Author's Note: You might think that by now, I'd know better than to start on another chapter right after the last one was finished. Eh, I am a patient person, but I'm not -that- patient! Kinda gave you a cliffhanger when I ended the last chapter by introducing a 'new' character, huh? I have an actual question to ask though. Do you think I'm overpowering Loedan? I've read reviews for other fics that say that the author over-powers the tactician... Now, I know I've created a hybrid, but I just want to know what you guys think.
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The next day found everyone nicely. It was very nice out, only a few fluffy white clouds out and about. Loedan awoke in his own room- one of the castle's visitor rooms, where visiting nobles would normally spend the night (or, most often, even longer) while visiting with the current Marquess. The tactician stretched slowly, slipping from the bed and to he window to watch outside for a moment. There was a small company of soldiers on the ground, being led in exercises by a man wearing rather heavy armor- a Knight, he could tell. In the air were the few Pegasus Knights and Mahri on her wyvern. Kiri was even in the air with them, and practicing with everyone there.
Loedan smiled, and went to his clothes, which had been cleaned and set out for him overnight. He wasn't naked at the moment, but he wasn't wearing too much. It was rather cold right now, as the day began, and he got dressed. He was barely finished with that when he heard a knock upon the door, and he turned to it. "Enter!" he called out, as he went to his pack to check on his things inside. The door was opened and he heard a rather cheery good morning from an old paladin. Loedan grinned and turned to see Kent there, who was smiling as well.
"Did you sleep well, Lord Loedan?" the old man asked, to which the tactician nodded in response. Indeed, he hadn't slept so well since leaving his home back in Ilia only a while ago.
"Yes, I did, Sir Kent. And how do you feel now that you are in your homeland once again, hm?" he asks the paladin. Kent smiled and raised his arms, as if to encompass the entire castle and Caelin in general. Loedan continued to grin before he shook his head slowly.
"I am happy to be back among the people I served for so long, milord. It is a pleasure to return home after so long. I met with Lord Reissman last evening and we spoke for a long time. Today, I plan to visit my son and his wife with Mahri. I am so proud of my granddaughter for becoming a knight of Caelin." he told the tactician, who nodded and smiled slightly. He rather liked that particular girl, though he wasn't quite sure if she liked him as well in return. Loedan had little experience around women or girls in general, save for Kiri, whom he had been friends with for a very long time. As a result, he didn't know quite what to look for in the way of signs as to that 'problem.'
"I am happy for you, Kent. I am honored to have had something to do with bringing you and your family closer to one another... and to have been able to help Rook come to this place as well." the tactician said aloud, though he suddenly felt uneasy saying so. With that in mind... a change of the subject was in order. "Lord Reissman is a great man, but he does not seem to wish to be the leader of Caelin... the chancellor, perhaps, but not the marquess." he says, changing the subject somewhat. Kent nodded and smiled- he'd been told as much by his old friend last night, one who had served under Lord Hausen as well, long ago. Loedan pushed his brown hair back idly after a few strands fell in front of his eyes, and he chuckled softly. It had been a while since last he had manged to cut his hair, so perhaps now would be a good time to deal with it.
"Ah, well, to be fair milord, Lord Reissman wishes to speak with you about something later today, when you have fully rested and are recovered." the paladin told him, and Loedan nodded slightly. He could only wonder what the acting-Marquess would want to speak with a simple tactician about. Kent smiled a little bit. "No need to be worried, milord. Perhaps he wishes to ask you about your grandfather?" he suggested, to which Loedan shrugged slightly. It was certainly a possibility. Most anyone who had met Loedan often asked him questions about the Tactician himself. Mark was not spoken of by many people these days, but most people know of him, at the least.
"Very well.. perhaps at breakfast, or afterwards?" Loedan asked, and Kent nodded once more. Loedan had a few things on his mind, things that he should truly begin to write down after this portion of his journey had finished.
"Of course. There is much being done for food this morning, since the Marquess has decided to provide a feast today for our arrival here. Eat lightly this mornings, milord, for you are sure to want much of what the feast tonight will bring!" Kent said, and then he bowed to the tactician before heading back to the door to walk off. It was a moment later that he came back and looked chagrined. "Sain will be by very soon to take you to the baths, milord. You will wish to freshen up before the feast, I believe." he told the young man, and then this time he was gone for good.
