Important note: this fic happens after beating the game with Eliwood's route, not with Hector's!!

***

"Trap for the Heart"

Chapter 1: The curse of the bandits

It was a sunny, cool day. Everything seemed normal and peaceful in those plains of the Lycian League, next to the frontier with Etruria. There was no one in that territory, except a young, brownish-reddish-haired tactician by the name of Alina. A young tactician for hire in her early twenties, who was, in fact, one of the persons who helped to defeat Nergal more than a year ago, and who just vanished before Lord Eliwood of Pherae's ascension as Marquess Pherae, or so the world thought.

She was carrying some bags, in which she had her personal wares and some tactic books. She was wearing a knee-lenght grey skirt, a bluish t-shirt, and a green cape that matched with her green eyes. Everything seemed so fine, so peaceful, that she was feeling it was odd. It was an idyllic view, that of the Lycian forest... although those bandits who popped out from the trees weren't idyllic. Not at all.

"Oh, hell!", Alina thought, surprised, facing a bunch of huge, tough bandits. "I hope I can get out from this..."

She turned back quickly, just to find five bandits more surrounding her. She was trapped by at least ten bandits, who were making a circle around her. It would be far too difficult to escape all by herself.

"Oh, great... Why is it that every time I'm travelling through a forest or the plains I get caught by bandits?", she thought, nervously. "The first time, it was in Sacae, and Lyn found me. The second time was near Pherae, I could escape and then I joined Eliwood... But this time it won't be that easy! Nobody's around, and I'm in the middle of nowhere! Will I ever learn to travel with an escort?", she thought, resigned and scared, although she tried to look calm and serene.

"What do we have here?", one of the bandits, apparently the leader, asked ironically. "But if it is a little, lone woman! What were you doing here, walking alone in the woods, cutie? Were you going to your granny's house?"

"How funny", Alina replied coldly. "I would like to go on with my journey. If you excuse me...", she added, walking forward, as if there wasn't anything in her way, but the leader stopped her and said,

"Were do you think you are going, little one? Do you think it's so easy to get by us, without being noticed?". Then, he got nearer her and, menacingly, he told her, "If you want to go on your journey, unharmed, you have to give us something, you know..."

"I have nothing valuable!", Alina protested, angrily. "I have nothing but some books and food. Please, let me go!"

"Are you sure?"

"If I had something valuable, I would give it to you right away!", she replied, nervously. "Please, understand me!"

"Boys, don't you think she would be a good hostage?", the leader said ironically, staring at Alina.

"Yeah!", the others yelled in unison.

"Oh, goodness...", Alina thought in despair, with her eyes closed. Automatically, she went to her bag and picked a stick she had, just in case something like that would happen.

"Oh, look at the tough lady, hahaha!", the leader laughed, loudly. The others joined him.

"Don't even think in putting one of your filthy fingers in me!", Alina exclaimed, nervously. She was almost shacking, but she was also determined to use that stick if one of those... beings tried to do something against her.

"You think you can do anything with that?", one asked ironically, getting nearer her.

"Don't come any further! Go back!", she yelled, angrily, swinging her stick.

"Or else?", asked the other, getting even more nearer.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!", she said, hitting him with her stick.

"Please, St. Elimine, Lord Athos and whoever else who wants to join, protect me!", she thought, in despair, while trying to get away from the bandits, who stayed there petrified for a second when they saw their friend being hit by a young woman. However, their surprise lasted short, and they went behind her, ready to trap her.

Alina run as much as she could, but she was soon caught by the bandits, again. This time, the thing wasn't so nice. She tried to hit the bandits, while evading their axes and swords. She was thinking she would fall at anytime, when she saw someone... hitting the bandits. She couldn't see it properly, but she was highly thankful by its sudden appearance.

"Hmmmh... tall, robust, dark, bluish hair... swings an axe a bit carelessly...", Alina thought, sort of examining her new found ally while trying to hit some bandits. "I would say it's Hector, but it isn't him... Could it be...? Aaaahhhhhh!!"

But she couldn't go on, because something hit her head and she lost consciousness, in the middle of the fight...

