Chapter Seven - Rest & Recuperation

It had been a little over three weeks since the retrieval party left, and in that time the Elden Lord and Empyrean both had made the most of the peace they had, with Malenia taking some much needed time to heal up and rest - and Freomund taking some time to explore the castle in more detail now that he wasn't being shot at every other second. That and admire its stonework, as it was masterfully crafted.

'Much like the Blade of Miquella herself…'

Ah, but there were those troublesome thoughts again. He just couldn't divest himself of them it seemed, no matter how hard he tried. Well… almost. A single glance at the still-burning Erdtree was all Freomund needed for his thoughts to shift from innocuous romantic imaginings to darker recollections of faces and events many moons past. Palming his forehead, the Draconian lingered within the dusty halls of Elphael for a moment yet, before eventually deciding to seek out Malenia. He had come to a mind on things you see, regarding his past. Namely that, perhaps, it was high time he made peace with it. The only way for him to do that - he reasoned - was to confront it outright.

And who better to confront it with than the demigod he'd been walking beside all this time?

So it came to pass that Freomund set out through the empty halls, which stood strong still despite ages worth of neglect and disrepair, until he arrived at the Empyrean's chambers at last. As a new addition to the building's western face, it was much smaller, sparser, and shoddier than almost every other room in the place - while remaining just as functional as the rest of them. Malenia had ordered its construction almost immediately after they'd gotten settled in, not only so she could have some semblance of normalcy again, but also to avoid having to go anywhere near the chamber he'd found her in. Painful memories was the reason she'd cited, and to be completely honest Freomund understood that sentiment all too well.

Painful memories were why he avoided the Forge of the Giants to this very day after all, the harshness and hostility of the region surrounding it aside. Though, given his current course of action, it didn't seem as if he'd be avoiding it for much longer.

"Freomund," Malenia said, exhaling slowly as her companion crossed the threshold. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Her hair was done up in a long ponytail, and what little skin was visible glistened with sweat. Judging from that - and the rapidly fading intensity of her movements - it looked as though she'd been practicing her sword arts just before he'd arrived.

"A desire to talk mostly," he said, propping himself up against a wall. "If you don't mind, that is."

Malenia smiled as she detached her blade and set it off to the side.

"Not at all friend," she replied. Stretching a bit, she fetched a towel to dab the sweat from her neck, face, and brow before settling in a nearby chair. "What is it you wished to talk about?"

Freomund gave a kind of half-sigh, half-chuckle, and did his best not to get too distracted.

"Well… um…" he mumbled, crossing his arms before staring off to the side, unable to meet the Empyrean's gaze directly.

After a moment or two more of this indecisive behavior, however, he finally mustered enough will to look Malenia straight in the eye.

"My past. I wanted to talk some more about my past."

Malenia blinked. Had she heard him correctly, just now? While Freomund had touched on it briefly during their stint in that cave, it wasn't as though the information he'd given had been particularly groundbreaking. Tragic yes, and her heart went out to him, as even she had known her parents - troubled as their lineage might have been - but not anything that would significantly change how she viewed him as a person. Still, if he was willing to be this trusting with her about a topic that made him feel this vulnerable, she would not be so cruel as to push him away.

"I see," Malenia said as she assumed a more pensive pose. "Is there any part of it in particular that you'd like to discuss?"

"Yes… you remember when you asked me whether or not I traveled with a Finger Maiden?"

Malenia nodded. "I do. You didn't seem particularly keen on talking about it at the time, though."

"True, I wasn't back then. But now… now I think I'm ready."

Freomund scratched his chin.

"Her name was Melina," he said, wincing slightly, as though the very utterance of her name pained him. "And she wasn't a maiden in the traditional sense of the word, though she played the role well enough. Allowed me to turn runes into strength and took me to the Roundtable Hold."

He took a breath and glanced up at the ceiling.

"More than that, though, she accompanied me on my journey. Pulled my ass out of the fire whenever I got in over my head, and was there for me whenever I felt like giving up. Which I did. More than you know…"

Freomund brushed that train of thought away with a wave of his hand.

"Anyway, we made an accord, her and I. That she would aid me in exchange for transportation to the foot of the Erdtree. I agreed, not wanting to die in a ditch somewhere, and in complete ignorance of what our agreement actually entailed."

"And what might that have been?" Malenia asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

The Draconian met her gaze, and she could see the currents of sorrow begin to swirl within his eyes.

