I should probably admit that this is like PART 2. Because I really, really wanted to write all of the other characters, too... Ahem. Whatever~
As always, thanks so much for reading and spending some time here~! And thank you to those of you who leave FUN comments... Having that interaction is a lot of fun, not gonna lie~ Especially when you say things that make me go "meheheh".
Tales of Vesperia: Lights and Shadows
Chapter 27 – A Propensity for Kidnapping
A few months had passed since Gameliel had been destroyed and the crisis of a new Adephagos had been averted. And as if nothing had gone wrong—and for most people, very few things ever seemed out of the ordinary during that time—the world went on as it always had. Yuri and the members of Brave Vesperia continued taking guild jobs and doing what they did best, and Rita continued her research using the newly improved Fiertia as her latest test subject.
Estelle disappeared within the castle and was not heard from again.
As he often did, Yuri took several small interludes in his guild work to return home and check on the people of the lower quarter. If things were broken, he would fix them. If they needed something, he would retrieve it. This time in particular, very little needed to be done, and so he took advantage of a rare opportunity and simply rested.
Sitting at a table in the downstairs portion of the inn, Yuri enjoyed a home-cooked meal prepared by the innkeeper herself. She had taught him everything he knew about cooking, only she was significantly better at it than he was. As such, it was a treat. While he was eating, she hovered over him, wiping her hands on a towel and eyeing him suspiciously. Hanks sat at a table nearby, lounging.
"Alright, kid," she began, causing Yuri to pause and look up. The innkeeper set her towel down on the table before putting a hand on her hip, leaning to one side. "What's eating you up?"
Yuri blinked at her and then finished chewing and swallowing a mouthful of food. Lowering his fork in hesitation, he could not think of an acceptable answer and merely frowned at her. The question had sort of come out of nowhere, as they had only just been talking about the condition of the world after the threat of the Adephagos had passed.
"Every time you come home since defeating those shadows, you look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders," the innkeeper explained. "Now enough moping around. You tell us what's bothering you so we can help you."
Had he been moping? If so, that came as a surprise to Yuri.
"There were just a few things that didn't make sense about those shadows and how that all went down," Yuri explained, taking a small bite of food before continuing. "I'm not moping."
Several things did not add up that had been lingering at the back of Yuri's mind, such as Serge's role in what had set everything in motion. The captives Gameliel had taken some twenty years ago had been drowned in the lake with him until he himself was released. Yet someone by the name of Serge had been collecting those white stones for the past two decades and recently stealing them from Fortune's Market. Gameliel had suggested Rolan went by that name as well, but the mercenary had never confirmed anything. Not only that, but Rolan's intentions toward Estelle's mother had never been made clear, and while Yuri doubted the man had ever been hostile toward them, it left him wondering.
All that aside, everyone connected to Brave Vesperia was abysmally sad due to the loss of a certain pink-haired princess. Rita worked tirelessly to distract herself and keep herself from storming the castle—which no one recommended she do. Karol continuously suggested he and Yuri kidnap Estelle as they had once planned, but Yuri had to remind the boy that, given the circumstances, that would actually land them in jail. Flynn would keep in touch with them and let them know of the princess' well being, but all he could really tell them was that she often locked herself in the library and was not heard from for days. She was to be married within the next few months. Though a proper suitor had not yet been selected, several Council members were vying for her hand.
"Please," Hanks grumbled, leering at the young man at the table across from his. He tapped his fingers. "Every time you come through here, you look like a lovesick puppy."
Yuri sighed and took another bite of food, hoping to drop the subject.
"If you want to see her so badly, why don't you just go to the castle?" asked the innkeeper, seriously.
"It wouldn't be that easy," Yuri started, absentmindedly. "Besides, that has nothing to do with anything."
Both of his elders chuckled at him in unison, causing him to pause and then frown again.
"You know, when I decided to settle down with my wife, I considered it a good thing," Hanks said, folding his arms over his chest and smirking at the younger male. "I don't recall there being this much denial."