***

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in another place, maybe at an Inn or a house. There were three people, three men, near her, but she couldn't see anything properly. She saw everything a blur, her head hurt, and she felt very dizzy.

"Is she awake?", one of the persons, a short man with moustache asked uninterested.

"Yes, she has just regained consciousness", another one replied, this one wearing some casual clothes.

"Great, so we can go on with our business", the first one said, coldly. Apparently, he was a knight.

"Hey, stop with that! Can't you see that she's not well yet?!", the third one said, annoyed by the first one's comment. This last one looked like someone important, as the knight didn't replied and lowered his head, showing respect.

Alina knew she had heard that voice before, but where? Her head was hurting badly, and now her left leg was hurting, also. With an effort, she tried to see better, opening her eyes as much as she could, and that wasn't much.

"Where... am I?", she asked, finally, with a very weak voice, as if she had awaken from a deep sleep. If she had been seeing herself from another point, she would have had self-pity of herself, that's for sure.

"I must warn you that she may have some kind of temporal amnesia, so she may not remember who she is, or who are you, or...", the second one, the one wearing casual clothes said, but he couldn't go on talking about his knowledge.

Alina seemed to regain full consciousness, and she almost jumped from the bed, as she sat down like being hit by a lightening, and exclaimed surprised, with a big smile,

"Lord Uth.... Marquess Ostia! Nice to see you again!"

"Hmph!", the knight replied, scandalized by that lack of respect.

"Why! If I knew it was you!", Lord Uther replied, smiling, surprised that Alina could still remember him, as they barely knew each other. After all, they had only seen each other once, after a battle with Eubans' mercenaries in a castle near Ostia.

"Seems she has no amnesia", the thin and remaining man said, discarding that diagnosis.

"I'm honored that you still remember me", Alina replied, still surprised. Then, she asked him, a bit tired, "What has happened? Where are we?"

"We were in our way back to Ostia when we saw some trouble, and I decided to know what it was", Marquess Ostia told her, calmly. "People says that bandits lurk in that area, so it was time to cope with that matter", he added.

"And now I know that?!?", Alina thought, annoyed with herself.

"When I got there, I saw a bunch of bandits attacking someone..."

"That one had to be me...", Alina said, driving the Ostian knight into a state of despair. How could a complete stranger dare to interrupt Marquess Ostia?!? However, Uther didn't care about that and that just nodded.

"So you were the one who came in my aid? I'm entirely in your debt! Thank you so much, Marquess Ostia", Alina said, guarding her manners, but talking sincerely.

"It's alright, you are welcome", Lord Uther replied. "You know, you don't have to keep on calling me that formally. Just calling me but my name is okay"

"But... Lord Uther, she's a complete stranger!!", the knight cried, scandalized.

"Irving, stop with that nonsense!", Uther told him, facing him. "She's not a complete stranger, she was my brother's tactician!"

"And what's with that? You don't know her!", the other replied, still angry.

"Peace! Don't shout, you two, or it will be worst for her!", the thin man said, trying to end up that argument.

"Please, don't go on arguing, gentlemen...", Alina dared to say, softly.

Uther faced Alina again, and apologized by all that fuss.

"Sorry, Alina, it's just that he watches over me too much...", he said, apologizing. "Ah, but I hadn't introduced you. This one over here...", he said, pointing to the knight, "...it's Irving, one of my advisors"

"Pleased to meet you", he said, with a disgusting tone of voice. "I also was a tactician when I was younger, one of the bests, but then I found out my true vocation"

"If you were that great as a tactician, why hadn't you gone and defeated Nergal?", she thought, ironically. There was something about him that she didn't like. It had to be that arrogance and that 'I-know-it-everything' thing that he had that made her think he was a disgusting person. Instead, she just replied politely to his greeting.

"And this one, ", Uther went on, this time pointing to the other guy, "is Ashton, a physician".

"His personal doctor", Ashton added, greeting Alina.

"Nice to meet you, gentlemen", she greeted them, after Uther introduced her as "his brother's tactician, the one that was like a key to defeat Nergal and bring everybody back alive, including the careless of his brother".

"Now, where are we?", Alina asked, anxious to know where on Elibe she was.

"We are in Castle Ostia, Alina", Uther relied her, calmly.

