Crossroads of the Heart

Author's Note: Fire Emblem is the property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.


Chapter 6: Comfort

Hector paced back and forth in his private quarters, attempting to gather his thoughts. There were so many things to take care of; he hardly had any time to himself these days. He sighed heavily. Was this what he had to look forward to for the rest of his life? Though it was obvious that the one who sat upon the throne of the most powerful territory in Lycia would be ambushed on all sides with various pressing duties, even Hector had not expected such an influx of responsibility. It was not something he was used to, or particularly enjoyed, but he would adapt. He must. For Uther's sake.

For once, however, it was not the affairs of Ostia that troubled him. News of Lord Helman's death had reached him weeks earlier, and it had been all he could do to resist departing for Caelin at once. Lyn... she must be devastated. The letter had been concise enough; brief, detached, but Hector knew how close she had been to her grandfather. He was beside himself with worry for her. However, his duties in Ostia mandated that he remain where he was, and even if he took it in his head to sneak out, he doubted he could fool Matthew or Oswin a second time.

Thus, it couldn't be helped. He would have to wait for her to settle her affairs in Caelin; she would arrive on her own time. The fact that he was powerless to do anything did not ease his mind any, unfortunately, and so he continued his pacing. All of Lycia was in an uproar already over her now publicly announced intentions to abdicate the throne of Caelin to Ostia; Hector was certain he would have to deal with discontent from just about every other Lycian province -- with the obvious exception of Pherae -- over Ostia's new addition. Caelin wasn't a particularly large province, but Erik of Laus especially would resent any additional power he gained. Of course, there would be little the other territories could do in the end but grumble; none would stand against both Ostia and Pherae. He was thankful to have Eliwood on his side.

His door opened, and he shot a most threatening look at whatever intruder dared to bother him now.

"My Lord..."

Wonderful. Oswin. Hector had taken Eliwood's words from just before the fight with Nergal to heart; he had known that his friend spoke the truth. It had taken awhile, but eventually he had managed to bring himself to speak with the man again. They now enjoyed an uneasy peace; though Hector remained civil to him, he still had not completely forgiven him.

"Oswin. What is it?"

"...If I may... your behavior as of late has been rather... agitated..."

"Of course it has!" Hector said furiously. "Now you are to lecture me on how to worry about my dearest friends?"

"It's not that," Oswin replied calmly, used to Hector's displeasure with him by now. "You simply must remember, as a newly instated Marquess, there are spies the world over in Ostia assessing your ability. You know the situation in Bern..."

"Why would my concern over Lyn have anything to do with Bern?"

"If Ostia's Marquess is seen as a weak individual..."

"Oswin..." Hector growled in a threatening tone.

"I am merely reporting to you the truth, Lord Hector. It is likely that Ostia is the only thing deterring Bern from the plans we have long suspected King Desmond harbored..."

"Not to mention their deep-seated internal issues, the widespread unrest among their people... no, Oswin, I am not too concerned with an imminent invasion." Hector rubbed at his temples, wondering why this man seemed to exist only to cause him headaches. "I am, however, concerned with the well-being of my... of one of my best friends." He fixed the knight with a glare that would have sent any lesser accustomed vassal of his packing.

"Certainly, my lord. I apologize."

"You..."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"...Nothing. Just... leave me in peace, will you?"

"...As you say," Oswin sighed, bowing awkwardly in his armor, and retreating from the room.

"He knows I hate it when people do that," Hector muttered, the intensity of the already pounding pain in his skull increasing. He'd have to call Serra in if this got much worse, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.


"Well, what did he say?" Matthew looked up at Oswin expectantly as he shut the door behind him, arms crossed and expecting the worst.

"Are you trying to tell me you weren't listening?" Oswin replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm not that old yet, Matthew."

"You know, I am a spy. You'd begrudge me for doing my job?"

"...Sometimes I think that Hector learned his stubbornness from emulating you, Matthew."

"You're no pliable mold for shaping either, you know," Matthew shot back, frowning. "And it's polite to ask."

"Hmph."

"...Anyway. Perhaps we're worried over nothing. I'm certain that Lord Hector will be back to his normal self once we hear back from Lady Lyndis," Matthew spoke reasonably, optimistic as usual. Surprisingly, Oswin found himself inclined to agree. Though it was their duty to keep watch over Hector, as they had since he was young, it was hard not to worry overmuch on even the smallest matters. Then again, who could blame them for that? It was quite difficult to tell when Hector was experiencing true hardship or merely being moody. Oswin blamed Matthew for that, too.

