Interlude - Castle Bern


Zephiel is dead. It's so strange to write that. He's actually dead, deader than dead, and the war is over. The Campaign is not, but we're looking for clues to where Brunja, Idenn, and Jahn are. So, for now, we simply rest, and we let ourselves relax for the first time in what feels like forever.

This is a taste of peace. It's so… strange.


"Wow, you got tall. You're taller than Raven!" Aunt Nino happily brushed my hair as she chatted, and I was reminded of when I was young. "I think you're as tall as Rath," she continued, giggling. "Oh, wow, I missed a lot!"

"Children get older," I murmured, not really sure what else to say. She was just… there were some scars on her neck and arms I didn't recognize. Her face was thinner. But she was just as cheerful as always, and I was just so damn amazed considering what I knew about her past now, and what all she had to go through. "Wait, you only 'think'?"

"Well, unfortunately, it's been a long time since I saw Rath. But you seem to tower over me about as much as I remember he did." She reached around to hug me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm… okay." I leaned back into her, closing my eyes. We were in some parlor room in Castle Bern, but with my eyes closed, I could easily imagine us back in Castle Ostia, with the sun shining through the window and Uncle Hector's laughter echoing down the halls, likely because of something Mom had said. I felt like I was back at that time, when everyone was alive, when no one had disappeared. "It hurts, but it's like…"

"It's a dull ache, losing family. It never goes away." She tightened her hug on me. I thought of Mom's logbook, and how Aunt Nino had lost her entire family, because of Nergal and his manipulations. Then she'd been captured, and separated from her 'new' family, and when she escaped, many were dead. "But, that's why it's extra important to smile." She leaned back and resumed brushing my hair. "Because they'd want you to be happy, and in time, the ache is buried by all the good memories. It doesn't hurt as much."

"I hope so." I missed everyone dearly. With my eyes closed, I really just… thought more of 'back then'. Oswin would've been near; he'd always been near, ready to protect us or babysit. Uncle Jaffar would've also been close, far more silent but just as protective, perhaps talking quietly with Uncle Matthew or Uncle Legault. Aunt Lyn might've been outside, sparring with Uncle Eliwood; they'd done that a lot. Aunt Ninian and Dad might've been nearby, talking quietly as Sue, Roy, and Lilina napped in their laps; the two were always the quietest and talked often together. Uncle Raven would've been patrolling the halls, just in case, and Uncle Lucius might've been with him, or helping Aunt Serra in the infirmary. Everything would've been warm, and filled with laughter. It always was, back then. It had always been happy.

"It hurts less when you're having a good time, eventually." Aunt Nino laughed a little. "Though, maybe that's just me being distracted. I'm learning the boys Ray and Lugh grew into, after all."

"How is that going?"

"Oh, it's awkward." She sounded cheerful enough, though. "But I'm going to keep on going. I always wanted my own family, you see. I wanted to be a good mom, especially since my own was so horrible. I was so envious of Katri when you were born, because she looked so happy. So did Rath. You were the light of their lives. I wanted that happiness. And I had it, before getting caught. So, I'm going to work hard and see if I can reach it again, if they'll let me. Same with Chad and Cath." She hummed a bit, and I was jolted out of my little bits of reminiscing to wonder if she'd adopted Chad and Cath. It seemed like something she'd do. "And there." She set the brush down with a clack and hugged me again. "All done! You look nice with short hair."

"Thank you." I opened my eyes and twisted to face her, smiling. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad you're still here." She smiled gently, and I noticed her smile was sadder than I remembered. But it was still there, and still bright. "Ah, I think someone's about to steal you away, though!"

"My apologies." Klein knocked on the doorframe and smiled sheepishly. "I'm more here to tell you that Lilina, Lady Lyndis, and Lord Eliwood wanted to see you, Lady Nino," he explained. "I did volunteer because I was looking for Irene."

"Huh, I wonder what they want to talk about," Nino replied. She shrugged and stood up slowly, stretching. "Well, I'll go do that. Irene, let's read together later, okay?" She waved goodbye as she skipped off, and I laughed as I remembered how she had actually helped me learn to read by reading me stories. She hadn't learned to read until after the Campaign of Fire, and adored it.

"I hope I didn't interrupt…" Klein turned his attention to me, still smiling sheepishly. "I mean…"

"We were just spending some time together," I reassured. I got up with a little hop and headed over to kiss his cheek. "What is it?"

"Well, that's why I'm apologizing," he explained, taking my hand and leading me down the hall. "There's a reason, but I also just wanted to spend time with you, since we have the rest."

"I can't say I dislike that." I leaned into his side, smiling without even thinking about it. "Though, I do have a question."

"Yes?"

"What do you plan on doing, after the war? You and I have never really talked about that."

"That's… true." He paused, and looked a little disgruntled. "Oh, hell, we really haven't. Or if we did, it wasn't…"

"See? There's always a reason." I laughed as he just grimaced. "Well, I'll need to tend to some things, and I'm still working out what, exactly, I plan on doing. But I imagine that I'll… live in Reglay with you, even if I end up traveling a lot."

