I've basically lost track of time, what with exams and other such things related to the end of the school year. Then, the usual summer laziness kicked in. Anyway, despite my urge to go run outside and play (which actually translates to 'read and sleep'), I've decided that I'd write the next chapter instead! Aren't I nice?

Oscar: You certainly are… So, we're going to find out what happens to Astrid this chapter right?

FireEdge: Yup, Astrid's going home… Oh noes, what will happen when she sees her family and fiancé? More importantly, what about Oscar?!

Oscar: Yes, what about me, indeed.

FireEdge: Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter (I know I will).

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Defying Fate

Chapter 10

Oscar looked up briefly as he managed to put Boyd in a headlock, his other hand grasping a large plate of food whose contents threatened to spill over. His grip on Boyd loosened a fraction as he caught sight of Astrid leaving the room. Taking advantage of Oscar letting up on his neck, Boyd managed to break free. Pulling loose so suddenly sent the two green-haired beorc sprawling onto the floor, the plate of food clattering on the floor in a messy pile.

"Look what you've done, Boyd!" Oscar sighed as he stood up and gingerly brushed some food off of his beige pants and green tunic. What a shame, the green shirt was the only piece of nice clothing he owned.

"It wasn't my fault! You're the one who put me in a headlock!"

"Only because you were being such a pig," he retorted. "Whatever, I'm going to go clean myself up." Without another word, Oscar quickly hurried out of the room, his intentions far from cleaning his clothes.

Stepping into the darker and quieter corridor, Oscar looked around. Which way had Astrid gone? He caught sight of a nearby guard and approached him, asking if he'd seen which way the other paladin had gone.

Without his usual bulk of armour on, Oscar moved swiftly down the long empty halls in search of Astrid's room. Soon, he found himself in a hallway filled with guest rooms. He had no idea which one belonged to Astrid, so he decided to knock on each one. Eventually, behind one door, he heard a shuffling sound and the clack of a drawer before footsteps approached the door.

"Who is it—Oscar!" Astrid exclaimed as she pulled the door open. "I thought that you were still at the party."

"Well, I was. But then… there was an accident," he replied, gesturing to his somewhat stained clothing. "Anyway, that's not the point. I just… I wanted to talk to you. You know, now that everything's settled down."

"Oh… um, right. Ah, come in, I suppose," she said slowly, feeling her face heat up slightly. As Oscar stepped past her, she shut the door.

The two stood in an awkward silence for several minutes; neither knowing what to say next. Swallowing, Astrid decided that she should break the silence. She walked over slowly to the desk beside her bed. Pulling open the top drawer, she took out her father's letter.

"I received a letter from my father today…" she said tentatively, turning to face Oscar, but not looking at him. "You can read it, if you'd like."

The green-haired man took the letter from her and opened it, scanning its contents. He continued to stare at it even after he had finished reading. His heart felt heavier as he let the words process through his brain. His confession had meant nothing; she was going home, to marry this Lord Raul. It didn't matter whether or not she returned his feelings. Her family would be waiting for her in Toha; they would find her even if she decided not to meet them.

"I… I guess that you'll be leaving… tomorrow," Oscar said slowly, not looking up from the letter. He had to control his grip on the paper, making sure that he didn't crumple it in his fists.

"… Yes… I plan to speak with Ike later this evening after I've packed," she answered, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "I'm… I'm very glad that I've met all of you. Especially you, Oscar. I don't think that I've ever felt this way about someone before. Every time I'm with you, I feel calm, yet… excited at the same time. I always look forward to seeing you, and I've cherished all the time we've spent together. I wish that I'd met you earlier in my life and not during this war. Maybe, then, things… might've been different."

By this point, tears had formed in her eyes, on the very brink of spilling over. They were shoved off the ledge and trickled down when she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. His arms were wrapped unyieldingly around her torso, his head nestled on her shoulder and his hair brushing her cheek. She closed her eyes and her own arms encircled his body, pulling herself closer, if that were possible, to him.

