Disclaimer: I'm sure this comes as a shock but no, I do not own Star Ocean or the characters therein. ;)
So here's chapter two (of six). My beta's been ill so I'm not sure when she'll be done with chapter three. Hopefully soon. Anyway reviews are welcome. Enjoy!
Chapter Two
Walking down to the gate of Castle Aquaria, Nel could hear the roar of the great waterfall on the western edge of the city. As she headed further into the Aquios it would fade and be swallowed up by the clack of footsteps and clip clop of hooves along the cobbled avenues, but here, on the threshold between the city and the castle, it was still. When Nel had approached her about a mission to Peterny, the Queen had at first been reluctant and Lasselle had been no help, suggesting that a few days' delay was not enough to assume something had happened to Nel's subordinate. However, when Nel expressed the degree of her unease with the situation, the Queen overrode Lasselle and agreed to send her. Now, in the early morning light Nel was packed and prepared to set out to Peterny and see for herself what had become of her agent and how her disappearance was connected to the merchants' activities.
The soft tint of dawn light on Clair's habitually pale face gave it a warm glow, one that could not help but bring a smile to Nel's lips, slight though it might be. They had said their goodbyes already, in the privacy of her room, but Clair had come to see her off as she always did. They were still a few paces from the gate when Clair paused, laying a hand on Nel's elbow.
"Those aren't your usual short swords, are they?" Her gaze was directed at the pair of sheathed blades which rested at Nel's hips.
"They're my father's." Concern flashed across Clair's features. "You don't need to read anything into it." Nel's father had been the wielder of the twin swords, the Blades of Ryusen, when he'd gone missing during a battle and been presumed dead. It was only recently, after the peace between their country and Airyglyph had been settled, that she had learned the fate of her father from Count Woltar who had returned the blades as per her father's final wish. She had told no one of this save the Queen and Clair and it was easy to understand how Clair could be concerned at seeing her carry those blades. "I'm coming back," Nel added.
"Be careful."
"I will."
And then they took the final steps towards the castle gate. "Lady Nel, Lady Clair," the sentries saluted them in unison. Nel gave a curt nod in their direction and then set out down the cobblestone path and down the steps that led into the city proper, leaving Clair standing in the gateway. She could feel Clair's eyes on her as she walked away and resisted the urge to look back.
The main boulevard that ran through the centre of Aquios was still relatively quiet at this time of the morning, with only a handful of early risers, some heading out of Aquios and others crossing to the smaller streets on either side of the city. Nel ducked down one of these to stop at a stable situated just outside the castle gate. There she spoke with the stableman to get use of a horse; she no longer kept one of her own, not since her last mount had taken an Airyglyph arrow. She moved around so much, and so often needed to leave cities by unconventional means, that it was easier to simply requisition a horse when she needed one. Today she needed one; getting to Peterny as quickly as possible was essential.
Once the horse was properly saddled and packed she was finally able to get under way in truth as she had been anxious to do since the moment she'd stepped through the gate. A few minutes later she was through the city and crossing Moonlit Bridge, the bridge over the river that flowed on either side of Aquios. As her mount moved on at a relaxed pace, past the pair of angel statues at the midway point of the long, cobbled bridge, she let her eyes trace the slow turning of the windmill's sails. Her thoughts, however, dwelled on the moss-covered ruins, now used as a public garden, that arced off of the eastern side of the city. She could have seen the garden from the bridge if she were to turn in her saddle, but she did not.
There were so few places she and Clair could be alone without prying eyes or the distractions of their duties as Aquarian officers, but the garden, late in the evening, was one of them. Full of odd corners and set apart from the bustle of the city, it had long been used as a favourite place for lovers' trysts and she and Clair had often met there, especially in their younger days when they had been training in Aquios, before they'd been given their current commands and responsibilities. It was there among the ruins, where the toppled pillars, covered in moss and beginning to crumble under the weight of centuries of neglect, reminded them of the fleetingness of all life, that she had first offered Clair the ring.
Even now, she remembered the way moonlight and shadows had danced over Clair's face, making her seem a child of the moon goddess Irisa herself, the joy in her eyes, the fervour of her kiss. That had been some two years ago now...