Loedan sighed softly. He absolutely hated fancy outtings... and he had nothing to wear! What could he do about this? "Mother Earth and Father Sky... please, give me the strength to outlast the ordeal set before me this day." he said, looking out the window and into the blue sky overhead. The door was still open, and so it was easy to hear someone wearing armor behind as he walked into the room. Loedan turned, and it was Sain who stood there, in full armor, a lance in hand as he smiled nonchallantly.
"Shall I take you to the baths now, milord? You do not want to offend the ladies with the scent of traveling 'musk' from days of walk, correct?" he said, and Loedan couldn't help but to chuckle softly. The man was indeed his father's son. What a lout! Always talking about the women. He had attempted to woo Kiri and Rook just yesterday, and not just when they had first met one another. At least on three other seperate occasions each he had tried, and while Kiri hadn't done anything to try and stop him from attempting to get in her favor, each time with Rook had ended with a slap and a threat that if he continued, he would be in need of a few new fingers, or even an entire right hand.
"Yes, please do... And no, I do not wish to offend the maidens that will be joining us all at the festivities tonight. But, tell me please, what the occasion is? It cannot simply be that the Marquess wishes to honor our arrival in such a lavish fashion." he asked, and the soldier shrugged a little before grinning slightly.
"It is true, this has been in the planning for several months. You simply arrived at the right time, for Marquess Reissman's daughter is to be wed this day." Sain told him, and Loedan groaned slightly. Sain grinned again and looked the young man over. "Hm... your clothes are fine for traveling, but not for formal occasions, milord. Methinks we should find for you a suit that befits your status, mm?" he commented now, and Loedan simply hung his head in defeat. Tacticians need to see the entire battle, but formal occasions often were a battle and a half in and of themselves. And if there was to be dancing, as he had heard that many weddings had afterwards? He shuddered as he had to think about such a problem.
"Yes... I suppose you are right. I suppose a beggar's garb would be about right? I possess no actual status of royalty, after all." he replied, and Sain shook his head in response. The man probably knew who the best seamstresses were in this land, thanks to how he enjoyed being a womanizer. Most likely, he realized, he'd be in a shop all day to get something new to wear. Sain seemed surprised at the young man's words. Not royalty? Yet, he was the grandson of the Tactician! The one who led his father, among many others, to defeat that heinous villain Nergal! He had status to him, of this the young man was sure. Perhaps not as much as the beauties that would be arriving this day, but Sain was not one to shirk his duty even when tempted by beauitful women. Unlike his father, from what his mother had told him...
"No milord, for all here know the officers of this castle. And most know any other officer in Caelin that will be here. We shall need to find you a whole new set of clothes. Lord Reissman has already given myself and others permission to find for you and your companions clothes befitting your status for the wedding later, and we can use the gold that he has provided to do it." the soldier said, and the tactician's shoulders slumped in defeat. Damn. No way out of it now, was there? He failed to find one without actually having to run from everything going on this day.
"Damn... well, lead me to the baths first, and then we shall go find something for me to wear, alright?" he said, giving up on any chance of actual survival and escaping from this particular duty. Who could have known that he would be stuck going to a wedding?
Elsewhere in the castle ---
"Excuse me... Mahri, could you say that again?" Kiri asked. The three- Rook, Kiri, and Mahri- were in a secluded portion of the castle. They'd seen the preparations being made for this day, but Rook had no idea what was going on. Kiri, on the other hand, had an inkling, but only Mahri knew what exactly was happening. Mahri smiled slightly, even as Rook listened and watched the older girls, wondering just what Kiri was so upset about.
Mahri nodded and had to keep herself from smiling. She could tell that Kiri wasn't too happy about such short notice that they would want to attend a wedding, and the young girl, Rook, didn't seem to know what all the fuss was about. "Of course, milady. The Lord Reissman's daughter, the Lady Alira, is to be wed this day in the courtyard outside. I have been instructed by Lord Reissman himself that I am to see to it that both of you are to find garments suitable to the day ahead. We have some of the finest seamstresses on the continent, and can get a dress done within only a few hours. We must go into the city and have you both fitted for formal wear."