"Oh, good, that was… something I was hoping for." He smiled shyly and I grinned. "After that… well, I'll be working on reconstructing Etruria alongside Mildain. I hope to work with Tate and Zealot to better our working relationship with Ilia in particular. It's been needed for years."

"Yes, it does." My grin widened. "Besides, this way, I get wonderful excuses to see Tate more!"

"Always good." His smile faded slightly. "I'm thinking of leaving the army, though."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I'm tired of fighting, and…" He shrugged. "I became the Archer General at Mildain's insistence, hoping that I could help reform Etruria. But it's very clear that while reformation needs to happen with the army, there's many, many parts of Etruria that need fixing. Mildain will need help on the political side of things, especially since Douglas as already made it clear that he'll take responsibility for the Western Isles and stand down, promoting Perceval to Great General."

"It'll be harder for Perceval to throw his weight as Caliburn's leader in that case. He'd have his hands full just taking care of Caliburn, even with his steward and Cecilia helping him."

"Precisely. I think I can best serve by becoming an administrator. I'm meeting Mildain later about it, actually."

"It might also be good, since you served in the Isles directly."

"Exactly." He smiled sadly. "It's better to step down after that. I want to use my experience there to help them too. I can do that far better as Reglay's heir."

"Mmm, it suits you. You were always very peaceful as a child."

"I suppose so." He laughed suddenly. "Well, here I am rambling on and on."

"If I had any ideas on what exactly I'm going to do, then I'd be rambling too." I shrugged. "But I'm still figuring that out. I'll tell you when I have an idea."

"I'm certain it'll involve traveling. You have too diverse of a background and too much responsibility to not use it."

"I can't refute that." I shrugged again and he snickered. "Anyway, you mentioned there was a 'little' reason or something for you coming to find me?"

"Ah, yes." He suddenly stopped walking, and gave me a strangely serious look. "...My parents are here."

"Yes, they are?" I gave him a confused look. "We know this? I saw them?"

"Well, yes, but…" He squirmed and, for some reason, start to blush. "But… um…" He took a deep breath and, suddenly, kissed me, hard, hard enough to make me breathless when he pulled away. "I'd… like to tell them about us."

"Oh…" I was in a bit of a daze, but the words quickly processed. "That's what you're getting at. This is an Etrurian thing."

"Yes." He smiled slightly. "So?"

"Yeah, let's go…" I paused, though, thinking a bit. The war was over, though we did still have problems. But perhaps… "Well, there's one thing first."

"Really?"

"Yes." I snagged him by the collar and pulled him into a little alcove not far away. "I want a few more kisses."

"Oh?" He smirked, even as his blush darkened. "Well, I don't mind that."

"I thought not." I grinned, feeling a little giddy and, for the first time in months, I felt my age. I felt like I was just eighteen, almost nineteen, flirting with my boyfriend without the war looming over my shoulder. "So? I think you take lead."

"You led me to the alcove." But he leaned down to kiss me, hard and breathless, and… well, we ended up just meeting Aunt Louise and Uncle Pent for afternoon tea, instead of morning.


During afternoon tea, which we also had with Uncle Erk and Aunt Priscilla, Aunt Louise let slip, somewhere among all her happy squeals and giggles about Klein and I dating, that Clarine and Rutger had actually had morning tea with them. I got little more than that, but the happy smiles gave me a good hint, and so, when I managed to escape the hugs, I looked for Rutger, wanting to check in on him. Aunt Louise's motherly nature could be overwhelming at times, and… giving what Deke had told me about how unnerving the kindness had been, I wanted to make sure he was okay.

It didn't take me long to find him, though. He was on the roof, looking out over everything with the wind ruffling his hair. I lingered back a bit, watching him. He looked tired from here, but less haunted. His eyes were closed, and I wondered what he heard on the wind. Perhaps he heard his family and friends, at last.

"I know you're there." Rutger opened his eyes and glanced over his shoulder to look at me. "Need something?" he asked, turning slightly. I shook my head, though, and walked over to him, looking out over the horizon. The Castle Town had a little more life to it, but most still kept away, in protest to Guinevere's ascension. "Then what is it?"

"Aunt Louise let slip that you and Clarine had morning tea with her, and I wanted to make sure you were alright," I explained. I brushed some hair behind my ear, focusing on the distance horizon. Somewhere out there, Brunja, Idenn, and Jahn were still preparing to fight. I had little doubts about that, especially since many of the Bernese soldiers had 'escaped'. We hunted for them, but had come up with nothing. Fiona and Wuotan seemed to know where they'd gone, but they remained quiet. I thought it was because they wanted us to have a little break, since we were exhausted. "So?"

"...They're weirdos." He said the words so dryly that I just had to laugh. "I nearly had a panic attack when Clarine just told them that she loved me, and was going to help me rebuild Bulgar."

