Chapter 5) Goddess


Time passes slowly as we wait to see Prince Jamke's response. The people heal, graves are dug, and buildings are slowly reconstructed. The infirmary empties person by person, pet by pet. Some stayed to do chores for the castle, to help with the infirmary. Some, like ownerless pets and orphaned children, became pages to… well, practically everyone. Sigurd, in particular, rarely went anywhere with a little trail of pages and pets following him, basking in his praise and teasing.

I tried to continue with my normal jobs, but many of which were actually taken over by some of the civilians, who insisted I 'have fun'. As if a healer knew what that meant...


"Prince Shanan, please stop squirming," I chided as I tended to his arm. He had decided to prove that he'd recovered by climbing a tree, and promptly fell as he tried, resulting in some rather yucky looking scrapes. "I need to clean this."

"Why can't you just heal it up?" he asked. His tone might've implied 'whining', but his eyes were simply curious. "I thought staves cured everything."

"Different staves do different things, Prince Shanan." I shifted in my chair and tugged him a little closer so that I could continue cleaning his injury. I debated pointing out that we also had a limited supply, but decided against it. Children were allowed to be a little selfish, after all. "Healing staves do heal, yes, but only that, truly."

"And while they do also disinfect wounds, they don't clear the wound of debris," Lady Aideen added as she looked up from her weaving and smiled. We'd both been chased out of the infirmary today, something about how we shouldn't be working for 'so long after dinner', and were in a little study on the far end of the castle where we'd both been making bandages before Sir Finn dropped Prince Shanan off with us. "And for some, you really do have to cut away the dead skin first, to make sure infection isn't sealed into the wound. They are not 'cure-alls'. They are just… helpful."

"Oh," Prince Shanan replied. He looked confused still, but nodded. I tugged his arm to silently remind him to be still. "So, basically, my scrape needs cleaning because Miss Alicia could've healed the splinters inside?"

"Precisely, among other things. Then you'd be in a lot of pain and we'd have to peel the scab off to get to the trouble. Draining the puss and all."

"Gross!" He sighed and pouted a little. "Okay… I'll stay still."

"Good." Lady Aideen's smile warmed. "Perhaps you should also hold off on climbing the trees around here."

"But I'm bored!"

"I'm sure there's lots of games you can play."

"Everyone's busy!" He tried to flail, but I gave him a stern look and he drooped. "I don't want to bother them."

"I can assure you that Sigurd, at least, would never think you're bothering him." Lady Aideen laughed a little. "He'd gladly teach you what he's doing. Didn't he buy you a practice sword?"

"Yep! He and Auntie Ayra are teaching me!" He beamed, clearly ecstatic. "Oifeye takes his lessons with me! It's super fun!"

"Is it?"

"Yeah!" He babbled a bit more, happily explaining each bit of his training. Lady Aideen listened closely, setting her weaving down, so I tuned them both out to finish cleaning and bandaging the Prince Shanan's scraped arm. I took my time, making sure that there was no trace of infection or debris within the wound, since such a thing would set him back in his training, and he truly did enjoy it. It gave him a little bit of 'normality' in a world where everything was just going wrong for him. He was exiled from his home, his grandfather was dead, his father was going to die if he wasn't dead already, he was far away from anything familiar, he'd been a prisoner and hostage, and he was surrounded by people of the same country that destroyed his family. It was a lot for someone not even ten years old, yet he kept up a smile and cheerfulness. I wanted to make his life as easy as I could, both because it was my job as his primary healer, and because he was just… far too young.

As I finished bandaging him, though, I noticed something was… off. There was a feeling in the air, a humming in my blood. Frowning, I stood abruptly and strode to the door, jerking it open and peering outside. There, close to us, was a person in plain garb, scrubbing the floors. It seemed normal, on the surface, but…

"Pardon me," I called. The person stiffened. "I'm sorry to trouble you." I smiled as they stood up slowly and faced me. "I think that area was already cleaned." Dread dripped down my spine as they continued to stare. "Besides, this area isn't really used. I'm just here to treat a child's injury in relative quiet." Something flashed through their eyes. I thought it was panic, fear, and guilt. "So, please, go on and-"

The person lunged suddenly, pushing me back into the room. As I fell back, just barely avoiding crashing into Prince Shanan before the door slammed shut, and there was the sound of a something heavy thudding against the door. Two seconds later, the smell of smoke filtered in.

