, by this time next year Camilla could very well have another sibling for her to dote on." Agnes called out causing Lorette to freeze and turn back to the armored woman.
"You're wrong Agnes. Garon does love me. He loves my sons, my daughter, and myself most of all. Who are you to say anything about love? Just because you have never been loved by him doesn't give you the right to say such things! You will die unloved and unmourned as you deserve, you common wretch!" Lorette shouted fed up with Agnes, her interference, her lies, and her arrogance.
As Lorette ranted and raved Agnes's grip on her axe tightened. Upon her final words, the anger that had been building behind her eyes erupted into rage. In a sudden and swift motion, she drew her axe and assaulted the Cheve woman. Mere moments later when her hot anger had flashed into cinders she saw what used to be Lorette. Her body and clothes hacked into pieces, blood everywhere. On the walls, upon her armor, and especially on the floor where it pooled into a large red puddle.
A noise caught her attention. Turning, she saw the other concubines and the children staring at the scene. With the Royal Guard making their way through the crowd, Agnes knew that this was her end.
1. The Matara are a nomadic people to the north of Nohr. They live in a large valley surrounded by mountains with several passes that lead into Nohr itself. They are masters of the horse and in fact, have the finest light cavalry in the continent. Their land is close to the tundra inhabited by the Ice Tribe, thus they have long winters hindering the amount of food that can be grown. As such, they are a nomadic people with several tribes sharing the large valley. Raids from the Matara people are actually a recent development, as the Mataran tribes have only recently begun to work together and begin to raid Nohr for luxuries and raw materials.
2. I would like to point out that in this story there will be no fan service style armor. All characters will be wearing armor and clothing appropriate for their role in actual combat as well as their station. Thus, Camilla will not be wearing her rather revealing and completely pointless armor seen in the games, but rather the traditional female Malig Knight uniform. This may be a bit less stylish, but it will be practical, as is the point of armor. All female soldiers will be using actual pants; thus, we won't be seeing female cavalry wearing bikini bottoms as they ride a fully armored war horse into battle, or a fully armored female knight leaving parts of her legs exposed. This story and series will attempt to make some of the weird and pointless aspects of Fire Emblem Fates into a more coherent story, this includes solders wearing proper armor.
And that is the end of chapter 4. It has taken me several weeks to finish this piece, mostly due to laziness, but I also struggled getting young Camilla's lines down the way I wanted. The end of the chapter took a very dark turn, but I wanted to show just how deadly the court could be. There will be consequences for Agnes, but you'll have to find out what they are later.
There was a lot more world building that I wanted to do in this chapter, for instance that tapestry Gareth saw in the hall, I created a whole history for it and the events surrounding it, but I realized that while it is cool, it just would slow the story down.
I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review or a reply. The next chapter will have another change of scenery as we return to Eleanor. Hope everybody looks forward to it.