Author's Notes: Hooo boy it's been forever since I updated this. I'm not finished with this series yet guys, after this I still have another two installments at the very least that I'm working on and have clear ideas for. I've just been so swamped with schoolwork and absorbed by my other hobby that I keep not getting around to writing fanfiction. I'll try not to wait another two years before the next update.

When Ellie had come into the breakfast hall of Castle Ositia this morning, she had immediately seen something she had rather not seen. Or rather, hadn't seen someone she had hoped to see. Asking her green-haired companion, who WAS present, had yielded conclusive proof: Hector had, for the umpteenth time in a row, not left his room for breakfast.

It had been little under two weeks since their return to Lycia, following their overthrowing the megalomaniac dark mage Nergal and sending the draconic siblings Nils and Ninian back home safely. Ellie had hoped to be home by now, knowing that her mother had to be worried and alone in the castle, but she and Lyndis had taken Hector's offer to rest up in Ositia first. They had initially politely refused so they wouldn't impose on him in his time of grief, but he had insisted, saying that if he, who was built much more toughly than the ladies, was about to collapse, they couldn't be much better.

The first few days, Hector had mingled with the two women as usual. He'd had to- the three had agreed that their conflict with Nergal would be best kept from the history books, and they had discussed measures to take to ensure that it would be. But he had soon started to isolate himself from them, staying in his chambers the entire day. She suspected why. During their campaign against the evil wizard, Lord Uther had finally succumbed to an illness that had tormented him for a while; she didn't know how long, as he had kept it a secret from all of Lycia- even Hector himself.

But Nergal had known somehow. Nergal had used it to taunt Hector, threatening to make a Morph of the marquess. Hector had shown no emotion at the words, but Ellie knew better than to think he was unaffected. Hector did not show emotion. He never had, and she suspected he never would. But that didn't mean he didn't feel it. She stared at her tea as if it held a solution. She had to help him somehow. Lord Uther had been the only family Hector had had left. He needed someone he could confide in, especially now that he stood to inherit a throne that she knew he never wanted.

"Ellie," she heard, "Your poor teacup isn't responsible for Hector's behaviour. Stop clutching it before it breaks." She blinked, realising that Lyndis was right. She was exerting an inordinate amount of pressure on the cup. She let go of it, instead putting the knuckles of one hand to her mouth as she still pondered the situation. Lyndis sighed. "For crying out loud, Ellie… Why don't you just go to see him if you're so worried?"

"I don't think he wants to talk to me," she confessed. "He probably knows I'd bring up Lord Uther, and Hector doesn't deal well with feelings of grief." Lyndis gave her a sympathetic look. Ellie knew that Hector had told her about the day his parents had died; that he had been utterly unable to cry, no matter how much he had wanted to. "But he has to mourn him," she added, so quietly she was practically whispering. "It's not healthy to keep these feelings in. Not even for Hector."

"In that case," Lyndis said, "I don't think Hector gets a say in the matter anymore." Ellie looked at her, confused. "You know him far better than anyone else here does. Maybe better than he knows himself, even. If you say he needs to talk about it, then he needs to talk about it." She smiled. "And if anyone, you're probably the person he's most likely to talk to." She winked as she said that, and got up. "But it's ultimately up to you. I'm going for a ride, I probably won't be back until tonight."

"Alright…" Ellie waited a few minutes after Lyndis's departure, stewing. Finally, however, she decided that the Sacaen had been right. If she didn't talk to Hector, no one would. And he needed to talk. She finished her tea, grimacing at its lukewarm temperature, and got to her feet, leaving the table and making for the nearest stairwell.

She knew where Hector slept, of course. As a girl, she had often visited Castle Ositia, and she and Hector had often spent time together in his chambers while their parents -or rather Ellie's parents and Hector's brother- tended to their duties. In more recent years, this had obviously been forbidden for fear of scandals, but she still knew her way around the castle well. She found Hector's chambers without hesitation, but waited outside them. He had the door shut. Maybe locked… but it wasn't like Hector to lock his door. Still, it would be rude to walk in without announcing herself… right? So she raised a hand and rapped on the door. Hector didn't respond, so when she felt an appropriate amount of time had passed, she pushed the door open and walked in.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected to see, but certainly not what she did see. Hector was on his bed, his hands tucked under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He looked more lost in thought than anything else. When he heard the door open, he seemed to snap to reality, turning his head to look at her. "Ellie," he said. He sounded normal. "You should knock."

"I did knock," Ellie said. Hector shrugged, turning his gaze back to the ceiling. He hadn't heard her knock, he'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts. Now even more concerned, Ellie walked over to his bed and sat down next to him, not even bothering to ask permission. She didn't care about propriety or starting awkward rumours. Hector had to let out his grief before it consumed him. "Hector, I know why you're upset and you need to talk about it."

"I'm not upset."

"Hector…" He hadn't even looked at her this time. "You haven't left your room in days. You've barely eaten, and even now you're refusing to meet my gaze." She clasped her hands in her lap. "Lord Uther wouldn't have wanted this."

"Don't talk as if you know what he wanted." Ellie flinched at the snideness of her friend's voice. She had been spot on, then- his brother's death was what was on his mind. "You didn't know him any better than I did. And apparently I barely knew him either, if I thought he would tell me he was dying." Anyone else would have thought he was angry with Lord Uther for keeping that from him. Ellie knew better- Hector was angry with himself for not noticing his brother had been withering away in front of his eyes.

"He was thinking of you," she said. "He couldn't force you to decide between him and me… so he made the decision for you."

"You think I don't know that?!" Hector trembled. "That's what Oswin told me, too. Uther decided to die alone so I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of abandoning either of you." He shook his head. "He shouldn't have had to. He was right in front of me all our lives, Ellie. And I was too blasted busy beating the shit out of nameless mooks in the arena to notice my brother was slowly dying."

"There was nothing you could have done to save him," she said.

"Yes there was." Hector sighed. "I should have been a better brother. I should have left my axe for what it was and helped him. Lessened his workload so he could sleep. So he could take a blasted day off and get the rest he needed."

They were silent for a few seconds, Ellie not knowing what to say. Objectively, yes… if Hector had been more traditional and helped Lord Uther with the duties of Marquess Ositia, things might have been different. But… was that really what Lord Uther would have wanted? She hesitated, but only for a second, before laying down, resting her head and her hands on his chest. He looked down at her, but made no moves to push her off. "Ellie?"

"You were the best brother he could have had," she said. "Don't you see, Hector? Lord Uther hid his illness from you so you could be free- so you could fight when you wanted to, so you wouldn't have to pretend to be someone you weren't at meetings and social gatherings, so you could be YOU." She waited, to let her words sink in. "I… didn't know him like you did. But I know he loved you, and I think he left you so free because… because he no longer could. Perhaps by watching you, he could at least get a glimpse of the freedom that was beyond him…" She shook her head. "You… you bear no blame whatsoever in what happened to him."

She felt his hand on her face and looked up to face him. "You're crying," he said.

"I know you won't," she replied, not bothering to fight back her tears. "Grieve however you want, but consider my tears yours."

Hector sighed. "Lyn already cried for me," he said. "I don't think I have any tears left to shed."

"You do. He meant that much to you." She pressed her face into his chest, crying silently, as his hand made its way to her hair and stroked it. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, until she felt him pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you, Ellie," he whispered. "Thank you…"