-In the Darkness-
Folken Lacour de Fanel sat on the cold, hard floor of his quarters with only the small, blue flame of a lamp to illuminate the dark, windowless room. His robes hung open, exposing his muscular torso. Ash gray wings were spread, crumpled on either side of his form. Folken leaned against the wall, hunched over as he examined the cold, ruthless metal of his right arm, cradling it in his good, live arm. The light gleamed on the shiny metal, outlining the claw tipped digits and emotionless form with its intricate pattern of metal and tubes. Looking into the reflection of the Stratego's metal hand, Folken did not see his own face; rather, the large, happy eyes of a young Van, symbolizing all that he gave up when he joined Ziabach. "The memories. Why do they haunt me?" He whispered, letting his head hang lower. The flash of dragon's teeth passed through his mind. Since he came to Ziabach, Folken had forgotten what it was like to feel. Folken curled his hands to his chest. "I can't let her see what I've become."
There came a knock at the door, drawing Folken's attentions from the past. "Enter." He ordered in his usual cold tone. A soldier stepped in and stood at attention. "Lord Folken, we have arrived at Palas. The king of Asturia wishes to have an immediate audience with you." Folken grimaced. Of course the king of Asturia would want an immediate audience. He wanted to know why the Vione was there and how it benefited him. Folken, of course, was there to intercept Van and the EscaFlowne. They had allied themselves with the Knight Allen Schizar. "I shall be there within an hour. Now go." Soldier bowed and left the room quickly. Folken reached over to a blue glass of wine. His metal hand lifted it to his lips and he knocked back the red, bitter liquid. Removing the glass from his lips, Folken made a fist, shattering the glass. "I can't let her see me like this."
With in an hour, Folken Stratego walked up the grand steps of the Asturian palace with an entourage of soldiers. The golden rays of the setting sun glittered across the water of the sea port and illuminated the landscape as Folken came into the company of King Aston. The man was old, but greedy as ever. At his side stood his youngest daughter, Millerna. "Lord Folken, what a pleasure it is to see you." Aston greeted him. Folken bowed, "The pleasure is all mine, you highness. Good afternoon, princess." Millerna gave a rigid smile, but remained silent. "Millerna, leave us." The king ordered and the princess left quickly, happy to be dismissed. Once she was gone, Aston looked to Folken. "Now down to business, Lord Folken." Folken watched the king with an emotionless expression.
-The Proposal-
It was simple, really: Aston was nervous about the growing power of Ziabach and wanted to make sure their alliance was strongly bound. "I have decided. I will offer you, Lord Folken, my daughter's hand in marriage to fortify our alliance with Ziabach." Folken's eye grew wide for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. Eries or Millerna? "Ah, that is very generous of you, your highness. But, respectfully, I would have to speak with my emperor before giving you an answer. And I fear the wedding would have to be very so, for I have a very important job in the Empire and cannot be away for very long." This was an odd card for Aston to play, Folken thought. Ever since his late wife passed away, the king seemed to see his daughters as bargaining chips, pawns for his game. Aston gave a nod of his head. "Very well, my offer stands for one week. Now, Lord Folken, you must join us for dinner." Folken bowed. "I would be honored, King Aston."
Dinner, in Asturian culture, was not for another hour. Folken decided to explore the famous gardens of the palace. He withdrew a hand held device from his robes and flipped a small switch. The machine crackled to life. "Emperor Dornkirk?" Folken spoke softly into the communication device. "Yes, Lord Folken?" The old man's voice crackled from the machine. "Emperor Dornkirk, King Aston has made an odd move..." Folken repeated the conversation with the king. Dornkirk always wanted to be informed, keeping ahead of the game. Once Folken had finished, he place the device back into his robe. When he turned to meet the king in the dinning hall, Folken found a tall young woman standing in the entrance way. "Lord Folken," She spoke softly. "I am Princess Eries. My father asked me to escort you to the dinning hall."