Kiri was almost beside herself, very unhappy with this situation. She hated weddings- she had attended many weddings in the past several years, mostly of friends and family. They were long, and usually uneventful. That meant rather boring, before, during, and afterwards. But, she could see that they had an obligation to attend this function. After all, the Marquess could have simply given them rooms in an inn to stay at, rather than here at the castle. With a sigh, the anger in her face disappeared and a look acceptance took over. "Very well..."
Rook glanced to the two, wondering what the big deal was. On the plains, weddings were done with a select group of people and the tribe's leader. What was the big deal with a wedding here? Surely it could not be that much bigger, simply because nobles were getting married... right? When Rook saw the look on Kiri's face, she couldn't help but to cringe as she realized that the wedding was going to be much, much larger than she had originally thought. Still, the thought of new clothes did catch her attention, but was it likely that they would be of any use outside of a social standpoint? Not likely.
She looked to the wyvern rider and couldn't help but to feel a little worried about this, from the broad smile that the girl had on her face.
Mahri grinned as she saw both of the girls before her get used to the idea of having to go to the wedding today. "Very well, we must get going! We shall have you be fitted first, and then you may bathe a while to freshen up for the wedding." she said, and grabbed both of the girls' hands. She winked to them, much to their surprise, but then both were struggling to stay up straight as they got dragged out towards the gate that would lead them to the road that they could take to get into town. These girls were about to undergo a degree of torture neither had ever thought of before- power shopping!
An hour later ---
"What in Elibe are you two doing here?!" Loedan's voice rose as he said this, surprise and a little bit of fear creeping into his voice. Sain was standing beside him, rather amused as well as watching the girls get fitted ahead of them. Rook and Kiri were looking into mirrors, unable to turn to face their friend as their measurements continued to be taken. Mahri was off to the side, wearing about the same expression as Sain was before she just laughed softly.
"Oh, calm down, Loedan. All three of you need to be fitted for new garb this day, according to the orders of Lord Reissman." she told him, and Loedan sighed softly. The girl then started talking with Sain, and they wandered outside as their conversation turned towards the upcoming marriage between Lady Alira and Lord Helton from Kathelet. Then their voices were gone after the door was closed, and a pair of attendants came forward to take the stunned man to another section of the room.
"Mother Earth, Father Sky... lend me aid, to survive this torture." he muttered under his breath, stepping up onto the platform that the two women led him to. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and did as instructed by the women to do.
"I see you are not nearly as happy about this as those other two are, milord!" Kiri called over, and Rook giggled as he groaned in response. She knew quite well how often he went to formal occasions. The only other time he had gone to any sort of formal function was when she had been knighted as a Pegasus Knight, and even at that time he had not enjoyed himself much. She had been off with others, dancing and chatting, as he sat with the few from the Ilian Paladins and Knights that lined the walls. The Pegasus Knights remained with their own kind, the Knights and Paladins, with theirs. Why? Mobility, supposedly, but more likely it was due to friction between the three classes. The Pegasus Knights often considered themselves above the others of their land, bringing their small country money to actually survive with.
"Well, you know me, Kiri. I barely know how to dance. I wonder what would happen if a noble woman asked me to dance and I accidentally stepped on her feet?" he asked, grinning slightly. Kiri and Rook giggled at his comment, and he knew that he'd had the right effect on the two. At least they didn't seem to be nearly as bad off as they had thought they would be. At least the tactician would be suffering, right along with them. Perhaps this was simply another type of battle that their friend would face with them? "Ah, so you two can still laugh! I am glad to hear it... it has been rather quiet this day, without being around anyone other than Sain. He was off chasing the maids earlier. It is amazing, how like his father he seems to be, according to my grandfather's diary."
And so the midmorning passed to early afternoon, the sun rising past the midsky and moving down towards a downward trek on its way back down from the heavens to the horizon once more. They were forced to endure several hours of standing as their garments were practically sewed onto them as they stood there. Fortunately, with enough talking between the three, they all managed to stay awake and alert as they waited for the seamstresses to finish. Finally...