Immediately, Lady Aideen and I were on our feet, trying to open the door. While the knob turned the door itself would not budge, proving my worst suspicions true. It was barred from the outside. We were trapped in a room with no other doors and no windows, with smoke and fire closing in.

"What are we going to do?" Lady Aideen whispered. She glanced back at Prince Shanan who was pale and shaking already from fear. "If we both hit, perhaps…?"

"I'm not too certain on that one," I muttered. Still, even if I redirected the flames, we would be in a great deal of trouble. Fire might take longer to hurt me, but smoke certainly didn't. "But, say a prayer to the gods that your Ullur luck will kick in."

"Will you not pray?"

"No, I don't believe they'll hear me." It wasn't as if I entered the church by choice. "But they might hear you."

"Why do you… no, never mind." She closed her eyes briefly and then nodded. "On three?"

"Yes." I twisted the knob as both of us braced. "One…" The smell of smoke made my eyes watered. "Two…" There was a slight warming in the air, a sign of a fire crawling closer. "Three."

We both slammed against the door. Once. Twice. Thrice. On the fourth, we heard something fall. On the fifth, we heard something sixth. On the sixth, the door cracked open. On the seventh, we got it open enough for me to slip my hand through and get better leverage. On the eighth, we got it open enough for Prince Shanan, Lady Aideen, and me to slip out.

Neither Lady Aideen nor I commented on how bruised our shoulders and sides were, or how raw my hand was. Neither of us commented on how our clothes were ripped and we were scratched up by the makeshift barricade, made from a pile of armor, stripped from the suits that had lined the hall. No, instead, I took Prince Shanan by the hand and the three of us ran, hoping to find someone. But it was hard, because screams echoed harshly off the walls, almost drowning out the crackling of fire.

But, even as they echoed, the words overlapping, a single message made through loud and clear: "Prince Jamke is attacking the castle! Prince Jamke is attacking the castle!"

Lady Aideen stumbled as the words battered our ears, but I caught her with my free hand and we continued to run. We had no choice; staying in place would doom us. Thick, black, acrid smoke was already filling the hallways, and bright and harsh fire was climbing up to the roof, a dangerous thing. Like most castles, Marpha wasn't made entirely of stone. The roof was wooden, and the heat from the flames made the mortar in the stone walls weaken. Unbalanced, they crumbled, blocking paths left and right, and what bits they didn't block, the burnt out support beams of the roof served as an impassable obstacle.

"The fire is burning too quickly," Lady Aideen whispered after we encountered yet another dead end. "How?"

"...Marpha Castle is one Prince Jamke would know well, meaning he'd know the structural weak points," I pointed out slowly. I held onto Prince Shanan's hand tightly, and he clung to me with all his strength. "Since he knew we weren't attacking, he had plenty of time to sneak people inside and-"

"He's not like that!"

"He's attacking us right now with that!" I couldn't help but let my temper burn a little. "For all you know, Lady Aideen, he only saved you to one-up his brother."

"I told you, he's not-!" She screamed as a flash of fire erupted next to us. The decorative tapestries that had been fluttering above our heads were more char than thread. "A-ah…"

"Prince Shanan, stay close to me." I tugged him more into my side, and he whimpered as he clung to my skirts. "Lady Aideen, perhaps we might shelve that discussion for later?"

"Y-yes…" She bit her lip. "Resin."

"Pardon?"

"Resin. I think resin was used to accelerate the flames, along with oil and pitch. The smell is…"

"...Well, they do have a lot of trees." I supposed it also made sense that it would be flammable, considering how fast trees went up. "But, forgive me, is that important right now?"

"No, but it does reassure me on the scent. I was worried it might be a poison, like what Gandolf used."

"Oh, that explains some of the deaths back then." I'd just assumed it was blood loss. "We need to find someone." If the three of us were attacked…

"Let's try this hallway." She pointed to a small and narrow one, with cobwebs and dust clinging to the top. "It's not been used, so…"

"Well, it'll be a tight fit for us." I glanced down at Prince Shanan, who looked up at us with tearing, yet trusting eyes. I was both touched and terrified that he placed so much faith in our ability to get out of this. "But you lead. Prince Shanan will be between us."

She nodded silently and strode forward with her head held high, despite the dust staining her almost instantly. Prince Shanan followed her at my urging, and he kept a tight grip on my hand as we walked forward, with me bent awkwardly over him to shield him as debris and other things, like spiders and insects, fell on our heads. Loud, raucous shouting echoed down the little hallway, growing louder and louder as we got closer. When we stepped out, to my shock, we found the sources of the voices instantly.

