Theme 29: Battle Maiden
Disclaimer: Obviously not mine, otherwise this would be canon
Characters: Leanne, Naesala, Nealuchi
A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated, school has been terrible. I would sincerely like to thank all of the reviewers, you guys are awesome and encouraging!
The first word that Leanne had learned in the beorc tongue was "No." She clearly remembered when she first uttered the word to Nealuchi. They were flying through the sky and he was trying to teach her how to speak the modern tongue as he always did when she had free time. Leanne could sense Nealuchi's emotions suddenly jump from fondness to panic when the dragonriders appeared.
"Stay back!" he ordered her in her native tongue.
"No!" she replied firmly, fluttering right next to the raven to face the wyvern riders.
Nealuchi, momentarily distracted by her achievement, beamed at her as he used his laguz stone. "Very good! But stay back!" Much to her guardian's chagrin, Leanne disobeyed, darting here and there and singing her invigorating song whenever the warriors needed it. She grew to love the battle fever that rendered her wobbly and exhilarated at the same time.
Leanne's success with the word "no" sparked Nealuchi's enthusiasm and he bombarded her with words from the beorc vocabulary. Because she was a delicate princess, he insisted upon teaching her only delicate, princess-y words, and thus her second word was "love."
Surprisingly enough, the word "love" belonged on the battlefield as well. Leanne could feel it everywhere as her comrades fought to protect themselves, her, and each other.
Naesala was no exception to this rule. He stuck even more closely by her side than Nealuchi did. When he was around her in battle, the protective air around him grew chokingly thick, tinged with a hint of something else that Leanne could not quite place.
"Stay back!" the king ordered her, shielding her fragile body with his and glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was out of harm's way.
"No!" Leanne was beginning to grow annoyed at everybody telling her that. "Why? I c-can fight too!"
"You do not belong on the battlefield!" Naesala replied, choosing his words carefully and hiding the rest of his thoughts in his heart. You should be away from all the scum here, all the people with blood on their hands, people like me.
"I belong—where my f-friends are," Leanne stuttered haltingly.
"Then let me protect you." So I can be close to you.
"Why?" Leanne asked, curiosity piqued at the sudden flare of unknown emotion in Naesala's heart.
"Because your family and friends would sorely miss you if you were gone," Naesala said. Because I love you. He finished off the last of the enemies surrounding them, and the protective air surrounding him left too, leaving only the warm emotion Leanne finally recognized as love.
The girl flew around to face the king, laying a soft hand on his forearm. "B-be careful," Leanne whispered. "I would miss you too."
Naesala smiled his first smile in months.