"Milord, miladies?" the head seamstress came up and smiled to them, bowing to the trio as they stood in the foyer. "Milord, your garments shall be done within a few hours, so you may leave if you wish. Miladies, please stay here a while longer, we must determine a few... other... things." she says, and Loedan smiled a little. Freedom! It sounded good, though he would rather at this point simply relax in the castle's library during the wedding's reception after the event was finished. He glanced to the other two, and he smiled sheepishly as they seemed to glare at him. The look on their faces said it all- 'Don't you dare leave us here alone!'
"Well... I should probably be going. Lord Reissman did wish to speak with me earlier." he replies, and bows to the head seamstress before winking to the two girls. Rook looked strained- as if she couldn't take another moment of being so confined in a small space such as this. And, to tell the truth, Kiri looked even worse than that! So, Loedan did the only thing he could think of- he took his leave, heading out the door.
The door shut behind him quickly, and the tactician looked about- ah, there was Sain. Loedan chuckled softly as he saw the young man busy speaking with a few young ladies who were about his age, from the looks of it. It also looked as if his cheeks were red, from this vantage, though it may simply have been the sun upon the boy. If Loedan stayed outside much longer than he had already, chances are that he would also wind up with a touch of the sun, for it was quite warm this day. He couldn't help but to wonder why the original Sain, the boy's father, had named him after himself. But then, he remembered an excerpt from his grandfather's diary and grinned. 'Vain' is an understatement!
Back in the castle ---
The tactician was brought to the throne room. Once there, he found himself in an enclosed room after the guard had left. Kent stood to the left of the throne, and on the left stood Heath. Both wore full armor, both carried a lance at their sides. A silver lance. And neither looked to be used often. Between the two, upon the throne, sat an old, rather thin man. A man that Loedan knew little of, truth be told. Warnings began to file into the tactician's mind, though why he should feel threatened was simply beyond the young man. Then, the oldest man in the room spoke- and behold, that was not Kent.
"Well met, grandson of Mark. It is an honor to meet one of his line once more while I yet still walk upon Elibe." the Marquess said to him. Loedan at least knew when he needed to reply, so he bowed to the old man, a serious look on his face as he watched him all the while. "I must thank you for bringing to this old man the granddaughter of the Lady who helped to keep our territory alive on many occasions. It is good to meet young Rook, who in her own lineage may become the Marquess of Caelin if she so wishes. I will not live forever, and my own daughter will likely go to live with her husband in Kathelet."
The old man seemed to be sorry to say this, perhaps even wishing that he didn't have to. With a sigh, he looked from the floor before Loedan and up again to look into the young man's eyes. There was a steel there, resolve that one would likely not have expected to find. "I have no other heirs. My wife died while giving birth to our daughter. There are few others in this land with the possible bloodlines to inherit this throne. Kent spoke to me about the man who attacked you the other day in the north. Lundgren's son. With that rash man gone the way of his father now, the line of Hausen is nearly finished. Only Lady Rook remains within reach, and would be accepted by all contenders." he told him.
Loedan was not all that surprised, really. He had expected such since his hearing that the girl descended from Lady Lyn. He simply nodded, quiet as the old man gathered his thoughts and spoke once more. "However... she is yet young, and knows too little to govern this realm effectively. The three of us shall be unable to stay with her long enough to see that she will be trained well. The youth of her generation will outlast those of ours, and there is nothing that can be done about that. Heath?" the old man asked, and the Wyvern General stepped forward from beside the throne, only a few steps now closer to Loedan.
"Sir Loedan, tactician grandson of the tactician Mark. We know of your lineage from your grandfather. Know you who your grandmother is?" he asked, and Loedan was forced to shake his head in response. He had always wondered who his grandmother had been. Heath nodded slowly, and then spoke one again. "No records of whom Mark had married ever made themselves known, either to the Eliminean church or to those of this house, whom he had spent the majority of his time with. The Tactician always was cautious- that was how we who were part of the troop survived the war with Nergal. Not one of his soldiers perished on the battlefield. You have shown, according to sir Kent, a remarkable flair for the same tendencies that your grandfather had."