"Yuri always did have to make things difficult," the innkeeper agreed, scooping up her towel before flopping it over Yuri's head. She then retracted it and smiled at him, her hands on her hips. "He's been stubborn like this since he was little."
"That's because I grew up around people like you," Yuri retorted, eating and looking off to the side, trying to ignore their comments.
"She's a lovely young lady, and you would do good to settle down with someone like her," said the innkeeper, adamant. "She's got a good heart, and she gets along well with everyone who cares about you."
"I'm telling you, you have it all wrong," Yuri insisted. He stopped his fork halfway to his mouth. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "We're just friends."
"You travel together regularly," quipped the innkeeper. "You're already always together."
"Just stop," Yuri said, taking another bite. "Estelle and I are friends. There's nothing more to it than that." He looked up at the innkeeper with a smile. "Sorry to disappoint you."
"Now Yuri," Hanks started. Yuri sighed and continued eating, realizing they were not quite finished yet. "Sometimes, someone comes along who shakes you up just right. They make you better than you were without them. That's love, you know."
"See, I haven't changed in years," Yuri argued and continued eating, but the innkeeper caught his wrist, forcing him to look up at her, dully.
"Ever since that day you came back with her, you've been changing little by little," said the innkeeper. She smiled. "You used to be a loner. But when she came along, that side of you started to disappear. Suddenly, you found yourself a whole group of friends that you care for very dearly. That was never like you."
Yuri did not seem persuaded. Rather, he tried to lean his head forward across his plate to reach the fork that was in the hand she was currently restraining. She pulled it just out of his reach, and to that, he scowled at her.
"She made you trust people again. She helped you grow. She changed you," said the innkeeper. "You two fit so well together, too. She is kind, generous, selfless, and incredibly lovely. Whereas you—"
"We're complete opposites," Yuri stated, blatantly. "We have nothing in common." He then tugged his wrist, "Can I eat my dinner now?"
"Opposites complete each other," Hanks said, stepping over. "They complete in you something that you lack and challenge you to grow."
"In your case, grow in kindness!" the innkeeper began laughing. Yuri's deadpan expression made her laugh even harder, and Hanks joined in. She continued, "Besides, you have plenty in common. You've been traveling together for over two years now, and you still get along fine. It's because you're so different from each other that you never tire of each other."
"Besides, you have the most important thing in common. An insatiable desire to help people in need," Hanks said.
"Can we be done? If I don't get to eat dinner, I'd rather just leave," Yuri grumbled.
He dropped his fork—it landed on the plate—and this resulted in the innkeeper releasing his wrist. Yuri pushed his chair back and stood. He took his plate and began cleaning it and putting it away. His two elders watched as he did so, and he turned to find them staring at him.
Exasperated, he said, "It's not like that!"
"Maybe you don't realize because you've never been in love," began the innkeeper, adamant. She stepped over to him, shaking a finger at him. "But I dare you to try something. In doing so, we would prove our point." Yuri sighed, and looked away. She continued, "Next time you see that girl, I dare you to do this and see if I'm not mistaken!"
"First," she continued. She stepped closer to Yuri, invading his personal space enough to make him look at her straightly and step back a bit. She got closer regardless. "You get close enough to feel warmth. You don't have to touch, but get real close."
"You're starting to make me feel uncomfortable," Yuri said, a dull expression on his face.
"Then, you take her face in your hands," continued the innkeeper. As she spoke, she cupped Yuri's face in both of her hands. His expression did not change for an instant as she did this to him. Never once did he seem interested nor impressed. She continued, "Look deep into her eyes, and then if you feel something, if your heart flutters, then you'll know."
"My heart doesn't flutter," Yuri quipped. "In fact, sometimes I question if I have one."
"Something right here," said the innkeeper, taking her hands from his face and poking a finger into his chest. She ignored his comment completely. "If you feel something here, something warm and something different… then you love her."
"It's not like that," Yuri repeated, sighing and closing his eyes. "Besides, it doesn't matter anyway."
