On Epiphanies

Oy vey. I'm back.

"speech"

thoughts / flashbacks / emphasis / etc.


Chapter 1: Duty


"Don't fall asleep, King Joshua. Falling off your horse would be very unbecoming of royalty."

For what seemed like the millionth time, the redhead waved his hand dismissively in response to the admonishing of the man riding beside him. "Just Joshua. We're both royalty, after all, right? Besides, not only am I the least royal guy you'll ever know" – this, he punctuated with a grin – "I hate formalities. It's why I left Jehanna Hall in the first place."

Ephraim faintly grinned in response. "I know what you mean. I never enjoyed my studies, and I preferred to train my lancework and enjoy the outside world."

His twin sister smiled as well, then added, "We both often grew bored of the formalities, and frequently sneaked out of the castle. I, however, was not the one who jested about abandoning royal duties in favor becoming a mercenary." The newly christened Queen Eirika of Renais fixed her brother with a Look, but everybody knew she was merely jesting.

Ephraim shook his head, his only halfway-groomed turquoise locks flailing about in response. "You know I could never bring myself to abandon you, dear sister." Eyeing Joshua wistfully, he continued, "Perhaps I should envy you. You're the one who actually did that. For ten years, you said?"

Three days had passed since Joshua and Marisa's incident. Yesterday, the group began the long march back home, bidding their farewells to the theocracy of Rausten. Ewan had voiced his displeasure at abandoning the royal delicacies, but his sister and teacher silenced his protests, and the massive company departed without further incident.

In actuality, something had happened. That incident was currently occupying the mind of a Prince Innes of Frelia, a few paces behind his fellow royalty on a steed of his own. Though he was often rigid and stiff-necked, he, too, was susceptible to daydreaming and idle memories…


"It is time for us to part ways, my friends. I have my many duties as the princess of Rausten, and you each have yours to your separate kingdoms. The journey was great, and I am pleased to have made so many allies in foreign and high places."

"Ha ha ha! Quite elegant, Princess!"

"Do you ever shut up?" Rennac idly wondered aloud at the thickly bearded berserker. How Dozla could be so dense as to find L'Arachel tolerable, he'd never figure out.

"Yes. Thank you, Dozla.

"Queen Eirika. If it please you, perhaps you would join my tea club? I hope you would agree to this – and you too, Princess Tana." The two women smiled, looked at each other, and nodded in unison.

"King Ephraim." The turquoise-topped man nodded once in response. "I realize much distance separates our lands, but perhaps we could…" She hesitated, then looked at the gray-haired archer standing at the other end of the throne room, arms folded in miffed impatience. "Forgive me. Pay it no mind."

The king of Renais frowned, but replied, "So be it. Fare thee well, then, Princess L'Arachel, Pontifex Mansel of Rausten. I hope we will meet again soon." Bowing deeply, he turned and exited the room.

His twin curtsied, and replied, "I imagine keeping correspondence shall be quite a challenge. But let's keep in touch, L'Arachel. We shall have to arrange to hold our tea meetings at the same time. Perhaps halfway between noon and sunset?"

"An excellent idea, Queen Eirika. I look forward to it." The pair shared smiles, then Eirika hurried to catch up to her brother.

Joshua sauntered up easily, then smirked and said, "You know something, Princess? That dagger you gave me a week back saved me when Marisa and I were ambushed two days ago. I guess I owe you."

"Debts and ledgers are of no concern to the princess of Rausten," the green-haired royalty replied, but her smile did not mask her smug satisfaction. I suppose I'll feel it in the shorts if I have to deal with Rausten in the future, the king of Jehanna mentally noted to himself. He returned her smirk, then spun on his heels and walked off.

As the rest of the company began to depart, Innes clambered up the steps, and stopped directly in front of L'Arachel.

"So."

"So." She returned his sharp gaze evenly, staring back into the seasoned archer's gaze with all the confidence her office and histrionic tendencies gave her.

"I suppose we part ways now."

