Author's Note: Whew, this took longer to write than I expected. I hope it's worth the while, though, because there will be a big revelation at the end of this chapter. Well, enjoy!

Chapter 9

The Two Princes - Part 1

Revelation

Three days had passed since Viktor's rescue without much incident. Well, save for the few times Viktor made teasing remarks to either Frey or Lyon only to be met with certain animosity from the other. But he himself had proven to be a good-natured man, always there to lighten up the mood of the party and balance Humphrey's unnerving aloofness.

The only thing bothering Frey and Lyon was that whenever they ask him why he was lurking on the Lorimar region, he'd evade the question on the first chance. And they could not expect an answer from Humphrey either, being the man-without-a-word he was. So in the end, Frey and Lyon decided not to pursue it.

And now, they were finally back at the headquarters. The sun had long since set, and in return, torches now illuminate the promenades. When they stopped at the stable to return the horses, there were already Jan the stableman – and another familiar person standing by.

"Olaf?" Frey muttered, getting off his horse.

"Welcome back, lads!" Olaf said, beaming, "Ah, Viktor! Glad you're okay, lad!"

"Always the tone of surprise!" Viktor grinned.

"Heh heh. Very good news indeed! Now, I see you lot are worn out. Your rooms have been prepared. Sleep tight now!"

"Oh, but you two," he double took, seeing Frey and Lyon too were about to retire, "the Captain wants to see you. I'm sorry, you two must be tired, but can you please follow me for a second?"

Frey looked at him with dawning wonder. Serge did say something about seeing him after they have completed the mission. Could it be?

"Sure," Frey shrugged.

"See you around tomorrow, pretty boy!" Viktor teased. Frey shot him a half-annoyed glare and he and Lyon followed the old man away from the stable.

As they treaded deeper and deeper through the stone corridors, unfamiliar sceneries began to greet them.

"Um, Olaf? Where are we going to, exactly?" Lyon asked. She, like Frey, had noticed that they weren't headed to the Meeting Hall but somewhere else.

"Why, the Captain's room, of course," Olaf replied as a matter-of-factly, "Whatever he needs to discuss better be done in private... or so he says."

"Private, eh...?"

Normally, Frey would have asked him what kind of "private discussion" he was talking about. But not this time; he was overwhelmed by the prospect of the revelations that were about to come after being kept in the dark for so long. For the entirety of the walk he had made numerous guesses; most were revolving around Serge and the Ravens' true motives. And Lyon, while not as taken in as the Prince was, had her anxiety as well.

They had now arrived in front of a structure that looked pretty much like a crooked tower.

"Well, we're here. This is where the Captain and Talons' rooms are," Olaf explained. "The Captain's room is on the top floor."

The old caretaker waved to the Prince and his bodyguard, and they continued to follow him. They passed a few guards along the way, who, unsurprisingly, eyed Frey and Lyon with suspicion. They were getting used to this kind of treatment ever since they arrived here at the Ravens' headquarters, so they paid it no heed.

The three of them ascended through the staircases spiralling on the edge of the building. They went through the second, third, fourth floor – until they stopped at the topmost landing. They found themselves before a single heavy wooden door, belonging to the sole room on the entire floor.

"Wait here," Olaf told them. He then knocked the door several times. "Captain, I've brought them!"

"Enter," replied a voice from behind the door.

Frey and Lyon took a step back as Olaf pulled the handle and swung the door open.

"Olaf, aren't you coming?" Frey asked, noticing the caretaker's withdrawal as he stood by the door.

"Nah, no, lad. The Captain's called you all the way to his private chamber. I bet he must have something very important to say you two."

Frey nodded, and he and Lyon stepped through the door.

The room was handsome; ornately decorated and very spacious. The walls were decorated with gleaming silver shields and swords, and a fine red carpet, embroidered by golden strings covered the wooden floor (which actually said something, since the building itself were mostly composed of rough limestone). On one end was a bedecked fireplace; the light of the dancing flame gave the room a lavish atmosphere, and on the other was a bed that looked like it was made for royalties.

Despite all the resplendence the Captain's chamber was full of, Frey and Lyon's sights were immediately captured by those who were in the middle of the room: Serge and Odessa.