Heath broke for a moment, looking back to Marquess Reissman. The old lord nodded, and Heath nodded in return before looking back to the young man before them. "It is our lord's wish to ask you to stay here and help with milady Rook's education. You are barely older than she, but are quite capable, both in thinking and in battle. However, it is the battling portion that we must worry about. You cannot keep your mind on simply the battle, but the entire battle, and that may yet be your downfall."
Loedan nodded, and then blinked finally. He felt a shiver along his spine and he couldn't help but to look behind himself and to the right as he felt something... strange. The other three looked, and then there was a rune of some sort that appeared on the ground, pulsing a light blue color. It was something that Kent and Heath had seen before, but neither Loedan nor the Marquess had ever seen. "What in Elibe is that?" the young man said aloud, the old Marquess' asking the same thing before the rune traveled from where it was set on the floor and upwards, a flash of light causing all to cover their eyes. Save for Loedan. He watched as two figures emerged from the light, the rune disappearing almost immediately.
"I certainly hope that we have not come too late! We both have several friends who shall be at this wedding, you know." came a woman's voice, and then a deep chuckle from her companion, who had his arm about the woman's waist. Loedan found that their clothes were somewhat familiar, though newer than he might have thought in one's case. The woman smacked lightly at the man's hand, and a small yelp was given out as the man slipped his hand from her side- obviously, she was not used to such intimacies in public? Then she saw the four others in the room, and the woman smiled brightly. The man she was with did the same.
"By Elimine!" cried Kent, who quickly walked from his post and over to the two newcomers. He knelt, and looked up to the two. These people he knew too well, whom he had served in the past. People he had thought long dead! "Milord, milady! I had feared you both dead long ago!" he said, and rose as the man bade him to do so. The two smiled to each other and then to the paladin.
"Well now, lord Kent, lord Heath, and Marquess Reissman! It is good to see you in good health once more. Forgive our entrance- I had meant to transport us to the courtyard, so we would not interrupt anything if you were indeed busy this day." the man said, and then he and his companion bowed. The man noticed the young man who stood in the center of the room with the look of shock on his face, and smile grew on his. "I see my grandson has managed to find his way to Caelin, much as we did long ago. I am proud of you, Loedan." the older man said, and the young tactician simply wasn't sure about what to do next.
"Gr... grandfather?" he asked hesitantly. He hadn't met the great tactician in years! Indeed, almost ten years had passed since last he had met the man. His eyes were so fixed on the tactician that he almost did not notice the woman who had stepped forward. At her side was a large rapier, longer and stronger than the standard ones he had seen before in all but one book. The guard of the rapier was gold, with jagged edges, as if they were the sun's own rays. There was but one wielder of that blade, if Loedan's memory served him correctly, and he blinked as he looked to the woman. She smiled tenderly, one hand raised to comb her fingers through his hair. Her own reached the floor, a forest-like green color that was rich and full, set into a pigtail.
Then it was Reissman's voice that came from the throne, and all turned to look at him. "Lord Mark and Lady Lyndis. It is good of you both to have arrived for my daughter's wedding. I am glad indeed that our invitiation reached you in Nabata." the old Marquess said to them, and Lyn, the woman with the beautiful hair, walked from beside the young man and to the Marquess. The Tactician himself came up beside the young man, with Kent beside him, and the tactician in training looked up to the older man. This was the man who had nearly had several countries attempting to fight over him! The one man who had managed to plan any strategy in any style, according to the task at hand no less!
"Why, it took me three days to convince Mark to come here... you know how stubborn he's been, ever since certain countries have wanted his services." Lyn said, a giggle in her voice. It was amazing, Loedan had to concede. Neither of them looked anywhere over 40, and yet both must be in their mid-fifties at least. It reminded him of Mark's last sentence in his diary. 'Those who fight and live never fully die. They remain but fade, as if a mirage that one is not certain that they have ever seen before in life.'
"Well, love, give me some credit. I would be flattered about the attention a public appearance might provide me, if not for the fact that it could trigger another war." he told her, and there was a hint of laughter in his voice. He was modest to a fault, this great tactician. His words were all so true, of course, and both he and Lyn were risking quite a bit to come out from wherever they may have been. Lyn smiled back to Loedan's grandfather- wait, did he say love? Loedan couldn't help but to feel a bit light-headed. For one who could deal with battle, this was quite an unusual turn of events. Heath's laughter rang out as he alone noticed the young man's trouble to comprehend much more than he had already.