-We Meet Again-
"Thank you, princess, I am honored." Folken managed a weak, diplomatic smile. Did she know what her father had planned for her? He drew back his cape, extending his good arm to the princess. Her eyes looked so sad. 'Dear princess, the middle daughter who did everything to please her father, but was never appreciated.' He thought. Her emotions were bottled up somewhere deep inside; suppressed. Emotions had no place in the Royal Court. She meekly looped her arm with his. 'So, this is Lord Folken.' Eries thought sadly. This was the man her father wanted her to marry. Eries knew this day would come sooner or later. "Did you have a good journey?" She offered small talk, trying to ease the tension she felt in both herself and the Stratego. "Of course, princess." Folken replied. The pair made their way to the dinning hall in silence the rest of the way. Neither seemed able to find the right words to say.
Folken sat beside the king. "King Aston," He whispered to the king. "I accept your proposal." Aston's face lit up with joy. He clanked a utensil nosily against a plate, calling everyone's attention to him. King Aston stood up, "I have just been informed that the Stratego Folken of Ziabach has accepted my daughter Eries' hand in marriage. May the alliance between Ziabach and Asturia prosper from their union!" Aston raised his glass and the guests followed his example. Folken found his gaze turn to the face of Princess Eries. She looked back at him, but her face was an expressionless mask. No doubt she knew this day would come whether it be Ziabach or some other kingdom. However, Folken found himself wishing she would show some kind of expression, some kind of emotion to tell him what she was thinking…what she was feeling. Folken made a mental note to speak with her some time this evening.
-Remember Me-
King Aston sent a servant to show Folken to his quarters. It was a lovely apartment with a balcony view of the gardens. And across from the gardens were the royal apartments. The night had settled in and the stars came out to fill a clear sky. Folken found himself in the gardens once more. The silver light of the Mystic Moon illuminated his form, reflecting off of red eyes and a sad
-Love By Moonlight-
Eries sighed deeply as she stepped out to the balcony of her apartment. Her mind, however, reflected to the past. Eries looked down at the gardens. And it was there that she saw Folken. "Lord Folken, are those rumors true?" As if he had heard her, Folken looked up to Eries' balcony. Their eyes met, both sad and ghost of their childhood. Since her youth, she was taught to be proper and diplomatic. Fighting the urges of a young girl to laugh and play. Then, her mother died followed by Marlene getting married then passing away. All these tragedies had their effect on Eries, making her cold and accepting her own mortality. It was depressing. She broke her gaze from the Stratego and went inside to her room. His sad eyes were too intense, reflecting her own sad life.
"Eries..." Folken thought, watching her with her hair down and the princess act dropped. He felt his heart beat for the first time since he 'died' fighting the dragon. Her sad gaze told him everything: she was only a shell, the husk of a human being, just like him. Perhaps together they could make a complete person. Then, she turned away. Folken sighed, feeling his heart sink once more. Folken never realized he was still capable of emotions. He had been numb, dead since Dornkirk took him under his care. Why now did these emotions stir? Folken loosened his robes till he could easily slip them off his upper torso. Once his skin was exposed to the Mystic Moon, the stars, and the night sky, Folken made sure he was truly alone. By his will, Folken's gray wings exploded from his back in a brilliant shower of ash gray feathers. What a freak he was! A hideous metal arm and a pair of gray wings that predicted his soon demise. With a mighty leap, Folken launched himself into the air. It was a short flight, though, for he only went to the balcony of his room, adjacent to his new fiancé's.