So caught up was Nel in her thoughts that it was not until she was almost upon him that she realized the identity of the rider waiting at the end of the bridge. She chided herself for indulging in nostalgia when she was supposed to be on duty, for even at a hundred paces she should not have mistaken him; his broad, bare chest, deeply tanned and marked with runological symbols, and his dark, scruffy beard made him impossible to mistake.
"Adray," she said evenly as she came within earshot of him. In all the time they'd travelled together with Fayt she'd managed to always avoid being alone with him, which had suited her just fine and him as well, it seemed, for he had never sought her out. Though he had been good friends with her father she knew him very little; Clair and he had always had their differences and these past years he was always away on mission far from Aquarian shores. The fact that he was seated on a fully-packed horse, seemingly waiting for someone, made her exceedingly nervous.
"Mind if I ride with you?"
Panic shot through her and it was only years of training that allowed her to keep her expression neutral. "I'm on a mission for the Queen and I must make haste."
"You implying I'd slow you down?" There was a dangerous glint in his eye as he spoke.
"Of course not," Nel replied instantly.
"It's settled then. I'll travel with you and when you get where you're going I'll let you get on with your duties."
"All right," said Nel, trying to ignore a sudden sinking feeling. And to think he would one day be her father-in-law...
ooo
By afternoon, Clair found herself on the second floor of the palace, making her way to the Runological Weapon Research division to speak with Lady Elena. Though half the Shield Legion remained in Arias, aiding in the rebuilding effort, soon they would return to their proper place in Aquios, and with the threat of Airyglyph at an end, many of the runologists serving under Clair were to be reassigned to research duties.
When, upon first glimpsing the trademark emerald green carpet of the runological division, Clair found herself reminded of Nel's eyes, she knew it was going to be a long day.
"Lady Clair," Elena greeted her, glancing up from her book as Clair entered her office. "What brings you here today?" She waved Clair to the oak chair across from her desk. The chair was very nearly the only flat surface in the room which was not covered with books and scrolls.
"I've come to discuss the redeployment of the runologists who've been serving under me."
Elena nodded, setting down the text she'd been flipping through. "Ah yes, we'll be glad to take them into our research division. It was such a blow losing Dion..."
"Yes it was," replied Clair quietly. She'd not known the young man well, but she'd heard that he'd been an excellent runological researcher and had played a role in the development of the Thunder Arrow. And he too was dead thanks to the Vendeeni. It was such a waste...
"So," began Elena after a pause, "is there any chance I could entice you to transfer into my division?"
Clair smiled and shook her head. "My answer is the same as before."
"It couldn't hurt to ask. I remember when you were training..." She shook her head. "You have such a keen sensitivity to runological force, one of the finest in the kingdom. I always thought you could do more here than risking yourself on the front lines."
"That may be so, but my knowledge of runology and its applicability to battle is one of the reasons I was chosen, and I have no regrets about my position."
Elena smiled wistfully. "You were always restless. I suppose it's your father's blood. Has he been sent on another mission by Lasselle?"
"Pardon?" Clair started.
"He rode out early this morning, just before dawn in fact. I'm sorry, I assumed you knew."
Before dawn? Even earlier than Nel had departed... That was... odd. "No I didn't." She shrugged. "Perhaps the Queen asked something of him that required that he leave immediately."
"Yes," replied Elena vaguely. "Yes, I suppose you're right. And how is Lady Nel?"
Clair was so used to people asking her about Nel that she didn't even bat an eyelash; she knew that many were aware of their relationship or, at the very least, suspected. "Busy." A smile crept onto her face. "As always."
"So, shall we get down to the matter at hand?" said Elena.
They spent the next while haggling over the redeployment of the runologists. Though fewer were necessary to the Shield Legion now that it was no longer on active combat duty and was resuming its original responsibilities of the defence of Aquios, it was only natural that a certain number of runologists would stay on with the Legion. If the Shield Legion ever needed to be deployed again on short notice it was essential that they have combat-ready runologists.
Clair breathed a sigh of relief when the details were settled and Elena smiled. "So what will they be working on once they're released from the Shield Legion?"
"Why don't I show you?" Elena offered. She led Clair down to the weapon fabrication room. Every time Clair entered it, she could not help but think that the contrast between that room and the rest of Castle Aquaria could not have been more stark. Most of the castle was built with pale stone, its interior light and airy, with water flowing even within the castle walls, and its exterior covered with vines, its pathways lined by trees; it teemed with a sense of energy and life. The runological weapon fabrication room, however, was dingy, a beast of metal and rust, the rough area carpets, which hid at least part of the steel flooring, always slightly askew. Grey brick walls were discernable in places between sections of metal mesh on which hung weapon schematics. Levers, machinery, supplies as well as completed or prototype weapons lined the walls of the room. It was like stepping into another building completely.