"Have you two even really confessed?"

"I… have no idea." He sighed. "It just… was something we both knew? So, maybe?"

"Regardless, though, I'm betting she did that without warning you." I laughed again when he groaned. "Yeah, I figured. She's still as headstrong as ever." I glanced at him, and saw him facepalm. "What happened then?"

"They were just like 'oh, how wonderful!' and her mom hugged me." He gave me a look. "Every single Etrurian I've met is either a weirdo or a monster. Do normal people exist there?"

"Well, most of the Etrurians you're dealing with are the ones with enough political power to do what they want and get away with it. This is especially true with Reglay and Hanover." I shrugged, smiling slightly. "So, there are normal ones, but you never met them, and likely won't for quite some time."

"Of course." He sighed heavily and I giggled. "That's basically how it went. I spent the rest of it trying not to be smothered while talking to her dad about our plans for rebuilding Bulgar. I mentioned that the bulk of it will be done by the Kutolah, Lorca, and Djute. Those who are still alive."

"It's good to emphasize that. Bulgar is of Sacae, and Sacae is an ally to the other countries, not a protectorate or colony."

"Etruria doesn't take good care of its colonies anyway. We've seen the Isles." He shuddered and I grimaced. I had some nightmares still about that. "Anyway, you wear your braid still."

"I do, yes." I reached up to fiddle with the hair tie before pointing to his. "You are as well."

"Yes." He fell silent, clearly thinking. I knew why he'd brought it up, though. Most of the other Sacaeans had removed their braids, since the War with Bern was over. Only Rutger and I wore ours still. "Why?"

"This campaign isn't over. We still have the War Dragons. So, since I am still at war with Zephiel, or at least his legacy, I wear it." I shrugged. "That's all. Why do you?"

"General Brunja is still out there, and she is the one who led the massacre at Bulgar. She was the one who ruled the bloodsoaked remains." He shook his head. "I feel like my fight, my war, isn't over until I've seen her… well, I suppose deposed." He laughed hollowly. "It's strange. I no longer really wish to see her dead. I just want her to… not be out there."

"Well, we've already got the best revenge on her. We made everything she's done meaningless." She had 'sacrificed' Bulgar and all of its citizens for Zephiel's 'new world', but that world would never come to be. We had killed Zephiel. She'd killed them for nothing. "Maybe that's why."

"Maybe. Though, I won't complain if she ends up dying." He sighed, though, and smiled slightly. "Well, I have to go meet with Sue. Dayan, for some reason, has decided she and I will head up Bulgar's reconstruction, with Sin helping us."

"I know. Sue told me during our morning ride." I smiled, feeling incredibly proud of them both. "She went through some ideas with me. I think you'll like most of them."

"Well, that's good. I've no clue what I'm doing." He shrugged and I laughed. "Later, Irene."

He walked off, and I returned my attention to the horizon, watching the light glimmer off the snowy peaks and glint over the stone buildings. When you looked at a land from up high like this, it all looked… similar. While there was no confusing the view for the plains, for obvious reasons, I had to note that it was similar enough to the view from Castle Ostia, or Castle Pherae. Though, the latter made sense; Pherae was the closest Lycian territory to Bern, after all.

As I admired the view, I heard footsteps signaling someone's approach. I glanced back to see who it was and smiled when I realized it was Guinevere. She looked like she could use a smile. It hadn't been long since the war ended, but she already looked exhausted, even haggard, and she seemed thinner, though that could be the black dress. Black looked horrible on her.

"I see I'm not the only one who comes up here to think," she murmured. She walked to my side and looked out, smiling sadly. "Zephiel and I used to come up here a lot."

"I can see why," I replied. I studied her face and decided she was probably even worse than she looked. I saw traces of makeup on her face. "It's beautiful up here."

"Yes…" She breathed in deeply and then sighed, slumping. "I'm tired…"

"I bet." I looked around the roof, but didn't really find a good place to sit. "What's got you up here, though?"

"Well, a few things, but there was one that tipped me up to here."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I was thinking, a bit, on the duel again." She smiled ruefully. "Mainly, a question that someone brought up and made me curious, because of what I did know. How did I last long enough to make him change his mind? Zephiel was always faster than me, even with the heavy armor. He was much slower than he should've been, and him taking it easy didn't make sense." Her smile became bitter. "But then I remembered something, and I checked in with Galle. Do you know what it was?"

"No?" I gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Lord Hector." She laughed softly at my look. "The wound Lord Hector gave him permanently crippled him."

"I…" I started laughing too, but mine hovered on the edge of tears as all the pieces clicked together. Uncle Hector's last attack… crippled Zephiel, and gave Guinevere the little edge she needed to hold out long enough. He had, indirectly, protected her and helped us end the war. That was just so… him. That was just so him, because he and Mom had always been so, so similar. "That's so ridiculous. I love him."