"That the Erdtree would burn and she along with it, all so I might claim the title of Lord," he said simply. "She'd worded it vaguely of course, refusing to tell me outright until we got too close for her to deny it, but I'd managed to piece it together before then. It was clear to me then, her purpose."

Malenia nodded, slowly, as she not only digested the information but peered into its unsaid implications as well. From the way Freomund had described their relationship so far, it seemed as though his maiden - Melina - had originally intended to remain largely aloof and detached. Likely to spare her Tarnished the pain of her inevitable sacrifice. Then, as people so often do, had gradually begun to ingratiate herself to him in spite of that.

Whether this had been by intention or accident, though, she couldn't say.

"You know," Freomund said suddenly, breaking the Empyrean out of her brief trance. "It isn't Melina's death that I recall most vividly."

He let out a breathy laugh as his expression morphed into a look of pure fondness.

"What I remember most was the conversations we had. After a day filled with struggle and death, mine usually, it was nice to be able to come back to a site of grace and see her sitting there. She was always so patient with me, and always so willing to listen to whatever I had to say, even if it was nothing at all…"

Freomund fell silent for a while after that, and Malenia didn't disturb him, for it was abundantly clear that he was working through some things.

"I miss her," he said at last. "Not to say I haven't moved on of course, but every now and then when I'm riding Torrent I'll turn expecting to see her sitting behind me, only to be met with empty air. That's how used to her presence I've grown."

He shook his head slowly.

"And that isn't even getting into the nightmares. She used to help me with those too, you know. Whenever I woke up in a cold sweat, or reached for my blade to fend off some nonexistent enemy as I slept, she would take me into her arms until I calmed down and remembered where I was. Remembered that I wasn't fighting for my life on some battlefield somewhere. Remembered that I was, for the moment anyway, safe."

Freomund moved to say more, but quickly shifted gears upon seeing the look of concern on Malenia's face.

"I don't suffer from them as much anymore," he reassured her. "So there's no need for you to worry, though I do appreciate the thought."

Malenia sat back, relieved, and Freomund stepped away from the wall.

"At any rate, after she set the Erdtree aflame I woke up in Farum Azula, and you know the rest. Though while I was there I swore an oath. That once I took the mantle of Lord I would create a legacy worthy of her sacrifice."

Freomund slumped like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and he pinched the bridge of his nose with a dejected sigh.

"But I'm afraid I haven't done a very good job of it so far."

"Nonsense."

Freomund jumped somewhat. He'd been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't even realized Malenia had crossed the room to lay a hand on his shoulder. He was more than aware now, however. Then again it was pretty hard for him not to be with the way those shimmering golden eyes of hers pierced him.

"Just as I cannot blame myself for Mohg's theft of Miquella, you cannot blame yourself for the broken world you've inherited. Not when my family, my blood, is responsible for shattering its peace to begin with."

Her stare was intense, and her expression was perhaps the most serious it'd ever been, at least to his recollection anyway.

"You have been forced to pick up the pieces my siblings and I left behind. It is not fair, not in the slightest, what you must endure."

Malenia then fell to one knee as she let her hand drop - though at most it served to make the two of them equal so far as height was concerned - and considered her next words very carefully. For the implication behind them was not lost on her, and she doubted it would be lost on Freomund either. Or her brother, for that matter, when - or if - he awoke. But that was something she could worry about later. As far as the present was concerned though, she'd had more than enough time to examine her feelings for the Elden Lord in these last three weeks, and she knew with whom it was her heart ultimately lay.

She could only hope he felt the same way.

Doing her level best to still her rapidly beating heart, she squeezed her eyes shut, took Freomund's hand, and rested her forehead against the back of it.

"Therefore I, Malenia, Blade of Miquella, do solemnly swear to stand by you in this matter and every other until the bitter end. To aid you in the restoration of our home or die trying."

Freomund's eyes went wide.

"A-are you asking to become my consort?"

Malenia smiled as she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"I suppose so."

Author's Note: Alright, this chapter is a bit of a test if you will. While initially I had planned to end it with a knight bearing news of the rescue party's return, I ended up veering towards the whole consort angle as time went on. I'm not entirely sure it fits this early on, however, and if there's enough feedback calling for its alteration then I'll change it back to the original ending I had planned. Otherwise enjoy this little cliffhanger and get ready to hear both Freomund's response and see Miquella's cocoon returned to the Haligtree in the next chapter. That or some sappy romance scenes between Freomund and Malenia if my mind decides to wander off again, though nothing too raunchy.