Chapter 2: "Escape from Castle Ostia"

A day has passed since Alina found herself in Castle Ostia, after being rescued from a bandit attack by Lord Uther and his men, a disgusting short knight called Irving and Ashton, a physician.

Earlier that day, Ashton came and examined her, and he said she was better, but she still needed to rest. He took out the bandage she had in her head, and the one in her left leg was shorter than the previous day, yet she still needed some rest, and Lord Uther wouldn't let her go and stay at an Inn, because he feared she wouldn't rest properly.

Alina remembered Hector's words about his brother, that he almost always took decisions without thinking about them twice, and he was far too correct. She was destined to stay in a bed in Castle Ostia until Ashton said she was in perfect conditions, and judging from the doctor's opinions, that wouldn't be too soon.

She was there in her bed, thinking about all those things, when she heard someone knocking on the door. She wondered who could it be, as Ashton had already come earlier, and she wasn't that bad to have a full-time medical assistance. Anyway, the door opened, and her surprise couldn't be greater when she saw who was coming, carrying her meal.

"How do you feel today?", Lord Uther asked her, a bit harshly. Apparently, he was a bit uncomfortable in his role of host, or he wasn't used to tag along women around his age or less.

"I'm feeling better, Marquess, thank you", she replied politely, smiling.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to call me "Marquess" all the time?", he asked her, surprised of her formal behavior. "Just 'Uther' would do", he added, friendly.

"Sorry, Lo... Uther", she said, correcting herself quickly. "It's just that I'm too used to address you like 'Lord' and as 'Marquess when that short guy..."

"Irving", he said, interrupting her.

"Irving", she repeated, correcting her phrase, "is around, and I fear he's coming anytime and will start one of those speeches about respect and authorities that he wishes so much to lecture me", she said, frankly.

"Don't worry about him, he just looks my back too much and has started to act quite paranoid", he told her, to calm her down about his advisor's matter.

"I'll try to control myself in front of him, Uther", she said.

"See? You are learning fast", he said, smiling.

There was a brief silence between them, and it was then when Alina noticed again that he was bringing her meal. It was an odd thing for her, as she was expecting some servant to bring it.

"You don't need to bring me my meals...", she said, shyly, staring at the small table he had in his hands.

Uther looked at it as if he had forgotten he had it. Alina noticed he did, although he just acted normal, saying,

"I know that, it's just that it's the only moment in the day I have free, and I wanted to talk with you".

"So you are a 'busy lord', aren't you?", Alina thought mischievously, but remained silent. It wasn't something common that a Lord, more precisely a Marquess, decided to leave behind part of his own free time to chat with a commoner, especially an almost stranger.

"Anyway, you didn't have to, but I'm grateful", Alina thanked him, smiling. "Now, how I'm going to eat calmly if you are staying in front of me, without eating?", she thought, nervously.

"Ashton prescribed this food for you. He says its better for your rapid recover", Uther said, handing over the small table to her.

"I would say it will help to my sudden death", the young tactician thought sarcastically.

It wasn't a very charming meal, to be sincere. Chicken soup and vegetables weren't her ideal for a meal, but their taste was the worst of all: they tasted like steel or wet wood.

"This Ashton guy really hates me", she thought, trying to eat that "junk food" (not for its components, but for its taste). "First, he has the brightest of ideas when he said I needed to rest, and now, this!"

"What were you doing in that forest alone, Alina?"

Uther's question brought her back to reality.

"Oh, I was in my way to Etruria", the girl replied, after drinking some of her chicken soup (or wyvern soup, it tasted the same to her). "Maybe someone needs a tactician there, or I could try to find another kind of job"

"And why don't you stay here, in Lycia? Many people could be interested in your skill", Uther offered, without understanding why she wanted to go to Etruria if she could find something in his land.

"Well... I always wanted to go Etruria, and since I'm in an aimless journey now, I thought it would be the best opportunity. Besides, I don't want to serve Marquesses, with all the respect you deserve", she said, trying to not offend him.