"But not for long," she replied. "Soon, you and I will exchange visits to our respective kingdoms, and we'll get King Ephraim and Queen Eirika to judge which of our lands is greater." She smiled confidently, then added, "I'm sure you'll appreciate the beautiful sights Rausten has to offer."

"And I'm sure you will enjoy your visit to Frelia," Innes responded. The pair grew silent, but stood firm, not turning their gazes away from each other.

"Hey! Are you gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna kiss her already?" The distinctively cheeky voice rang across the hall from the doorway.

"I do not recall asking for commentary, King Joshua," the archer shouted in response. "Continue readying the caravans – I'll be out soon enough."

"Maybe we should delay the trip. Give the two lovers another night to spend together. How's that sound, King Ephraim?" Joshua shouted out to the walls, presumably where the group was gathering.

"We need to return to our homes, King Joshua. We all have much to do," came Ephraim's loud and clear response. "Tell them as much as I would have it otherwise, their romance must wait." The humored tone in his rival's voice made Innes sniff in disdain.

L'Arachel smiled. "Pay them no mind."

"I did not plan to," the gray-haired prince replied. Again, they continued to simply leer at each other.

Until L'Arachel snared two fistfuls of his tunic and yanked him into a frenzied kiss. Innes' eyes flew open, and he flailed his arms for balance before spinning her around and pinning her against the pillar behind him. Pulling back and breaking the kiss, he ignored Rennac's baffled stuttering of "What the hell?" and Dozla's amused laughter, simply staring at her. Unable to contain his smirk, Innes let it out and said, "Not in a throne room."

"We must continue this at a later date," the lime-haired princess stiffly offered.

"A holy woman, asking to resume such things? How unbecoming," Innes dryly retorted.

L'Arachel darkly glared at him in response, but could not hold it. Her scowl eventually gave way to a soft smile, and as Innes turned to leave, she called out, "Do not forget to visit."

"Take care that you not forget to visit," Innes countered as he turned to look upon the princess of Rausten once more. He offered another smirk in parting, and turned back to leave.

"Ooh…" Joshua snickered upon seeing the Frelian prince walk out with all the signs he'd expected – suspicious wrinkles in his tunic, a grin that refused to hide itself despite Innes' best efforts, somewhat ruffled hair and suspiciously wet lips. "Too bad we didn't stay long enough for you to do something to her, huh?"

"King Joshua?"

"Hm?" The redhead's grin threatened to split his face in two.

"Shut up."


"…well, I guess in retrospect, it's a good thing I've got a soft spot for pretty ladies. Seth sticking a lance into my heart doesn't sound very appealing as far as deaths go. I guess it's also good that I had bad luck that day. All my coin tosses were tails – including the one I had with Natasha."

Eirika shook her head in disbelief. "How do you do things like that, Ki – er…Joshua? Change allegiances at the flip of a coin? Natasha once told me of how you came to our side. And if I recall correctly, that's why you accompanied me to Jehanna, even though I asked you to go with my brother…"

Ephraim tilted his head slightly upon hearing that. "I haven't thanked you yet for that, have I? You have my gratitude for keeping my sister safe, Joshua."

Joshua's grin ruined any nonchalance his shrug might have otherwise had. "Heh…that's part of my charm, that's all. Which reminds me…on that day, Eirika? I cheated."

The teal-haired princess narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What?"

Joshua would have responded, but when he idly turned his head around and saw the blank look on Innes' face, he grinned, and waved his hand to try to catch the gray-haired prince's attention.

"Hey! Ya there? What's with people always going blank around me?"

Innes blinked once, then twice, then turned his gaze to Joshua. "Ah. Apologies, King Joshua. I was…thinking," he explained.

"Yeah, you really did get lost. Just Joshua, alright?" Eyeing the Frelian prince suspiciously, he probed with, "What were you thinking about?"

Innes refused to grace the redhead's question with a response.