"Why's that?" Hanks asked.
As Yuri glanced back at the elder man, the innkeeper stepped out of his space and set her hands on her hips again, her expression firm.
"Estelle has decided to stay in the castle and refuses to come out anymore," Yuri explained. "Those rumors of a royal wedding you've been hearing about are about her. She intends to marry someone from the Council."
Previously teasing expressions immediately faltered and became severe. Yuri blinked in surprise at their sudden change.
"What?" the innkeeper murmured, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"What in the world caused her to decide something like that?" questioned Hanks, troubled.
"She felt she had more value in the castle than outside it," explained the swordsman, sighing as he spoke. "That was the final decision she made."
"Oh," the innkeeper murmured, turning and setting her towel on a nearby table. She frowned before looking at Yuri in sorrow. "That young lady had a lot of impact here that I wonder if she was even aware of…"
"And you're just going to let her go?" asked Hanks, standing aside and folding his hands behind his back. He gave the young man a look.
"It's not my choice to make," Yuri said with a frown.
"But at the very least, she's your friend," Hanks countered, his voice and expression firm. "If your friend makes a choice that you know will wound them deeply, aren't you obligated to intervene?"
Yuri processed his words carefully. What he was saying was true, and it was something the swordsman had done time and again during his travels with Estelle. Whenever the princess had attempted to part ways with them or sacrifice herself for their sake, he had stepped in. And not only him, but everyone who had been traveling with them, too. Estelle made choices that put her last and others first; others made choices that helped to keep her level with them. Everyone cared for Estelle and had never hesitated to make choices for her sake when she would not.
"Yuri," Hanks started, stepping closer and drawing the young man from his thoughts. The elder man's expression was gentle but stern. "Tell me the truth. Are you okay with her being given off to the nobility like some sort of prize to be claimed?"
"Of course not. It pisses me off," Yuri retorted, frustration rising in his voice.
"Why?" questioned Hanks.
Yuri considered his response, then answered, "She's not making that choice. They are. She should be able to make a choice like that for herself."
"So then?" Hanks' gaze did not waver for an instant. "Would you be okay with her marrying a noble and living in the castle again if it were her choice?"
Yuri opened his mouth to answer, but he caught himself in an unusual position. The words in his head that were logical and the words about to fall out of his mouth were contradicting each other. In his mind, he was most assuredly certain he would be okay with that. If that was what Estelle wanted and would make her happy, then he would be fine with it. However, his immediate response was less than noble. He considered the contradicting statements carefully before speaking the one that came most naturally to him.
"No. That pisses me off, too," he said, flatly.
"Why?" asked the elder man. This time, his stern expression softened only slightly.
Why, indeed? Yuri had thought he would be supportive of any decision she made, but that was not the case any longer. When she had told him off in Dahngrest, he had been angry. But had there not been something else there? His heart had sank. He had felt lonely, perhaps a hint of fear… and was that desperation?
Rather than giving his elder an answer, Yuri looked to the ground and chose to remain silent. He had no answer to give, honestly.
"I want you to think carefully about why that is," Hanks told him. He gave a slight nod of his head as he continued, "When you come to your conclusion, you need to do something about it. Understand? You'll always regret it if you don't."
Yuri sighed and met eyes with the elder man. Hanks gave him a look that suggested he knew far more than Yuri did and the swordsman would do well to take his advice. Not willing to admit to anything or say more, the young man simply turned and headed for the door. He left the inn and closed the door behind him, and though he did his best to ignore it, he felt two pairs of eyes watching him intently as he left.
Stepping outside and stopping just outside the door, he once again considered Hanks' question and why his answer came as it did. Perhaps in some way they did know something that he did not. Slowly, dark eyes drifted toward the castle that loomed high above, its brilliant white spire reaching high into bright blue skies. A soft whine drew his attention back to the ground, and Yuri found Repede walking toward him at a slow pace. The dog sat in front of him and whined again, lowering his ears and giving the young man a look before yawning.
