It's the Thought That Counts

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Oh, there you are!"

At this exclamation, Franz glanced up momentarily from his work, breaking into a wide smile as he caught sight of Amelia. "You're back!"

After the quake at Grado, Amelia had immediately sent in a request to King Ephraim to allow her to travel to Grado to visit and ascertain the well-being of her mother. It was something that King Ephraim could not, in good faith, turn down, and thus Amelia had spent the better part of the last month visiting her mother and catching up. She had written Franz after a week or so to inform him that she had found her mother and was staying there to look after her for a while. He had heard nothing of her after that.

And now here she was, smiling at him. "How's your mother?" He asked as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"She's just fine… she wants to come visit Renais soon, but I convinced her to wait a couple of weeks until that ambassador thing was over." Then she paused and gave him a long look. "Franz, why are you covered in soot?"

This remark caused Franz to glance down at the visible parts of his body, over half of which was black. "Just helping with transportation of coal for the ballroom fires." He shrugged.

The remark was met with a frown. "I don't recall doing labour being part of the knightly vow that I took. Or is this just something about difference in gender and age?"

"You're the same age as me, remember?" Franz said with a gentle smile. "Anyway, you weren't here two days ago, when the King gave the announcement."

"Well, she's here now." Came a new voice from behind them. Franz turned, and instinctively saluted. Amelia did likewise as soon as she caught sight of who it was addressing them.

General Seth acknowledged this with a nod, then turned to the young girl. "Amelia, if you'll follow me, I can inform you of the current situation, and assign you your current duties. Or do you need a while to rest and refresh yourself?"

"Oh, no, sir." Amelia shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Alright then, come with me…"

The two of them disappeared down the corridor. Franz looked down the corridor they had disappeared down in, then returned to his work.

Ephraim glanced down at the sheets and lists before him, mentally sifting the items and categories into more manageable piles. Occasionally, he would take a piece of paper, crumple it up, and discard it into a growing pile beside him.

The door to his study scraped open, and Tana walked in. "Ephraim? The lumber you've ordered from the Frelian mountains have arrived."

"Thanks, honey." He said distractedly. "Could you go… um, send them to the chapel area? That's where they're needed." That said, he returned his full attention to the papers before him, scribbling a few lines here and there.

Tana watched him a few moments before shaking her head and softly closing the door behind her.

"What do you think? The blue or the red?" Eirika pondered as her gaze wandered over the two tapestries before her.

Forde glanced up from where he was carefully chiseling a cracked brick out from the wall of the main ballroom. Brushing a loose strand of hair from his eyes, he wandered over, looking over the Princess' shoulder.

"Blue." He finally said. "Definitely blue."

Eirika half-turned to face him, and raised an eyebrow. "Not that I disagree with your opinion on this… but why?"

"Simple. Blue provides a more soothing colour. Assuming you place the tapestries here, here, and… here." He said, pointing to indicate the spots. "The overall mood during the ball will be calmer, which works well when trying to discuss peace settlements. Red, even dark, rich red like that-" He gestured towards the maroon design. "Has a tendency to encourage aggressive feelings."

A half-smile was tugging at the corners of Eirika's mouth. "Hard to believe someone like you would know so much about these things."

"Comes with the hobby, milady."

"You know, maybe you should resign your commission and become the castle painter."

"Don't even joke about that." Forde snorted. "I paint when I want to relax, not because I'm paid to do so."

"Hoo, this is a big one." Seymour gestured towards a massive gaping hole in the wall behind him. A mason by trade, he had been more than willing to lend his services to Renais should it prove necessary, and quite apparently, it had.

The General stood silently besides him, lip pursed. Then he asked. "Has the requisition from the quarries arrived yet?"

"Supposed to be here before the midday meal, General." Seymour scratched his forehead. "It's gonna be a real tight schedule to patch up all these holes by next Friday, though, no matter how you slice it."

"Just do your best. We've already indicated which ones are the most important. Work in that order, and assuming we don't get to complete it, we can steer the guests away from the areas that have yet to be repaired."

