Gnothi Se Auton

-Act I-

The Trine Prophecy

A Final Fantasy IV Story

by SpacemanSpiff

Chapter XII

In Aevum Veritas

Scene 2 – Castle Baron, Throne Room

"The Queen will see you now, Lady Ambassador."

The doors of the antechamber opened with a magnificent hum, their resounding vibration a reminder of the strength of the kingdom of Baron. It had been nearly two years since Rydia had passed through these doors when she attended the coronation and subsequent wedding of Cecil and Rosa. The throne room still radiated a majestic aura of red and gold heraldry, contrasting sharply with the bold ocean blue of the royal guards that opened the doors and led them inside. Like a road paved with roses, one's eyes were naturally drawn up the carpet to the two shimmering gold thrones at the end, where a flowing white robe sheathed a beautiful warrior, her smile as glorious as Rydia remembered.

"Rydia, it really is you!" Rosa exclaimed excitedly as she immediately stood and strode quickly down the carpet to greet her. Rydia was overjoyed as Rosa's arms wrapped around her, a warmth like none other in their embrace. Rosa only let go when she noticed the dashing young man that was with her long lost friend. "I'm sorry, how rude of me. I see you have brought a guest."

"It is quite alright, Your Highness," Agleson bowed with grace.

"I warned him we might get a bit mushy after such a lengthy absence," Rydia teased with a smile. "This is Agleson Ardwick, a bard from Damcyan. I met him in Agart, from where we have just arrived."

"Mister Ardwick, it is a pleasure to meet you," Rosa offered with a curtsey.

"The pleasure is mine, Your Highness," Agleson responded warmly.

"Come, let us speak in private," Rosa offered with a wave of her hand towards a door on the west wall of the throne room.

"May Agleson join us? There are urgent matters that affect him, as well." Rydia asked, knowing well that Rosa would oblige.

"Of course," Rosa smiled, nodding at the bard. "Any friend of our dearest Rydia is a friend of mine. And I must say you two look quite fetching together in those matching outfits."

Rydia blushed as she followed Rosa to the chamber door, glancing down at her bard clothing, the only clean attire that had been available aboard the ship that Agleson's troupe had brought from Damcyan. From the red leather slippers, to the red silk, knee-length skirt and matching sleeveless petticoat, she felt incredibly awkward, despite the comfortable grip of the fabric on her skin. It was a far cry from her typical garb, but it was either this or try to fit back into the blood-stained gown from the banquet, or perhaps worse, the clothes that the sailors wore. She had pinned the ruby brooch to the base of a loose ponytail that held her lush green curls in a single stream rushing down her back, the gold chocobo feathers still holding tight as they would in a true bard's cap.

"Thanks, Rosa," Rydia replied with a smile. "My wardrobe is, unfortunately, still in Agart."

"I'm excited to hear of your journey and why you've been in Agart, of all places," Rosa said as they strolled casually between the columns of the throne room. "And I'm surprised that you don't appear to have aged at all, despite being in the underworld for so long."

"King Leviathan graciously agreed to alter the flow of time in the Summoned Lands," Rydia explained, realizing that her friends would likely have expected her to be middle aged by now. "With the war over, there was no need for him to accelerate time to continue my training. When I decided to stay with them in the underworld, my only condition was that I would still be able to see my friends without worrying about losing so much of my life every time that I left. He was happy to oblige, as time means little to immortal spirits."

"Yes, I suppose that is true. Well I am glad that they made you feel comfortable and at home there," Rosa said as she pushed the wooden chamber door, the groan of the old hinges suffering as it swung into the room.