The others looked to the general and then to the young man, who was holding his head and groaning slightly. Lyn came over, instantly worried, and gave the young man a hug. "Well now... I did not expect to meet you here, grandson. Is your cousin here as well?" she asked, and then smiled to him warmly. Loedan nodded, just barely, his thought processes currently frozen. Wha... what? Cousin? Oh, his mind was working triple-time now. That word rang out through his mind.
Then, the tactician spoke once more. "Yes, that is right, Loedan. Lyn here is my beloved wife, and you are not only my grandson, but hers. Just as Rook is our granddaughter, and your cousin. I wish we could have provided a reunion between your two families, but your father is always away, and now our own daughter and her husband are gone. I would never have guessed it had been the son of Lungren's doing, who had bought the services of bandits to kill them, but thank you for dealing with him."
It took only another second for them to realize that Loedan was barely understanding a word that was being said. Mark chuckled softly and Lyn giggled, releasing the stunned young man. "Too much in far too little time, eh? I think he needs to be shown to a place he may rest awhile, before the wedding ceremony begins." Lyn said, and Mark nodded, having come to the same conclusion. Kent looked to them both and then walked over, setting a hand on Loedan's shoulder lightly.
"Come along, milord. Let us get you someplace where you can sort out all of this." he said, and then Heath was there too, and between the two managed to take the young man, rather dazed, away from the audience chamber that was Caelin's throneroom. And now, for the first time, Loedan truly had no idea what he was doing other than walking between two of the most powerful people he'd ever known in his life.
Elsewhere in the castle ---
"Mother Earth, Father Sky, please never let me have to go through such torture in my lifetime again!" Rook's voice called out, which was followed by laughter from the other two girls. Kiri and Mahri were there as well, resting in their room after Rook and Kiri had been subjected to hours of standing without anything else to do. They would have talked, if not for Loedan who'd been stuck in the same outfitting room with them. But no, with him there, there was actually very little to talk about for they had been embarassed while they were having their measurements taken.
But now, finally free of where they had recently dubbed the 'torture room', all three were spending their time relaxing while waiting for their dresses to be made. "Oh! I bet neither of you knew that this was Lady Lyndis' room, back when she used to live here when Lord Hausen was the Marquess." Mahri told them, and Rook blinked once and looked around slowly, smiling a little. This... was the room that her grandmother had lived in, long ago? Why, it was nothing extravagant, like what she would have expected from a royal family member. Though, it did make sense- it was open, and there was a small taste of the plains thanks to the portraits that lined the walls. It was actually very comfortable to her.
"It was? I just thought this was a simple visitor's room!" Kiri said, and laughed softly. Mahri joined in, while Rook stood up from the large bed that they were resting on. She began to wander, looking about slowly as her fingers swept over a table. Had her grandmother used this table as well? Mahri and Kiri's laughter died down and they began to whisper with one another as Rook walked slowly around the room. It was like a whole new place, this room, now that she knew that it had once belonged to someone who had been in her family.
So lost in thought was she that she did not notice the soft sound of footsteps behind her. Barely restrained giggles were lost as well, and Rook turned in time only to find herself under attack! By large, fluffy white pillows that had been taken from the bed! Laughter erupted as the pillows were swung faster and harder, deadly damage inflicted by the goose-down pillows that were the weapons of choice, and even Rook took a few more hits as she ran for the bed to get a pillow of her own. The pillow fight was on as soon as she grabbed the pillow, and then it was everyone for themselves! The victor would only be decided by the time that the attendant showed up with their new dresses.
Three hours later ---
The courtyard was filled. The sky had remained clear all day, and even now it was the same. The wedding had been prepared for, and now it was showtime. The bishop had arrived, and stood now at center stage. The husband-to-be stood to the right of the bishop, and both were speaking with one another. In the front row sat the guests of honor: Lady Lyndis and the Lord Mark, tactician of fame. Sir Kent and Commander Heath were there as well. Sain and Mahri were on the other side of the aisle. Of Loedan, there was little sign save for the sight of his dark hair as he sat at the far end of the row. He had not seen Kiri or Rook since he had left them at the seamstress.
