Age of Pretense

Fire Emblem: The Sword of Seals and the Blazing Sword

by eolianstar

Behold! Our Lady in her meek descent

clothed in the fleshly vesture of the blessed one

returneth unto us with not a stave, but a sword

A sword! A sword!

and it cameth to pass

the judgement of Her righteous right hand

a beacon shineth upon the Dread Isle

whither the ancient powers stirreth and ready for war

and darkness again seizeth the land

fear not, for the longest night shall be as day

the glory of Her everlasting light shining as a thousand suns

but not so for the wicked!

they shall be tossed into the darkness

where tongues are stilled evermore

"But thou, my faithful saints,

Thy destiny shall be restoration and enlightenment shall be thy design

Therefore fear not the way of suffering, nor the sting of death.

Behold, I come quickly! Surely that day is at hand,

I come quickly!"

-The Revelation of the Saint, Religious text of the Way of Divine Light

XIII. Three Years Ago

Thierry hated boats almost as much as he hated cats. The captain kept a galley tabby and let it roam the deck at will to keep mice infestations off of his boat. That night when he went out for a breather, he turned to see the glowing orbs staring back at him from the shelf and it took everything he had to stop himself from tearing the despicable creature in half with his bare hands.

"Stop that. You're being obnoxious" Mina had told him with a tight jaw when he was pacing restlessly during the last half hour of their voyage. Most people showed their dimples when they smiled, but her dimple only appeared when she was angry and set her jaw like that. Or maybe it appeared when she smiled as well. It was impossible to know. She never smiled.

"Yessir," he muttered, resisting the immature temptation to roll his eyes. She was a third of his size at best, and he was her superior, but the quality of life was simply better when he didn't cross her in these sour moods. She had been in an extra sour mood after their quarry had slipped through her fingers in Ostia. They had been so close to getting their hands on the kid. Thierry would have planned on giving him a good thrashing for the trouble he had caused them if he hadn't been the brother of their Lady.

But Lysander told them not to worry, that Lionel would soon come to them instead. The Governor was summoning the all the members of the Way back to Valor Isle, claiming that the Lady had seen a vision, and that it was necessary for them to be present.

The last time they were all together... Thierry shuddered at the memory. He had no particular love for the High Priestess, but nobody deserved to die like that. And poor Lenore... It was such a pity, she had always been a feisty girl. Despite Valor being a world-renowned resort and tourist attraction, he was in no place to relax, especially considering how disastrous things could get.

No matter. The past was the past, and now they were certain that their Lady had returned, as the prophecy had spoken. No matter the sacrifices, no matter the cost... they would be the bearers of light to Elibe.

"I don't like it," Mina said, chewing on her lip. Her dimple sank deeper into her skin, like a needle pressed into a balloon before it pops.

"Like what?"

"That we're taking orders from that Lycian man rather than Alexis."

"But we are taking orders from Alexis. He told us to obey Lysander."

"I don't like it."

Thierry heaved a sighed. His brother, the High Priest of the Way, was not someone who gave his trust lightly. And besides, the High Priestess had trusted Lysander before Alexis did, so that had to mean something too. Afterall, she was the one who entrusted her kids to that guy.

Though honestly, it was hard to tell if Sabine Ivaldi had ever loved her children. She was kind of... crazy... And she had been wrong about Lenore, an error that had cost them both of their lives. To think, all along she had chosen the wrong sister. It was truly a wonder that her eldest daughter was now...

Ah, there! The darkness made it a little hard to make out, but he could see the outline of the island against the waters. He was eager to get of this blasted boat. He needed something steadier to stand on.

"We're meeting everyone at the Dragon's Gate, again on the night of the winter solstice." Thierry reminded Mina, though it was more to distract himself from the lurching floor under his feet than to inform her. Light snow scattered down, sticking to the metal railing while melting on clothes and skin. "Until then, we're just waiting to make sure that they get here."

"Who?" Mina demanded, listening impatiently as she braided her long hair for having nothing else to do.

"Lionel. And there's a girl and another guy with them. Lysander said the girl's especially important, but he didn't say why. We don't really care about the other kid, but the girl and Lionel have to be there too."

"Whatever."

The man leaned against the balustrade, squinting in the wind as he rubbed his bearded cheek. "He's changed a lot ever since that time." She said nothing, and sat on the bench nearby, crossing her legs. "I remember he used to be a really nice kid, always friendly and joking around. We used to even talk every so often. Now he's only moody all the time, and got even scrawnier too. I thought at least he really cared about our Lady, seeing as how she's the only one he has left. I wonder why he suddenly ran off like that."