The runologist on duty in the fabrication room bowed as Elena entered. She nodded politely in response and proceeded towards the left side of the room where the weapons were kept. Clair could identify one of the Thunder Arrow's predecessors there as well as several pieces of what must have been even earlier prototypes.
"This is it," announced Elena, coming to stand next to a complex metallic device set on wheels which looked remarkably like the Thunder Arrow, though perhaps a fifth of its size. When Clair stated this Elena nodded. "It doesn't have the yield or range of the Thunder Arrow," explained Elena, "but its smaller size makes it easier to transport and more practical to bring onto the field. It's the smallest we've been able to make thus far, but the eventual goals would be to reduce the weapon to a handheld size so that it could be used a personal arm for our soldiers."
"Like the weapons Nel described in her report," said Clair quietly.
"Yes, I was very impressed with her description of the devices she saw while she was away. It will take us decades– or longer– to come close to reproducing them, but it give us something to strive for."
"I wonder..."
"What is it, Lady Clair?"
Clair sighed. "I just wonder about the wisdom of what you're suggesting. The war is over. Surely we should focus on other matters rather simply trying to create more deadly weapons."
Elena nodded. "I understand your concern, but we've only just discovered there are entire worlds in the stars, most of them far more technologically advanced. In our current state there is little we could do if they should come to our world as the Vendeeni did. Should we not try to develop the means to protect ourselves rather than being forced to rely on the goodwill of Fayt and our other allies?"
"I suppose you're right; we haven't much choice."
Yet, at the mention of Fayt her thoughts began running astray and she found herself remembering the evening after her father had tried to marry her off to Fayt. It was night and moonlight was slanting into Nel's room in the castle. By then Clair's anger hand simmered down into irritated exasperation, but as she'd recounted Fayt's disastrous visit, she had seen a look flash across Nel's face. "Nel, you can't possibly be jealous of Fayt?" she asked with mingled amusement and amazement. Nel met her eyes with an intense stare, one which Clair knew tended to unnerve others, but Clair recognised that look as a sign of turbulent emotion roiling beneath Nel's calm exterior.
Nel moved with startling speed and in an instant Clair found herself pinned against the bed beneath her lover, looking up into Nel's brilliant green eyes. With her soldier's hands, calloused from years of training and of battle, Nel brushed dark strands of hair away from Clair's eyes and let her fingertips trail down her cheek. Her voice was husky as she spoke. "I'm jealous of the moonbeam you're lying in, that's how much I want you all to myself."
"You have me, Nel, every part of me. You always have," breathed Clair, and, loosing one of her hands, she reached up to wind it into Nel's hair and pull her down to kiss her.
The clang of metal startled her out of her reverie. Clair turned on her heel to see that the runologist on duty had pulled one of the switches along the wall in her inspection of the room's machinery. Chiding herself for so easily becoming distracted, Clair turned her eyes to the runological weapons, taking note of the two other prototypes similar to one the Elena had shown her. "Are those ones operational as well?" asked, indicating the two weapons.
"Yes, though the wiring still needs to be tweaked; they tend to overheat after a certain number of shots are fired."
"I see."
"So are you sure I can't convince you to reconsider? We could always use your expertise in runology and your experience in battle."
Clair smiled and shook her head. "My duty to the Shield Legion comes first, Professor."
"We all have our duty," replied Elena, "but you're young still and I hope you find time to enjoy it. Busy or not."
Clair only smiled. It seemed "suspected" was a bit of an understatement after all.
ooo
Her father's oddly-timed departure was still niggling at Clair's thoughts when she sat down at the desk in her room later that day; it was too much of a coincidence that he had left the same day as Nel. She had planned to write up a report of the arrangements she and Elena had made for the personnel transfers, but found herself unable to concentrate. Instead, she opened one of the drawers in her desk, pushed aside the few small items kept there, and felt around for the catch that allowed her to open up the false bottom of the drawer. She removed from it a small, leather-bound volume.