Eries had begun to walk away from the balcony, but she felt compelled to turn back. She hesitated for a moment, then she looked back over her shoulder. But what she saw was the last thing she would have expected to see. Folken sprouted a pair of ash gray wings from his back. A draconian? Eries stumbled over a small table, spilling her tea. The tea pot crash to the ground, as did Eries. With a small yelp of surprise, Eries fell to the ground with a thump. Her first reaction was to look up and see if Folken had noticed. Eries press her hand to the ground where her extended palms found small glass shards of her tea pot. Eries yelped again as fresh blood tricked from her hands. Then the princess heard a soft thud. She looked up to see Folken on her balcony. From her place on the ground, he looked like a god. His great wings were spread wide with feather falling from them like leaves in the fall while the Mystic Moon hung over his head like an eerie halo and his broad, muscular form was exposed, due to discarded robes, including a mechanical arm. A look of concern filled his face as he knelt down beside her. "Princess Eries," He gently took hold of her arm and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
-Kindle the Flame-
The look of concern on Folken's face was so sincere that Eries felt compelled to reassure him. "I'm fine, Lord Folken." She gave a faint smile. As soon as Eries was upright, Folken pulled out a chair for her. "Is there something I can attend these with?" He asked softly, but the sympathetic tone was gone. The Stratego was back, cautious, guarded as ever. Was he afraid of feeling emotions? Was he protecting himself? Eries watched as he brought a towel from her bathing room and gingerly attended her wounds. His touch was tender, she noticed, but his face was void of any expression. When Folken noticed Eries studying him, he felt self-conscious. "What is it, your highness?" He asked, wanting to know what she was thinking.
Eries gave a faint shrug. "I never expect such tenderness from a Stratego." He lowered the towel and his gaze drooped. "Princess Eries…" He said softly. But before Folken could say anymore, Eries spoke. "Please. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." She said softly. Folken let out a soft sigh, his wings were the least of his concerns. Eries lowered her eyes. She was just avoiding the topic. "Your father and I have decided it was best that the wedding be as soon as possible…" Folken broke the silence. Eries felt her heart freeze in her chest. "Yes…of course."
Folken lowered his gaze as well. "Princess, I know this all just an arranged marriage…You knew it would come, whether it be Ziabach or any other kingdom, but I want to…I want you to at least be a little bit…happy. If its of any consolation, I will be away often, so you won't have to be bothered with my presence. You can even stay in Asturia for the time being, once this is all over with." Folken dismissed his wings in a flurry of gray feathers, leaving only the man that was half a monster. This princess did not need him to burden her. 'Don't worry, princess, I will not bother you for much longer.' Folken thought morbidly.
Eries looked down at Folken. As their eyes met, Eries saw a glimmer of a soul flutter across his dark, emotionless eyes. He genuinely wanted her to be happy. Eries had heard many stories about this Folken Stratego. Some people said he was a cold, merciless sorcerer of Ziabach while others said he was the lost prince of Fanelia. To Eries, he looked like a man who lost his path; his purpose in life. "Lord Folken, I have prepared for this day since I understood the role of a princess. I have no doubt that you are a good man and will be a good husband. I'm not afraid." She lowered her eyes, fully accepting her destiny decided by her father.
Folken's gaze grew cold once more. 'She is so strong. You will be fine when I am gone, princess.' He thought. Folken stood up. "Your hands should be fine now, princess." He turned towards the balcony, preparing to leave. "Lord Folken." Eries called out to him. He turned, hanging on the sound of her voice. "Lord Folken, I am glad my father chose you to be my husband." She gave a faint smile. Folken gave Eries a deep bow. "I am honored, Princess Eries, that you have accepted me." He managed a weak smile in return. Folken's ash gray wings sprouted from his back once more as he leapt from Eries' balcony and sailed across the garden to him own balcony.
-Epilog-
Folken and Eries were married in secret wedding in the Asturian temple with only King Aston, Princess Millerna, and court officials present as witnesses. Though Folken could never say he was in love with the princess, he loved…or as close to love as he could get…her and more so respected her as a wise woman and a fit ruler who would love her people. Shortly after his death, Eries revealed her pregnancy to the kingdom. She gave birth to her first and only son, named in honor of his late father, Folken II.