"Why? Is anything wrong with people like me?", he asked harshly.

"Oops... I did offend him", she thought, but instead, she said, "No, anything at all with people like you or Eliwood, but some may want my skill to start a war, and that's something I don't want to do. It isn't in my morals", she said, solemnly.

"Ah, I see", he just replied.

"What were you doing in those woods, when you helped me?", Alina asked back.

"We were coming from Etruria", Uther replied, coming from a thoughtful state. "A meeting with Lord Pent", he explained, briefly.

"Ah! How is he doing? What about Lady Louise?", she asked, a question over the other, turning her speech in something almost unintelligible.

"Ah, they are fine", he just replied. "What?", he asked then, sounding as if he was guilty.

Her face was quite explanatory. She was quite disappointed and also annoyed.

"You men are all the same!", she replied, at a puzzled Uther. "When someone asks you about someone else, you just reply "fine", and go on with another subject. Let's see, how's Louise? Did she already had her second baby?"

Uther now felt guilty, with her sudden reaction.

"Well, not yet. I hadn't seen her. Pent just said they were all alright", he said, a bit strange. Nobody but his family had talked to him like that.

And Alina noticed her fault quite soon. Her face turned bright red, and she was starting to sweat.

"I... I'm sorry, Marquess....", she started mumbling, with her head low.

"You don't need to apologize...", he said, coldly. "That reaction had to be a product of your current state".

"Yes, sure", she said, almost like a whisper. "Or maybe it was due to the food", she thought.

"Would you like to tell your family about your current situation? I could send someone with a message", he offered, now staring at the window.

"Thanks, but I would rather not", Alina declined his offered politely. "They live in a distant land, and by the time they would know about my state, I would be in the other point of Elibe, safe and sound", she added.

"If you say so...", he said, still looking at the window. "Have you finished with your meal?", he asked then, looking at the bed now.

"Oh, yes, thank you", she replied, handing him the table, as he was walking to the bed. "Thanks again. You shouldn't have lost your time with me", she said, grateful and trying to mend the "relationship"

"What I do with me time is my business", he just replied, coldly and a bit brusquely, before closing the door.

"Great, I spoiled everything", the young tactician thought, dropping herself against the bed.

***

Someone knocked the door again later.

"Come in", she yelled, thinking that Ashton was coming to check her condition again.

She was wrong, again.

Uther came in, now carrying a table with a cup of tea. He had the same expression he had when he left earlier, somewhat annoyed and worried.

"Ah... thanks", she just said, sitting on her bed. She feared that if she mentioned the fact that he didn't need to worry about her again, he would get mad at her.

"You don't have to mention it", he replied, a bit coldly.

"See, idiot? You always ruin everything", she thought, ashamed of herself.

He got near the bed and handed the table to her.

"It's another one of Ashton's suggestions", he said, and stayed silent by her side.

"I hope this one's better..:", she said, although she didn't want to say it.

That caught Uther's attention.

"What? You didn't like your meal?", he asked, still standing next to the bed.

"Oh, it's not that", Alina said, trying to sound convincing. "It's just that my diet is quite different to that meal and so I found it... strange for my tastes", she added, hoping she hadn't offended him again.

"Now this is interesting", he mumbled, sitting down on the bed.

"What?", she asked, afraid she hadn't said something wrong.

"What what?", he asked, acting surprised.

"I thought you said something", asked suspiciously.

"No, not at all"

"Maybe it was just me. Sorry for before", Alina apologized, drinking some of her tea. "It's just that I expressed my mind as if you were just a commoner, I'm sorry for that. It's so strange all this...", she said, trying to find the correct words for her thoughts.

"It's alright", he said, when she stopped talking. "I'm a normal person before a Marquess, it was only that you were... quite spontaneous, and I'm not that used to that", he said, now talking more freely than before. "You have nothing to apologize for"

"Well... thanks", she said, still surprised. Her green eyes shone lightly, yet little.