The room was filled with the light of day, as the entire west wall was open from waist-height up to the ceiling, only a few columns holding up the roof like a stone awning. It seemed more like a balcony than a meeting room, which made it that much more pleasant and inviting. The aroma of the forests mixed with the tinge of smithy forges and baking ovens swept through the room, gently caressing the vines of ivy spilling down the walls. It was natural and beautiful. A white marble long table was surrounded by six white-steel chairs with plush red-velvet cushions. Rydia and Agleson both stole a moment to take in the view, overlooking the lands of the kingdom, the pleasant village just outside the castle walls. Rydia wished she had the time to show Agleson what felt like her second home. But as Rosa closed the door, they turned and took their seats at the table.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Rydia," Rosa began, looking almost as though she might cry from the joy. "It has been a trying few weeks in the kingdom, and I'm barely keeping it together in Cecil's absence. It is comforting knowing I have a friend I can truly talk to again."

"Cecil is gone?" Rydia said worriedly.

"None to worry, he is currently in Mysidia dealing with urgent matters, and has been for a fortnight," Rosa said with a sad laugh as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry if I scared you, I've been rather emotional lately."

"That is a relief," Rydia said with a smile, reaching a hand to Rosa's to comfort her. "What business in Mysidia has stolen Cecil away from the kingdom for so long?"

"He has gone to meet his mother," Rosa replied, her face anticipating the response that began with Rydia withdrawing her hand in shock.

"His…mother?" she begged for explanation, her eyes wide with intrigue.

"Am I missing something?" Agleson piped in, eyebrow quirked between the two women looking for some reason to also feel as shocked as they seemed. "Is there a reason we should all be so surprised?"

"Cecil was an orphan, taken in by the royal family here in Baron at the time," Rydia turned to him to explain. "He never met his real parents, although…" Rydia cast a nervous glance towards Rosa, not sure if she should reveal the secret of his Lunarian heritage. Rosa gave her a knowing smile, reminding the summoner to tread lightly around the subject. "During the war he met his father…or rather the spirit of his father."

"You mean the light on Mount Ordeals?" Agleson suddenly became excited, as though he had discovered the key to unlock a valuable treasure. "So the rumors are true?"

"Rumors?" Rosa inquired, a bit stunned of the news that some underground gossip was circulating about her husband. The story of Cecil's journey through the war—his transformation on Mount Ordeals, his unification of all the great nations against Golbez, his journey to the moon to stop Zemus—was widely spread and heralded in the two years since the end of the war. The secret of his ties to the Lunarians, however, had not been shared with anyone outside of the five saviors that returned and a small group of trusted friends that Cecil had cultivated throughout his journey, including the Elder of Mysidia, who swore to keep the secret until Cecil was ready to inform his people. This had been a struggle for the Paladin King, as he knew so little of his own history, and questions of what such information would do to his credibility as King of Baron were often overwhelming. But the longer he waited, the more he feared the secret would reveal itself before he could make any kind of formal announcement.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Agleson suddenly shrank back into his seat, feeling as though he had just tread upon forbidden ground. "As a bard, I hear things during my travels. It is a part of my lifestyle to take what I hear and weave them into folktales and songs, poetry and prose. There are some who believe King Cecil to be a being from the moon, the moon that disappeared after the war."

"Well then I suppose there is no sense beating around the bush," Rosa sighed, hoping that Cecil would forgive her for breaking the silence. She gave Rydia a beseeching stare as she continued to speak. "Do you trust this man, Rydia?"

"I do," Rydia resolutely responded. She looked back at Agleson and was met with a genuine smile of affection. "He saved my life, and without him I would not be sitting with you now. He can be trusted."

"What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room, Mister Ardwick," Rosa gave him a firm glare, and he nodded quickly in agreement. He had also heard and written many tales of Queen Rosa's strength in battle, and dared not cross her now or ever, lest he find himself with another arrow in his chest.

"You have my word, Your Highness."

"Cecil is indeed of Lunarian descent," she started with the heart of the matter. She went on to explain how Cecil learned of his heritage throughout his travels during the war: speaking with his father on Mt. Ordeals; speaking with his uncle on the moon. "However, there was no mention of his mother, and her whereabouts have been unknown until Cecil received a letter from Mysidia just over two weeks ago. Cecil has assured me in several letters since that the reasons for her absence are unimportant, and I believe he is finally getting the answers to his life that he rightfully deserves."