"Well done getting Viktor out of the mess," the Captain said upon seeing them entering the room. "Take a seat," he indicated two seats on his immediate front, separated by a working desk behind which he and Odessa were sitting.

Frey and Lyon did as told. They settled themselves on the chairs, and looked at Serge with deadpan expressions.

"So... you said you would tell us everything when we completed the mission?" Frey said

The Prince's heart beat faster and faster as he uttered the words; he sensed the time for revelation was nigh. But to his surprise, Serge chuckled.

"Easy. Everything is in order; it wouldn't do for a self-respecting leading man to jump out of his turn. Would you not agree... Freyjadour Falenas, Prince of Falena?"

Frey 's eyes dilated in shock at the mention of his name. Not his alias, but his real name. How could that be...? Lyon's face reflected the same confusion he had and she alternately looked at both Serge and Frey, her heart full of worry.

"How did you...?" Frey stammered; the words flew out of his mouth without him being able to stop it. All the reason, all the anticipation he had built went out of his mind, and the silent confirmation went unchallenged.

"Oh, I guessed," said Serge nonchalantly, "But my guesses have, usually, been good."

Frey was speechless. It's not that he could not bring himself to respond to Serge's statement; rather, there were so many obvious counters he could not decide which one to use. How, if at all, did Serge know that he was from Falena? That he was the Prince, on top of that? Was it logical for a Royalty to wander on an aimless trip out of his country? Especially after the war that ravaged his homeland, that it needed serious efforts to rebuild? Sure as hell it wasn't, and even when Frey did do it anyway, how could this man get that right off the bat? And straight on the mark, still?

"So it looks like we have indeed one little Royalty over here. And to think that we saved you from those pirates... How much is the going rate for rescuing Princes these days, I wonder?"

"..."

"I heard your sister the current reigning Queen has offered you the post as the Commander of the Queen's Knights. The highest prestige a gentleman could ever afford to secure in the Queendom, if I'm not mistaken. Yet here you are, going on a trip with no clear meaning or purpose?"

"How – how dare you..." Frey hissed. Serge's 'seemingly all-knowing' attitude infuriated him, and at the same time, helped him steady himself. "Are you suggesting that I went on this journey because I desire danger and personal glory? Are you trying to convey that I do not care about my own little sister, who was prematurely crowned Queen, let alone my own country? Don't act as if you knew everything!"

To add to Frey's frustration, Serge kept the poker face he'd put on for the entire conversation. This made him wonder whether there was anything, ever, that would faze this man.

However...

"Not caring about your own country, eh? That does sound like someone I know," the increasingly grim tone the next time he spoke implied otherwise.

"He was… a kind man," he murmured, eyes closed as if reminiscing, "And a wise ruler. But one day, his wife was killed. And he was never the same again ever since. "

Serge paused. For a moment, Frey's brow furrowed as he was trying to piece the descriptions – a distinct 'oh' formed in his face several moments later. Noticing Frey's epiphany, Serge continued.

"You guessed it. Barbarossa. The one they call the Golden Emperor.

"He'd babble nonsense, blind to aught but the horrors he witnessed that day. No matter. Everything he did, he did on a whim, without conscience. He'd crush anyone who opposed him, purge a whole town and put the blame to the opposing nation to garner the support of the country for war… He even made me a General."

"You were… a General?" Frey repeated disbelievingly.

"Part of a past I'd rather forget" said Serge, his voice now laden with anger and shame. "It didn't last long. I ran. I left the Empire...and him."

The Captain of the Ravens sprung to his feet, tall as he was, and gazed far off outside the window.

"But not before she came," said Serge, and now a positively dangerous look crept over his face, "Windy. Scarlet Moon Empire's very own Court Magician. He did all he could to get closer to her, to understand her. That's when he lost his heart to her, lost himself. And I suppose that's when I lost my father. Don't want to witness his downfall. I ran away. I couldn't stand seeing him like that, a slave to her rotten wills."

"Your… father?"

There was a pause, a painful one. Frey and Lyon dared not utter a single word and instead merely exchanged anxious glances; they knew the truth now, even without Serge saying it. Odessa's face reflected pain, but it appeared to be minuscule compared the sorrow inside the Captain's heart. She appeared to could not withstand it anymore, as she finally forced herself to reveal the truth.