"Ohhhh! I know what you were thinking about! It was L'Arachel, wasn't it?" Joshua teased. "See, Ephraim? I told you we shoulda stayed longer. At this rate, he'll pine away to nothing before we see her again!" Unable to contain his amusement, the king of Jehanna clutched his sides and burst out laughing.

"King Joshua?" the archer interrupted.

"Ha ha ha – Hm?"

"Shut up."

"Prince Innes, you know he only means it in jest," said Eirika. "And what did you mean when you said you cheated, Joshua?"

"He can turn the coin over in his palm very discreetly," Innes explained. "It's how he cheated me out of a few thousand gold. Of course, that's pocket change for the prince of Frelia, but still…"

"You lost, sucker," Joshua countered. "That's how it happened, hm? Shouldn't the prince of Frelia know better than to challenge the champion of another domain?"

"How is Jehanna going to trust a king who cheats over such petty manners?" Innes snapped in response.

"Hey, don't worry, friend," the redhead replied. "I keep my word, and I do things right. I can just say that it means I'll wring hands, sidestep rules, and throw out traditions in order to get things done."

Eirika sighed in resignment – again. Why is it that I do this frequently in Joshua's presence? "So, you cheated to go with me to Port Kiris?"

"Pfft…figured your brother would want someone to keep an eye on you, ya know? I did pull your fat out of the fire a few times on the way to Jehanna," Joshua reasoned.

"And I you," the queen of Renais retorted.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, eh?"

"I suppose. But you cheated me when I asked you to go! That's not fair, Joshua!"

"Hey, all's fair in love and war, right? Your brother wouldn'ta been very happy to find out you'd gotten hurt, after all. Figured I'd do some diplomacy for the post-war times," the redhead explained. Then, he smirked and added, "Right under all your noses, no less."

Ephraim chuckled aloud. "I suppose there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the king of Jehanna. I can only hope we can bond with your nation as well as we have with Frelia."

"Hey, if I dropped this rogue-go-lucky demeanor, I woulda never kept my cover over that decade of merc work. Acting all high-and-mighty like Innes here-"

"I don't think I-" Innes interjected.

"…woulda given it away. I'd have to deal with toadies and blustery dimwits who wanted to pick a fight – two reasons I left home to begin with."

"A fight?" Ephraim inquired. "You were the prince of Jehanna. Why would you have to worry about people who wanted to fight with you before you ever left? Yes, every country has its insurrectionists and coup d'etat plots, but why would you even learn of people who wanted to publicly pick a fight, much less deal with them?"

"Hey, Jehanna's home to some legendary mercenaries – Gerik's one of 'em, Marisa and her father, too. Royalty wouldn't pamper their kids, not when their lives would wind up hinging on their combat skills and physical ability. The desert's a tough place – that was one of the first things I remember my father and Carlyle teaching me." Joshua paused, then inquired, "What, you envy that?"

The king of Renais quirked an eyebrow in response. "How can you change from seemingly so zestful to so perceptive this quickly?"

Joshua bemusedly chuckled. "It's how I keep life interesting. I like to think of life as a gamble, so I try to change the game and turn the tables as I think it necessary. That's one of the lessons I learned in my ten-year absence from Jehanna's throne – the way to live a little is to make life unpredictable."

"Wise words indeed, Joshua," Ephraim complimented the redhead. "And yes, the prospect of testing my skills always has excited me. Perhaps you and I should spar?"

"Tch. Don't you have an unfair advantage?" Joshua quipped.

"Shouldn't you be skilled enough to overcome it?" the turqoise-haired lanceman replied.

"Yeah, I probably am." The desert king shrugged, wearing a friendly grin as he added, "But fighting over that disadvantage is something I'd rather not do."

"FORDE!"

The loud shout spun the heads of the four royalty present (Tana was busy trying to convince Cormag to join Frelia's knights after Grado's reconstruction), and they saw the familiar red armor of the infamous Wild Knight slouched against his horse suspiciously.

