(DISCLAIMER) I do not own or claim to own any of the Fire Emblem Franchise.
Art used in the display photo is by tokihito on Twitter
Tugging at the collar of her throat, a young woman started to unbutton the top of her shirt. The beginnings of summer were just around the corner and although the heat had yet to reach its peak, she was finding it slightly hard to remain comfortable. One of the soldiers that were traveling alongside her scoffed and mumbled under his breath. "If you were smart, you'd know to take the weather into consideration and not pile on layers." The girl brushed off the snide comment and stopped at the third button allowing the pale skin above her collar bone to show. She sighed a breath of relief. Despite all the walking they had done, the forest did a good job of blocking most of the sun's rays.
The forest around them was peaceful for the most part. The group was fortunate enough to not run into trouble on their weeklong journey. Although, the girl found herself half-hoping that some sort of scuffle would find them. Anything to provide some fun in their mundane journey, anything to distract herself from her inevitable destination.
Days passed and the girl had mentally reached her capacity. She had been traveling with Gautier soldiers for almost a week, and with her being the sole female of the group, she found they had nothing in common. Even if they did have something of similar interest, they weren't interested in her kind anyway. They hated her. Hated who she was, where she came from, and her people. This was no news, however, and she was fine with it. Really.
The history of her people and the people of The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus went way back. Books and lectures would tell tales of the disputes between the two territories. It was a constant back and forth battle with each one invading and defending its lands. Though Faerghus was their enemy, it was mainly one noble house that they often clashed swords with, House Gautier.
House Gautier was, has, and probably will always be a formidable opponent for the Sreng. The people of Sreng were always taught to be fearful of the kingdom to the west. That Faerghus was a place of monsters, people seeking to terrorize and rule anything and anyone in their path. Though their battles with House Gautier were isolated to the north, all of Sreng suffered due to the constant struggles of protecting their lands. One such battle was when the king of Faerghus led his troops to invade Sreng. This particular memory alone left a stinging wound for the girl. Her days were nothing but fear and darkness. Fires, screams, and death filled all aspects of her memories and haunt her to this day. As a result of the invasion, the southern part of Sreng was annexed by Faerghus and so she and her family were forced to move north where her father still had freedom of reign.
Royal blood ran through her veins though only half. Her father, the king of Sreng, had relations with a consort who later died during the invasion of the south. Her father being a benevolent King in her eyes kept her in the royal court even after her mother's death. She grew up content knowing that her father treated her fairly. Her siblings were of another story.
The young lady sighed when thoughts of her siblings came. When they were kids, they got along well enough. Being the eldest daughter of the king, she always doted on her two younger brothers. But when her brothers grew up both physically and mentally, they began to treat her differently. When they realized the origins of her birth and the threat she could possess to their place on the throne, both siblings began to distance themselves. The eldest of the brothers turned to scorn and distaste while the younger simply ignored her, no longer wanting anything to do with her. She put up with it though. Knowing that her father still considered her as family was enough. That is, until just a few moons ago.
When she had learned the reason why her father had abruptly withdrawn her from the academy she fell into shock. Not an ounce in her body could predict her father's decision. She was so blindsided that what was happening did not seem like reality until she was leaving her home a few weeks after the news.
The king of Sreng was backed into a corner. The relationships between the north and south were teetering on the edge. Having to deal with that as well as the constant tension coming from House Gautier had the king at his wit's end. The old man started to become senile, making decisions in hopes of reconnecting with the south that only made it worse. When the head of House Gautier caught wind of her father trying to raise a coup within the south, he was quick to quell the fire resulting in the king of Sreng to make some very life-changing decisions. One of those decisions was to offer collateral to make sure he stayed on his best behavior. That collateral being his eldest child.
The girl was nudged rather aggressively on the shoulder. Her pace was slowing as she retreated into her thoughts. The Gautier soldier grunted behind her and told her to pick up the pace. The forest around them was quite dense with few rays of light shining in from the canopy of trees. Despite it being comfortable warm, the native Sreng clothing she dawned did not allow much air for her body to breathe. Faerghus being next-door neighbors, they shared similar weather conditions, with most of their year covered in cold and snow. The trip to Garreg Mach Monastery, however, was proving to be a bit challenging with them traveling more and more south. The same Gautier soldier saw her tug at the collar of her shirt again. "We're pretty much there once we clear the forest." Whether that was meant to comfort her or the other soldiers it would not matter. As soon as she could rid herself of these men, she could be in Ailell for all she cared.