"I thought you might. I was thinking about telling you." Her laughter faded for another sigh, though, and my own died because I knew that if I laughed anymore, I'd tip over into tears. "There's other things. I don't know what to do with the third Wyvern General title."

"What are the other two?"

"Well, Galle will retain his. Everyone and their dead grandmother knows he should've had it long ago. He's going to be the 'leader', taking over Murdock's position. Miredy will be the second." She smiled slightly. "She's not entirely happy about the post, but she took it because she thinks it'll reassure the Bernese soldiers who fought alongside us that they will not be forgotten. Their sacrifice will be acknowledged."

"But you do not know who will be third?" I tilted my head, already having a candidate in mind. "What about Zeiss?"

"He refused." She sighed again. "He wants to focus on helping rebuild Bern more directly than he could as a Wyvern General. He and Elen had apparently been making plans for getting resources to distant villages. Though, he reassured me that he would remain with the army, and do what he could. He just..."

"He wants to be able to work on the 'little picture'."

"Exactly. And I already know that even if Brunja, by some miracle, surrenders, I won't have her keep the title. For one thing, I'm certain I'll have enough trouble with keeping Galle, and for another, she… led such a brutal massacre…" She sighed once again. "So, I need to think of a third."

"One of the soldiers who stayed with us?" I paused, though, and grimaced. "No, that's represented by Miredy. You'll want someone more neutral in this conflict, except there really isn't one." I frowned, trying to think. "Well, you could do a tournament?"

"A… tournament?"

"Yeah, you can do one in a year, or however long official mourning in Bern lasts. Bern respects strength, so it can be a tournament for…" I paused, thinking. "No, have it be a tournament with something else as a prize. Then you can watch and look into the winners at your leisure. I think Narcian proves that strength isn't everything."

"But that can help us find someone, and after a year, things will be neutral." Guinevere nodded, smiling again. "Yes, we'll do that. I think I can spin it as a reassurance to our allies that we are not going to return to full military might."

"That will be good for those who don't know you. Luckily, you're personal friends with all the new rulers."

"That's true." She laughed now, and she finally looked cheerful. "Bern will have to do its part in rebuilding everything. If nothing else, we owe the other countries war reparations." She paused and groaned. "Oh, hell, I'm not sure we can afford that."

"Why not go with trade? Bulgar will need materials more than money, for instance."

"I'll have to. Otherwise, I'll starve everyone." She whimpered, and then made a face as I reached up to pat her head. "I feel like a child. I wonder if this is how Zephiel felt. Then again, he was already messed up." She got a thoughtful look, though, and twisted to look me in the eye. "I've actually got a bit of a request for you."

"Is that so?" I kept my expression even, but let my voice hint to my curiosity. "What is it?"

"Well, request isn't the right word. 'Ask' is better." She shrugged. "There's another old law that no one has used really, also something from the 'old' kingdom and left intact by King Hartmut. It's something he refused for himself, since he still needed to pretend to be the big good hero and all, but the option was there. His son had an unofficial version, so to speak, being close friends with Alberich of Hanover, but no one else took it up."

"What is it?"

"It's a title called 'Monarch's Own', or in my case, 'Queen's Own'. I'm not sure what it's short for. My father's translation notes mentioned the words could have over five meanings, but they all more or less translated to about the same. Right hand of the Monarch, but an official title."

"So, you heard about this from your father?"

"Nope, he never told me a darn thing." She made a face and I snickered. "But he was a scholar at heart. He translated most of the older books in the Archives here. Zephiel would often go to research things. He left a note on it. I think he'd planned on helping me be queen by bringing that up, or maybe just… hoped to help me by showing me it existed." She brushed her hair behind her ear as the wind picked up. I almost thought I heard Zephiel on it, but did not try to hear more. Those words were not for me, even if he was talking. "The job often requires travel. It's to be my eyes where I cannot go, my ears to listen to people's woes. It's to be an advisor, and a bit of a scout."

"It sounds both simple and complicated."

"I suppose." She smiled slightly. "Apparently, in the old kingdom, it was tradition for the post to be filled by a sibling, or dear friend. First Princess Josephine trained to be Crown Prince Rainard's, before the kingdom fell." She paused briefly, and gave me a look. "I read a couple of other things, while in the Archives. There was… something about House Hanover."

"Yeah, it seems like the Lady Hildegarde's lover, father of her child, was King Hartmut, so technically, I'm his descendant as well." I made a face. "Culturally speaking, though… I am Sacaean, and Etrurian. I'm of his blood, but…"

"Oh, yes, that's all true." She laughed a bit. "I was more thinking that, quietly, I'd keep that tradition too. Family, and a dear friend. If you're willing."

"Can I do some of it from Etruria? That's where I plan on living." I smiled wryly. "Though, I've resigned myself to lots of traveling. I'm a nomad, after all, and I honestly spent a lot of time traveling, growing up."

"Yes, like I said. Quite a bit of the job does involve traveling, getting the lay of the land, and giving me advice both on my country and of others." Guinevere laughed. "It's basically… a most trusted advisor."