"Hm? Wha?" Forde groggily rose from his nap to face the source of the noise, rubbing his eyes with a gloved hand.

"What in the name of heaven are you doing falling asleep on a march!" Kyle shouted. Ephraim cringed, already visualizing veins bulging on the forehead of the green-haired knight.

"Oh, c'mon. This is the most uneventful march we've been on in forever," the sandy-blonde sleepily countered. "Grado's army is in shambles, the Demon King's death means no more monster ambushes, and I'm sleepy! Go away." Joshua grinned, sympathizing with the paladin's desire for some shuteye. Anything to forget that…he involuntarily shuddered at the memory of his escapade with Marisa days back.

Kyle sighed in irritated resignation. "Where's your sense of duty? We as Knights of Renais need to be ready to serve and protect our King and Queen at a moment's notice! I know that you know this, Forde. We're not home yet, so show some responsibility!"

Forde yawned before countering with, "You need to quit being so stuffy. I do not understand how you plan to get a woman being so uptight – I've already gone over this, haven't I?"

"Stuffy? I am right – it's your duty to be ready to serve, so do it!" The green-haired knight paused briefly, then idly muttered, "Syrene once used the same word…"

"See? Even your lady friend says-"

"She's not my-"

"Don't even try to deny it! I've seen the way you look at her, how you act around her." Forde grinned mischievously, then continued, "The only reason you and she haven't made any noise is because you're much too by-the-book to go show her how much you-"

"Forde! That's enough!"

But the damage had been done. Laughter burst out from the knights riding among the bickering pair, and even Seth, who rode at the head of the cavaliers, cracked a small smile. Joshua chuckled, Ephraim smiled, Eirika failed to stifle her giggles, and Innes sighed and rolled his eyes at the spectacle.

"Where is the decorum?"

Joshua snorted and quipped in response, "Hey, I'm pretty sure that discipline was the last thing on your mind when-"

"Shut up," snapped the gray-haired archer.

"Hey, why get so irate about it? Your choice isn't so bad – I can only imagine what kind of pent-up sexual-"

"I said-"

"-frustration L'Arachel has from all those years of 'holy work'." The desert king tilted his head pensively, and raised a finger in realization. "Now I know why you two are all over each other like that! Hm…"

The Frelian prince's scowl only furthered the laughter of his friends and the pinkish stain to his cheeks.


"Oi! Ephraim, where'd ya run off to?"

The sun burned overhead with a tired hue of yellow, and already it began to retire behind the mountains, signaling the cue for the massive army headed by the royalty of three nations to set up camp for the night. The sunset was an attractive amalgam of orange and red hues that looked like one of Forde's paintings – and, in all likelihood, the lazy cavalier was capturing the sunset on another work of his.

Only five minutes ago had Joshua began his search for his fellow king. Humongous as the camp was, it was natural that he hadn't found Ephraim yet. The king of Renais was absent from the section of the camp set aside for the royalty, and Joshua had discovered that when he'd peeked into the twins' tent and found nothing. Well…actually, he'd found Eirika in a nightgown, combing snarls out of her hair in a full-length mirror, but he'd closed the flap and walked off before he was ever detected – he was beyond peeping, as he'd already reached levels well past that. Several times. And Eirika, pretty as she was, had little to grab onto (as Caellach might have said).

He was briskly walking to the cavaliers' section when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Spinning round, he saw the viridian hair and worn combat vest of Gerik. Joshua flashed a smile in response and asked, "Whatcha need? I'm a touch busy, but I can spare time."

"Good to hear. What say I take you up on that offer, King Joshua?"

"Just Joshua. Talk to me like you never knew I was Jehanna's prince." Another grin full of white teeth.

"Joshua, then. A ways back, you said something about a well-paying job. I'd be right if I guessed it had something to do with your royal duties?" The way the mercenary looked at the redhead showed he already knew the answer, but Joshua replied nonetheless.