Seymour nodded, and signaled his workers to get ready the materials and begin work. Then, turning back to the General, he paused for a second, then shook his head. "Now, general, I'm just a common workman, and I dunno a lot about running an army and all that, but Lord alive, you've got to get yourself some rest, man. You look like death warmed over."

The General nodded, and managed to stifle a yawn. "Thank you for your concern. I'll rest when I get the time. Elsewhile, just do what you were paid for, alright?"

Seymour doffed his cap, and turned back to his work.

"Cleaning duties." Amelia mumbled. "Takes me back to when I was in Silva."

"Bet your homes were nowhere as big as these." Franz replied offhandedly as scrubbed hard at the castle walls. "Hand me a bucket, would you?"

It was now night on the fourth day since King Ephraim had made the announcement. Most of the castle staff were holding their own against the seemingly endless deluge of chores well enough, although Franz had seen several of the less hardy knights seemingly transform into what appeared to be revenants with healthier skin.

As he continued to clean, his thoughts traveled to General Seth. He and Ephraim were literally exhausting themselves, trying to stay on top of everything. Queen Tana and Princess Eirika were worried about the both of them, Eirika moreso, since she was concerned for the both of them. Or at least that was what the rumours said.

Ordinarily, Franz would have dismissed the notion outright. General Seth had always struck him as someone who sought to preserve the status quo, and traditionally, knights never got romantically involved with the lords (or ladies) they served. But, as his elder brother was fond of reminding him, clawing your way out when you fell in love never worked. He couldn't deny there was something going on in between the General and the Princess…

And speaking of romantic involvement… Franz took a furtive glance at Amelia, who was currently humming an indistinct tune to herself as she continued her work. Amelia was truly a great friend and comrade-in-arms, but… was there something more between them?

He had thought so once. During the War of the Stones and immediately after, he believed that there had been, well, something between them. And who knows? Maybe there had. But duty and responsibility had led them apart for long stretches of time, and they had gradually drifted. They still remained close friends, but…

Franz wasn't sure if what he felt for Amelia right now was truly 'love'. Forde had defined being in love as 'essentially the same as having a complete mental breakdown, only not as painful', and that certainly hadn't occurred to either one of them. Besides, Franz wasn't sure he could trust his brother's word on a subject like this. Forde had never, to the best of his knowledge, been in love – although he had been keeping up a steady correspondence with that Frelian Pegasus Knight – Vanessa, wasn't it? – recently.

Always a strong believer in the 'if you don't understand, then ask' method in life, Franz wouldn't have hesitated to go to older, wiser people whom he could talk to. However, seemingly the wisest of them that he was on a half-informal level with was also struggling with love issues of his own. He just didn't think General Seth was going to be much help here.

Which pretty much left him floundering and on his own as far as this whole 'love' issue was concerned.

Idly picking at a stain that refused to come out, Franz closed his eyes, thinking. If he remembered his dates correctly, Valentine's Day would be coming up soon. Maybe that would be a good opportunity to figure out a bit more of this whole affair. Now, when exactly would it-

Of course. The same Sunday as the last and most important day of the Grand Ambassadorial Ball. The day his services would be most demanded. Franz let out a tired groan.

"Franz? What is it? Are you okay?" Amelia turned to him, a concerned look in her eyes.

"I'll be fine. Just… tired." Franz lied. This effect was made more convincing by the event of him yawning right as he finished.

"We're all tired, soldier." Ephraim rounded the corridor, and even in the dim candlelight, Franz could see the bags under the King's eyes. "Franz, Amelia, you two are off duty for tonight. Go and get some rest. You've earned it."

Amelia nodded, opened her mouth to say something to Ephraim, then seemingly thought better of it and merely saluted. Franz did likewise, and soon the two of them were well on their way to their respective quarters.

"Goodnight, Franz." Amelia smiled. Franz smiled in return, despite his troubled thoughts.

"Goodnight, Amelia."

