New chapter alert! I'm going to assume that I got no reviews for the last one because you guys were all on break or were all busy with studying and homework, and just forgot because this is not nearly as important. I can live with that, and I managed not to pester anybody about it. Just remember, I'm a bit insecure and like to see at least one review per chapter. So this chapter I get into exploring a couple of viewpoints that I haven't before... in third person with no direct sentences. Oh well, better than nothing I say. Also, the final segment of this chapter takes place concurrently with the next one, as far as I can figure. I thought it just fit better thematically in this one, considering the title and all. In other news, I saw Batman v Superman with my roommate, and I honestly don't get what everybody is complaining about. I actually really liked it. Then again, I like the Michael Bay Transformers films, and it is usually hard for me to outright dislike stuff
Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and know that I've got about one month before the semester ends, and I'm in college so... figure out what I'm trying to say. According to my master plan for this fic, we are soon going to have a flashback chapter, followed immediately by a sugary sweet one, then followed by a 'wham episode' a few chapters after that, and I assure you, despite the hype, you won't be expecting how it plays out. So, as always, read, review, and enjoy!
When the reinforcements arrived from Alster, a full on enemy assault was underway. Fortunately, the terrain allowed for Leif's forces to bottleneck the enemy, so that they were not completely overwhelmed when help came. Oifey was glad that things had been working out so well thus far. It felt like... It was like serving with Lord Sigurd all over again.
Oifey immediately shook that thought away. No, he shouldn't think like that. He shouldn't start making comparisons now, it wasn't fair for this generations, and the gods knew that he didn't want them winding up in a similar situation to their parents. Lord Sigurd had been a magnificent military leader, but he had been a very reckless one. That recklessness is why he was now referred to exclusively in the past tense.
When Oifey had heard of his lord's demise, he had dedicated himself completely, in heart and soul and body, to raising his lord's son. He took precautions in his parenting style, hoping to ensure that, behavior wise, Seliph would not turn out exactly like his father. It appeared to have worked out, as Seliph was not nearly as headstrong and reckless as his late father.
Then again, it's possible that Seliph's demeanor didn't come from the way that he was raised. He could have merely inherited his mother's patience... wait a minute, what patience?! Her over-eagerness to return to her husband's side is what got her kidnapped in the first place! Heck, her wedding with Sigurd took places mere days after they first met! To the point that it had become an ongoing joke. With parents as thoughtless as that, it was a miracle that Seliph hadn't turned out to be incredibly impulsive!
When Oifey considered this, his chest began to feel a hint of pride. If that was the case, then his teachings must have been the direct cause of Seliph's current attitude! Well... their teachings. He couldn't rule out Shanan and Aideen having any influence on the young prince, teaching him the same lessons. The three of them had all dedicated themselves to teaching him the value in patience, good conduct, and thinking one's actions through. Oifey hoped and prayed that the outward appearance of those teachings working out was genuine and not just for show.
At the same time, Finn was having similar thoughts regarding Leif. The young prince had grown strong. And while his appearance and general liveliness more than proved that he was his father's son, Leif was much more... down to earth, than his father. Sure, he had some level of pride and strong-headedness; his gleaming white armor served as ample evidence towards this fact; however, the levels of pride that the prince had in itself were nowhere near those that his father had. Lord Quan wore a cravat to battle for god's sake!
No, hubris was not Leif's fatal flaw. Finn knew that Leif had some self-confidence issues to overcome. Something Finn knew for certain hadn't been an issue for Lord Quan. In fact, he had been much too confident in himself. Look at where that got him. No, better for Leif to have some self-confidence issues and be cautious because of it, rather than be zealously overconfident and getting himself killed.
Neither Leif nor Finn were unjustified in their mindset. The one time that Leif began to feel some pride in his accomplishments had been about six months prior, and it had cost them Dorias and about half their army. That had been a hard day for Leif and a hard lesson in general. Though to say that Leif took it the hardest would be to speak an untruth. It was Dorias' daughter Selfina that took it the hardest, becoming essentially cleaved to the side of her husband. Absolutely nobody was surprised when she got her wish of becoming a mother earlier than was probably wise.