"Does it matter?" Mina snapped at last, and Thierry sheepishly shrugged until she continued to run her mouth. "They're all just spoiled brats, every one of them, and I'm sick of having to care about them all the time."

The sound of him striking her rang out loudly, and it attracted the attention of some of the other passengers near them. As soon as they looked over, they looked away, none wishing to attract the large Etrurian man's attention.

Mina's pale hand went up to cover the spot on her cheek where the plumes of red had already started to spread. She had to set her other hand down on the bench to prevent herself from toppling off of it.

Thierry leaned in close, the offending hand forming a finger that pointed at her accusingly.

"Don't forget your place, Mina. I've been tolerant enough of your bad attitude, but you do not just say what you please about our Lady. Do you understand?"

Her little lips twisted with humiliation and anger. But in the end, she did know her place. "I understand."

After, she fled inside the cabin still holding her cheek, leaving Thierry alone on the deck. He should have been more patient. But she had deserved it, and he had been mentoring her for far too long for this to form any real division between them. Perhaps he ought to go after her...

Instead, he remained there, looking towards the island. And he prayed earnestly for the Lady's victory, for Lionel's safety, for Mina's piety.

- o -

Lionel's complexion alarmed Elijah, and the Pheraen, assuming it had to do with seasickness, insisted on going off to find some sort of medication for him. The Etrurian was already naturally pale skinned, but in the backdrop of an overcast winter morning and his sickly expression, his face was positively gray. Lionel tried to protest, and began to say that it wasn't sickness, but the other boy had already run off.

The trip from Badon to Valor was only a few hours, but the weather made the voyage seem absurdly long. There were a surprising number of other passengers as well; the whole ferry was completely full. Fae didn't quite know where or how Elijah would be able to find any sort of medicine with all these crowds.

"I think you should tell him soon," Lionel said faintly.

"What?" Fae asked, wincing internally as she saw again how miserable he looked.

"I know it's really hard for you, but Elijah really should know. It's fine that you didn't tell him on the train, but..."

"I know, I'm sorry." She had yet to fulfill her part of their agreement. Though she had said she would tell Elijah of her identity before they reached their stop, she had been so nervous about it that Lionel told her it was fine to wait. For some reason, she was terrified about knowing how he might react, what he might think of her.

"I don't want to push you," the Etrurian continued, "but things are going to get really complicated when we get to the island, and it's important that he understands what we're all getting ourselves into."
"What do you mean?" Fae asked, her fear suddenly heightened with his words. "What's going to happen?"

At this point, their companion returned with a bottled water and a few pills clutched in his hand. The best Elijah could do was come back with some sleeping medication, but Lionel refused it. He thanked him and accepted the water, however.

"I have to tell you two something," he said, wiping his mouth. Fae's heart lurched at first, because with the short conversation they just had, she thought that he was going to tell Elijah her secret. Before Lionel said anything more, however, Elijah shook his head.

"You should save your strength. Whatever it is, you can tell us after we land."

"No, it might get worse then. And I... I think I have to share this."

The two of them looked at each other, Fae with fear evident in her face, Elijah with confusion, but determination. Then, returning their attention to their companion, they nodded together. Lionel blew out his cheeks as he often did in habit, and exhaled slowly.

"Three years ago, the Way gathered together in Aquleia to perform a ceremony at the Tower of the Saint. My mother said that it was a very important ritual for the Way and that I had to be there. Ah, and... my... my sisters were to be there as well. But I... uh..." Lionel seemed conflicted at this point, as if he were struggling with his own words.

"Hey, take it easy," Elijah insisted again, his brow creased with concern. "You look awful.."

"Really, I'm not sick; it's that I'm terrified and confused," Lionel confessed almost angrily, his fists tight in his lap. "I'm afraid of what might happen to Irene. This feels too much like last time... I never should have left her..."

Fae gripped Lionel's arm, not sure what good it would do, but she wanted to make her physical presence beside him known. She spoke calmly, with all the assurance and confidence she could afford. It seemed to somehow have a positive effect; she could feel Lionel relax a little under her touch. "We're listening. What happened three years ago?"

"Do you remember when we first met, I told you that in the Way's texts, St. Elimine is to return when the first dragons are again seen in Elibe?"