"You, too?" Yuri grumbled, setting a hand on his side.
It took very little for him to recognize that Repede shared the innkeeper and Hanks' sentiments. Frowning at his canine partner, Yuri sighed again and then allowed his eyes to rise once more to the castle. Then, he turned and headed for the stairs that would take him up to his room. Repede watched him go.
Flynn headed for his room. It was already late, and mostly everyone had turned in for the night. Still, the commandant had found himself finishing up several reports and making some final decisions that would finally wrap up the whole situation that had occurred with Gameliel. The guilds and Imperial Knights had once again been in agreement that a partnership protecting the white crystals creating a barrier over the world would be most beneficial for all. Through trials and tribulations, these two formerly conflicting entities were gradually being brought together as true allies.
Opening the door to his bedroom, he froze in place when he caught a glimpse of something that did not belong there. Lying on his bed with his arms folded behind his head, eyes closed, was Yuri. The room was dark save for the moonlight shining in through the open window, and the swordsman seemed to be asleep until Flynn took another step forward and closed the door behind him. Yuri's eyes opened as Flynn frowned at him, dubiously.
"Yuri?" questioned the Imperial Knight as he set a few things aside. "Would you please come in through the front door like a normal guest?"
Yuri smirked but did not respond otherwise. The blond commandant removed his outer armor before his dark-haired friend finally sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed. Blue eyes met gray eyes, inquisitively.
"Why are you here?" Flynn asked.
"I came to warn you," Yuri began, his expression serious.
Flynn straightened, his unceasing frown intensifying.
"Warn me about what?"
"The princess is going to be kidnapped."
Blue eyes widened in surprise, and a formerly curious expression shifted to one of alarm. Flynn immediately stepped closer, his heart beating faster. His voice rose as he spoke.
"What are you talking about?" he questioned Yuri in haste. "How do you know this? Who is going to kidnap her?"
Calmly, Yuri slid off the bed and stood straight, looking his childhood friend directly in the eyes.
"I am."
If Flynn had not already been surprised, his shock at Yuri's statement would have been far more apparent. As it was, his eyes remained wide as he processed this new information. After careful consideration, his hands formed fists at his sides and his brow furrowed. He looked at his comrade sternly.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"Because," Yuri began, his serious expression never once wavering. "If you truly believe it's in Estelle's best interest to stay here in the castle as she is, then stop me." Taking a step closer, the dark-haired swordsman's voice became more urgent. "But if you think for a moment that taking her out of the castle would do her even better, then stay out of my way."
Flynn glowered at his friend and expected him to waver, but Yuri's expression never changed. Finally, the blond knight turned his head aside and closed his eyes, considering the decision that was then placed in his hands.
The princess was a close friend of his, and of course he wanted her to be well. After Gameliel had tormented her and she had sealed herself in the castle, the formerly innocent, vibrant, and unwaveringly optimistic princess had become a shell of her former self. Even so, she had agreed to marriage and submission to the Council's will. In time, surely she would come to appreciate her new position and use it to everyone's benefit. At least, that was how Flynn thought.
But there was another thought that crept into his mind, and it was that Yuri never asked for permission. He could have easily stolen into the castle at night and taken the princess out from under their noses. He had done it before and could easily do it again. His childhood friend was rash and abrasive and would do whatever he pleased.
Yet here he was.
Breathing slowly to keep his emotions in check, Flynn finally lifted his eyes again and looked at Yuri directly.
"I can make a decision if you'll answer one question," began the commandant of the Imperial Knights. Yuri leaned back a bit and set a hand on his side, raising an eyebrow. Flynn continued, "What are your intentions with the princess?"
Yuri tipped his head to the side and seemed perplexed. Flynn shook his head immediately and tried again.
"No, let me be more clear," he said. He met eyes with Yuri, severe. Very carefully, he asked, "Are you in love with Lady Estellise?"