"Lady Aideen!" Sir Midir was the first to notice us in the ragtag group of Sigurd, Lord Quan, Lord Lex, Lady Ayra, and him. "Miss Alicia! Prince Shanan!" The group then whirled to face us, sooty faces lighting up with tired, yet relieved smiles. "Thank the gods… we tried to reach the study you were in, but…"

"We got very lucky," Lady Aideen murmured. She hesitated before surging forward and catching Sir Midir in a hug. "Thank goodness…"

"Why are you all gathered here, though?" I asked. Prince Shanan held onto my hand, even when Lady Ayra came over to fuss over him. "This does seem like an odd space."

"Unfortunately, it's not all luck," Sigurd answered. His smile fell for grimness, and he turned back to a particularly bad batch of flames very close to us, too close for my comfort. "Oifeye and Finn are trapped." I felt everything freeze at the words. "We've tried to get through, but…" He growled something under his breath, and my eyes flicked over everyone. Their clothes were damaged, and each of them bore minor burns. "Lex, if one of them has a healing staff-"

"I'm fine," Lord Lex growled. He paused and sighed. "Sorry, didn't mean to sound so angry. But seriously, Sigurd, I'm fine."

"You shielded Ayra from some burning falling beams."

"Okay, I'm in pain, but battle fever is keeping me going. Let's focus on the kids before we all die of smoke."

"Yes, yes, but… how? I refuse to leave them, as does Quan, no matter what they keep trying to shout, but…"

There was some arguing, some debating. There was some screams, even, as the fire surged and a wave of heat dried out our eyes and mouths, made our skins prickle. Prince Shanan finally let go of my hand as a roof beam crashed down right next to us. But I barely noticed as I focused on the situation. Lord Oifeye and Sir Finn, both only fifteen, both of whom I knew quite well thanks to all their help in the infirmary and with Prince Shanan, were stuck in a room filling with fire.

I could help. I knew that. Arvis had even shown me, during those first visits. I was of Vala's blood. Fire was my blood. But doing so, I would reveal my bloodline. I would reveal that I was Vala Minor, and combined with my hair, that would out me as Arvis's sister, as Azel's sister.

I've always hidden. I was the child who was thrown away, to avoid a scandal. I was the child thrown away, to forget the violence that led to my conception in the first place. I was the hidden child of Velthomer, the hidden bastard. Even if I loved my brothers, I was scared. I was scared of leaving that 'safety'.

I was scared of being used. Worse, I was scared of being used against Arvis, against Azel. Another bastard would bring our father back into the gossips, despite Arvis doing all he could to bury that man and forget him forever. I loved him dearly. I loved them both dearly. Arvis was the first person in the whole world that ever said 'I am so glad to know you' and 'I love you' to me. He was the first person to acknowledge that I was here, and frequently wanted to bring me back to Velthomer. He was proud of having me as a sister. No one had ever been 'proud' of me. No aone had ever wanted me. And Azel wrote letters on a daily basis, wishing he could see me, me. Grannvale's court was cutthroat and cruel. I would be used, and used against them, in ways I could not even imagine. I did not want that. I was scared of that.

I was surrounded by strangers, and semi-strangers. Even if Sigurd was kind, even if an oath was sworn, I knew, if I revealed it now, then rumors would spring up. Rumors about me, about my blood, would spread like weeds and sickness, all the way to the court. Rumors could cause Arvis no end of trouble, especially with tensions running so high. I could be used as simple an excuse. The nobles of Grannvale were more than petty enough.

But if I didn't reveal it now, Lord Oifeye and Sir Finn would die. Sigurd and Lord Quan would injure themselves, cripple themselves, trying to save them. The longer we spent here, the more people died, the more people were wounded.

So, I grit my teeth, closed my eyes, and called to the power sleeping in my blood.

I could not conjure flames without a tome, just like any other magic user, but those of Holy Blood could control their element if it was already present. While I'd have to overwhelm the magic in a spell-cast fire to seize control, a natural fire would bend easily. So, my blood hummed and warmed as I reached out and demanded it listen to me, breaking it under my will easily. Then I gestured and 'pulled' it, drawing the fire up and back and parting it for Lord Oifeye and Sir Finn to have a clear path out of the room.

Thankfully, they took it without hesitation, even though I was certain they were confused, and they both collapsed on the floor, hacking and choking, covered in soot and ash, with blotchy burn scars and tattered clothing.