Of course Fae remembered. Elijah nodded to indicate that he did too.

"There is a large, ancient structure on Valor Isle. Although now it has been reduced to tourism, there is a closed gate inside that has always been an occult hotspot."

"We went there on a school trip once," Elijah recalled, "At the Dragon's Gate there was a group that was trying to perform some sort of séance before the security guards chased them away. From what I gather, there's a lot of mystical speculation that the other side of the gate is another world."

"Yes. There are a lot of beliefs like that, the most prominent one being that beyond is the land where the last dragons were exiled. The Way holds this belief as well, and also to the idea that the final war will begin and end on Valor Isle, but this is to happen after the return of St. Elimine."

"So this ceremony..." Fae wondered aloud. She recalled Lionel mentioning his second sister, who had fallen to her death also three years ago. She had a feeling she was about to hear the details of that event now. She was soon validated.

"My twin sister, Lenore... she always had a recurring dream about that gate. Somehow my mother found out about it, and got in her head that it was a sign. Up until this time, by the way, Irene had been keeping her gift of healing a secret, because she suspected that the Way would try to exploit it. So my mother, who was the High Priestess... she wanted to offer Lenore's body to St. Elimine to claim, to be rebirthed into this world from the very place she ascended from it. That was the nature of the ceremony. Of death... and rebirth." Lionel spoke the next words with great bitterness. "If I had paid more attention to the Way's texts, I might have known sooner..."

"I don't understand," Elijah said, but the look on his face suggested that in part, he did understand.

"My mother was insane," Lionel said tightly, lining his voice with a venomous edge. "She was always a little unstable, but that night at the Saint's Tower, she was going to kill my sister. She had worked up the other members of the Way to a frenzy that no right-minded person would ever wish to be a part of. When I realized what was happening, Irene and I tried to help her escape, but we ended up finding ourselves outside, on the very top of the tower, with all other exits cut off. The High Priestess, in all her madness, a knife in her hand, came after us, fully intending to murder her own flesh and blood, her youngest child."

Lionel looked into the distance, white and cold as ever.

"And so, I killed her."

Fae felt a tremor pass through her. As intimidated as she had always been by Lionel, by his prophetic voice, by his lovely face and headstrong temper, these simple words were the most frightening delivery yet. They held in them another kind of terrible wonder. She no longer remembered the Lionel on the train, embarrassed for his lack of social niceties while trying to muster up the words of apology. She remembered the Lionel standing at the very edge of the roof with the shadows over his face. She remembered the petrifying uncertainty of not knowing whether he would jump.

Elijah's face was unchanged. She had no idea what he was thinking, and she could hardly guess what the proper reaction to someone who had just confessed to matricide would be. Lionel continued, his fear abated a little as he submerged into the memory.

"Standing in the darkness of the longest night of the world, I made a promise before God that I would protect my sisters. I had no other family aside from them, and if we three were alone against the world, so be it, because in my heart, from that moment on, I disowned the Way permanently. But it didn't matter, because even from the moment I lifted my hand against the woman who birthed and raised me, it was a promise without substance. He... I... in that struggle, Lenore died anyways. I was too weak."

Lionel took a drink of water to rinse away the emotion that his voice had started to betray. Elijah was the first to speak after a short silence.

"I'm sorry. You've been through a lot."

Fae felt like if she were to say those same words, she would have felt inadequate. Out of Elijah's mouth it was authentic, without a trace of pity or discomfort. Fae noticed Lionel's strange expression though, how he seemed still very bothered by something. It did not quite seem to be due to the fear to which he had confessed, but she could see that there seemed to be words on the tip of his tongue that he was unsure whether to speak. Even as he continued on, she could tell that what was coming out and what was on his mind were not completely congruent.

"I... I wanted you two to know, because those are the stakes I have raised for all of this. I would do anything for Irene, and now... we're back where it all began. She's been protecting us her whole life, and even now, the reason why she revealed her gift to the Way was to gain the power to protect me, because everyone still knows who killed the High Priestess. But now, they all believe that Lenore's sacrifice was what called Elimine to accept Irene as her vessel. It's absolute rubbish. They fit their beliefs conveniently into any circumstance, and Irene is trapped in that body of lies."

"There's something else," Fae said aloud, and she was not quite sure why. "There's something else that you're not telling us."