His new clothes itched terribly- they needed a wash badly. They were of a green color, a deep green though not like that of a forest as Lyn's hair was. They were stiff and still needed a good battle to set them straight, it seemed- even attempting to loosen the clothing against a wall, his bed, and a door had done nothing but tire him from the strain. He had come to terms that he was actually Lady Lyn's grandson now as well, though he knew not if Rook knew that yet also. Perhaps they had not been able to find her while she was getting her dress done? It was quite possible, and then everyone rose as the announcement was made that Lady Alira was entering. Loedan rose quickly as well, unable to seen anyone or anything from this vantage point.
He had never been to a wedding before, but at this point it was simply a bore. The young tactician began going over the strategy practices he had come up with, sitting down when the others in the audience did. He went over the practices, using those he'd met as the people he could send into battle- an exercise that his grandfather had introduced him to. He started simply, with a trio of brigands who were stupid enough to attack him head on, one-on-one. Then from there into larger numbers of allies and enemies.
By the time he had finished, the wedding ceremony was practically over. The bishop, with long, flowing blonde hair cascading nearly to the floor that made him look like a woman, now told the two to kiss. Loedan smiled a little, watching as the bride and groom did so- he'd missed the vows and the part with the rings. Then as the others in the audience clapped, he did as well. Fortunately for him, he'd had something to do as the two that had gotten married proclaimed their love for one another. The ceremony wasn't very interesting, and then there was a ruckus as everyone helped to move the seats away from the center of the courtyard to make room for the next event. And this one would be even worse!
It was at this time that Loedan had to try and escape, and quickly his steps took him from where he had helped move the row of seats he had been in to the door that would lead into the castle. Unfortunately... "Well now, Loedan! Where are you going, hm?" came a voice, and he cringed. Dammit! The young tactician turned, and behold, there were his grandparents. Double dammit! He looked at them sheepishly, like a lad who had just been caught by his mother while attempting to take sweets.
"Ah... I, ah, just thought I would go visit the library, grandfather." he replied, telling the truth, and inwardly he kicked his own ass. Oh yeah, real good... but then again, he had been raised not to lie, especially to family. And now he knew he was also part Sacaen, so that might have had something to do with it. Lyn simply laughed and so did Mark- the two had proven to be mostly inseperable, it seemed. Between Lundgren, Nergal, and certain countries attempting to start a war over the tactician, the love between both Lyndis and Mark had prevailed. What chance did anything else have of separating them? None, obviously, and now the two were about to force him back out to where the dancing would begin.
"Ah, I see... Mark, our grandson knows not how to dance!" his grandmother said. And it wasn't even a comment that sounded like a guess, either. It was a fact, and now they both knew it. Loedan shrugged a little, and Mark smiled slightly. All around the courtyard, preparations were being made for the bards and dancers so that all would become ready for the dancing that would soon take place.
"Well, if I remember correctly, milove, neither did I when we first danced together the night we became wed." was his grandfather's reply, and the two shared a quick kiss before both simply grabbed one of Loedan's shoulders and led him onto the courtyard. "Besides, we must have this grandson of ours introduce us to his cousin!"
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Author's Note: Yeah, short chapter, I know. Still though, I wasn't able to simply let things flow for much longer. This fic will not take much longer to complete, I think. A few more chapters, maybe. If I get enough positive responses, maybe I'll even write a sequel series. I'm thinking that this would be like the stories in FE 7- ten for the beginning and whatnot. Recommended anime- El Hazard (OVA), by Pioneer. It's a bit strange, but it is my favorite series out of any anime series ever! Recommended music selection- Suikoden 3 Opening Theme. PS: Did anyone see a cameo made by another FE 7 character? hehe
Review Responses: A nickname for Sain Jr? Well, I'll think about it. And no need to worry about this one never coming to a close. Unlike my other series that I began but never really finished (and there's about 3-4 of 'em), this one will receive an ending. I'd like to thank the reviewers that I have had since the beginning of the series, as well as the few new ones that arrived as the series continued. Personally, I've been hoping for constructive criticism regarding my writing style, but I'll take compliments as well, of course.