"Speaking of Lady Lyndis..." Oswin segued smoothly, indicated they should walk together away from the door they were perched so precariously near. "What do you make of it?"

"Oh, I think you know," Matthew muttered. "It's bloody obvious. Our young master never has been much good at keeping secrets from us, has he?"

"It's our business to know his secrets," Oswin sighed. "And to quell his more... outrageous ideas."

"Do you really think this is such a terrible thing?" Matthew inquired, surprised. "I personally think a lot of good can come of this. If anyone could help us keep an eye on Hector, it would certainly be Lady Lyndis."

"No, it's not that..." Oswin looked thoughtful. "I just think of the political consequences such a marriage might have. You know Laus is already grumbling over Ostia gaining yet another territory, and I doubt they will like to hear that it will be solidified in such a finalized way as through marriage. Treaties can be negotiated, resulting from Lady Lyndis's earlier announcements, but... most of the Lycian Lords think we're too powerful as it is, whether they announce it publicly at every opportunity like Erik or not."

"Another way to look at it," Matthew grinned, "Is who is going to stop this from happening? No one will challenge Lord Hector, especially with Pherae on his side."

"I assume that's what Lord Hector figures as well," Oswin conceded. "Though it might be the truth, it is not... prudent. We should not be bullying the Lycian territories so with our strength."

"Oswin, I hate to side with Hector on this, but..."

"I know, I know. I'm worrying over nothing, again."

"No, you make a good point. I wouldn't want to bully the other Lycian territories either... but in this one regard... nothing should get in the way of... of..." Matthew sputtered, suddenly finding it difficult to say what he wanted to say. If Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis were in love... well. He knew what it felt like to be prevented from the one love of your life. He'd not wish it on anyone.

"...Matthew."

"Sorry. I..."

"I know," Oswin said sympathetically, clearing his throat. Matthew had taken Leila's death so well, at least publicly, and it was always strange to see him caught off guard thinking of her. An awkward silence stretched between the two men as they walked side by side through Ostia's Spartan halls. A sudden clamor at the gate caught their attentions, and as the highest ranking Knight of Ostia, Oswin approached to take care of the situation. Having no assignments to attend to for the moment, Matthew tagged along, curious.

"Is there a problem?" Oswin directed his query toward the gate guards, who were engaged in a rousing verbal disagreement with the messengers from the watchtowers above. The guards froze at his inquiry, and Oswin sighed inwardly. He didn't mean to be so intimidating at times.

"S-sir Oswin!" The befuddled gate guard managed to squeak out. Oswin eyed him critically. Were such young and experienced men put at such tasks routinely now? "The tower guards are reporting an approaching army, and..."

"What?!" Oswin blinked. An army? What...

"It's not an army," The messenger sighed, visibly agitated. It was a clear indication of the shortage of Ostian Knights if this rookie was put on such an important task as gate duty. "It is an approaching emissary, a caravan. Harmless."

"Where from?"

"Their colors are still hard to make out, but our best guess is that is it likely the Lady Lyndis, come from Caelin to discuss certain pressing matters..."

"Of course," Oswin spoke purposefully, naturally assuming a role of leadership. "Well? Open the gate."

"Y-yes sir!" The stammering rookie gate guard exclaimed, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to obey orders. Oswin sighed. They would have to intensify their recruitment campaigns throughout Ostia. Surely good knights were not that scarce to come by.

"I suppose we'll know our answers soon enough," Matthew spoke at his side, and Oswin very nearly jumped in surprise. He was very good at what he did, sometimes disconcertingly so.

"Indeed."


Serra yawned in a very unlady-like manner, stretching her arms over her head as she stepped briskly through the halls of Ostia's regal, yet tastefully adorned castle halls. It was such a waste, in her estimation, to leave such beautiful architecture so devoid of extravagance -- she was certain that her home estate in Etruria would be lavishly decorated, beautifully designed: the very epitome of culture and elegance. What was the point of being filthy rich if you didn't flaunt it a little? She had often fantasized about it.