"I see." I closed my eyes and thought. I'd thought of rebuilding many countries, but I had to admit Bern hadn't been one of them, or at least, it had not come as often. I had been angry at Bern. But that wasn't fair. The people of Bern would be hurt and confused, unable to comprehend just how horrific Zephiel had become. The country of Bern had to rebuild both itself and the trust between other nations.

Besides, I had also played my part in its destruction. I had helped lead the army that killed two of their Wyvern Generals, their king, and countless soldiers. I had encouraged Guinevere to take the throne, and I had been the one to allow Guinevere to challenge Zephiel. I had been the official judge for that duel, and had declared Guinevere Bern's Queen. So, it followed that I had a responsibility to see it through this time. It followed that I had to help it get back on its feet.

I opened my eyes slowly, and saw her watching me. Her expression was impassive, even if her eyes were a bit hopeful. She knew this was a lot to ask, and she would accept if I refused. But she was trying to be the best queen she could be, and felt that she needed my assistance for that. That was why she had asked. I couldn't just leave her hanging, even if she'd accept it with a smile.

"Well, all right, Guinevere," I replied. I held out my hand and she took it gladly. "I accept the post. But your court is going to pitch a fit."

"My court already hates me," she reminded me cheerfully. "I might as well go ahead and set myself up for the best amount of success." She smiled. "Thank you, Irene."

"No need for it. I can't say I dislike the idea of watching how you build the country, and helping you shape it." I grinned. "So, shall we look into more old things? Let's really see what we can do to shake things up!"

"I actually have a few ideas." She tugged my hand and dragged me after her, laughing. "Zephiel left a lot of notes, as did my father, and I've been sifting through…"


"Ugh, ruling requires too many meetings," Lilina complained. She flopped down on my bed, sprawling out while I read through some notes left on my desk, mostly just things from family and friends reminding me to rest. "Too many! I can see why Father complained so much."

"Uncle Hector never did have tact," I replied, smiling slightly. I'd found her and Aunt Lyn shortly after gathering some materials to look through with Guinevere, and had told them what Guinevere thought. Aunt Lyn had laughed until she cried, while Lilina just looked startled, and happy. "Thankfully, you have a bit more."

"Uncle Eliwood's lessons!" She snickered, and sighed again, this time a bit more happily. We'd invited Aunt Lyn to rest with us in my room, but she'd gone to see Uncle Lucius and Aunt Serra instead, and maybe others of the original 'Legion'. "There's so much to do…"

"What were you talking about?" I set my notes down, and twisted in my chair to look at her. "What are you working on?"

"Mostly, I'm focusing on repairing Lycia. I'm leaving Roy to handle all the foreign relations things. He's the one who is personal friends with most of the royals, after all, and he's the most visible part of the army who saved us all."

"I'm sure he's thrilled."

"He's been barraged ever since it ended!" She giggled and rolled over onto her side so that she could face me. "So, yeah, I'm working on internal things primarily."

"What have you come up with?"

"Honestly? I'm… likely going to do what Clarine suggested, making Lycia a kingdom." She sighed, closing her eyes. "It'll be a lot more work for me, but it might lessen the chances of civil war. Lycia is a mess at the moment, thanks to all the betrayals, and all the deaths. I feel bad, but Mother and Uncle Eliwood told me how we must adapt to a changing world. This war showcased the weaknesses of the Lycian Alliance all too clearly. Roland's beliefs will not falter simply because there is only one ruler."

"Talk to Fiona, and Wuotan, about why he even founded Lycia as he did. For all we know, he did it so that he wouldn't have to work as hard!" I grinned and she giggled. "What will you do with territories beyond Ostia? You'll need them. Most monarchies do."

"Oh, yes, I will. A lot of things will remain the same. Taxes and titles, however, are going to differ." She smiled a bit. "I got Aunt Nino to agree to take over one of the lands, though!"

"So that's what you were meeting with her about."

"Yep!" She giggled, pleased with herself. "Got Uncle Raven to agree to the same. Marcus refused, as did Merlinus, but they gave me names to consider for it."

"Yes, and Lady Florina is flustered you're considering her." The door opened to reveal a smiling Tate, who looked like she was holding back a laugh. "She can't believe you'd consider an Ilian," she continued, easily finding a chair and sitting down. She and I often would talk before dinner, so this was normal. "Even if she's one you've known all your life."

"Well, she's lived in Lycia about as long as she's lived in Ilia, given how many times we've hired her," Lilina pointed out. She made to sit up, but happily remained lying down when Tate shook her head. "I'm also hoping that she can give insight into how best to build a stronger relationship with Ilia. I mean; I have many I call 'uncle' and 'aunt' there."

"Well, Lycia and Ilia do have a good relationship. Of course, there's not much of a 'working' relationship there. Lycians tend to solve their problems internally."

"So, maybe we could hire you more? Or maybe…" Lilina frowned a little, tapping the pillow as she thought. "I remember Zealot mentioning harvests?"