This just made Finn hope that Leif and Nanna wouldn't latch on to each other to soon. Yes, Finn had noticed his daughter's feelings towards the prince, and he also noticed the subtle changes in Leif's behavior when he was around her that had been occurring lately, proving that he felt the same way. He might make a few mock threats towards the prince if he grew to open with it to quickly. That was a requirement as a father. In reality, however, he didn't really mind. In fact, he actually found the entire situation to be rather ironic.
As the youngest son of a minor noble, Finn never would of dreamed that one day that he would become the favorite squire of his sovereign, marry a princess from a foreign nation, and have a child that would become the lover of the heir to his own nation. He would have smiled and laughed over the whole situation... that is, if he could only remember how. The events of the last two decades... had worn him down into a husk of his former self. At least he'd have left a legacy, Nanna. If they survived and married, it would be a prosperous legacy too, as he also knew of his daughter's love and desire for several children. The royal family would bounce back royal quickly if no... complications arose. That's why he hoped Leif would wait a while before they got together, Nanna would probably try to start the family at the first opportunity!
There was no time for such thoughts though. He could see that Oifey was about to engage the enemy general. Finn was within range to help him, and so he did. The two of them ganged up on Ovo each taking turns attacking and defending. Eventually, Oifey delivered a critical blow, and then Finn managed to stab his horse, killing it and throwing Ovo to the ground. "Not... possible." grunted Ovo.
"Oh, it's possible" said Oifey. "Now surrender, and your life will be spared."
"Never" said Ovo, giving the cliche villain response.
"Ok then, bye!" said Patty appearing out of nowhere and stabbing him in the back.
"PATTY?! What are you DOING here?" shouted Oifey "Aren't you supposed to be down by Alster?"
"More enemies up here, more chances to loot. So I hitched a ride with a horseman and came with you guys. Also, don't tell me it's too dangerous for me up here, because frankly, I really don't give a damn." she said. "Besides, I have a feeling that I should be here. Gut feeling, you know? So I'm here, and you can't make me go away." she said. Oifey and Finn decided not to respond. They could both tell that she was to stubborn to argue with.
In Conote, a very important person appeared at the front gate; it was Blume's daughter, Ishtar. "You called for me, father?" she asked when she walked into the audience chamber.
"Ishtar? Thank the gods, you made it in time! Please... help protect me; the rebel army is well on its way here!" Blume cried out in a rather panicky voice.
This caught Ishtar off guard. Her father had always been cold, calculating, and calm. He had never been this... mortally terrified man in front of her. "Father! What has happened to you?! How could have a petty band of rebels-"
"Petty band?! PETTY BAND?! Have the reports not reached Grannvale yet? These are the Isaacian rebels! They overthrew King Danan, and then made their way here to reinforce Prince Leif! They are a massive force that is gaining ground everywhere they go, and they've broken through my every line of offense and defense."
"WHAT?! Why didn't Ishtore stop them before they could unite?!" cried out Ishtar, utterly astonished
"Ishtore is dead! Killed in action defending Melgen! I told you, they are sweeping through everything we throw at them! After they killed your brother, when they came to Alster, they got Teeny and Linda to defect!"
Ishtar's head was spinning. She lost balance, and had to steady herself on a nearby pillar. "Why... Why would they do that?"
Blume looked uncomfortable. "Apparently, it's because Teeny's long lost brother has resurfaced. He's with the rebels, and when he encountered the girls, he convinced them to switch sides. I fought him at Alster, and he nearly killed me... and his most powerful tome is Elfire! He's not a major, but he made up for it by being dangerously clever." Blume looked away. "I'll be frank with you Ishtar, I wasn't scared of him at the time, but now your cousin has me completely on edge. Not only is he clearly very dangerous, but that boy blatantly wants me dead. Even if the rebel leader wants to spare me, which I doubt, I'm sure that boy will arrange for me to have an unfortunate 'accident'. So that's why I need you now. PLEASE Ishtar! Do you really want your mother to be your only living family?!"
This question made Ishtar's pupils dilate and fists clench. She hated her mother with a passion, everybody did. She was an inhuman monster only interested in gaining more power. Her marriage to Blume had been purely for personal gain. Ishtar closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed herself. She could grieve later. For now... there was only the mission. When she spoke, her voice exhumed an icy calm. "I see... in that case, give me the Mjolnir tome. It should give me the power I need to drive them away."