"I'm… I'm sorry Oscar. I'll never forget you."

"… I know." His head shifted slightly and she could feel his breath on her cheek. She felt her heart hammer a little quicker, and her grip loosened involuntarily. Then, as suddenly as she had released the tension in her arms, he pulled away.

Oscar looked at her, his emerald eyes open and staring into her own amber pools. His green orbs were fogged with pain, guilt and a repressed longing. He opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped. Pursing his lips for a moment, as if to repress what he really wanted to say, he finally spoke again.

"I'll… I'll see you off tomorrow… Good night, Astrid." His eyes returned to its normal squint as he closed them before turning and going out the door.

Somehow, seeing Oscar go hurt much, much more than watching Arwine walking away.

"Elijah! Joel!" Astrid cried, throwing herself into Joel's arms with Elijah's single hand resting on her shoulder.

After a moment, she pulled back and looked up into her twin brothers' faces. They still looked the same as they had the last time she'd seen them, though they seemed older. Dark brown hair and brown eyes adorned their identical faces. However, a beard graced Elijah's face and his left arm was only a stub jutting out from his shoulder.

"Astrid… You don't know how worried we've all been," Elijah said softly, his hand stroking her head.

"… I would say that I'm sorry, but… I'm not. I mean, I am for making you worry, but not for joining the Crimean army," she replied, looking at the ground, tears stinging her eyes. She could still see Oscar's face from that night almost a week ago.

"What's the matter, sister dear? We thought you'd be happy to see us, but here you are looking like you're about to cry," remarked Joel.

"… I'm tired, I think I'll retire. We're setting sail soon anyway, correct?" she replied, ignoring Joel's observation. She had forgotten how well her brothers knew her. After years of protecting her and beating up bullies, it was child's play for them to notice that she was upset. However, Oscar was something that she was certainly not going to discuss with them.

Giving both Joel and Elijah a kiss on the cheek, she led her horse onto the ship and handed the mare over to one of the crew. Taking her bags off, she went below deck. What she really wanted right now was a long, preferably dreamless, sleep. Of course, fate hated her.

"My dear Astrid," drawled an unpleasantly familiar voice.

"… Lord Raul," she greeted, stiffening as the older man approached her. Ah, her dear fiancé; a tall, broad-shouldered man with reddish hair and a matching moustache and beard. Despite a few lines around his mouth and cold chestnut eyes, he really wasn't that unattractive. Astrid knew that there were many other noblewomen who would jump at the chance to marry the taciturn baron.

However, rather than seeing his aloofness as dignity, she saw it as cold-hearted indifference. The thought of marrying such an unfeeling man made her spine prickle. Anyway, how was she to live the rest of her life with a man that she had no feelings for what-so-ever? As they say: 'money can't buy happiness'.

"How do you do, my dear?" he asked, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad if his smile actually reached his cold eyes.

"Tired, thank you. If you would excuse me, I would like to rest. My journey has been long," Astrid replied curtly, her eyes refusing to look at him.

"… Of course. I will speak with you when you've recovered from your voyage." Without giving him another look, Astrid hurried away. She had no intention of speaking with him again, if she could help it.

Once she had enclosed herself in her small cabin, she collapsed on her bed and stared up at the roof of her room.

Meanwhile, on deck, her two brothers contemplated Astrid's less than enthusiastic greeting. She was certainly no longer the little girl that was prone to crying and who always ran for them when something bad happened.

"She's so distant. I wonder what happened to her throughout her travels," Joel wondered aloud, his brown eyes wandering around the port of Toha listlessly. "I mean, I wasn't expecting her to be bubbly, but… well, I thought that she might be happier."

"It was a war, Joel, that's bound to change anyone. Look at me; I'm armless now," replied the other man dryly as he joined his brother, his one arm leaning against the side of the boat.