"Oh, you have that cushion out of place", he said, repairing in and pointing one of the cushions that were behind her pillow.

"Ah, thanks", she said, looking at it, and realizing that that cushion was the thing that was annoying her.

"Let me help you", Uther said, moving his arm towards the cushion.

"No, it's ok", she said, with her teacup in her hand. "Grab this, please", she said, trying to hand the teacup for him.

What followed that was quite awkward. He tried to grab the cup with one hand, but with the other he still wanted to move the cushion, while she tried to prevent the teacup from falling. Unfortunately, Uther moved his elbow brusquely and touched the teacup, and it ended with Alina covered in hot tea.

"You are just as clumsy as your brother!!", the young tactician for hire cried, without thinking before talking, while trying to stop her tears. The tea was far too hot, and her t-shirt was totally wet with it, as well as a portion of her skirt.

"I... I'm sorry", Uther mumbled, awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He gave her a napkin, and got from the bed, saying, "I'll go and look for Ashton".

"No, I'll be ok", she said, sobbing, holding her piece of cloth out of the contact with her skin.

"I'm going, but please, stop crying", he said, before opening the door. "It doesn't suit you", he added over his shoulder, shyly, as if he had to say something to apologize.

"That's easy for you because you aren't the one burnt!", she thought, annoyed, after he got out of the room. Then she realized what he said after that. "Woah, was that supposed to be a compliment? However, with nice words he won't mend this", she thought surprised, while changing her soaked shirt for a dried one. "Anyway, I'm just a brute commoner. How could I shout like that?! If that Irving guy was present, he would have killed me right there", she went on thinking.

She walked to the window of her room, to catch some fresh air and to order her thoughts. She wanted so much to escape from that place, and now she had another reason to do it: she was ashamed of her behavior. Not that she thought she was a lady, but that she was more polite and well-mannered.

She was thinking in those things and in the way to escape from that place, when she saw a familiar figure. A falcoknight was flying near the Castle, and it was one she knew quite well. Seems that luck was in her side now...

"Fiora!!!", she yelled, strongly, waving her hands to her. "Fiora!!"

The greenish-haired falcoknight started looking at both of her sides to tell who was calling her.

"Fiora!! Here, at your right!", Alina yelled, excited.

Fiora now heard her well and went to her meeting, quite surprised of seeing her tactician and almost friend calling her almost desperately at Castle Ostia.

"Fiora, it's great to see you again!", the tactician greeted her, cheerfully.

"Oh, my! It's great to see you, also, but Alina, what are you doing here!?", the eldest pegasi sister asked astonished, trying to come from her stupor.

"I was in my way to Etruria when some bandits attacked me, and Marquess Ostia rescued me, but now either him or his doctor will let me go, because they say they fear I'll not have a good recovery by myself. But you... what are you doing here?", she asked, after re-telling her story briefly.

"Well, do you remember Sir Wallace of Caelin?", the Ilian girl asked.

"Yes, I do"

"Well, in his way to Caelin, he ended up in Ilia..."

"Haha, he did? That Wallace, always so funny", Alina laughed, interrupting her friend.

"The thing is that he asked me to find the way from Ilia to Caelin for him, and as it was a great opportunity to gain some experience and money, I accepted. And,", her voice now changed to a suspicious tone, "on the other hand, I can investigate that Hector, he had worthy enough for my little sister Florina! You know, word's on the street that he's interested in her..."

"You'll never change, will you?", Alina said, somewhat resigned. "You are always looking after your sisters..."

"That's all I can do as the elder sister!", Fiora said, laughing.

Alina also laughed, but someone caught her attention.

"Fiora, is there place for two people in your falcion?"

"What? You don't remember?", Fiora asked, disbelieving. "You sent me so many times to rescue people in battle!", the falcoknight added, sort of offended.