Once I was certain they were out, I threw the fire elsewhere, out a nearby window. It shattered instantly and smoke billowed out the broken window, clearing the air around us briefly. However, as the crinkling of the glass slowly died, silence reigned. I stiffened as I felt all eyes turn to me, and I automatically checked for my gloves. But the feedback from the magic had set them aflame, burning them into bits of ash and cloth, so even though my sleeves were intact, and long, my Holy Mark was easy to see.

"Well," I finally began after squirming in the silence. I tugged my sleeve over the Mark. "Shall we find a better location to coordinate fire fighting?"


Thankfully, the screams, fire, and everything else override their curiosity, and we all spent the next… well, it felt like days, but it was probably only hours. What bits of the sky that could be seen through the sooty windows and billowing smoke clouds showed the stars still twinkling. My time was spent helping with evacuations and tending to the injured. Azel handled what bits of fire redirection were needed. I noticed most of the injured were soldiers, with many civilians escaping with only minor burns and minor smoke inhalation. That told me that Prince Jamke was focusing on the 'invaders', us. But he was still attacking his own people to get to us, just like his elder brother. I supposed they weren't so different after all.

A loud, echoing thud jolted me from my thoughts, and I jerked up from my work. I was tending to Sir Finn in the 'War Room', a giant study with a table large enough for Sigurd, Lord Quan, Lord Oifeye, and some others to gather around, like Lord Lex and Lady Aideen. Lady Ayra also stood among them, while Prince Shanan was curled into my side, trembling but trying to hide it.

"They're battering the outer gates," Lady Ayra whispered. Her eyes were dark. "It won't take them long. They likely weakened the gates while sending their soldiers about." She looked at the others around the table, and glanced at the others in the room. As many soldiers as possible were crammed into him, making everything cramped and uncomfortable. "Are all the civilians in the castle?"

"Yes, but if this keeps up…" Sigurd murmured. He frowned heavily. "Still, I do not wish to fight. If we kill Prince Jamke, we will lose our one chance to keep thing from being a conquest." Only Sigurd was naive enough to believe that there was any chance of peace now. "How did the castle…?"

"It seems he snuck people inside, disguised as civilians." Her eyes flashed. "A cowardly, but effective, tactic, though he is lucky you are the one in charge, and not someone else. Someone else would've just killed all the civilians."

"Surely not!"

"Yes, they would've. I've seen it. Sophara, a castle to the north of Castle Isaach, fell to such tactics, and the lord who took over killed all the civilians to ensure that no 'spies' remained." She shook her head. "We dealt with him, of course, but Prince Jamke gambled his people's lives for this chance. It's easy to see how he and Kinbaith are of the same kin."

"B-but Sigurd's kindness is on all the gossips!" Lady Aideen protested. As always, she defended Prince Jamke, ignoring the dark and darkening looks from the soldiers. "And I talked about him a lot, so surely..."

"Doesn't change that he took the gamble, even if he was certain he'd win," Lord Lex pointed out. He steadied Azel as he swayed; Azel had overextended battling the flames, and was barely conscious, standing through sheer stubbornness alone. "And doesn't change that he's here to kill us. So, what are we-?" A sickening crack cut him off, and all of us froze. "I think that was the gate."

"Everyone down!" Lord Quan snapped, dragging Lady Ethlyn down and shielding her as he followed his own order. Not two seconds later, arrows started flying through the windows, thudding into the walls. Everyone shrieked, and I shielded Prince Shanan as a few flew too close. Sir Finn pulled himself over both of us, and took quite a few grazes. Some of the other soldiers… they took worse wounds. A couple, who moved too slowly, took arrows straight through the eye. Others were hit in the neck, the shoulder, the chest…

Blood trickled down to join the soot and ash in the room, arrows crowding the floor and showcasing hundreds of attempts to kill us. The arrows might've stopped, but the fear remained, and it was easy to imagine just what would've happened if Lord Quan hadn't yelled for us to duck… and just how many might be dead in the hallways.

Yelling erupted then. Arguing, accusing… they cascaded around us, rattling my ears. I tried to ignore them as I healed the newly injured, starting with Sir Finn and moving to others. Prince Shanan clung to my skirts as I worked, helping me with shaking hands to soothe the soldiers who were crying from pain, loss, and fear. The cacophony grew louder and louder as I healed, and it was impossible to tell just who was yelling what, if they were yelling anything coherent.