Another hour or so went by and the space around them shone brighter. The trees were becoming sparse allowing more light to come in. Up ahead she could see a clearing and once they stepped foot outside the tree line, her view was that of a large, fortress-like castle. There, beyond rolling hills, lied her destination, Garreg Mach Monastery.
"We just have to deliver her to the gate, right," one soldier asked. His question sparked a bit of annoyance with the Sreng girl.
"As much as I would like to, we should probably leave her with one of the knights and maybe check in with the Margrave's son."
That's right. Sylvain Gautier. When the Sreng native learned of her fate, she took to it that the youngest son of Margrave Gautier would have reacted to the news none to kindly. They were after all in a constant state of war with one another. He probably hated her just as much as the soldiers around her if not more.
The girl walked into this with indifference after the shock finally wore off. But now that Garreg Mach loomed over her, her nerves were beginning to shake up. How would life at this academy be? How would the people of Fódlan treat her? Would she be a complete outcast like when she spent a few days at the Gautier residence before her departure? Those were the worst days in her life. It was nothing like the solitude she got at home when her brothers didn't talk to her. At House Gautier, she was completely alone. Everyone seemed to avoid her like the plague, and it hurt. Her wounds still fresh from the betrayal of her father.
The girl grabbed onto the leather belt that held the large claymore against her back. It was the only comforting thing she brought from Sreng and she was glad that the Margrave did not force her to leave it. Her claymore served as a part of her being and she treated it like so.
Before she knew it, they had arrived at the gates of Garreg Mach. The massive monastery gave a foreboding feeling that sent chills down her spine. Even on this warm day, the chills shook her core.
"Ah, Sir Alois! It is an honor." The soldiers bowed with their right fists pressed against their chest. The girl looked around but did not budge. In front of them was a man of medium stature. What he lacked in height however was made up in what she assumed was a muscular physique. The armor he worse gave him a robust look. Despite the intimidating spikes protruding from the armor, the man had a kind look to his face. His blue eyes were bright, and he held nothing back in his smile. The girl's first impression of this man was that he was friendly, perhaps more so than the soldiers around her. When they got up, the soldier closest to her sneered when he noticed she didn't do the same. She attempted to give him the same look, but with more sass.
"Hello! Judging by your uniform you are soldiers from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, are you not?" This Sir Alois spoke with a loud boisterous voice. The girl was a bit taken back with how… Excited he seemed.
"Yes, sir. We are here to deliver this woman to the Arche Bishop, but since you are here, perhaps you could show her the way?"
"Oh, uh, I mean, wouldn't it be best if you brought her there yourself? I don't exactly know who she is or why she's here." Alois scratched at his stubbled chin.
"You are not wrong, sir, but it has been days and we are eager to return to the kingdom to resume our services and would like to report to the Margrave as soon as possible," the soldier that had sneered at her said. The girl gave a huff. These guys were quick to get rid of her.
"Margrave? Margrave Gautier?" Alois turned to the young woman and examined her from his spot. She shuffled her feet as the knight stared at her, rubbing at his chin. "With what does the Margrave have business in sending a young lady like her to Garreg Mach Monastery?"
"With all due respect, sir, everything that the Arche Bishop needs to know is in this letter." The soldier that oversaw their group pulled out a rolled piece of parchment with a wax symbol of the House Gautier sealed in bright red. "We were just told to bring her here and that everything else is taken care of. Word was sent ahead of time of our arrival so the Lady Arche Bishop should be expecting her."
"I see. Well then, miss…?"
The girl took a step closer to the knight and held out a hand. "Nemian. Nemian Dé Danann."
There was a pause. The soldiers dropped their jaws in horror and Nemian scrunched her eyebrows not knowing what was going on. She was brought out of her confusion when the loud sounds of laughter came out of Alois. "Ho, ho! It is a pleasure, Nemian." The knight took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake. This brought a smile to the girl's face. It was the first friendly gesture she had since crossing the border of Sreng. Alois let go of her hand and took the letter from the kingdom soldier. "I'll make sure she and the letter both get to the Lady Arche Bishop. I thank you on her behalf for allowing the young miss safe passage."
"Right," the soldier grunted before giving one last bow. "Men, it's time to finally go home." The soldiers turned away leaving Nemian with a stranger.
"Nemian?" Alois took a sidestep into her view. "Let us get going. I'm sure Lady Rhea is eager to see you." Nemian nodded and followed the knight through the large gates of the monastery.