"Yes, actually!" Tate's eyes lit up at the thought. "Funnily enough, we have the Bernese to thank for it. General Murdock ordered them to assist in harvesting, meaning that for the first time in recent memory, we actually might not have to buy food from other countries to get through the winter."

"That's it!" Lilina swung into a sitting position, eyes sparkling. "There's some crops that we grow on the mountains, and we can lend you some soldiers during harvest to help! We can make it like… oh… 'getting training with aerial forces' or snow training or something."

"You can do a trade," I suggested, catching the thought. "You can send forces up to help with harvest and train during the fall, while Ilia could send its graduated knights to Lycia for training in an army, or mercenary group."

"That… would make the year training safer for them," Tate murmured. She smiled shyly. "They'd still be on their own, but it would be more controlled. We'd lose less."

"It also gives a support network for those out on their own for the first time. I mean; that's what Aunt Florina did, actually."

"And she's one of the best pegasus knights Ilia has ever had."

"That's during the spring and summer, right?" Lilina asked. She clapped her hands, giggling. "Oh, I should talk to Zealot and Aunt Fiora about this now! I'll see you later!" She bolted out the door, actually tripping on the threshold before disappearing down the hall.

"That girl is a workaholic," I deadpanned. Tate burst into giggles, and I smiled wryly. "Yeah, I know. I don't have a right to say anything."

"No, you don't!" she agreed, still giggling. It faded, though, as she gave me a curious look. "Word is spreading that you accepted an administrative post here?"

"Wow, gossip is fast." I shrugged. "It's an atypical one, with an emphasis on traveling. Basically, I'll be Guinevere's foreign advisor."

"I see." She gave me a tiny frown. "You'll be living in Etruria, though, yes?"

"Yes, I will. I'm not giving Klein up." I playfully made my voice challenging and she laughed, relaxing. I knew she'd been worried I'd made a 'duty over love' choice. "Though, now that I think about it, I'll probably need an official bodyguard for that." I grinned. "You willing?"

"As if I'd inflict you on anyone else." She grinned as well and we shared a laugh. "We'll talk more about it when things are really over."

"That sounds good to me." Footsteps caught my ear, and I leaned in my seat to see Elphin walking up. "Did you need me for something, Elphin?"

"Ah, yes, but if Dame Tate doesn't mind, I'd love to steal her too," Elphin replied, not surprised I'd seen him coming. "I'm talking with Ekhidna about how best to grant the Western Isles independence, while still giving them much needed aid. I was hoping for some more neutral parties, and someone who will bat me on the head if I start getting snobbish. She trusts me, but I'm sure some prejudice will still bleed through, even knowing what I know."

"It's what you grew up with, after all," I replied. I glanced at Tate and we shared a shrug and a smile. "Well, we're available. Let's get to work again, shall we?"


As the sun set, I put on my cloak and traveled with Guinevere and a handful of others up the nearby mountains for Zephiel's funeral. There had been a 'grand memorial' yesterday for him, a bunch of nonsense that I attended and didn't pay attention to because I knew it wasn't his 'real' funeral. Zephiel had died during battle, during war. Bernese custom insisted on only one kind of funeral, especially for a king, and for one who had always been so chained and trapped as Zephiel.

We had to wait for a clear full moon to safely travel through the mountains, which is why we waited until tonight for it. Guinevere had insisted on the darkness, mostly because Zephiel had always loved the night, and on a small party, because we'd already had the grand memorial. That memorial was the funeral of Zephiel the King. Now, we simply had the funeral of Zephiel, the broken man.

Galle, mostly recovered from his injuries now, carried the body, flying to the site on his wyvern while the rest of us walked. He had brought his just in case. Zephiel's body was badly charred, after all, and after a couple of days on ice, it might not be appetizing. It felt weird to discuss the plan, talking about a corpse like it was nothing more than a sack of meat, but this was their way. I had to learn, and accept, all that I could, especially considering the job I had accepted.

Before long, we made it to a small outcropping, glowing an ethereal white in the moonlight, surrounded by some caves. We all gathered in silence around the outcropping, with all of our hoods still up. I kept close to Guinevere and Miredy, the only people besides Galle that I knew were here. I had no real idea who else had come along, and no one had asked, just like with Murdock's funeral. I gathered that it was just… how this went. There were no questions, and there were no acknowledgements. I thought it horribly strange, and I thought the silence was even worse, but I held my tongue. This was another country and another culture. I had no right to judge.

Still, the silence just made me twitch as Galle flew down and set Zephiel's cloth covered body in the center of the outcropping. He knelt down beside it and pulled back the cloth. I instinctively brought up my hand to try and block out the horrible smell. It had been on ice, but rot still set in, and Zephiel had been burned alive. I also had to look away from his body as it looked almost as bad as it smelled and, horrifyingly, the damn crown was still attached to his head. No one had been able to remove it without tearing the flesh, and that had just felt… wrong.