"This is incredible, Your Highness," Agleson said with awe. "But this information is hardly damning to his reputation. He still saved the planet from certain destruction."

"What is damning, Mister Ardwick, is that the man who plunged this world into the war was not just some megalomaniac bent on world domination, as many of the stories would have you believe," Rosa continued, trying to emphasize the invalidation of the world's perception of the man clad in darkness. "Golbez, the Dark Lord, the Scourge of the Crystal Wars, whatever you wish to call him…he was Cecil's brother."

The silence between them was palpable, the tinny ring of a smith's hammer hitting an anvil carried up from below, followed by the screech of a falcon riding a thermal around one of the castle spires. Had Agleson's jaw dropped any farther his tongue would have rolled out, had his eyes been any wider they would have been ejected from their sockets. Rydia took her hand and placed it under his chin, lifting it slowly to close his gaping lips, quickly breaking his fit of shock.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, forgive my stupor," Agleson managed through his air dried throat. "That is a rather startling piece of information, and it is quite clear now why you would want to keep such a secret close to the vest."

"I'm glad you understand," Rosa replied with a smile. "When Cecil is ready to let the world know about his family ties, he will take the risk. But it must be his choice and on his terms."

"I agree, no one should be blindsided by such an underhanded assault," Agleson responded, giving a nod of acknowledgement to the Queen. "I'm sorry to have sidetracked our previous conversation, please continue."

"We can discuss more about Cecil and his mother at another time," Rosa turned her attention back to the green-haired summoner across the table from her, releasing that smile of a loving mother that always made Rydia feel safe and at home. "Please tell me what brings you back to us. Happy does not even begin to explain how I felt when I heard that you had arrived this morning."

Rydia had answered this question so many times since she first set foot in King Leviathan's throne room, informing him of her decision to leave. The answer had been so amorphous for much of that time, although it had become clearer since she met Agleson. But at this moment, faced with Rosa's radiant, joyful effervescence, it seemed to crystallize in her mind, and she knew why she had come.

"This…" Rydia said, her grin contrasting against the red in her eyes as they welled, tears begging to be set free. "This is why I came back. To have friends and family to talk to, to be a part of something exciting and joyful and chaotic…something human again. I miss you and Cecil, and everyone else. I miss all of this. So much of my life was spent in the underworld, and I thought that was where I belonged, but it's not. This is where I belong."

Both Rydia and Rosa were on the verge of tears at this point, and Agleson was amazed at the emotion he saw pouring out of the woman with which he had spent the last two weeks. They had shared so much with each other, but this connection that Rydia shared with Rosa was something stronger than he had ever experienced. He began to see a side of her that made him want to open his heart to her even more.

"We have missed you, too, Rydia," Rosa said as she wiped a few tears away. "And you will always have a home here with us. We even kept the room you stayed in during the wedding reserved in case you ever decided to return. It is yours for as long as you wish."

"Thank you," Rydia beamed as she stole the last few tears from her cheek with her thumb. "But there is also another matter, and unfortunately not as joyful. Agleson and I have just fled from Agart under duress, and we have good reason to believe that there is treachery afoot there."

"We just entertained King Hector and the nobility of Agart here a few weeks ago," Rosa replied, stunned at the thought of any of the pleasant people she met showing a second face. "They all seemed eager to please, still gaining their footing as a fledgling kingdom. I can't imagine any of them causing trouble."

"We do not place any blame on King Hector, for he was the one that helped us escape," Agleson replied, assuring Rosa that her judgment was not entirely off. "It is his brother, Philip, who we believe to be a danger to those around him. He attempted to assassinate Rydia during a banquet last week."

"What?!" Rosa was taken aback, her hand pressed against her chest as she reeled in shock.