Lionel looked alarmed, and Elijah raised an eyebrow. Fae instead met the Etrurian's gaze, searching his face. He looked away.

"It's okay," she said quietly. Afterall, who was she to press him? She thought about Zeke as well, about that same sort of guarded look he constantly harbored. Everybody seemed to have something to protect. She gripped Lionel's hand in both of hers. It was ice-cold in her fingers. "You don't have to tell us. But I'll lend you all of my strength anyways. You're not alone."

"Mine too," Elijah said, setting a hand on Lionel's shoulder. "Don't fear the past. You're stronger than you know. "

"You..." Lionel looked between his two companions. At this moment, the ferry bell rang out, and the captain's voice, muffled and barely discernable, echoed out from the bullhorn mounted above the cabin. When the looked over the railing, they could see the shape of land in the mist, and a tall tower above that all.

Fae felt his hand tighten between hers.

"Thank you."

That was enough for now. They had come this far, though the time in between had been so short. They had no other choice but to help one another.

- o -

Something about the island made him feel like he was always in a shadow, despite the fact the town was very colorfully decorated for the Winter Festival. But contrary to his prediction that he would feel more ill once they landed, Lionel's coloring improved after they disembarked. Perhaps finally being open about the events of three years ago had been a necessary catharsis. Perhaps his new friends were exactly what he needed. Whatever the reason, he felt better. His fear was less smothering.

Despite the gravity of their circumstances, Fae seemed absolutely entranced by the decorations, the liveliness of the Festival and the light snow dusting the streets. It was the opening day of the celebrations, and travelers and artists from all the nations of Elibe crowded the streets and stood upon platforms, priming the tourists for the night's more extravagant activities.

Despite his fears, Lionel found himself loosening considerably as Fae gasped and pointed out the colors, the songs and dancing. She acted as if she had never seen such things before. Elijah joined in her wonderment, and Lionel knew that he was purposefully attempting to lighten their darkened moods when he suggested they stop and watch for a while.

But he allowed himself to be lightened. When Fae gasped in exaggerated amazement at a magician's conjuring of birds from a hat (a classic, but rudimentary trick at best), Lionel laughed along with Elijah.

"You have the best reactions to things," Elijah said to Fae, when she looked a little dismayed at their laughing at her. "You're like a little kid sometimes."

"I'm not!" Fae argued, her fists balled. "I... I was just surprised when they flew out like that!"

Lionel laughed to himself, hands in his pockets, content to watch their banter.

Initially, they had hoped that they would be able to ascertain Irene's whereabouts somehow by asking around. Surely, she was expected to attend some of the activities. The mist had lifted to reveal a day with completely clear skies. Lionel's eyes kept straying to the tower beyond the edges of the town.

Strangely enough, the one thing that kept coming to mind after their conversation on the ferry was Fae's observation. He had mulled over the events of his mother and twin's deaths too many times, turning over the thoughts over and over again in his mind, trying to numb the fear and hatred. But Fae had noticed that there was something else he had not told them. The whole time he had desperately wanted to tell them, that his whole story had, in a way, been a lie. He had been a lie...

But Irene had forbidden him to tell anybody, and he had made a promise. It was not only his secret to keep, but one that would endanger her as well. He wished so much that their positions could have been swapped, that he, instead of her, would have to suffer the pretense and fear...

But I am living in pretense because of this, even more than Irene is. Are we doing the right thing? Is this the best way? he prayed to his God, and paused as if to wait for an answer. He closed his eyes, wondering if he would ever know for sure.

"Lionel!"

His eyes snapped open upon Elijah calling him, and he saw that his friends had already walked a small distance ahead of him. The Pheraen was beckoning him, gesturing towards where the crowds were gathered.

"They're amazing!" Fae gasped when he came close enough. He turned his attention to what they had been gesturing towards. On top of the red roof of a painted caravan, two performers stood above the crowd. Upon seeing them, Lionel registered the perfect sound of a violin singing on the breeze, the high notes soaring without sounding shrill. The fiddler was a tall, lanky man, his dark, evergreen hair like a thick mane over his shoulders. He was so majestic, his fingers loosely bent on the end of his bow, his bright smile unwavering.

The girl beside him danced and danced, her moves so sweeping and quick that Lionel was afraid she might fall off the roof. But she was perfect, and even from his low vantage he could tell each turn was a perfect circle. She was very young, and yet commanded great authority in each of her steps. Her feet were fitted with lovely cloth shoes that gleamed in the sunlight with each purposeful step.