She'd had this desk since she'd been a child, and always she had kept a diary tucked away in the drawer's secret compartment. She never wrote anything that concerned work directly– dates, locations, or anything that could be considered sensitive information– so she didn't have to be concerned about it falling into the wrong hands. Mostly the diary served as a means of reflecting on the events in her life and sorting through her feelings. Somehow writing things down allowed her to make things clearer in her own mind and it had been an invaluable tool during the war.
Clair's slender fingers carefully turned back the pages till she came to the most recent entry all about her father and his attempts to marry her off to the runologists under her command. She was just reaching for the bottle of ink on the corner of her desk when something occurred to her which made her heart lurch, something which had bothered her some weeks ago when it had happened, but which she'd nearly forgotten about in the interim.
After escorting the Queen back from her meeting with the King of Airyglyph at the Ruins of Mosel, Clair had spent a few nights in Aquios before returning to Arias. It had been her first time back in Aquios since she'd been deployed to Arias to defend it from the Glyphian attacks. Entering her room on the first floor of the castle, she had found everything as she had left it– except for one thing. The diary she'd been using before she'd left had had only one or two pages remaining after her final entry so she'd begun a new one in Arias and left the old one in is usual hiding place. When she'd pulled it out of the desk upon returning to Aquios, she'd found the lock open. It had been puzzling, but she'd not dwelled on it long for she'd been just distracted enough the night she'd written the last entry that it was possible she'd left it open. But what if– oh merciful Apris no... Her father had been back in the castle several times during his travels with Fayt's group. It would have been just like him to find her diary and read it.
Clair's mind raced as she tried to recall what she'd written about in that particular volume. Certainly Nel's name would have come up frequently. Nel had been away a great deal at that time on missions to Airyglyph and Clair remembered her journal being filled with reflections on the war as well as with her worry for Nel. However, some of the entries were more than personal, they were intimate. If memory served, she'd written the final entry the night before she'd been due to leave for Arias and now, as she sat there at her desk, she tried to recall the details of that night.
She had not expected to see Nel before she left so she'd been surprised when she'd heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Nel herself standing there. "Can I come in?" she'd asked in a casual tone– no one passing by would have thought anything of it– but no sooner was the door shut than Clair found herself pinned to the door by Nel's body and breathless with her kisses, ardent and demanding– and she loved it. She revelled in Nel's strength, her body lean and toned, her advances forceful but always tempered by an underlying gentleness that Clair knew few other than herself ever saw.
She had written the entry later that night. Nel had been exhausted– she had travelled through the previous night in order to reach Aquios in time to see Clair off– and had drifted off to sleep after they'd made love. Clair, however, wracked with worry, had lain awake a long while before rising to write in her journal.
And as Clair recalled this now she found herself seeking out the old diary, terrified of how much of that evening might have been put to paper; she needed to know exactly what her father had read. Once she'd dug out the old journal she turned to the final entry and scanned it, slowing when she came to the part that concerned Nel.
"The castle is still tonight; even the sound of water seems muted. All I can hear is Nel's breathing. It's different when she's away from here, when she's on a mission. I remember when we were training together how she would keep her guard up even when she slept; she'd wake at the slightest sound with a dagger in her hand. No one would ever suspect how different she looks when she's here, how the stern lines of her face relax and she looks peaceful, even vulnerable.
"Those who serve under her understand and are unwaveringly loyal to her, but others here in court– Lasselle and his ilk– think she's cold, hard; I've heard them say she has ice in her veins. But they don't know, they don't see it's just a mask. When she comes to me at night she's fire and flame, her lips are warm, and her hands, gentle."
Clair groaned and held her head in her hands. If her father had happened to read that– and it seemed likely as it was the final entry– there was no chance that he would not know about her relationship with Nel. No wonder he'd all of a sudden been trying to marry her off. And in all likelihood he was currently travelling with Nel. Gods protect her...
A/N: I just wanted to mention this in case anyone else missed it (I only noticed on my second playthrough), but Clair's diary is in fact canon– as is Adray's intention to read it. Adray is always in Clair's room when you visit Castle Aquaria, right? Well at one point (sometime after the Ruins of Mosel) if you talk to him he says: "Clair has kept a diary since she was a young lass. I know where she hides it, of course. I shall take a peak at it later. It does have a lock on it, but I shall just force it open." I was quite amused by this and just had to write it into my fic; it's so very Adray.