"Wait!" But Lady Aideen's voice suddenly cracked through the arguing, and all eyes turned to her as an echoing silence fell. "Let me…" she began. She hesitated before nodding, eyes determined. "Let me try to persuade him." She held up her hands before the arguing could resume. "There's been these rumors of dark magic and Sadima, yes? That's what the civilians think happened to their king. If Prince Jamke is also a victim, then it's my duty, as a cleric, to heal him. He also saved me from the fate of being Prince Gandolf's wife, and I think we all know what that would've entailed." She shook her head. "So, please."

"Well, it does seem like they've run out of arrows," Sigurd murmured. He and Lady Aideen shared a long look before he nodded. "Okay. It's better than anything we've been plotting. Alicia?" He turned to me. "Will you be on standby?"

"If they're not actually out of arrows, she'll be dead before I can do anything," I pointed out. Still, I sighed. I was surrounded by naive idiots. "But very well." I stood up slowly, stroking Prince Shanan's hair. "Have Lady Ethlyn take over healing the injured, please."

"Of course. Thank you."

There was a whirlwind of movement then, and before I could even blink, I was at the gates with Lady Aideen, waiting for everything to go so very wrong, so very fast. Lady Aideen gave me a gentle, brave smile as she walked up to the closed gates, and I hung back, clinging to my dying staff tightly, all too aware that there would be no one close enough to save her.

Sigurd, somewhere far behind us, gave the order and the gates opened slowly. As Lady Aideen stepped out, and the fire light streamed both out and in to reveal the enemy army, I nearly snagged Lady Aideen because it was clear that I was right. They weren't out of arrows. They were just waiting, to catch us in a trap, and that trap was aimed all at her.

But there was no time. All the arrows fired, even as the soldiers shouted when they realized their 'target' was a lone woman, completely unarmed. A hail of arrows flew, arcing as the billowing smoke in the sky blew away, revealing the glowing dawn.

I held still, gripping my staff type, ready to try, and likely fail, to heal Lady Aideen's arrow ridden corpse. But that… didn't happen. Instead, the arrows, despite being so numerous, despite all being aimed right at her… they all missed, save for one, shot by Prince Jamke, that grazed her cheek. The morning sun glittered over the castle walls, dappling the courtyard in light.

Lady Aideen seemed to glow, the wind gently ruffling her hair and dress, and she stared at the fighters, surrounded by all the arrows that missed, with a tiny bit of blood trickling down her cheek, almost like the tear she refused to shed as she looked over them all.

"Goddess…" someone whispered. The enemy started to kneel as the tiny sound became a breathless prayer. 'Goddess', 'goddess', 'we have been greeted by a goddess'.

Only one didn't kneel, Prince Jamke based on how quality his armor was. He managed to be stoic for a single heartbeat before his expression crumpled and he collapsed on his knees. "Just condemn me," he pleaded. Lady Aideen simply smiled. "Just… condemning me would be kinder."

Lady Aideen did not reply. She simply walked towards him and crouched down in front of him, to look him in the eyes, and when he began to cry, she hugged him and let him cry into her shoulder, with the dawning light surrounding them like a gentle halo.

It was like something from a storybook, really, and if I hadn't seen it for myself, I never would've believed it.


Prince Jamke surrendered, and Sigurd accepted it gladly. The two had a surprisingly amiable conversation considering Sigurd did kill Prince Jamke's older brothers, and Prince Jamke had just tried to kill all of us, and then Prince Jamke pledged his soldiers to Sigurd's army in exchange for the promise to save his father. I really didn't understand most of it, even hours later, as I was tending to Prince Jamke's wounded soldiers. I wasn't really certain why, and not just because I wasn't sure how the soldiers got injured. It just… didn't make sense to me. He just tried to kill us, and now he was an ally? Yes, Lady Ayra had technically been an enemy, but there had been a hostage, and Lady Ayra hadn't threatened the lives of civilians.

Still, despite my misgivings, I did my duty, and finally, found myself healing Prince Jamke, who had some lingering damage that seemed to be from some sort of spell. I didn't ask. I honestly didn't care.

"...Thank you," Prince Jamke murmured as I finished tending to him. "Thank you for healing my men and me."

"I am a healer," I told him. Certain that he was fully healed, I stepped away from him and gave him my most polite smile. He flinched from it. "I heal people. Personal wishes do not interfere with my job, Prince Jamke." That was… probably far too much to say, and completely unprofessional. But I did feel almost smug as Prince Jamke winced again. "If you have no more need for my services, I am going to check on the other wounded." I bowed to him and walked away, closing the door to the room he and his men were borrowing. Not even Sigurd was naive enough to keep them with his own army.