Once alone in his quarters, Franz quickly undressed. Stripping off his work shirt, he gave it a cursory sniff to ensure that the smell wouldn't cause dead faints, and tossed it into a growing pile of dirty clothes. With most of the castle help actively engaged in sprucing up the castle, 'secondary' duties were rapidly slipping being forgotten. Oh well. He supposed he could last two weeks.

After shrugging into a relatively clean shirt, Franz walked over to his wardrobe. Pushing aside several other objects, he finally pulled out a bulging pouch.

Sitting down, he tipped over the bag, releasing its contents onto his desk. As he counted the amount, he pondered over what he could possibly buy for Amelia that would properly express the current situation. He'd heard Forde describe this sort of thing before – "Firm but not domineering, malleable yet not soft, does not shun the idea of close bonds."

Of course, he had been speaking about purchasing a new warhorse at that time, but the analogy still probably applied.

What would express the fact that I want to understand our relationship better, and yet not appear too forward at the same time? Closing his eyes, Franz let out a long breath of air. A ring would definitely be too forward, flowers would appear too generic… He'd once heard that chocolates were the surest way to a girl's heart, but Amelia apparently wasn't too fond of them. Pity, really. He knew a nearby village that made splendid confectionery…

Whapping himself on the head to get himself to refocus, Franz sat there in the semidarkness, pondering.

Amelia hummed to herself as she continued down the dark hallway. Despite the new, 'improved' schedule, it wasn't anything she was really unused to. Most of the time in the Grado army had been spent as low man (or woman, as it were) on the totem pole, so being part of any army that treated you nicely was a definite bonus in her book.

About to round the corner, she was brought short by a furtive whisper. Raising an eyebrow, she crept closer, trying to listen in without being noticed.

"Have you got it?" Came the first voice, decidedly feminine.

"Yes." Said the second voice, probably a young male. "I'm ready."

She heard what appeared to be a stifled sigh. "I just hope I'm doing the right thing…"

"It's for his own good, Princess."

Princess? Shrugging, Amelia walked around the corner, to face Princess Eirika and Artur. The Princess's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but as Amelia saluted, she calmed down. "At ease, Amelia."

Amelia nodded, then glanced around. "Have I… interrupted anything?" She asked. Curiosity was a trait she had never been able to shake off.

Eirika sighed. "No… just a midnight planning session on how to send General Seth to sleep."

It was then that she noticed Artur was currently clutching a Sleep staff. Amelia blinked at the thought, then frowned. "But… isn't that violating his rights or something?"

Eirika nodded tiredly. "I know. But look at him, Amelia. He's running himself ragged, even moreso than my brother. He's devoted, and I admire that, but I'm not about to lose the General to a nervous breakdown." Amelia noticed a distant look in the Princess's eyes, and wisely decided to nod. Lady Eirika's concern and affection for the Silver Knight was a well-known and oft-discussed issue among the rank and file.

Artur coughed hesitantly. "If I recall, General Seth was last seen in the vicinity of the ballroom. If we hurry, we might find him there."

"Right." Eirika hurried along a couple of steps, then turned and pointed at Amelia. "You saw nothing. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am." Amelia replied, trying unsuccessfully to rein in a smile.

As the footfalls of Eirika and Artur faded into the moonlit night, Amelia continued her journey back to her quarters. It had been a logistical decision to separate the sleeping areas of men and women unless married, and thus depending on where one worked, it could take a while to get back to the relative comfort of your room.

Amelia almost walked by Tana without noticing her. The Queen of Renais had been sitting perfectly still on a bench, gazing at the moonlight with a melancholic expression on her face. When Amelia noticed her, she bowed in greeting. "Queen Tana." She said respectfully.

The Queen made no reply for a while. Then, sighing, she nodded her acknowledgement. "Dame Amelia."

Had it been someone else, Amelia might have ventured on to ask her what was wrong, but social barriers still remained intact for her. She wasn't very familiar with the Queen of Renais, which contributed somewhat to the awkwardness of the situation.

Finally, Amelia broke the silence. "Can I help you?" She asked.

The Queen appeared not to have heard her for a moment. Then she sighed. "Ephraim… Ever since preparations for this Ball started, I've barely seen anything of him."