"Wha...t?", she asked, astonished. It was if she was in a dream... but it was reality.

"We were in our way back home from Etruria to Ostia when we found you", he added, serenely.

"Ha... And I wanted to get into Etruria...", she replied, still shocked.

"Anyway, in your current state you won't be able to walk that much", Ashton said. "Call yourself lucky if you can walk today without falling down"

"Why do you say that?", Alina asked him.

"Well, you have a big, ugly wound in your left leg, and you hit a stone and fainted, so you also have a wound in your head. I think that you were hit by a bandit, and then you fall down, hitting the ground with your left leg and your head first", the physician said, after having analyzed her wounds while Uther and Irving where arguing before.

"So I can't leave?", she asked, disappointed.

"Well, I would suggest you to spend some days resting", Ashton told her, thinking carefully. "It would be better if I could examine you every day..."

"Well, it's set", Uther said, determined. "She'll stay here"

Alina, Irving and Ashton stood there, facing the Marquess, shocked by the surprise. Nobody could say a word, they were all frozen by that decision, especially Alina, whose eyes were wide opened.

"But... Marquess Ostia! You can't do that!!", Irving cried, astonished and annoyed by the young Marquess resolution. How could he host that little brownish-reddish stranger?! He, the Marquess, with that supposed tactician!

"Why can't I? I'm the Marquess!", Uther replied, annoyed by his advisor's behavior. "You should watch your manners, talking about her like that, in front of her!"

"I can rest at an Inn. I have some money to stay some days. I can also visit a doctor at the town, Marquess...", Alina replied, trying to sound convincing. She was thankful that he saved her, but staying at the castle was far too much; she couldn't accept that kind of help.

"Yes, she's right", Ashton approved, quickly. "I can go to the town and see her, so it's not necessary that she stays here".

"I've already made a decision", Uther replied, firmly. "She's staying there. She isn't in a good shape to go to the town. She won't rest well there, and I know she'll try to escape".

Alina looked another way, to not meet his gaze. Was she that obvious? She thought of leaving Ostia as soon as she felt better.

"I won't escape, just let me stay at an Inn, I beg you", Alina implored, nervously.

"You should think it better, Lord Uther. She has to get out of here", Irving said, coldly.

"Yes, I can see her at the Inn", Ashton added.

"Don't waste your time, because I won't change my mind", Uther replied, coldly. "There's plenty of space here, so she can stay, and she will stay".

"If you say so...", Ashton said, defeated.

"Marquess Ostia, I don't want to stay here, I don't want to disturb you or your people...", Alina said, still trying to convince him. Her voice was a bit weak and painful, almost as if she were whining.

"You don't disturb anybody, how can I tell you that?", Uther interrupted her, somewhat brusquely.

"It's better for you to stay here, and you'll do that. I almost never hesitate about my decisions, I just think it once, and I had already thought about this", he added, softening his tone of voice a bit.

"But..."

"There's no place for 'buts'", he replied, quickly.

"Alright...", she said, softly, saddened by her defeat.

"Lord Uther, I want to speak to you", Irving said, as if it were an order.

"Later", he replied. "Now, you have to rest, so we'll leave you alone", Uther told Alina, trying to inspire trust. He was far too worried about the young tactician at heart, but he knew he couldn't show that.

"Alright", Alina replied, smiling lightly. "Thanks for everything"

"You are welcome"

***

"Lord Uther, what's happening to you?!?", Irving questioned the young Marquess, ashamed of his behavior. They were at an another room, near the one Alina was staying in.

"I should ask that to you", the young Marquess replied back. "What's with that behavior towards a lady?"

"Ha, lady...", Irving muttered for himself. She was just a woman, her behavior lacked some training to be compared to a lady, he thought. Anyway, he didn't reply to that.

"Lord Uther, the girl's right", Ashton said, "She can rest at an Inn. It's not good for her to stay somewhere against her will because she'll get more nervous and she won't get well soon"

"It's already decided", Uther replied, as if he hadn't listened to Ashton. "I will talk to her later and she'll understand that staying here it's the best for her, Ashton. If she were at an Inn, she wouldn't rest properly and she would surely stay two days, luckily".

