Author's Note: Oh, hey, it's been a little while since I last wrote an FE fic. This was inspired by the fact that I'm still a bit sad that we have all these off-screen relatives in 3H who we don't get to hear much from. So, have some quick family fluff featuring our resident Good Boy Ignatz.


Encouragement

Well, this was it. In a few days, Ignatz would be leaving for Garreg Mach and the Officer's Academy. From there, he'd start his training to…become the family knight.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go. Well, it wasn't only that. Ignatz knew the monastery was extremely prestigious, and he was lucky to attend even with his family being well-off. He was sure he'd see plenty of things there that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

But, as he looked at himself in the small mirror on his desk, Ignatz thought he'd never seen anyone who looked less like a knight.

He'd always been much too small—too short, too skinny. On top of that, being so jumpy made him look even tinier. Ignatz couldn't help comparing himself to Raphael (which was accompanied by the twinge of guilt he'd usually felt the past few months when he thought of his friend). He was sure that Raphael would fit the role of a knight perfectly.

But Ignatz? Never. He tried to picture himself in a suit of armor and almost laughed.

It didn't help that the academy had sent his uniforms to his family early. He was supposed to try on all the sets and make sure they fit well so the tailors would have time to make any adjustments before classes started. Somehow, all of his new clothes made Ignatz look even meeker.

He knew this was no time to think such things. Ignatz was going to the Officer's Academy, and he was going to be a knight, and that was that. There was nothing he could do about it, so Ignatz should just get used to the idea. He sighed and peeled off his vest.

There was a knock on the door, and Ignatz paused. He hastily re-buttoned the dress shirt as his older brother cracked the door open. Hugo gave him an encouraging half-grin as he looked around the room.

"Mind if I come in?"

"Er, no, go ahead…"

Hugo came inside, glancing at Ignatz as he sat down on one of the chairs in the corner. It was one of the only free spaces in the room; most of the available space was covered in Ignatz's various painting supplies. He probably wouldn't get much use of them at school, but…Ignatz couldn't bring himself to get rid of them, either.

"The uniform suits you well," Hugo said eventually.

And Ignatz did let out a nervous laugh at that. "No it doesn't. Not really; I look so…so…"

Awkward. Scrawny. Like a child playing dress-up. The phrases flew through Ignatz's mind, and he couldn't settle on which one to use.

If anyone was going to look good in semi-formal attire, it was Hugo. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that they had the same light green hair and brown eyes, Ignatz might've forgotten they were related. Hugo looked far more like a knight than Ignatz ever would, being much taller and slightly broader-shouldered. And he didn't need glasses, either; that was just icing on the cake, really.

So of course he was the one inheriting their parents' store, and Ignatz was training to be a soldier. The irony was almost extreme.

"Ignatz…"

Hugo stood up and walked over to him. He put a hand on Ignatz's shoulder, nudging him until he glanced back in the mirror. Then, Hugo leaned down slightly so they could both see their reflections.

"Listen," Hugo said. His voice was firm, but somehow encouraging at the same time. "You'll do great there, I promise. The Academy's turned out some of the finest knights the realm's ever seen; they'll train you well, too."

"I-I know, I just—"

Ignatz sighed and looked away. He couldn't even meet Hugo's eyes when they were just reflections. What kind of knight had that little confidence? Even if he became strong enough, it was kind of pathetic that he was this jumpy.

"And, even if they don't…" Hugo glanced around the room again. "I'm sure you'll find someone there who appreciates your other skills. Think of all the people you'll meet. Surely someone will share your interests, right?"

Ignatz finally looked back up at him. "Do you really think so, Hugo?"

It was all well and good to say that, but Ignatz didn't want to get his hopes up. Their parents (grudgingly) let him indulge while he was here at home, but their father had been very clear that Ignatz would have to put down his brushes once his training was over. What kind of knight squandered his precious free time with paints and canvases?

But Hugo always had a way of making him feel better, and the light squeeze he gave Ignatz's shoulder prompted a tentative smile.

"I know so," he replied gently. "Look at it this way: either you become the kind of knight Father wants you to be, or you meet enough people who enjoy art that you'll have some potential clients in the future. Either way, you'll be successful, don't you think?"

Ignatz wanted to protest again, but…Hugo had a point. A very good point, actually. He paused; Ignatz hadn't thought of it that way before. It was hard to let his self-esteem get the better of him when Hugo was making so much sense.

Finally, he allowed another small smile to cross his face. "…You're right. Thanks."

"Any time. Now what do you say we go down to the market and get you some new brushes?"

"A-all right. Just let me get changed, and I'll meet you in a minute."

Hugo nodded and left the room, and Ignatz sighed again. This time, it was more out of relief. His brother really did have a way with words. No wonder he was inheriting the business; he could probably make customers think rotten food was something special.

But…Ignatz knew that Hugo's words weren't just baseless flattery. He really did believe the things he said, and he meant well. It wasn't enough to make Ignatz completely forget his issues, but it let him put them out of his mind for a little while.

And, once he was back in his regular clothes, Ignatz gave himself another look in the mirror. He was still apprehensive, but at least he had a few more days of freedom. A few more days to indulge in his fantasies.

He'd take advantage of that as long as he could, and he had a genuine smile on his face by the time he and Hugo arrived at the market.