Yuri's hand dropped from his side and he stood straight. The question ran through his head, but his mind refused to supply a suitable response. It was easy to refute someone when they simply told him how he felt; he had been doing that for so long that it came as second nature to him. But now that it was actually a question, and a serious one at that, he drew a blank. He opened his mouth to utter something in response, but nothing came out.
Flynn's solemn expression gradually shifted to surprise once again. Yuri noticed the change in his friend's countenance and immediately closed his eyes and turned toward the window.
"I'll be here this time tomorrow," Yuri told him. He headed for the window in order to make his escape. "Make your decision by then."
"Yuri!"
Flynn took a few steps after his friend and reached a hand toward him, stopping when Yuri slid out the window and disappeared. The blond Imperial Knight remained standing there in absolute bewilderment. Slowly, his outstretched fingers retracted, and he dropped his hand to his side. He stared at the window a long while before processing his friend's reaction to his question.
"He didn't say no," Flynn said to himself, barely producing sound as his breath escaped him.
Taking several steps backwards and planting himself against a wall, Flynn kept his eyes on the window but truly saw nothing at all. He had assumed for a while, but now he knew. Dropping his head back against the wall, he directed his gaze toward the ceiling in disbelief.
"I warned her about you, Yuri," Flynn uttered, suddenly very weary. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, dropping his hands to the floor between his legs. Closing his eyes, he added, "Perhaps I should have warned you about her."
Moonlight bathed the princess' bedroom as Yuri slipped in through her window. He stopped as he entered and looked around; no one had come to stop him. Quietly, he headed toward the bed and found her there. Estelle was sleeping peacefully, a book still in her hand. Chuckling to himself at her bookworm tendencies, the swordsman was prepared to scoop her up and steal her into the night before noticing shadows moving underneath her door. He could make out a pair of feet on the other side, but no one entered.
Casually, he stepped over to the door and pressed his back to it.
"You come to stop me?" he asked, quietly.
"No," answered Flynn from the other side of the door. The blond knight's voice wavered, clearly in dismay. "But please keep her safe, Yuri."
Yuri considered his friend's plea.
"I will," he promised.
"There's a bag sitting on the chair," Flynn informed him. Yuri scanned the room and found a small bundle set near the window. "A maid collected a few of the princess' things."
"That was awfully nice of you," Yuri jested, surprised to have the typically strict commandant as an accomplice in his mission.
"It wasn't me," Flynn replied from beyond the door. "Sir Drake had it prepared when I told him your intentions."
Yuri's eyes widened, and he slowly pulled himself off the door, looking directly at the wall separating him from his childhood friend. The dark-haired swordsman had intended to swoop in and leave everyone else in confusion, but he was the one being surprised. Estelle's instructor and possibly the closest thing to a father that she had was not fond of Yuri. Rather, he had gone out of his way to discourage Estelle from being around him. This turn of events left Yuri speechless.
"Yuri," Flynn continued, realizing that his friend was not going to respond. "Bring her back to us."
Flynn was not asking for the princess to be physically returned; Yuri knew that much. Flynn, Drake, and everyone else knew that Estelle had been shaken and was no longer her usual self, and they were all willing to do whatever it took to bring her back. Even if that meant, Yuri realized, leaving her in his hands. They were all putting a lot of faith in him.
"I will," Yuri told him, confidently and with a smile that Flynn could not see.
The dark-haired swordsman turned and snatched up the bag of Estelle's belongings, hanging it over his shoulder before returning to the side of the bed. Carefully, he pulled back the covers and slid his hands underneath the princess' slender form, lifting her and holding her against him. Thankfully, she was usually a heavy sleeper and did not wake when he moved her.
As he looked down at her sleeping face, he was certain he would follow through with his promise to Flynn and find a way to bring her back. He was firmly decided that he would do whatever it took to make that happen, regardless of the cost.
Estelle's brilliant light had been what restored him from a place of darkness that night in Mantaic when she had saved him from himself. Now it was only fair, he decided, for him to return the favor.