"No, I don't think that that's the case. She doesn't seem traumatized or haggard. Just… sad."

"Astrid!" Lord Damiell cried as he descended the steps and pulled his daughter into an embrace, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. Astrid was quite taken aback by her father's sudden affectionate display; he was usually quite reserved.

"Astrid, my dear, everyone has been very worried," her mother added, kissing her on both cheeks.

"I apologize profusely, but it wasn't as if I could not take care of myself," she replied, unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of her voice.

Elijah and Joel regarded her curiously once more. They still found it peculiar that Astrid was filled with anything remotely close to resentment. Something definitely had happened during her journey. The two brothers looked at each other and silently assented to find out later.

"Lord Damiell. My dear lady," a voice from behind them greeted. Stepping aside, the two brothers let Lord Raul walk past them towards their sister and parents.

"Lord Raul, you had a pleasant trip, I hope?" Lady Damiell asked pleasantly, curtsying and allowing the nobleman to kiss her hand.

"Yes, though I am disappointed with my fiancée. She did not leave her cabin at all throughout our voyage; not even during mealtimes. Her brothers had to bring the food to her door" he drawled, his eyes flickering to the stony Astrid.

"My apologies, my lord," Astrid murmured and bowed, very aware of the holes her mother was drilling into her head with her gaze.

"No need, my dear, you were exhausted and no doubt shaken from the long war. Of course, I hope you'll be less aloof come our wedding day," Raul replied, kissing her hand. "I think I'll retire early and allow you all to enjoy Astrid's return."

The Damiell family remained quiet as Raul made his way into the manor with his servants. Astrid stood silently, staring at a section of wall, dreading what her parents would say to her next. Her mother would certainly be angry with her behaviour to Raul during their trip. Normally, she would've been much more polite, but she was only starting to cope with her farewell to the Crimean Liberation Army. They had been like her family for the past year and now she was suddenly ripped away from them. However, one thing kept tearing at her; the look on Oscar's face the morning she had departed.

"So, have Diane, Elizabeth or Susan returned?" Joel asked suddenly. He had sensed the tension in the air, and predicted that his mother would harp on Astrid any second.

"No, but they will all be here for the wedding," Lord Damiel responded. His brown eyes fell upon Astrid. "The wedding will take place in two months. That should give you adequate time to recover from your long journey. Lord Raul is impatient and you're lucky he didn't make the wedding next week. We will start the preparations in a few days."

"Yes, Father," Astrid answered solemnly. "I think that I will retire as well, if that's all right."

"Of course it is, Astrid," Elijah replied before his parents could. "Joel and I will accompany you."

"That's quite all right, you needn't—"

"We insist," said Joel forcefully as he ordered a groom to take Astrid's mount. "You there, take Lady Astrid's bag."

With a weak smile she allowed her two elder brothers to escort her up to her room, followed by a couple of servants. Inside she was very grateful that her brothers had rescued her from her parents. She really couldn't deal with them just yet.

"So, Astrid… If you're not up to it, you don't have to tell us. But when you're ready, Joel and I are here to lend an ear. We know how hard war can be, and if you need us, just call," Elijah said as they stopped outside Astrid's room.

"Thank you, brother… Perhaps another day, I'd like to rest for now," she replied with another small smile.

Entering her room, she closed and locked her door after the servants deposited her belongings. Looking around, she found it odd to be sleeping in her own room after so long. Still, it was comforting.

Not bothering to clean herself up, she stripped off her armour and collapsed on top of her covers. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep with an image of Oscar's face haunting her thoughts.

"Oscar!!" Rolf hollered, skidding into the kitchen.

"What is it, Rolf?" the paladin asked, looking up from the lunch he was preparing for the mercenaries.

"It's a letter. For you. It's pretty fancy looking," the young boy replied, handing him the sealed paper.

Putting down the knife in his hand, Oscar took the letter. It was folded neatly with a small wax seal. He didn't recognize the coat of arms, which meant that it was definitely not from Melior.