"It is true, and we are concerned that he is not alone," Rydia added, gesturing to Agleson to retrieve the crossbow bolt from his satchel. He pulled out the dagger-like arrow and handed it to Rydia, who laid it upon the table with the coat of arms facing up as she slid it across to Rosa. "This is the arrow that was intended for me. Agleson heroically took the arrow himself to save me. That coats of arms closely resembles a clan from the dwarven village of Tomera, a herald with which Philip seems to claim proudly. The only difference is the crest of the dragon, which we could not associate with any specific clan. We were hoping that Cid could provide some assistance with this."

"I'm afraid Cid is away, as well," Rosa responded sadly. "He finally took to retirement after the war and has been spending his days traveling the world with his daughter. They just left for the underworld a week ago."

"What dreadful timing," Rydia responded with a sigh of frustration. "Are there any scholars here that are well versed in dwarven history?"

"I can certainly take this to the library and ask them to investigate," Rosa offered, hoping that it would be enough to dig up some valuable answers.

"Any fresh eyes would be of great help," Agleson replied, giving Rydia a grin to try and lift her spirits. "We've been going mad trying to figure it out ourselves."

"And that's not the only enigma that has us so frustrated," Rydia cast her worried eyes quickly to Agleson's shoulder before turning them back to Rosa. "If you flip the arrowhead over, you will find a rune inscribed upon the blade."

Rosa reached out and curled her fingers around the slender shaft of the bolt, gently lifting and twisting it to reveal the still glowing symbol: an inverted triangle inside a circle, its three corners touching the circumference; three smaller circles around each point; two concentric circles evenly spaced on the outside with lettering between them; within the triangle an illegible sigil. She brought it closer to examine it, hoping she might recognize something in the lines, or possibly feel a familiar magical energy about it. The furrow in her brow gave away her own frustration in her inability to decipher its meaning. She laid it down with a defeated sigh.

"It does not resemble any white magic that I recognize," Rosa spoke with a bit of worry. "And you did not recognize it as black magic?"

"No," Rydia responded sadly. "And what is worse is that it has left Agleson with a strange wound that will not heal. Luckily it has not grown worse during our travels, but it has also not healed naturally."

"That is strange," Rosa responded. "May I see the wound?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Agleson offered as he stood to walk around the table for a closer examination. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and vest to pull the clothing down over his left shoulder, the gash still fresh and unchanged. Rosa looked at it carefully, but dared not touch it. She cast her eyes back to Rydia.

"And you tried healing tonics?" Rosa asked.

"We used an elixir, which seemed to heal everything except the open wound itself," Rydia explained.

"Physically, I feel fine," Agleson added. "I feel no pain emanating from the wound, and it has not resumed bleeding since. It is just strange that the wound itself will not close and heal properly. There must be something behind the magic in that rune that is preventing it."

"I assumed that if any healer could handle this task it would be you," Rydia said with hope and a smile.

"I will certainly try, but I would like our circle of mages to examine the rune before I try anything," Rosa responded, a bit hesitant to attempt a healing spell immediately without any knowledge of the magic behind the strange wound. "Thank you, Mister Ardwick, as you were. If your wound is not grievous or immediately life threatening then I hope you can wait just a bit longer."

"I see no reason why that would be a problem," Agleson responded as he buttoned his clothes and resumed his seat at Rydia's side. "I have enjoyed teasing Rydia with it from time to time. It apparently makes her a bit squeamish."

"It does not!" Rydia slapped Agleson on the arm before he had a chance to defend himself, giving him a playful look of anger. "It's just not something that I want to look at. I don't know anyone that would want to look at a festering wound."

"Hey, it's not festering!" Agleson came back with a smile. "If anything it adds a nice flourish of color to my otherwise pallid complexion. Perhaps I don't wish it to be healed at all, so that I might begin a new statement in fashion. Fresh wounds will be the all the rage throughout every kingdom!"

"And then everyone will succumb to disease and plague!" Rydia parried and thrust. "You'll be responsible for the mass extinction of the human race!"