"Yup. I was gonna offer you a post as a general and advisor of mine, but that's your choice. There's probably a bit more paperwork and pomp involved in that job than you might like, just so you know. If I'm right, we're kindred spirits, and neither of us would like being trapped in stuffy ol' Jehanna Hall all the time. I mean, you might not complain, but-"

Gerik chuckled, and interjected with, "Well, I'm letting you know that I'm considering that offer seriously. I'll talk to some of the company and get their ideas about it. I know you wouldn't mind bolstering your army some, right?"

"Hey, help is always welcome," Joshua replied. "Besides, I already roped Marisa into tagging along, so I definitely think you'll enjoy taking me up on my offer."

"Marisa? How'd you convince her?" Gerik frowned. She would definitely have mentioned something that big…

"I made a wager of a spar, saying that the loser owed the winner a favor. Beat her. I asked her, to a word, to be my 'partner for a while'."

Okay. That was definitely something Marisa should have mentioned. "Partner?" the Desert Tiger skeptically repeated.

The desert king chuckled. "Don't worry – I'm smart enough to not go after cold fish. For training and maybe the occasional night out, that's all. She eventually interpreted it to mean service to my crown, and that's fine by me. 'Sides, I know her eyes are for you, so I'd rather not try."

"Huh?"

"Oh, c'mon. I saw you trying to apologize to her. She never gets that flustered around anyone else."

Oh. Oh. "Sneaky, aren't you, Joshua? Yeah, I guess I shouldn'ta laughed at her trying to be more social. That's something I'm gonna need to fix over time."

"We, silly. Or have you already forgotten? I'm going to beat you in a duel, and you're going to join me and her in ruling Jehanna."

Gerik laughed once more. "Confident, are we?"

"I am a king, after all. Which reminds me, I need to find King Ephraim. Keep an eye out, will ya?"

"Sure. How much you gonna pay me for it?"

The redhead chuckled. "The price? The right to call me your friend."

The two swordsmen shared a good laugh as they parted ways.


Perched atop a rocky outcropping, Ephraim was seated at the edge of a small canyon, idly kicking his legs as he gazed into the sunset.

"We…three. Lyon used to be with us, didn't he?"

Not in a mood to delude himself, Ephraim admitted that it hadn't been pleasant to watch his friend die from the lance wounds he'd stricken him with. Siegmund, true to its title of a Sacred Twin, always found its mark, after all.

Demon King be damned, Ephraim had killed his own friend. The same man who would put the baffling and lengthy history texts into lucid words for him. The same man who'd enjoyed so many good times and so much jesting with him and Eirika. The same man who simply wanted to bring happiness and peace to everybody. Ironic, that such a pure desire wound up killing him and so many others.

"No." The aqua-haired king shook his head. "Lyon would not want me to be sad. He'd want me to pick up the pieces and keep on living. He'd want me to be happy." Rising from his introspection, he gathered the iron lance he'd taken along for self-defense, and sighed.

"Just watch, Lyon. I'll fulfill your dream for you. I'll do what you couldn't. And I'll live happily, like you would want me to."

Ephraim grew silent, absorbed in thought as he gazed out over the plains from his tall vantage point.

Some time later, he vaguely felt a presence behind him, and he turned to face it. Greeted by Joshua's disarming grin, he relaxed, and returned the smile with his own. "What is it, Joshua?"

"Good. You remembered that I don't like formalities."

"Neither do I, friend. What do you need?"

"What say we spar? The loser owes the winner a favor."

Ephraim shook his head. "No need for a duel, Joshua. Just ask, and I will do what I can."

"Ya sure? I thought you woulda liked to spar with me…"

Ephraim paused, then eventually replied, "…I don't think I'm in the mood to spar now. Another day."

"Gee, you're awfully pensive. What's got you so out of it?"

"…"

The redhead frowned, and repeated, "Come on, Ephraim. I am your friend, right? Spill it – the way you look, confession might do ya some good."

"…I…I was, er, thinking of Lyon."