"You want the...?! Fine. Just don't slip up!"
"Don't worry father, I will not let you die!" promised Ishtar
Ares rode up to Leonster to rest up a little bit before rejoining the others. Though it probably wouldn't take long for him to recover, he had ulterior motives for being there. He returned to the jeweler he had visited before with Roddleven. He was only half surprised to see that Roddleven was already there. Apparently, they both had the same idea. After they made their purchases, they discussed their decisions.
"So, last time we were here, you said that you were going to wait for this, and you gave me three reasons to support your decision. What has changed?" asked Roddleven.
"I've gotten the... proof I needed to settle my doubts almost immediately afterwards, and I just got the final extra push that I needed." responded Ares.
"Wow, really? How did it happen so fast?" asked Roddleven.
"I met my cousin a few hours after I spoke to you. She gave me a packet containing... well let's just say it was a summary of my family history. I know for certain that I am on the right side of the conflict and am not working alongside my father's enemy now, thanks to that. Then, in this last battle, an opportunity presented itself for me to avenge my father. I won, but I almost died in the process. Leen actually managed to come to my rescue." Ares smiled
"The next thing I knew I was kissing her. When you are in that kind of mood, you notice things. She was startled but blissfully happy when I did that. But just before that, the look of fear in her eyes, her dread of losing me and being left alone with no one she knew... I realized that while the whole stable lifestyle thing does matter, it doesn't matter as much to her as just being with me. So, I intend to make her my wife the first chance I get. We could do a long term engagement and wait until after the war is done, but... given the situation... Well, I think that she'd be happy with either promise and any excuse to stay by me as much as possible, and I'd prefer a proper engagement, but... marriage would probably be easier in our situation."
Ares sighed "She's not much for being on the battlefield, and I could be killed or seriously hurt any day. If I do this, she'd be happy for as long as we both make it through this, and if my time comes, she'll have known what it is to be loved, and there's a chance... I'm not planning on this, but there is a chance that I could wind up ensuring that she will never be alone again even if I am gone."
Ares finished speaking and gave Roddleven a friendly look. "So, I presume you figured out what I was talking about last time we met. I take it that you have made your decision?"
Roddleven sighed, looked down and said "Yes, I have." Gulping, he looked up and said "I'm going to be a father, and I am not going to be the kind that abandons their child and its mother. I'm going to man up and accept the bad decisions I have made. The kid might not have been legitimately conceived, but it will be legitimately born. I've even thought of a name for it." said Roddleven.
"Your sister's?" asked Ares
"Yes. If it's a girl, it'll be Radney; if a boy, I'll just exchange the A for an O."
"What if there is more than one?" asked Ares
"Then it'll be named Jackie." said Roddleven.
"So you thought that out at the very least, but... I still feel like that's the only thing you've thought out. So you're planning on marrying Mercy." stated Ares, arms folded.
"Weren't you listening? That's what I said!" exclaimed Roddleven.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" asked Ares.
"Am I sure... what the HELL are you talking about?!" exclaimed Roddleven angrily.
"As I understand it, you two barely know each other. You met each other... I don't know, twice? and you each had JUST suffered a personal tragedy. You both decided 'this person is nice and knows what I'm going through' and decided that was reason enough to make the other your bedfellow. Tell me, have either of you ever had a casual conversation? Have you ever talked for extended periods of time about something not related to your grief or your current situation? Do you really KNOW each other? Because, if not, this really doesn't seem like the basis for a lasting relationship to me."
"...what do you suggest I do, let the kid be a bastard.?!" exclaimed Roddleven
"Believe it or not, I've been witness to situations where it would've been better if the parents weren't wed because of a baby. This may be one of them. Take responsibility, raise the kid as your own, but marriage might be a mistake. There's a chance that you two aren't compatible at all in reality, and the kid's life will be worse off with you living together but bitter, then with you living apart and at least somewhat amicable." stated Ares.
"Like I'd take shit advice like that from a mercenary! I'm sure your mercenary daddy taught you that trick to make you feel less guilty about mercenaries who abandoned their families. Screw you, I don't have to listen to you!" snapped Roddleven, and he stormed off.