"Fiora, you have just saved my life!", the tactician said, in a mix of seriousness and happiness. "Make place for me, I'm going with you", she said, turning back to pick her things.

"I don't have any objection, but are you sure?", Fiora asked her, afraid of the possible outcome of helping her friend.

"If it's for the money, don't worry that I'll pay you", Alina said, showing up again, now carrying her wares.

"That's not me, that's Farina!", the green-haired girl protested.

"I have to meet her someday...", Alina said, handing her things over to her friend.

"Alina, this is just crazy!", Fiora whined, trying to put her down.

"Oh, no, someone's knocking!", Alina cried, nervously. "Come nearer, that's too distant for me!", she complained, trying to get into the falcion.

"Give me your hand! I can't get nearer, remember that falcions have wings!", Fiora cried, also nervously.

The door opened, and Ashton and Uther came in, just to find Alina in the window, grabbing Fiora's hand to sit on the falcion.

"I see you are better from your leg", Ashton said, ironically, but it was a serious irony.

"So I can leave?", Alina asked, innocently.

"Not yet", Ashton replied, coldly. "Now, get out of there and return to your bed", he ordered, trying to remain calm.

"Alright", Alina said, lowering her head, ashamed. She turned back to grab her things from Fiora's falcion, and then she whispered her,

"Stay around, so we can talk later"

"Don't worry. I think Matthew's on the castle, I'll see if he can help us", she replied back, not afraid of helping her friend anymore.

Alina expected to find two angry faces starting at her. Much to her surprise, she could only see one, Ashton's. She couldn't see Uther's face because it was dark where he was standing, so she couldn't tell his expression, but it didn't seem like anger.

"Seems that it doesn't hurt anymore", Ashton repaired, looking at her.

"Luckily, I could prevent the soaked clothes from touching my skin, that's why it doesn't hurt", she said, distantly. "When I'll be able to continue my journey?", she asked, suddenly.

"I would suggest more rest", he replied coldly. "The fact that you had almost escaped by a window isn't enough to let you go. You could just collapse at any time, but it seems that you can't understand that", he added, ironically, before leaving with Uther.

"I just wonder how much he'll have me here...", Alina thought, trying to stop her tears of sadness...

***

"Psst... Alina!", a voice called from the window.

There was no reply.

"Alina! C'me on, I can't stay too long here!", the voice called again, impatiently.

Again, there was no reply.

"Great, I'll have to come in", the voice said, now annoyed. With some effort, the figure managed to get into the room, and walked to the bed, finding Alina sound asleep.

"Alina, I've found help!", Fiora exclaimed, excited, touching her friend. "Man, she's sleeping like a log!", she exclaimed, disappointed. "I'll have to use plan 'B'", she added, sitting in the bed.

"Alina, Nergal's back!! And so is Serra!!", Fiora shouted, shacking Alina violently.

"Ahhh! Serra's back?", Alina asked, at the verge of a heart attack. She was sweating, and almost afraid, at least that was how she looked like.

"Always oversleeping", Fiora said, giggling.

"It was you?!?", Alina asked, now annoyed.

"Come on, sleeping beauty, Matthew's in the castle and he's eager to help you", Fiora replied, handing her a bunch of clothes.

"What's this?", Alina asked, without knowing what she had in her hands. Well, she knew what it was: a ragged cloaked cape, and a bag, but she didn't know what to do with it.

"Come on, put this and go downstairs, Matthew will be waiting for you there and then you'll go out with him through the 'big door'", the 'flying knight' said, already in the window. "Poor my falcion, he's out of state", she said, staring at her falcion, who was flapping its wings almost desperately, and wanting to land right away.

"Alright, if you say so", Alina said, putting that ragged cape over her shoulders. Then she put her things in the bag that Fiora gave her before.

She opened the door cautiously, and then made her way downstairs carefully, trying not to be noticed by anyone. Thankfully, Matthew was just next to the stairs, waiting for her.