A comprehending smile found its way onto the desert king's face. "It's not your fault, if that's what you're so antsy over. The Demon King destroyed him, and you settled the score. Easy. If I read right, he wouldn't want you to bother yourself with false guilt. I know I wouldn't want a friend to worry about something he was helpless against."

Ephraim raised an eyebrow. "You killed a friend of yours as well?"

"Yeah. It was Caellach. He was that axe-wielding general we took care of at Jehanna."

Ephraim narrowed his gaze incredulously. "Him? Wow...you feel no remorse over it?"

"Well, he did kill my mother. And he burned down Jehanna Hall." Joshua sighed, then ran a hand through his red locks. "We were mercenaries – sure, we shared good times and worked together real well, but we didn't get that attached to each other. We knew better – death could come from anywhere for a mercenary."

"You killed him for vengeance, then?"

The swordsman shook his head. "No. Grudges get in the way of work – I told him the same, word for word. He posed a serious threat to the security of Magvel – not on the same level of the Demon King, obviously, but he had to die sooner or later if reconstruction was ever going to happen. And I never did like waiting for extra chances – it was best to finish it, then and there. That, and he always did have a big head."

Ephraim chuckled bitterly. "So you killing him differs too greatly from me killing Lyon?"

Joshua offered a small smile in response. "Yep, definitely. You didn't kill Lyon. And while I might not know what it feels like, that doesn't mean I can't offer my sympathies, right?"

The turqoise-topped king replied with a small smile and, "No, it doesn't. I appreciate you listening to me, Joshua. Thank you."

He shrugged nonchalantly in response. "Hey, friends, right?"


As the pair made it back to the camp, Ephraim suddenly recalled Joshua's earlier offer.

"You said you needed a favor from me?"

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, I did."

"Ask, and I will do what I can."

Not breaking stride, Joshua reached a hand to his chin pensively, quietly muttering, "How can I say this…" Blinking and returning his gaze to his fellow king, at length, he said, "I'd like you to give me the right to…" he wrinkled his nose, sighed, then continued, "court your sister."

"What?" Ephraim halted, narrowing his eyes in bewilderment. Why would he…?

"Why would I? Thought you might ask." Ticking off reasons on his fingers, he explained, "We're friends, sure, but making a concrete, er…bond? Yeah, bond…will be better for the minds of the people – Grado and Renais were allies, too, so just friendship won't be enough to ease international tensions. Innes already has dibs on L'Arachel" – Joshua paused to grin with Ephraim – "and I wouldn't have went after her anyways. Frelia is too distant, and Innes would turn me into a pincushion if I tried to approach his sister like that." The pair shared another laugh. "Grado has no royalty to speak of anymore, and I figure a king's marriage invariably needs some political implication. That, and your sister is pretty."

Ephraim evenly replied, "I would know. I'm her twin brother." Fixing Joshua with a serious gaze, he continued, "But are you sure of this? I was always taught that marriage was meant to be for love – that's why my father chose my mother, so Father said. I can sympathize with a sense of duty, and I realize a king must make some measure of sacrifice for his people, but…shouldn't your own desires fit into this somewhere? What of your happiness?"

The redhead shrugged. "What of it?"

Ephraim narrowed his eyes. "I'm being serious here, Joshua. What would motivate you to choose my sister? Should you truly allow politics and duty to play such a role in a decision like this?"

"You're trying to scare me away, aren't you?" Any venom to the redhead's accusing retort was ruined by his goofy grin.

The king of Renais chuckled, but quashed his mirth quickly with a frown and continued, "I mean it. I advise you not to force this, Joshua. I won't stand idly by and watch my friend and my sister get into a loveless marriage – if I know her, Eirika would allow her sense of duty to push her into this against her own desires."

Joshua lifted an eyebrow in response. "You're worried about that?" Waving his hand dismissively, he countered, "Don't worry – you leave that to me, Ephraim. I never intended to force the marriage onto her – I'm not as foolish as I let on."

Ephraim smiled. "I know."