Thank goodness. It's not Kieran trying to send me another recruitment letter… Oscar sighed inwardly as he broke the seal, and scanned the contents quickly.

"Who's it from, Oscar? Oscar? You're making a face… What's wrong?" asked Rolf anxiously. His brother's visage seemed both shocked and pained at the same time.

"… Nothing… Where's Gatrie?"

"Gatrie? Um… He's outside, I think, sparring with Ike or someth—Hey! Oscar, what's going on?!" Rolf exclaimed as his brother briskly left the kitchen. "What's his hurry?"

Careful not to crumple the letter in his hand, Oscar bolted outside. His eyes soon fell upon Gatrie and Ike, clashing weapons.

"Gatrie!" he called as he neared the pair. "Gatrie! I have something to show you."

"What is it, Oscar? Geez, did someone die? Your face is serious enough," Gatrie remarked as he propped his spear up against a tree and took the letter from the other man. The blond man read the letter, and his expression soon turned from lazy and carefree to horrified. "This… This is… A month?! It would take us two weeks to get there… We'll have to leave next—Wait, Oscar, you're going right?"

"Ah… Well…" Oscar looked away from the blond knight.

"You had better go! Don't you see what this means?!"

"What is that, Gatrie? Why are you making such a fuss?" demanded Ike, taking the paper from Gatrie's hand. His sharp eyes flickered down the letter quickly. "An invitation to Astrid's wedding? She's invited all the mercenaries, but it's not practical if we all go. You two were closest to her; you guys can go if you want. Just two of us missing won't be too big a deal."

"That's all right, Ike, I don't think I'll go," Oscar replied.

"Oh NO you don't! You and I are both going! We'll leave next week! No, we'll leave tomorrow! This is a disaster, we have to stop it!!" Gatrie cried, grabbing Oscar by the collar. So busy were the two that they didn't notice Ike shrug and leave.

"Gatrie, I think it's my choice if I want to go to her wedding or not," the green-haired man said calmly.

"You dolt, we're not going to attend her wedding, we're going to stop it!" Gatrie snarled.

"Have you lost your mind?!" retorted Oscar, finally freeing himself from the other man's grip. "You've already made me go through with so many of your ridiculous plans and look where they've landed me! I've already let go of this, I think that it's time you did as well. Ike, tell him he's mad! Ike? Shoot, he's gone."

"You're a liar, Oscar! There's no way that you've gotten over her! I can see it in your face!"

"Gatrie, don't assume things—"

"Yeah, then why were you so anxious to show me that invitation? You could've given it to Ike later and see if anyone wanted to go. But no, you ran straight to me with the look of someone who was about to be hanged! You know as well as I do that you still love her! I told you before that I only gave up to you because I thought that you were worthy of her! Don't you dare go back on your word now! We are leaving tomorrow and we're going to make things right! Now, excuse me, but I need to pack." Shoving Oscar aside, Gatrie stormed off.

Oscar stared resolutely at the nearby tree, his brows furrowed. He couldn't believe that Gatrie had read him so easily. It was true; he still had feelings for Astrid. However, denying them was much easier than coping with the fact that he couldn't have her.

I have a feeling that this is going to turn out badly. Very

Aaaaand, there we have it: the end of our chapter. I rather liked how the scene between Astrid and Oscar turned out. Astrid's meetings with her brothers and her family are scenes that I am a little less confidant about, so opinions on those would be appreciated.

Oscar: Why does Gatrie always drag me into such troublesome situations?

FireEdge: Because you wouldn't drag yourself into them. Anyway, overzealous Gatrie's fun to write (hey, is it just me, or is he starting to become like Kieran? O.o). So, next chapter should be rather interesting… for me (and you readers) that is.

Oscar: Please stop looking at me with that Cheshire cat grin… Um, please review.

--FireEdge--