"The Captain's real name is… Cairne Rugner. Sole son of Emperor Barbarossa and the late Empress Claudia."

Another long silence ensued. Somehow, the idea seemed appalling at first - yet it made sense. Perhaps it was because they already went through a similar situation, hence the irony. Or perhaps because the way Serge said it made it actually more believable.

Knowing neither what to say nor do, Lyon kept staring on her own feet - while Frey seemed to find the rosy light of the fire captivating. And all was quiet, except the crackling of the flame dancing in the furnace.

"… So I ran," said Serge, finally, "Free at last. I met and gathered everybody in the Ravens. Everyone to whom life was unkind. We formed a small band of pirates, and it sort of grew larger by the time. Not long after, they gave me the 'Pirate Prince' moniker."

"And then, of course, I met you," he glanced at Frey and Lyon, "Funny how I sought to grab my father's attention – spreading rumours of a band of pirates amassing an army to overthrow the government. How could I know that the witch had gotten her hooks so deep into him that he cares about his own country no more? All that running, and I got nowhere."

He clenched his fist.

"It's time to end this - cut my ties to the past."

Frey and Lyon looked at him speechlessly for the time being. Until, finally, Frey took a deep breath and sighed; all his enmity from before had dissipated entirely.

"... It's hard to leave the past behind," he murmured. He looked up at the gentleman standing before him.

"Serge – no... Captain," Frey said, properly addressing him for the first time. "Is it true, what you just said? Can I really trust you?"

"The choice is yours to make," said Serge quietly, "But don't lose the sight of your goal. You alone know what you must do."

For a minute or so, both men stared directly into each other's eyes, countless unspoken lines in exchange. Then...

"It's late. I suppose you should both retire for now. It's been a long day, hasn't it?" said Serge.

Frey and Lyon nodded, and they too got up from their seats.

"... Thank you for telling us this...Captain."

As they turned to leave, "About our identities... Can you please keep it secret?" Frey said.

"... Remind me again, Odessa, who are these two?"

"... They are Faroush and Lyonese. New members of the Ravens."

Frey took a last glance of Serge and Odessa before he murmured, "Thank you."

The Prince and his Bodyguard walked out of the room, leaving only the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Ravens. A few moments after the door had been closed...

"Captain... why did you have to go through the trouble to tell them everything? I'm sure it must have been... hurtful," said Odessa. Sorrow was in both her voice and face.

"Not as much as you'd think," Serge assured, "But I must admit, I find the position I'm in... wearying."

They looked at each other.

"If that is so... You can rest assured; I will play my part," Odessa smiled weakly.

"I would have no other," said Serge, and he, too, smiled at her.

Outside, where the Prince and his Bodyguard was...

"You know, Prince... I never thought that you both would be so similar."

"... Yeah. Having his entire country, even his father, as an enemy..." He scoffed at the irony. "What do you think, Lyon? Do you think we should stay?"

Lyon paused for a while. Then –

"I think we should. There is so much we haven't seen yet about the outer world. And I think being with them might be sufficient to represent the things we want to learn," she answered with firm conviction.

Seemingly surprised but glad at his Bodyguard's reply, the Prince smiled at her.

"I suppose so. Then... Goodnight, Lyon. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Prince."

End note: So that's that. I suppose I kind of went with the Author's Liberty and have the son of Barbarossa to appear in this story. Some of you would probably know that there was no known record of Barbarossa having any offsprings yet, but on the other hand, there was no canon evidence that he didn't either. So I hope I didn't break the canon too severe by doing this.

And as you might have noticed, I plan on having Serge and Odessa romantically involved with each other throughout the story. I know that Odessa would end up with Flik in Suikoden I, but at the moment, Flik hadn't joined them as a member of the Ravens. He would in later chapters, though, and he development would sure prove to be interesting then.

Last but not least, I would like to thank you for having supported me this far. Oh, and I also have a question: how should I do with Frey and Lyon's romance? I think the two were pretty much a couple already at the end of the game, so it might be weird if I elaborate more on how they realized their respective feelings. For example, Frey already knew he loved Lyon, and the same goes with her. So, how would you suggest?

Again,thanks for reading and please review!