"My, you two certainly are cute together," Rosa chimed in, a smile on her face that caused both Rydia and Agleson to withdraw with sheepish smiles and rosy cheeks. "No need to be shy about it. I could tell there was something between you two when you first set foot in the throne room."

"Very little escapes your intuition, Your Highness," Agleson responded with a chuckle as he reached his hand over to Rydia, their fingers intertwining in her lap. "I care for her a great deal, more so every day that I know her."

Rosa continued to smile as she eyed Agleson and Rydia together. She could sense a great deal of compassion emanating from Agleson, and much of it was returned by Rydia. But there also seemed to be something in Rydia that was holding her back from freely giving all of her heart to the man beside her.

"Mister Ardwick, if you don't mind, I would like a few moments alone with Rydia," Rosa asked politely. Rydia's eyes seemed to twinkle in appreciation for the request. "Girl talk."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Agleson replied with a knowing smile, standing and bowing before making his way for the door. "Shall I wait in the antechamber, or may I be escorted to our…or…um, my room?"

"Will you two be sharing a room?" Rosa asked her green-haired friend, getting a bit of girlish glee from the romantic tension that was only growing thicker.

"I suppose we have already shared a bed for a week now," Rydia admitted, to which Rosa had to bite her tongue to contain her mirth, lips tucked to hide an eager smile. "There is no sense in separating us now."

"I'm really feeling the love here, Rye Rye," Agleson quipped, knowing well that Rydia was simply overwhelmed with diffidence. When Rydia narrowed her eyes at him, he returned it with a wink and a smile.

"The Royal Guard will escort you to the room," Rosa informed him. "Do not worry, I will not keep her from you for long."

"Much obliged, Your Highness," Agleson responded with another bow. "It has been a pleasure speaking with you."

"And I with you, Mister Ardwick," Rosa replied. Agleson opened the chamber door and slid out of the room, the wind the only sound as it curled around the columns holding the stone roof over their heads. A small bird alighted on the balcony railing and called out to its mate before fluttering off again.

"So…is it safe to say that you are in love, my dear Rydia?" Rosa began with an arrow straight to the heart of the issue. Her aim in conversation was as sharp as in battle, it seemed.

"I don't know," Rydia confessed, a half smile breaking free through her timid nerves. "When I am with him, I feel safe. It is a similar feeling that I get when I am with you and Cecil, yet I have only known him for two weeks. Is it right to feel this way about someone so swiftly?"

"Don't think of it as right or wrong, Rydia," Rosa pleaded with a soft, friendly voice. "Love is one of those intangible forces that is rarely understood. It can be overwhelming, and the fact that you are unsure of your feelings only means that you are human."

"Was it like this for you and Cecil?" Rydia asked. "You knew for a long time that you were meant to be together. It seemed so natural."

"When you met us we had already been together for over a year," Rosa reminded the summoner. "We had become quite comfortable with our relationship. You, my dear, are just beginning to delve into this new intimacy. The feelings will be tumultuous and enigmatic, at first. But isn't that what you said you wanted? What you missed? An exciting, chaotic life?"

"I suppose you're right," Rydia confessed, realizing that she had indeed wanted something other than the orderly world of the Summoned Lands. Humans were so naturally irrational that order could never be maintained for long, which always led to some exciting new adventure. Love was turning out to be its own novel foray into chaos. "I think I love him, Rosa."

"I am so happy for you!" Rosa was brimming with joy as she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make you and Agleson more comfortable. I can have wine and scented candles delivered to your room tonight!"

"No, please!" Rydia blurted out, not entirely sure she was ready to commit to such a romantic evening. "I'm sorry, I just…we have been taking things slowly."

"A handsome man like that needs to be tied down quickly, Rydia," Rosa joked with a wink. "Figuratively and literally!"

"Rosa!" Rydia blanched at the thought. "There will be none of that this evening, I assure you!"

"I see," Rosa laughed. "Well if you change your mind, I have some expertise in that area, as well."

Rydia's cheeks couldn't possibly have been any redder.