The two kings spotted the camp ahead, and Joshua waved to catch the attention of the mercenaries under Gerik's command. "Let her know about my intention to court her. I'll take care of the rest. You can trust me that much, right?"

"Should I not?" The turquoise-topped man joked in response.

A multitude of soldiers were baffled by the grins of the kingly pair making their way to the royalty tents.


"What?" Were she a less soft-spoken soul, Eirika would have shrieked that word.

Ephraim shook his head. "I was just as surprised as you are, sister. He explained that of foreign royalty, you are the remaining option, and that he feels obligated to make political use of his marriage. He also told me that he'd take care of everything else. All I am to do is inform you of his intentions."

Sitting onto her (very) fluffy sleeping bag, Eirika held a hand to her heart and lowered her gaze as she inquired, "Why me? I once remember Tana telling me that King Joshua seemed interested in that Grado cleric, Natasha. Why would he abandon that and decide to court me because he feels his royal office calls for it?"

Her twin brother shrugged. "I am as confused as you are. He simply says to trust in him to work everything out." He rose to his feet from the chair in front of the mirror, and explained, "I'm going to go check with Seth on a few things. I'll be back soon, sister."

With that, he lifted the flap and walked out of the room, leaving Eirika to ponder over that tidbit of baffling news.

A few minutes later, somebody called from outside the tent, "Hey, ya in there, Princess Eirika? You decent?"

Roused from her thoughts, she stood up and examined herself briefly. Her nightgown did show a bit much…. She pulled the cape from her combat outfit and draped it over her shoulders. "Who is it?"

"Joshua."

She started in surprise, but collected herself and said, "Come in, milord."

As the redhead opened the tent flap and pulled it back behind him, he replied, "Tch. Just Joshua, alright? It puts me at ease."

"Very well then, Joshua. Sit if you please."

He shook his head. "Nah." Shoving his hands into his pockets, he idly stretched his neck and yawned.

"Do you need something, Joshua?"

He tilted his head in response. "Actually, I do. You up for a wager?"

Eirika frowned. "You won't cheat again, will you?"

Joshua chuckled lightly. "I might. Ephraim relayed my message to you?"

"Ah…y-yes." She paused, then softly asked, "Why would you choose to wed me for those reasons? What of love?"

"Speaking of love, I'm going to bet that you're going to confess your love to me within, say, the next six months."

"What!" Eirika shrieked, completely taken off balance by his offer.

The redhead grinned. "I'll bet my right to court you. How's that sound? You in?"

The cerulean-haired queen frowned. That means if I do not fall in love with him, he will give up and not marry me. He's giving me the right to consent to this marriage, and he means to make our matrimony authentic. He doesn't want to force anything…how thoughtful.

"Hey, don't frown like that. You're too pretty to be messing up your face frowning."

She blinked, startled by his comment, and blushed. Perhaps too quickly, she replied, "Quite cunning, Joshua. Your planning is very thorough."

"Yeah, yeah. So, are you in or what?"

Eirika sighed, then nodded. "I accept your terms." She paused, then continued, "But you did not answer my question. What of you? You say that you will not wed me until I am in love with you, but what of your love? Should you not consider your own happiness before you make these decisions?"

Joshua's jaw jumped, but he changed the subject. "Hey, you have to wager something, too. What is it?"

"You're not weaseling out of this, Joshua. If you don't want to-"

"Eirika, I'm-. Oh. Hello, Joshua."

"Hey," the redhead replied, still fixing his gaze on Ephraim's twin. "Go ahead and tell him about it," he suggested to her as he turned around and exited the twins' tent, poking his hat with his thumb and nodding at Ephraim in greeting.

Ephraim idly watched Joshua leave, then turned back to Eirika and inquired, "What did he come here for?"

His sister simply stared at the exit of the tent, inattentive.

"Sister?"

"Hm? Oh…um, you see…"


Now back in his own tent, Joshua stretched wide and yawned once more. Shedding his jacket and hat, he flopped onto his cot and shut his eyes.