The silence continued to reign as Galle stepped back, coming to stand next to Miredy. The wind itself stilled, and I closed my eyes, silently praying for Father Sky to lend His aid. While Zephiel would serve his punishment, this silent, small 'ceremony' was needed for Guinevere, and all those who had come. They needed this to move on with their lives. So, I prayed. I prayed He would assist.

A little gasp made my eyes fly open, and I looked up to see a large wyvern looming over all of us, sitting atop of one of the peaks. Heavily scarred and missing an eye, it watched us closely and as a few other wyverns began walking closer, I realized that this must be the… herd leader, if wyverns had even had 'herd leaders'. It had to be. The other wyverns were showing too much respect for it to be anything else.

The scarred wyvern continued watching us closely, and for a long while, no one breathed. No one made a single noise. But then, it swooped down and landed right next to Zephiel's body with a dull 'thump' that kicked up dust and actually made the ground tremble slightly. It nudged the corpse, tilting its head curiously. Then it lunged forward.

I closed my eyes then, unable to help it, as I realized why it had lunged. It was eating Zephiel's body, and I couldn't stomach that. I couldn't stomach seeing it. I couldn't with Murdock, and I really couldn't now.

The sound of other wings told me that the other wyverns were joining in, and I just focused on thanking Father Sky, because even if this made me ill, it was important to Guinevere, Miredy, and Galle. This was their way, and I was glad He had helped. Still, because no one spoke a word, I could hear them so clearly, and so, I began to sing, softly, some of the mourning songs. I even sang 'Whispers on the Wind', since it was a song for peace times. I wasn't sure if Zephiel 'deserved' the songs. I hated him, and likely would never forgive him for all that he had done, but the dead were dead, and Mother Earth would judge him by his actions, his past, and his intentions. Since there were no earthquakes, or landslides, I hoped Mother Earth did not mind the songs. Perhaps, if the spirit was trapped as the Bernese believed, the songs would help Mother Earth guide Zephiel to her judgement.

At one point when I stopped for breath, I realized everything had quieted. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, and tried not to wince when I saw the patches of blood, bits that had remained in the body, on the outcropping, and the wyverns casually licking their mouths and claws clean. The scarred wyvern looked at us closely again, and almost absently tossed something at our feet before taking off. The other wyverns followed closely, returning to wherever they had been, and there was just a strange… stillness to the air. No one had any idea what, exactly, to do next.

But then Guinevere moved from beside me and bent down to pick up what the wyvern had tossed. The moonlight glinted off it, revealing it to be Zephiel's crown, picked clean. There were some bits of tarnishing, some bite marks, but there wasn't really any blood or skin on it that I could see. I actually found myself smiling a bit at it, because there was… no trace of Zephiel on it. It was no longer bound to him. He was free, just… as the Bernese believed he would be, after this.

"Let us return," Guinevere whispered. She straightened and clutched the crown to her chest. "His spirit is free, so let us return."

No one said a word as we all turned our backs to the outcropping and began the trek back. I paused briefly, though, and looked back to it. As I did, I noticed the moonlight actually glinting off something else. Morbidly curious, I walked over, noticing that they had ripped the cloth to shreds in their frenzied eating, and was glad I had not watched. I might have been ill if I had.

Still, I knelt among the bits of blood and cloth that remained and picked up the tiny little thing that had caught my eye. I recognized it instantly, even if it was cracked, bloody, and charred. It was the pendant Mom had given Zephiel. He had worn it, even as he had died. Perhaps that was why Father Sky had urged the wyverns to come. He still wore their protection.

I closed my fingers around it, afraid of breaking it entirely, and looked up to the shining moon and stars. I looked for no constellations, or their meanings. I simply looked up, and let the light wash over me as the wind danced around.

Only when a cloud started covering the moon did I start back down the path and rejoin the others. I would give Guinevere the pendant along the way. She had its match, after all. It was only right.


The group scattered when we returned to Castle Bern. Most went into the town, and I had a feeling they were going to the few taverns that had started back up. Tonight definitely seemed like a 'drinking' night. I simply walked around, trying to get the sound out of my head. It hadn't been as bad with Murdock, but that was likely because there had been a lot more sounds and bodies. There had been more noise, and a lot more distractions. This time, though, there had really been nothing but that to deal with. There had also been so few people, and so much solemnity.

I sighed and shook my head, bringing down my cloak as I looked around. In my wanderings, I had ended up near the castle, and debated going inside. However, the sound of sniffling caught my attention and I headed for it instead. To my surprise, though, I found Geese sitting on a nearby bench, bent over a piece of paper.

"...Geese?" I called. He jerked his head up, and I noticed I was right. He was crying. "Is everything alright?" I hadn't spoken much with him since the Isles, but that didn't mean I wanted him to be sad.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. He straightened his posture, like he was going to try and hide his tears, but he then slumped, likely deciding to not bother. "Just… got a letter from my brother."