Amelia groaned mentally. This stupid Ball seemed to be rotting away the entire castle at the seams. "I'm, ah, I'm sure it must be because the Ball is an extremely important… um, event, right?" She offered as she winced inwardly at her fumbling words.

"Bother politics." Tana continued on as if she hadn't heard. "Bother all this playacting and dressup. We've already had a wretched war that's devastated the continent – why can't people stop playing 'I'm King of the Mountain'?"

There was another pause. Then, "Ephraim hates this as much as I do. I can see it. But obligations and duties and all that prevent him from doing anything. Ugh!"

Amelia was getting the distinct feeling she wasn't needed here. With a 'By your leave', (which Tana didn't even appear to have noticed) she fairly jogged off.

The deed was done. Eirika, Artur, and several dumbfounded soldiers gathered around the snoring body of their General.

"That was easier than I thought it'd be." Eirika ventured.

"Lack of rest lowers magical resistance as well as it'd lower your self-defense capabilities." Artur stated.

They stood there for several seconds. Then, Eirika scratched her head and ventured a question to the nearby soldiers.

"So… who'd be willing to move him to his room for the offer of an extra twenty gold in their pocket?"

What's love about, really? Amelia wondered as she stared at the ceiling from the bed.

People seemed to get caught up in it almost without knowing it, and often without resistance. Complicated as all that was, with all the heartaches and headaches associated with the phenomenon, people still spoke glowingly about it.

Rolling over on her bed, she sighed as she recalled an earlier conversation with Neimi, back during the war.

"Is there anyone you like?"

Amelia had avoided the question for as long as possible, but it had come out. She did have, well… feelings for someone, even though she'd never told him. Every time the subject came up, whether with herself or Neimi, she'd feel her face go hot and her courage fade.

She wondered if Franz ever felt the same way about her. They'd shared a definite bond on the battlefield, but after the wall, with the strain of rebuilding… things had cooled down a bit.

She missed those days, somewhat. Not the fighting itself – that was a memory she wanted to relegate forever to the waste dumps of her consciousness. The closeness shared… they'd almost acted as a single mind on the battlefield, constantly looking out for each other's back.

"Let me be your shield… so I can protect you."

"And I'll be your sword and fight for you." He had replied, smiling that gentle smile that always made her heart melt whenever she saw it.

Her one moment of freedom, where she had ran into his arms, the instant when she had come closest to telling him how she felt… She fell asleep, a smile on her face as she dreamed of a day when she would feels his arms around her again.

Next day…

Sunlight poured into the room from the window of the castle quarters. All was silent save for the sound of deep, regular breathing.

Seth sat up slowly, trying to shake the fog of semi-consciousness from his mind. He was slipping. Ordinarily, once he awoke, he was supposed to be fully awake and alert, a byproduct of the many years of training.

Still, he appeared to have a hard time snapping out of this one. Shaking his head slightly, he was almost to the door he recalled what had happened to him last night.

Someone had cast a Sleep spell on him! An ambush! And it was already morning? They could have overrun the castle by now-

Grabbing his sword which lay by the bedside, he was about to push open the door when it swung open of it's own accord.

Eirika stared at him, a wry smile on her face. "Glad you're up. I would've gotten the cooks to bring you breakfast, but they're otherwise occupied with scraping gunk out from the kitchen, so…" She held up a tray containing food.

Seth was understandably preoccupied with other matters. "Lady Eirika, did you see any sign of intruders last night?"

"Intruders?"

"Yes. Last night I was ambushed by someone who apparently had the ability to wield staves. He put me to sleep. Have you checked on the safety of your brother? Have the knights-"

"Seth." Eirika put up a placating hand. "That was me. Well, Artur, actually, but it was my idea."

"…" Seth wasn't exactly sure how he felt right now, and so he said nothing.

Eirika didn't look directly at his face. "I knew you weren't going to like it. But I hope you understand that I did it only because you were going to wear yourself out otherwise. No, don't say anything. I know you're mad. Just eat your breakfast, give yourself time to cool down, and go to work."