"Should you truly allow politics and duty to play such a role in a decision like this?"

"…what of your love?"

Sighing, he began to ponder the twins' comments. I've got a duty to do. I ditched Jehanna for ten years, and I'll make it up by doing a damned good job. …but I suppose they've got a point. I'll find my happiness. I know what I enjoy. The redhead grinned, already amused by how the elders, advisors and nobility would react to him leaving the Hall on a regular basis and gambling away chunks of the royal treasury.

Still, there was much more to his future than just irritating the wrinkly old bags who would try to nag him into becoming one of them. He frowned, and worked his jaw pensively as he continued mulling over their words. But, indeed, what of love? Do I go through with my plan, or should I take Ephraim's advice and marry for love? Even if I do, who would I marry for…love…. …Son of a….

Natasha. He had made that bet with her, that she'd fall for him. Unbelievable. Brilliant, Joshua – you got a woman to fall for you when you're trying to go after another one. Just fucking brilliant.

Cursing under his breath, Joshua shut his eyes and sighed deeply. Smooth, Your Highness. How the hell are you gonna solve this? Duty, or love? Shit, do you even love her? Either of them? Another aggravated sigh escaped the redhead's lips.

It wouldn't be the last one for that night.


There. How's that for an unexpected pairing?

Listening to how Joshua speaks of his experiences in the outside world, as well as how he speaks of his upcoming role as the king of Jehanna, it's easy to deduce that he carries the same sense of duty as Ephraim. Both have their passions (Ephraim his spear, Joshua his luck), both are reckless, and neither have a personality that could stand to be cooped up inside a castle. As far I see it, the only difference between Ephraim and Joshua is Eirika – not only the fact that he has a sibling, but her effect on him. Ephraim, despite his mention of wanting to become a mercenary, would not dare abandon Eirika to do that. Joshua, not tied down by any such personal obligation, did so. And as far as parents go: to be honest, Ismaire and Fado would probably be so busy with their duties, they would not be the kind of consistent presence that a sibling would be. Besides, having gentle Eirika for a sister would make Ephraim more inhibited. Nobody would affect Joshua like that during his childhood in Jehanna, and living in a desert nation is harsher anyways. Because I see little difference between Ephraim and Joshua outside of their upbringing (which can influence but never dramatically change a personality), I believe they would get along well. Besides, they're both my favorite characters.

As for Joshua going after Eirika, it is for the reasons I listed. Though our favorite gambler certainly won't welcome death with open arms like Knoll over his mother's death, he's certainly going to feel somewhat guilty over not being there to help her. He knows that he owes it to his mother to do a good job of ruling Jehanna, and establishing an alliance via a marriage is certainly a means to that end. Don't worry, though – Joshua will figure out what he really wants and what Ismaire would want for him. It's just a matter of time – happiness was meant to be pursued and hunted, not stumbled upon.

Reviewer responses:

Tenshi no ai: Thanks for the ego boost, but I would prefer it if you'd evaluate my writing style and characterization.

Phantom Kensai: Marisa can speak for more than ten words, believe it or not. The longest she speaks is in her B support conversation with Joshua, no less.

Raedyn-l: What? Did you think I was just gonna give you the Natasha/Joshua? Think about it, and you'll see why I chose Eirika. Besides, romantic confusion and duty vs. love is one thing I've always wanted to write. Cliché? Certainly, but I had to give it a spin.


Preview of next chapter:

Reminisce: Part A

"Aaaand..." He flipped the coin high, then snatched it out of the air and held his closed fist before his face.

"What is it?"

He opened his fist, and showed her the result.

Tails.

She frowned, then looked up into his eyes, a hint of desperate pleading beneath those deep sapphire orbs. "Please, Sir Joshua, my brother is-"

"Are you trying to worm out of a bet, milady?" She blinked in surprise, and looked at him inquisitively.

"'Cause if you are, we might need to settle this over a duel."