I leaned against the wall briefly, exhausted by everything. The fire, using my magic in a way I wasn't used to, the rest of the attack, healing so many… on top of having no sleep, I was ready to just collapse. But I was a healer, and healers did not faint. So, I made my way away from the room, one leaden foot in front of the other. The plan had been to make it to my room. I made it only to the nearby balcony before having to rest, doing everything I could to not collapse against the railing.

I had no idea how long I remained there, leaning heavily against the railing, crossing my arms to use what little arm strength I had to stay up. It was long enough that I completely ignored the pain from my shoulder, the bruises deciding to stop reminding me that they were still there. It was a long enough for me to watch the sun rise over the horizon and light up the area, everything just… sparkling from the morning dew. It looked so surreal that I thought I might've just passed out already, and was dreaming. A noise behind me, however, made me jump and whirl, and the pain that lanced through my shoulder, legs, and side proved this was no dream.

Sigurd held his hands up as I focused on him, and he smiled slightly as I continued to stare. "I was checking that you didn't fall asleep standing up," he explained softly. "Ethlyn did, and Aideen… well, she collapsed rather dramatically in Midir's arms."

"Of course she did, considering she dramatically avoided all the arrows," I retorted dryly, unable to help it. He laughed tiredly. "But no, I'm awake still. Did you have need of me?"

"I haven't heard anything. I was just passing by after talking a bit more with Prince Jamke." He came to stand beside me, and I settled back against the railing, pushing most of my weight on my arms. He glanced down at me, and then focused on my right arm. Belatedly, I realized that my arms were bared, revealing my Holy Mark. "It's rather large for a Minor Mark, isn't it?"

"It's larger than Azel's, but it's still noticeably smaller than Arvis's." My Mark wrapped about my lower and half of my upper arm, swirls resembling flowers, with the stems on my wrist and the blossoms at the top. Arvis's wrapped around both of his arms, bridged by a small strip across his shoulder blades. "It appeared a bit young for me. I was about one or two, and was promptly given to the church, I think."

"It normally appears around age five, right? That's when mine appeared." He paused. "Wait, no, Ethlyn was older."

"Typically, it's five for the Majors, ten for the Minors, though that's more of a generalization." I sighed, drooping. "But, mine appeared young."

"What… happened to your mother?"

"From what I understand, she died in a mysterious 'accident' a few months after Father raped Azel's mother. Not that it matters to me. She's the one who dropped me off."

"I see." He paused, and I could tell he was trying to think of what to say. "We've… noticed the hair, but… well…"

"Yes, I'm their sister. Yes, Azel know. Yes, Arvis knows. He wants me to move to Velthomer, but I like my life, so I refuse. I think some part of him likes having a sanctuary away from everything." I glanced up at him. "I like hiding. I like being the simple healer. I… didn't want to be used, or to be mentioned in the courts."

"I promise that no one will-"

"You cannot stop rumors, Sigurd." I gave him a bitter smile. "You simply cannot. Word will get out, no matter how many oaths you make people swear. I only ask… that no one make a big deal about it. Please. I am…"

"A brave and kind woman, who saved many lives today, even more so than usual, which is already impressive." Sigurd smiled gently. "Thank you, Alicia. I will make sure the others know you do not wish for a fuss to be made."

"...Thank you." I debated a moment before sighing and leaning against the railing, resting my chin on my crossed arms. It was a small moment to gather my thoughts without relying on my mask, a dangerous thing for a healer. But Sigurd smiled and watched the stars with me, a gentle presence that didn't comment or scold me.

I thought about how Lord Quan had said Sigurd didn't have many close friends, and how he'd hoped I could be one. But this was the first time I had thought that perhaps I needed close friends… and that Sigurd would be a good one. He was a friend I needed.

It wasn't a very comforting thought.


Records on Sir Arden:

Armored Knight, 25 years old

A strong and reliable knight from Chalphy, noted for his inability to move quickly

Often left behind to defend the castles because of his inability to keep up with the other units, and is often frustrated by this

Kind, and often helps out with moving things for me.


Author's note: So. Scene where Aideen steps out in the hail of arrows is based off of a similar scene from the Oosawa manga. Ullur luck is powerful.

Okay, so, this was written after the Jan 18th Direct, meaning that I'm announcing that while I will not be (knowingly) changing the spellings of any characters already shown/mentioned, I WILL be using the spellings on the Nintendo site for characters that have not shown up. I apologize if you dislike them, but that's what I'm going with.

Next Chapter - Spirit Forest