She turned and headed towards the door, then paused. "And Seth? … Please don't make me have to do this again."

Then she was gone.

Franz was already tapping his foot impatiently as he watched the morning sun attempt to dispel the fog around the castle gates. Ordinarily meant to be flanked by four or more soldiers throughout the entire day, it had been reduced to a single guard fighting to stay awake while the others remained inside, polishing and weaving and replacing and restoring.

His sword swung lightly in its scabbard as he turned yet again to stare into the fog. Monster packs still roamed the lands, and although they'd never been anywhere near as bold (or organized) as during the days of the war, a few errant fiends could usually be counted on to pop up unexpectedly now and again. It was the foolish traveler that traveled alone and without a sturdy weapon.

Finally, the sound of fast footsteps on the soil could be heard, and out of the mist burst Colm, obviously out of breath. "Sorry." He apologized before Franz could say anything. "Had a run-in with a Tarvos."

"You okay then?"

"You kidding? That thing couldn't have touched me if I were asleep." Colm shrugged in a complacent manner.

"…How's Neimi?" Franz asked. The adventurous rogue had settled down with his childhood friend in a nearby village recently, and from what Franz had heard, Colm was now doing his best to walk the straight and narrow.

"She's fine. She told me to tell you to tell Amelia to come visit sometime."

"Maybe when things calm down a bit. We'll make a day of it, huh?" Franz said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Mm. Anyway, you sent me a midnight courier, so I'm assuming what you're hear to tell me is a rather pressing subject for you?"

"Well, yes. Look, Valentine's Day is coming up-"

"And you want to get Amelia a good present?"

"How did you-" Franz began, but caught himself. "Nevermind. You're right. Look, I already know what it is I want for her, but… with the schedule as tight as it is right now, I can't be leaving the castle."

"And you want me to go pick up the present for you."

"Yeah. You're the closest person I know that isn't under the direct employ of the castle. Can you help?"

"Perhaps one might care to remind you of this?" Colm said conversationally as he held up his left forearm. A thin scar ran from the wrist to the elbow.

"Oh, come on. You did steal the princess's bracelet. How was I supposed to know you were Neimi's friend at that time?"

"Kidding, kidding." Colm grinned. "Be glad to pick it up. So… what is it?"

"Here." Franz rummaged in his satchel a moment, then pulled out a drawing. "The blacksmith there works custom designs. Here's a list of specifications. You can read, right?"

"Yeah, good enough." Then Colm's eyebrows raised as he caught sight of the location of the blacksmith. "Um… that's… a pretty far distance, you know."

"Yeah. You want to borrow Neige? She's gentle enough that she won't really mind who rides her…"

"No. There's a convoy heading that general direction later today. If I hurry I'll make it. But I hope you understand the meaning of compensation."

Franz sighed and handed Colm a pouch. "It'll be more than enough to pay for the item itself. The rest is yours to keep."

"Gotcha." Colm smirked at Franz. "Take care of yourself and Amelia. I'll be back by next Saturday latest. Seeya."

"Yeah… see you later."

"Lord Ephraim?"

The King of Renais glanced up from the detailed plans of the courtyard and ballroom. "Ah, Kyle. What is it?"

The green haired cavalier held up a stack of papers. "These are the requisition forms for the extra materials needed. We need you to sign them."

"Alright." Ephraim sighed wearily. Indicating the fast-shrinking empty space on his desk, he continued. "Put them there. I'll return them to you before the lunch break."

Kyle placed the files on the indicated spot, before he turned hesitantly to Ephraim. "My Lord?"

"… Yes?" Ephraim asked.

"…It will be of no good if the preparations are complete but you fall prey to disease or exhaustion when the Ball comes around. I beseech you, get some rest as soon as you can."

"…Understood." The King replied curtly. "Dismissed."

Kyle lingered for a second longer, before bowing and leaving the room.