"Well, you are right in that point...", Ashton replied, but was soon interrupted by Irving, who was in an enraged state.

"But Marquess! We can't bring to the Castle every harmed peasant we find in our way! She could be a spy!"

Uther hadn't thought in that, but he had the certainty that Alina wasn't that, for some unknown reason. They had only seen each other one time, and yet he thought she was a trustworthy person, even looking so young. He wasn't going to give his back to her and not help her, now that she sure need to be taken care of...

"She's no spy, I can assure that!", he replied back to the angry knight. "If you don't like this, you can go and have some days free...", he added, menacingly.

"I don't like that woman, and I will stay here until she gets out of the Castle, milord", Irving replied, formally, and with a hint of menace in his voice, also.

"Alright, everything's back to normal now", Uther sighed, relieved. "What will be your course of action, Ashton?"

"I'm going to revise her later, Lord Uther".

"Alright"

***

Meanwhile, Alina was in that room, almost sitting in the bed with her back leaning in some comfortable cushions. She wasn't comfortable in the situation she was in, though. She didn't want to stay at Castle Ostia, not because it was ugly or she despised Lord Uther, but because she wasn't used to that kind of kindness. It could be a stupid, weak excuse, but she was too used to look after herself, and she always wanted to do what she pleased with herself. She wanted to start her way to Etruria as soon as possible, and now she knew she wouldn't be able to do it that soon, because they wouldn't let her go until she was in top form.

She didn't want to be a burden also. That disgusting knight made it quite clear. If there was something that she hated with all her strength, was to be a burden for the others, and she wasn't going to become one.

She got up from the bed, and looked at herself in a big wall mirror. She sure would look funny for a disguise party.

Her left leg was bandaged from above the knee to her ankle, and she had another bandage in her head, circling her forehead. And if all that was little, she had a quite miserable expression in her face, as if she were in great pain.

"Just look at his...", she thought. "Now I see why they don't want to let me go. However, I have to leave this place..."

She picked her cape, which was laying in a small sofa, and put it over her shoulders, then she picked her wares and opened the door, just to find Lord Uther, the disgusting Irving and Ashton passing by the door at that moment. Obviously, and unfortunately for her, they saw her.

"Alina, what are you doing here?!?", Uther asked her, trying to control his sudden anger.

"I... I'm feeling better, Marquess", she replied, softly, looking down.

"And you where going to escape from here, I guess?"

"Not escape. I was going to stay at an Inn", she replied, a bit louder than before, which would be a normal tone of voice.

"And do you think in this shape you can go much further than this?"

"Yes, I don't feel as bad as I look", she said, but just after she finished that sentence, she had to grab the door of the room to not end up in the floor.

Uther grabbed her other arm, and ironically, told her, "You aren't that bad, uh?"

Alina lowered her eyes again and blushed.

"Alright, I guess I'll have to stay".

With his help, she returned to her bed. Irving was even more scandalized now, and Ashton tried to calm him down, with little success. After she promised she wouldn't try to escape again, Uther left her alone in her room. Everything was so silent and peaceful...

"Well, now I have to think in a way to escape from here...", Alina thought, in the silence of her room and in the sadness of her soul...

***

And? Do you like this? Now do you see why I use Eliwwod's ending?

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S

I know this fic can be impossible, but I first started thinking it before I ended the game, and when I saw Hector's fate in the ending, I thought "Mmmh... this can spoil everything". Then, when I read that conversation between old Eli and Hec, I definitely though "This SPOILS everything", but then I made some counts and I thought I could still write it, as they say they don't see each other since Uther's funeral, and the game finishes when the tactician (Alina here) leaves before Eli's "crowning" as Marquess, and he said everybody was coming (that includes Hector), so it can still be possible in Eliwood's route (happening this fic a few months after that –less than 6 months, maybe?). I'm still playing Hector's route, so I don't know if there's something more explanatory about Uther's death in it.

After all that, I decide to write the fic, anyway, at least as some kind of experiment, to prove my abilities in the "romantic comedy" genre. I don't like to call dead characters from their "eternal rest", though.

Enough smalltalk, I just wanted to leave this in clear. Read and review, please!