"Ahh... Alina, good to see you again!", the young thief and Ostian spy greeted her, whispering.

"Matthew, it's also great to see you!", she said, happily. "I'm your debt!", she added, following the boy, who had started walking towards the door.

"Listen carefully", he said, walking. "I'm supposed to go on a mission, and that nobody will stop us. You go with me until we have passed through the Castle gates, then you do your own", he explained.

"Alright", Alina nodded, agreeing with that plan. They were almost near the exit to the gardens, passing through a reception room where there were many huge mirrors.

"Goodness, I really look like Leila with this clothes", the young tactician thought, smiling and looking at her reflection with the corner of her eye. "I should put my hair over my left eye and I could pass as her sister", she said, imagining how she would look like.

They were almost in the gardens when Lord Uther and Irving appeared, coming from another room.
"Matthew, what should we do now?!?", Alina whispered nervously, trying to act normally.

"Keep on walking, don't pay attention, and don't speak, unless someone talks to you", he said.

"Ah, Matthew!", Lord Uther greeted him, when he realized it was him.

Matthew stopped walking and turned back. Alina, instead, kept on walking, but Matthew stopped her, grabbing her hand. It was better for her to wait for him, or else it would have been far too suspicious.

"Ah, milord!", the young spy greeted back, cheerfully as ever. "I was just leaving in a new mission...", he said, but was interrupted by Irving.

"Hey, who's that one with you?", the knight asked, suspiciously.

"This one here?", Matthew asked, sort of surprised. He hadn't expected the short knight to notice his companion. "It's my new mate, an apprentice...", he said, saying the first idea it came to his mind.

"And what's your name?", Uther asked, this time to Alina, while getting nearer to her. Obviously, he was suspecting something.

"Leil... Lena! I'm Lena!!", Alina exclaimed quickly, instantly. She was too nervous, and hadn't think the answer before talking. Now she had spoilt everything...

Matthew stood still, from one piece. She could tell that he wanted to burst into tears, but he was trying to control himself. She could also see Fiora, who was watching through the window, covering her face with her hand, as a sign of shame and defeat. Irving was about to explode, due to her impertinence. Uther raised an eyebrow, then he got nearer her and, removing the cloak of her cape from her head, he said, coldly,

"Nice try, 'Lena', but you should return to your room right away if you don't want to anger me".

"I...", Alina tried to complain, but she quitted soon, "Alright", she said, whispering and lowering her head.

"Sorry, Matthew, I didn't...", she started apologizing, sadly.

"It's alright. I hope I can see you another time, Alina, when you have learnt to lie better", Matthew said, saddened and a bit angry.

"I'm sorry", she said, before going up the stairs.

"I still don't know how can you cope with that girl in here...", Irving told Uther, disapprovingly.

***

"How could you say that?!?", Fiora asked Alina, back in the tactician's room. She left her falcion in the ground, and was now siting in the bed. "It was her birthday in a few days time, that's why he got so angry at you!"

Alina didn't reply. She was almost in tears, evading Fiora's look. She was hugging one of the cushions as if it were a teddy bear.

"You got nervous, or what?", the green-haired girl asked again.

"I... yes, I guess it was that", Alina finally replied, without dropping the cushion. "I don't know, I just thought I looked like Leila and then I committed that stupid mistake", she added, angry with herself.

"The worst thing was that you were a feet outside!", Fiora exclaimed. "And he and that man had to appear!"

"Don't mention that again that it gives me the creeps", Alina complained, angrily. "I still wonder how it is that I'm still alive..."

"What will you do now?", the Ilian girl asked, worried. "You can't escape anymore, or you'll drive your host mad"

"I know that", the tactician replied thoughtfully. "Something will come across my mind. Stay near, just in case"

***

"Well, it's now or never", the young tactician per hire thought, staring at the starry sky. She had made a rope with blankets, and was decided to leave the Castle. After all, she wasn't feeling so bad, and she wanted so much to run away from there. Not that she disliked everybody there (well, with the exception of Irving), but she was being a burden.