Ten days of nonstop activity later…

"I'm proud of you all." Ephraim announced, a wide, reassuring smile on his face as he faced the crowd again. Same people, same general formation, but the mood was entirely different. It was almost festive this time round. "It was an impossible task, but all of us working together accomplished it anyway."

One only need walk around the castle now to spot the difference. The walls that were once scorched black with elder magic now gleamed with bright marble. Holes and scars wrought by axe-blows had been patched up. Bright, fresh tapestries fluttered in the morning breeze. The supplies had been delivered. Everything was as ready as it would ever be for tomorrow's guests.

Looking around as the exhausted but jubilant faces, Ephraim raised his voice to almost a shout. "I declare this day to be an unscheduled holiday! Make free, rest up, do whatever you wish to your heart's desire." He was shouting now, over the tumultuous roar of cheers.

"With the exception of these people needed to maintain a skeleton crew-" He indicated a list of names hanging by the wall. "These people will be able to take the day off during the Ball. Now, all of you, dismissed!"

There were several war whoops and general sounds of merriment as the crowd as they went to ascertain their names weren't on the stay-back list before they filed out of the throne room. Meanwhile, Ephraim settled onto his throne, the smile still firmly etched on his face.

"It was exhausting, wasn't it, Eirika?" He turned to ask his sister as she approached him.

"Yes, it was." She replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It was worth it, though. Even the stuck-ups are going to be impressed with what you did to the castle."

"What we did." He corrected. "What we all did."

"Mm."

"…How are things with you and the General?"

"No better, no worse. He's still cordial to me, Ephraim, but I don't think he's ready to forgive me just yet."

"I can't be too sure I'd have endorsed that plan too, Eirika. It was rather demeaning."

"I know, but… Look, you don't need to be a physician to figure out he was ready to collapse. I know Seth – if I'd ordered him to rest he'd fake it until he was sure I was gone, then return to work."

"Nice to see you worry so much for him. Eirika, do you ever plan on telling him how you feel?"

"Brother!"

"…The General feels doubly betrayed, sister, because he trusted you. I know Seth well – he may not feel it appropriate for there to be love between a knight and his lady, and so he will avoid it, but there isn't a man alive who can control his feelings. You've hurt him, I'm sorry to say."

"…I thought I was doing the right thing…"

"…Maybe you were, sister. But now's not the time for that." He winked at her. "Let's start figuring out how to patch things up between up between you and Seth."

Eirika raised an eyebrow as a wry smile appeared on her face. "And let's figure out how to patch things up between you and Tana. Your marriage has been rocky ever since this affair with the Ball began."

Ephraim smirked in return. "Deal." He extended his arm, palm upwards, towards his sister, who grabbed it, and shook once.

"Let's go."

"Looks like I'm drawing duty today." Franz said with a resigned sigh. Beside him, Amelia thumped him on the shoulder.

"Well, you get to take the day off while the rest of us play escort to a bunch of snobbish nobles. I'd say you're getting the better end of the deal." She said in an effort to cheer him up.

Franz let out a weak smile. "Thanks. I would've preferred we both got the same days off, though. We could have visited the city or something together."

Amelia grinned, while inside she was trying her level best to shake off any implications that might have been behind that statement. "Maybe when everything's calmed down." She said lightly.

"Yeah… Well, I've been assigned to the East Tower, so I guess I'd better be off. Have a great day, Amelia." He said over his shoulder as he turned to walk off.

"Thanks!" She called after him. Then, turning, she left too, heading for the castle gates.

The next day…

The sun rose bright and early, piercing the morning veil of mist easily. Forde yawned sleepily and scratched his hair as he arose from slumber just in time to catch the golden dawn.

Right. Today was the first day of the weekend-long Grand Ambassadorial Ball. He would be part of the guard of honour.

Sighing, he found a reflective surface and did his best to make his hair look presentable. Buckling on his armour, he grabbed his sword from it's usual point by the bed, sheathing it with a careless precision borne of years of experience.

He could already hear the heralder calling for all knights to gather in the courtyard from his window. A half smile on his face, he swung the door open and exited his room.

The day stretched forward before them.

Thank you for reading. Please review.