Hmm…before I begin, I would like to take a moment to personally thank all of the people who have been kind enough to review my work on FFn. Thus, (in no particular order) I thank IvoryCrescendo, Laike Bogard, Dal Argent, FoxFireSword, Evergladelord, TheOneandOnlyT, (who all reviewed Certainty) Rosa-le-Fay, R-Amythest, Sara Jaye, Miss Daydream, TFRiD Queen, Lugiamania, Sword of Seals, Blackscarf, Meelu the Bold (who commented on Fathers and Dumplings) and Ginka Rejumon and Jessica Kite (who commented on my very first fic, A Puppet's History, along with R-Amythest). I know this seems rather ostentatious, but seeing as to how I rarely review other people's fics (I think it's improper of me…;; ) I wanted some way to express my gratitude. I'm glad y'all like my fiction so far, and I'll strive to continue doing by best! Anyhoo, without any further ado…
A Delicious Romance
The sun was beginning to rise over the mist-shrouded isle of Valor, and Eliwood's army was still deep asleep. Their slumber was untroubled by nightmares, for they had just triumphed over their nefarious adversary. Nergal lay dead and moldering in his dark fortress, and the Dragon's Gate had been closed for good. For one young knight, however, the greatest struggle of all lay yet ahead.
Lowen steadied himself in his saddle and lightly spurred on his mount. He gripped his hand axe tightly as he pushed forward into the foggy wilderness. His fingers tingled with anticipation, but he held himself in check. Every skill he had learned on his journey would be tested at this critical juncture, and the slightest mistake on his part might cost him this chance forever. As he peered into the distance, he spotted a small, vague shape darting through the mist, and knew he had come across his quarry. It was now or never. As Lowen's horse trotted towards it, the beast lifted its head in fear. It knew doom was approaching. With a loud squawk and a flurry of feathers, it scampered off into the fog. The knight would not let it escape. With all his might, Lowen hurled his axe at the fleeing beast, and was rewarded with a wet splat and a loud thud. Frantically extricating himself from his saddle, Lowen raced towards the creature's corpse to see if victory truly was at hand.
Indeed it was. The cleanly decapitated body of a plump, tasty-looking pheasant lay at Lowen's feet.
A broad smile spread across the knight's face as he looked upon the fruit of his labor, but quickly disappeared as he considered the magnitude of the duty ahead of him. Wasting no more time, Lowen slung the headless bird into a thick burlap sack, mounted his horse, and proceeded back to Eliwood's encampment. He still had too much work to do for even a moment's rest.
Hours later, the afternoon sun shined gaily above the Dread Isle. The aura of fear and foreboding that permeated Valor had disappeared with Nergal's demise, and the members of Eliwood's army had a rare chance to enjoy themselves before heading off for Elibe. Rebecca was not one to miss such an opportunity, and she strode purposefully towards a small hill overlooking the army encampment. As she approached, she smiled as she saw a familiar bush of unruly hair atop the hill. Lowen was right on time for their picnic, it seemed. But as Rebecca drew closer and saw the meal Lowen had prepared for her, her eyes widened in surprise.
It was an all-out feast. Scrumptious fruit and delicious herbed bread surrounded the main course—a savory, delectable honey-roasted pheasant, cooked to perfection and garnished with the most luxurious of spices available to Eliwood's army.
"S-Sir Lowen!" she gasped. "H-How did you—"
"Rebecca!" Lowen cried. "Is anything wrong? Has anything happened?"
"N-no, Lowen. It's just that…well, I hadn't expected anything like this just for a picnic…"
"Ah! Rebecca, I apologize! Truly, this is a paltry meal! Not only are my martial skills lacking, but my culinary skills as well!"
"No! Not at all! If anything, it's so much…better than I expected!"
Hearing this, Lowen relaxed—as much as the high-strung knight ever relaxed, anyways. He yawned contentedly, and for the first time, Rebecca saw tired, bloodshot eyes beneath the shaggy hair.
"Lowen," she asked, concerned, "Are you alright? You seem so tired…didn't you get any sleep last night?"
He shook his head. "I am alright, Rebecca. Whatever fatigue I feel is only a measure of my incompetence! Please eat, Rebecca. I could not bear it if you were struck down by hunger right after our victory!"
She nodded. "Well, if you say so…"
Together, Lowen and Rebecca dug into their meal. It certainly was better than Rebecca had anticipated! Lowen had picked the freshest, juiciest fruits he could find, and had spent hours preparing the herbed bread alone. The pheasant, however, was truly sublime. Though he had only an open fire to work with, Lowen had roasted and seasoned it with such skill that one might have thought it came straight from Pherae's finest kitchen.
"Lowen!" she exclaimed, "This is delicious! I haven't had a meal like this in ages!"
"P-Please, Rebecca," Lowen stammered, "it truly isn't much."
"But of course it is! This wonderful fruit tastes as if you plucked it straight of the garden of heaven itself!"
"Ah…I just took whatever I could find…there aren't any people on Valor, so there were plenty of fruits ripe for the picking…that's all…"
"Wherever they may come from, they certainly taste far better than ordinary!"
"Hmm…"
"And this bread! The way it melts upon my tongue is simply divine! I've never tasted seasonings as exotic as these!"
"But…I just used some garlic and other spices I found in Merlinus' tent."
"Oh, but how do you explain its incredible flavor? Please don't ruin it by correcting me!"
"Hmm…"
"And best of all is this pheasant! Wherever did you find it? In all my days in Pherae, I've never tasted fowl as tender and succulent as this! Are you sure you did not raid the hunting grounds of some king or prince?"
"Well…yes…like I said, there are no people living on Valor, so there's plenty of game to be found…I just went out hunting early this morning and caught a wild pheasant…"
"You must really be a most excellent hunter to—wait, did you say early this morning?"
"Why, yes! Indeed, just at the crack of dawn I awoke to search for a bird worthy of your palate!"
Rebecca frowned slightly, and sadness creased her brow. "Oh, Lowen…that's why you look so tired, isn't it? You really shouldn't have! I didn't mean to cause you such trouble…we've just beaten Nergal, and you've worked so hard…I just wanted you to relax for a bit…"
Lowen turned his eyes to the ground, blushing slightly. "Well…Rebecca…you see…I…I cannot."
"Why, Lowen?"
"Rebecca…my father and grandfather are gone. When I return to Pherae, I will have no one to go back to. But you…you are…important to me. You know how much I care for you…I could never let you go hungry, and I'd never let you have an unsatisfactory meal! This fatigue is nothing…seeing you content is more than enough to sustain me!"
"Sir Lowen…" Rebecca smiled. "I have something to confess…"
"Er…um…yes?"
"Listen…honestly, I wouldn't have cared even if you didn't bring any food at all! Really, Lowen, your company was the only thing I truly desired today…"
"Re…Rebecca…"
"Come here, Lowen." Rebecca looked at him affectionately and took his arm in hers. "You're tired. Get some rest. You definitely deserve it after cooking a meal as fine as this."
Lowen started to say something, but Rebecca merely put a soft finger to his lips. The knight realized this was one battle he could never win, and lay his head on Rebecca's shoulder. He closed his eyes, and soon enough, his tired, heavy breathing eased into the gentle, steady rhythm of a blissful sleeper. As Rebecca contentedly ran her fingers through his hair, she soon fell into the same peaceful slumber.