Of course, the entire castle was all but buzzing with news of Lady Lyndis's arrival, and it had certainly been awhile since Serra had seen Lyn. My, but she friends in high places. A smile graced her features as she approached the gate. There were Oswin and Matthew, standing nearby to welcome her. Serra approached them, her slightly wistful smile gradually changing into a sly smirk as she neared her destination.

"Good morning, Sir Oswin!" She exclaimed brilliantly, garnering a satisfying jump from the both of them. "Oh, and you too, Matthew." She seemed to tack this on as an afterthought, jumping to wrap her arms around Oswin's heavily armored shoulders.

"You're just waking up?" Matthew spoke disapprovingly, but Serra made it a point to ignore petty complaints. Matthew was simply jealous, that was all.

"What are you about, woman?" Oswin chastised her gruffly, shaking her off. "I am an Ostian Knight, not your personal plush toy." Serra giggled in response to the very thought. Sir Oswin put on such a gruff face, but Serra knew his true feelings.

"I don't mind," She assured him with a sly wink, linking her right arm with his left. Oswin made an exasperated sound, raising his free hand to his forehead in frustration. What had he said, exactly, that had given this crazy woman these impressions? He couldn't think back to a single word he'd spoken to her that hinted at the things she seemed convinced he thought.

"Well, my condolences, Oswin," Matthew offered, eyeing them both in a critical manner. Serra stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Envious much, Matthew?"

"Hah! Believe me when I say that the last thing I need is a chatterbox like you draping herself all over me at every opportunity."

"Hmph!" Serra sniffed haughtily. "Matthew, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you simply couldn't handle a fine, regal, noble woman like myself..."

"...Bloody insane," Matthew muttered incredulously, meeting her resulting glare with a disapproving stare of his own.

"Knock it off, the both of you," Oswin snapped gruffly, halfheartedly attempting to shake Serra off his arm. Naturally, she didn't budge. He felt ridiculous, standing her to greet Lady Lyndis and her troupe with this naive, childish girl clinging to him so.

"Yes, m'lord," Serra smiled sweetly up at him, and Oswin distinctly heard the sound of Matthew snickering in response. He felt the beginnings of a headache coming on; this was going to be a long day, indeed.

Serra waved energetically with her free hand as the emissary drew nearer; she could make out several familiar faces now. There were Kent and Sain, flanking the carriage that undoubtedly held Lady Lyndis and perhaps Chancellor Reissman; Sain returned her wave with equal enthusiasm. Florina and her sisters flew overhead, and Serra wondered briefly why Fiora and Farina were traveling with them -- they certainly weren't knights of Caelin. It hardly mattered, she supposed, though it was a bit odd. Lord Hector emerged from wherever he had been brooding to join them just as they entered through the gate into the courtyard.

Lyn stepped down from the carriage that had carried her so far, looking wearier than Serra had ever seen her. Kent and Sain kept concerned eyes on her; she paid them no mind, clearly used to their attentions, especially over these past few weeks.

"Lady Lyndis," Oswin spoke formally in greeting, nodding his head sympathetically. Lyn smiled in return with admirable sincerity.

"Good to see you again, Lady Lyn," Matthew piped up, bowing slightly as she passed by, a whimsical look on his face.

"You know there's no need for that, Matthew," Lyn chided him wearily, though she favored him with a smile too.

"Hello, Lady Lyn!" Serra exclaimed cheerfully, releasing Oswin momentarily -- she ignored his pointed sigh of relief -- to catch a rather shocked Lyn in a welcoming embrace. Well, she had known Lyn the longest, after all, at least of the Ostians gathered here.

"Oh, hello, Serra..." Lyn replied, blinking in surprise though she gladly returned the embrace. Serra had always been prone to overzealousness, though she supposed that was part of her charm. Yes... charm. Serra soon released her, smiling in that suspiciously innocent way she had, then promptly returned to Oswin's side. Lyn wondered briefly what that was about, but dismissed it as she approached the person she had both most wanted to least wanted to see...

"Hector," She spoke hesitantly, carefully searching his unwavering gaze.

"Lyn..." As always, she could discern nothing. An awkward silence stretched for several seconds, though it seemed much longer. "Are you... are you all right?" He seemed at a loss. He could practice what he would say for hours on end, and he'd still forget it all when it came down to it. As he often had in the past, Hector wished for some skill in these matters.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, almost curtly. Wonderful -- less than a minute, and she was already upset with him? Why was it that he could hardly say a thing to her without her taking offense?