She threw her "rope" through the window, and carrying her things at her back, she started to descend through the rope, without looking under, or she would fall for sure. It was the best time for her escape: it was still night, and she could bet that everybody would be sleeping. It was around two in the morning, so everybody had to be sleeping.

"Now I have another item for my CV", she thought bitterly. "Blank of bandits, defeated Lord Lundgren of Caelin, Laus forces, the Black Fang, several morphs of different grades of development, Nergal and a dragon, and now this: escaped from Castle Ostia, late at night when everybody's sleeping, with a 'homemade' rope".

Somebody knocked at her bedroom's door, again.

"Alina, are you alright?", Lord Uther's voice asked from the other side of the door.

The tactician felt he blood frozen. Suddenly, she felt she was loosing her balance.

"Yes, Lord Uther, you don't have to worry about me, I'm alright!", she yelled, while trying to keep her balance in the rope and to sound normal. "Good night!", she added, to convince him she was ok.

However, she could hear the sound of the door being opened, and some footsteps walking into the room. She was halfway in her way downstairs, so she could neither jump down nor fasten her way upstairs, because she wouldn't make it on time.

The sound of footsteps approaching was now nearer and clearer. She just closed her eyes, holding the rope tight with her hands.

"Alina, what are you doing there!?!?!", Uther asked her from the window, looking down. His voice wasn't as annoyed as Alina would have expected, but astonished.

Alina opened her eyes and looked up, meeting Uther's gaze. Apparently, as his voice showed it, he wasn't angry, but surprised or even worried.

"I... I'm a sleepwalker", she managed to say, gathering all the innocence she still had.

Uther stayed there, puzzled. It took him some time to react, until he said, laughing,

"You... you are quite a rarity. Come on, I'll help you get here again"

Alina climbed through the rope, feeling awkward and guilty. Near the window, Uther was waiting for her.

"Come on, grab my hand and I'll pull you in", he offered.

She grabbed his warm, strong hand and passed through the window with some difficulty, returning again in her room.

"Thanks", she mumbled, thankful and ashamed.

"You have no cure", the young Marquess said, staring at her. "Why did you do that? Is it that I was too harsh?"

Alina didn't know where to look. The Marquess' glance was too strong for her ashamed self...

"It's not that!", she protested, at last. "I'm nothing but a burden, and I don't deserve your help! When are you going to realize that? I've tried to escape twice today!"

Not again... With those words, any normal person would have kicked her out of the window. Anyway, Uther just stared at her, interested. After some moments, he replied,

"You are too tired and nervous. Return to your bed and have a good night sleep, that will make you better"

Alina was now puzzled. She didn't know what to say or to think, if every thing she did seemed to please him, or so it seemed.

"Hey, are you alright?", Uther asked her, standing by her side, grabbing her arm. He was now worried. She hadn't emitted any sound, and she was quite shocked, thing that he could guess just by looking her face. "Come on, I won't leave until you are laying in that bed", he said, driving her to the bed by her arm.

"I... thanks", Alina replied lightly, as it wasn't reality what she was living. "You... you are quite unconventional", she said, now normally, while getting into the bed. "Nobody in his mind would let me stay any longer"

"You are tired, that's all", he replied, with a small smile, walking to the door.

He was almost outside when Alina called him.

"What is it?"

"What are you doing awake, long after midnight?", she asked, shyly. She had waited for the most suitable time to escape, and she was caught by the Marquess himself...

Uther smiled lightly, and replied, "I was working".

Now, Alina was even more amazed than before.

"Wor... working?", she asked, astonished. "You always work until two in the morning?"

"Good night", he replied, turning back and closing the door.

"Uth... hey, wait!", the brownish-reddish haired tactician exclaimed, but nobody answered her call.

***

Hehe... chapter 3 will be better, or so I expect! Please, read and review, you now have more things to criticize! =P