"You got a letter?" It took a second for it to click. "They lived?!"

"Most of them, yeah. They said something about hitting Badon later in the year, as normal." He smiled slightly, and I just started laughing, unable to even believe it. "I just got startled. I'd been trying not to think about how we last saw them."

"I understand." In the mess of everything, I'd done the same. But it was just so nice to hear the good news. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Yeah…" His smiled softened, but then faded as he pointed to the castle proper. "Bit of an uproar in there not long ago. You'd better go."

"I will. Thank you, Geese, for all of your service."

"Yeah, yeah, go on before you get super mushy." He wave me away and I laughed before dashing inside the castle, wondering what was going on.

Inside the entrance hall, there was a mess of people. I knew most of them by sight, except for one person, a young man with very old green eyes and long black hair, dressed in very simple clothes. Merlinus was yelling at him, but he ignored him with an ease that I found both entertaining and baffling. The young man continued looking around before he caught sight of me awkwardly standing on the edge of the chaos, and then, to my surprise, he actually bolted for me.

"Ah, hello there," he greeted politely, with a smile. His voice lilted with an accent I didn't recognize. "My name is Cinead. You are Lady Irene, yes?"

"I am," I confirmed, crossing my arms. I eyed him warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I've been getting yelled at by the stuffy man over there about protocols or some nonsense. I stopped listening after a second." Cinead flashed a grin but let it fade. "As for what brings me here? There are Bernese soldiers and War Dragons outside my village, to the south. I believe one is General Brunja? She looked like the pictures, at least."

"...Is that so?" I frowned, something bothering me. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't figure it out. "Well, that means I'll need to fetch my things for a War Meeting. If you can give the details to Roy?" I looked around and found him just arriving to the mess too. "He's right over there. Tell him anything you can, and I'll be by shortly to deal with tactics."

"Very good." Cinead smiled again, and bowed, before going over to Roy, easily ignoring everyone's odd looks.

I shrugged when people glanced at me, and headed for the hallway, already trying to think of tactics we'd need. However, just as I reached the hallway, I realized what had bothered me. He'd used the term 'War Dragon'. That was a term that no simple villager would know. So, I paused to turn, and ended up catching Fiona's eye by accident.

She nodded and danced over, bending down to whisper in my ear, "he's a dragon. He was a child during the Scouring. He uses illusions to hide his pointed ears, like Wuotan."

"I see," I murmured, not even bothering to be surprised by 'pointed ears'. I'd just never noticed people's ears when there were far too many other weird things going on. "That explains that." I glanced back at him, chatting with Roy with incredible ease. Yes, he was no simple villager. "So, why come to me instead of letting himself be directed wherever Merlinus was trying to make him go?"

"Because you are the descendant of his favorite people: Hilda and Hanon. They saved his life during the Scouring. So, if he was going to trust a stranger, he was going to gamble on you." She shrugged. "I'm not surprised, though. His home is right outside the Dragon's Sanctuary, an old temple. Wuotan and I suspected Jahn might've taken Idenn there."

"How much trouble are we in?"

"I don't know." Her eyes were dark. "It all depends… it all ultimately depends on whether Zephiel and Jahn fell for the trap or not."

"What trap?"

"A trap the heroes set, because they knew that, one day, the seal would be broken." She shrugged again. "We'll see. Wuotan and I are here, though, and we will head in with you. We'll do what we can."

"..." I gave her a worried look. "Please don't sacrifice yourselves."

"I can't make that promise." She looked at me sadly. "I'm near death anyway, and have outlived not only my friends, but even my 'niece'. I love you dearly. I cannot take your deaths."

"I…" I hesitated, wanting to protest. But it wasn't my choice. It was her life. "Do not do it… easily. Fight hard first."

"Of course." She smiled sweetly. "Hey, maybe I should ask for Alberich!"

"You're going to lord how long it took me to figure it out over my head for a while, aren't you? That didn't even make sense!" I groaned as she snickered. "Well, find someone else to tease. I have work to do!"

It was time to end this Campaign, and free Idenn, once and for all.


This is where I normally do notes, but I'm afraid I've really too much work to do tonight. We march in the morning, after all, and there's so much to do that I doubt Roy, Elphin, and I will sleep tonight….

Maybe I should do notes on tea. ...No, I'll just end it here instead.


Author's notes: Monarch's Own is based off of a thing from the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey, mostly because I thought it would ultimately fit Irene best to work on reconstructing both Etruria and Bern, among the other countries. Plans for the future, little talks… Cinead is a character that appears in two chapters of A Thief's Legacy, though his name is only revealed in the second appearance. Josephine is a character in A Thief's Legacy, and Rainard is a posthumous character from the same story.

In both normal and hard mode, Zephiel has some bad speed for a boss (a measly 14 in both). I'm explaining that away by the injury Hector gave him way towards the beginning of the story.

Next Chapter - Final Chapter, Answer (In Game Chapters 23, 24, and 25/Final)