"All right," Hector responded, mimicking her tone -- and immediately regretting it. Well, what was he supposed to think -- there he was, genuinely concerned, and she gets angry at him for it? Frustration clawed at him. How was he supposed to act to make her happy?

She said nothing in response, but the look on her face said plenty. She turned away from him, a thunderous look on her face, and spoke evenly with her knights, dismissing them to settle themselves. They disbanded hesitantly, Serra offering to show them to the stables though they had been to Ostia several times in the past. Even when they had gone, Lyn refused to face him. Hector found himself wishing he could read minds -- it was clearly what she expected of him!

"Lyn, I--"

"I've come to discuss the final terms and conditions surrounding my abdication and the transfer of Caelin's lands to Ostia," Lyn cut him off decisively, her voice cold... entirely too formal. Hector stared at her, taken aback. "Chancellor Reissman and I have drawn up a formal contract, you and your advisors are free to look over as you... as you please. The terms are... are simple, and we don't... we don't..." Her voice caught, and Hector found that he had had just about enough of this.

"Stop it," He spoke harshly, perhaps more so than he intended. She drew herself up with a deep breath, perhaps to meet him with harsh words of her own; he didn't care.

"This is what I came here for," She replied, sounding less cold and more furious. "This is--"

"This is ridiculous," Hector said flatly, meeting her furious gaze with a level stare. "Shall I refer to you as Lady Lyndis, then?" He continued, knowing this was probably not the best way to weather this storm, but he had never listened to his more rational side, and he wasn't about to start now. Two could play at this, if it was what she wanted! "Well then, Lady Lyndis, it is an honor to welcome you to Ostia. Is this what you want? Shall I shake your hand, and absently refer you to some serving maiden to show the esteemed Noble Lady of Caelin to her rooms? Is it? Perhaps I should offer you a sympathetic smile -- is that not how strangers among the nobility express their condolences?"

"I don't need your sympathy!" Lyn shouted back, absolutely livid. "Don't bother! Do you know what they do next, Hector? They turn around to their advisors, when they think I'm out of earshot, and they gossip about the inadequacies of the half-blood Princess of Caelin! Those sympathetic smiles -- they have nothing to do with my grandfather, with my loss, not in the least! Go ahead! Go ahead and be just like them!"

A silence stretched then, in the halls of Ostia's castle. Several servants bustled about; Hector and Lyn's argumentative nature was well known, and had indeed been witnessed in these very halls before. Matthew and Oswin still stood nearby, neither daring to move a muscle -- with this long silence came a precarious balance they each were loathe to risk disrupting. Lyn's face was flushed, her furiously flashing eyes blinking back tears -- damn this man for doing this to her!

Hector stared at her. Even now, when she was so obviously in so much pain... her stubbornness was legendary, he knew, and if there had ever been any doubt, it was dashed away now. It was one of the many things he had not only grown accustomed to... it was one of the things he had fallen in love with. He wanted nothing more than to see her smile; to sweep her away from her sorrow -- and here he was, making it worse. Why did this always happen between them? Perhaps more importantly -- why the hell was he always so stupid when it came to interacting with this woman he cared so desperately for? Well, no more of that. Not today, at least.

"...I'm sorry," He spoke softly, and her furious expression softened into something more like shock, perhaps confusion. He was what?

"Wha…"

"Lyn..." He took a deep breath, approaching her, determined. She stood her ground, and he could see the tears that still shone in her eyes. "...I'm sorry. Let's try this again..." His hands rested on her shoulders, and she looked up at him, her fury already subsiding for something else. "Are you all right?"

She did cry, then. Weeks of sorrow she had bottled inside; all of the pain she had repressed to put on a strong face for her people... she wrapped her arms around him, her tears falling freely, shuddering against him as sobs racked her body. "No..." She whispered, softly, against his shoulder. "Hector, I... I loved him so much..."

He stroked her hair, hating to see her cry, hating to see her in so much pain. He could think of nothing to say, but she didn't seem to expect any words. I love you... he thought, holding her tightly. If only he could say it to her face...

Nearby, Matthew and Oswin exchanged knowing glances.