The arts were truly an amazing thing, Lionel marveled. Here, in the presence of great beauty, he felt courage return to him.

Hours had passed before they finally decided that they had better begin their search. It was almost a reluctant realization, as it was too easy to get lost in the fantasy, in a world where only colors and laughter existed. Fae's face still glowed with the sights.

"We should stay together. The town is really big, so if something happens and we get separated, it'll be really hard to find each other again," Elijah said, when they sat by the fountain to take a short rest. Fae had in her hands a garland of flowers that some of the performers had tossed to the crowd. She held it almost like a crown- delicately, almost reverently.

"Sure," Lionel said, and Fae nodded. Elijah continued, but it seemed now that he was just thinking out loud.

"The Council itself is held at Valor Hall, as it has been traditionally for years." At this, he looked up the path, up the hill where a large, walled castle-like building was visible on the very top. Over its shoulder, the lonely figure of the Dragon's Gate stood beyond it. It was much too dark against the azure sky. "I think they do house the nations leaders there... so chances are pretty high that Governor Farey and Lionel's sister will be there. But it's also likely that-"

He stopped mid-sentence and sprang to his feet, instinctively spreading out his arm across his two companions in a shielding gesture.

"What is it?" Fae asked, and would have stood as well if it weren't for Elijah's arm before her.

"That Etrurian woman that attacked you in Ostia," Elijah said, and Lionel snapped to attention. "I just saw her in the crowd. She and a bearded man were watching us!"

"What?" Lionel pushed Elijah's hand out of the way and stood, frantically scanning the crowd that Elijah was facing. Thierry's bulk was too conspicuous to simply overlook, but he couldn't see either him or Mina in the sea of faces. "Why are you just standing there? We need to-"

"They ran away as soon as they saw me looking at them," he replied, slowly turning back. "They're not there anymore. I don't think they wanted me to see them."

Lionel didn't like that. It would have been much simpler if they had just barreled through the crowd to chase them down. This... he didn't know what to make of all this. Why were they biding their time?
"Let's get out of here," he said nervously.

- o -

"The patient's family submitted a disclosure form," Elaine Hart was saying to her assistant on her way out. "Be sure to send them the records in the post before you leave."

Back in her laboratory in Ostia, she had returned to her perfectly organized and planned world. It had been a week since her appointment with Dr. Lyman at the cafe, and she had not seen or heard from him since. That suited her fine.

And yet...

He had left his book open on the table, exposed to the page with the photograph of the dragons on the tapestry. Disgusted, she had fully intended to leave it there. But she hadn't. It was sitting on her table at home, still opened to that page.

Truth be told, while girls her age had been enthralled by stories of princesses and knights, Elaine had an extended dragon stage in her childhood like most Bernese boys did. She played with her brother's figurines and read all the picture books in her house about the Scouring. It had even been her motivation to study wyverns in college.

So it was extra galling when Ezekiel Lyman had broached the topic with her, as if somehow he had known.

Damn him. What game was he playing? She was too busy doing science to indulge in fairy tales like this. And yet... Fae's blood samples had been legitimate. That girl...

After a long day of clinicals and errands, she put on her coat and stepped out into the University of Ostia's campus. It was bitterly cold, so she released her hair to keep her neck warm. As she was slipping the elastic into one of her pockets, she felt a strange sensation that she was being watched.

She turned, and saw a man standing by another entrance jerk and look away. He had clearly been looking at her just the moment before, but she pretended not to notice, and went on her way.

As soon as she got into her car, she locked the doors and took a deep breath. She didn't understand why she was feeling so spooked. It was not like her at all.

Before starting the engine, Elaine checked around to be sure that she was alone in the parking lot. Perhaps that man just happened to be looking at her at that moment and had meant no harm. When she turned around, her eye glanced at the pile of envelopes on the floor of the passenger's seat. She vaguely remembered tossing some mail aside that day she angrily left her laboratory with Fae's blood analysis. That felt like an eternity ago.

Pulling up the papers, she placed them on the passenger's seat, but was just too tired to look through them at the moment, even if the mail was old and should have been tended to a while ago. She just wanted to get home as soon as possible, take a soothing shower and go to bed.

….Damn it.

She turned on ignition. The engine roared to life as she switched on the headlights.

Perhaps she would send Dr. Lyman an email in the morning.