The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 128
A Family Day
The gentle trickle of a nearby stream filled the air. Soft water; small runoff from the mountains in the distance. What was left of melted snow from the Kiba Mountains that passed over smooth stone and soft mud in a crystal clear flow that was like ice to the touch. It's trickling was a pleasant, peaceful sound. A tranquil noise beside the smooth stone embedded in soft earth nearby.
Luke took a deep breath as he stood in the family graveyard. It resided in a specially designated spot in the bamboo forests beyond the walls of Koto. Only the royal family could enter these grounds. They were kept under constant watch, with several guards always patrolling the area. The guards were especially watchful now, in the wake of the fall of the Valmese Empire, due to a new grave that had been dug beside the gentle stream. Those guards initially denied Luke entry, but when he produced his lightsaber hilt, they were quick to realize who he was, and they stepped out of the way.
Now, he stood in front of her grave, looking down at the lone, smooth stone that rested atop the soft earth. He read her name that was carefully etched into the stone, before taking another deep breath and looking up towards the stream.
"Quiet spot." He nodded, "I'm sure you would've liked it." He snorted to himself, "Probably not the best way to describe a graveyard. I mean… who likes these places?"
He grimaced and placed his hands into his pockets. A faint chill ran down from the mountains and washed over the forest, making Luke shiver. He reached up and tightened the robes over his shoulders.
"I should've brought a coat." He muttered.
"Yes." Luke snapped his head around. Yen'fay quietly entered the graveyard, although Luke did not recognize him right away. His gray hair, trimmed short after the war, still looked strange to him, "You probably should have." Luke then smirked a little as Yen'fay held out a neatly folded cloak to him, "Good thing I thought of it."
The young Sith shook his head and shrugged the cloak over his shoulders, "How did you know I'd be out here?"
Yen'fay shrugged, "You have a routine now."
"Do I?"
"Every fifth day," Yen'fay knelt down in front of Say'ri's grave, his face a perfect expression of calm, "you come down here to talk to her."
Luke let out a small laugh of disbelief, "Which guard has been talking, hm?" He glanced back at the trio of soldiers standing guard at the graveyard entry.
A ghost of a smile crossed Yen'fay's lips, "You're louder than you think in the morning." He glanced over at his younger brother, "Your younger self has better morning manners."
"That is Cynthia." Luke chuckled as he sat down beside Yen'fay, legs crossing in front of him, "Not me."
"Excuses, excuses." Yen'fay waved off, jokingly, "We both know you enjoy singing just as much as she does."
"I-" Luke blushed furiously, "Well-"
Yen'fay laughed loudly now. Which for him, was audible enough for Luke to actually hear him, but not necessarily for the guards at the entryway to hear him. He reached over and clapped his hand on Luke's shoulder, giving him a friendly shake.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Yen'fay teased some more.
Luke tucked his chin to his chest, "You better not." He muttered quietly, making Yen'fay chuckle some more.
As he laughed, the King of Chon'sin's eyes drifted to his sister's grave. It rested between the graves of their father and mother. Two parents Luke never met, but ones Yen'fay could never forget. His father's wisdom always guided him as he ruled. His mother's kindness and gentle demeanor helped him when interacting with those close to him.
His gaze halted over Say'ri's gravestone. Her final words haunted him still. He heard them incessantly in his dreams.
"You did this."
He closed his eyes, trying to hold back the spring of sorrow that always threatened to shatter his facade of calm. His actions caused the death of his sister. It nearly ended worse. If the battle at Demon's Ingle were a true fight, without the volcano's timely eruption, Luke, Kage, Cynthia, and Sakura, they all could have died with her.
Luke's reassuring hand gripped his shoulder.
"She didn't know." Luke breathed to him.
Yen'fay swallowed hard and nodded, "I should have told her. All along, I should have told her."
Luke sniffed as another cold breeze swept over the bamboo forests. Winter was over, but damn was it still cold. He shivered and shook his head, "She would've been just as stubborn if she knew, maybe more than she already was."
Yen'fay uttered a long sigh, "Perhaps, but… maybe she would have understood. I only wanted to protect both of you. I never-"
"She knows now." Luke grimaced, bowing his head and taking a shaky breath, "I'm… I'm sure she knows now." He let out a small scoff, "For all the evil that bastard taught me, Maul always said that when we died, we became one with the Force. I'm sure becoming one with it allows for a more enlightened perspective on things."
Yen'fay nodded, "Maybe. Or… she's with our parents once more." He raised his gaze to the stream flowing behind the three graves, "I just hope she has forgiven me. That way, when I do join her in the next life, after my time here is done, I can embrace her again." He pressed his hand to Say'ri's grave, hand sinking into the soft grass and soil around her marker, "I am grateful our entire family survived. In the end, it was thanks to her… and you."
Luke gulped, "Yeah."
He took one more deep breath, pressed a hand to Say'ri's grave, then rose to his feet. Yen'fay followed him, standing upright and bidding a quiet goodbye to his sister and his parents.
Both men turned to leave the graveyard. As they strode out of the graveyard, two of Yen'fay's royal guards flanked them. Luke chuckled a little at that. The two guards were entirely unnecessary in his opinion. Yen'fay was an accomplished warrior on his own, and Luke was powerful enough to match Master Kenobi (or at least he thought he was). If anyone dared to attack, they would die a quick, violent death. Amatsu would cut their throats and Luke would crush their bones with the Force.
No one will harm our family again. Luke thought.
"Speaking of family." Yen'fay breathed as they both neared the edge of the bamboo woods. Koto spread out in front of them, the gates standing wide, waiting for them both to return to the city they loved, "You and Cynthia…"
Luke blushed again, "What about us?"
The corner of Yen'fay's mouth turned upright, "We are at peace now. There is no war on the horizon. Any bandit gangs roving the countryside are being taken care of by Priam-"
"I bet that is costing a hefty amount of gold." Luke interrupted.
"It is worth it. The Valmese Empire is gone. Walhart is in chains, and with no one to rule the empire, it has crumbled into chaos, with only us, and Rosanne, remaining stable in the aftermath. Priam will make sure none of Valm's violence spills over into our lands. The security is well worth the high price."
"I can go out once and while and really intimidate any criminal scum." Luke suggested, "And, more importantly, I can do it for free."
Yen'fay laughed a little as they both walked past the newly planted rice fields and neared the city gates. As they walked, several farmworkers stopped what they were doing and waved to them. Luke ducked his head, offering back an awkward wave back while Yen'fay stoically nodded to them.
"I'm sure you could." Yen'fay finally replied as they passed beneath the gates and entered Koto. Luke knew what that reply meant. He could go out and destroy some bandits, but Yen'fay was probably not going to let him. Not until the rest of Chon'sin was secure internally.
Most of the citizens quickly moved out of their way as the two royals strode through the ancient stone streets. It had been a couple of months since the massive siege of Koto, where Walhart had finally been defeated on the field of battle and deposed from his throne. Thanks to the strength of the people, and Yen'fay's steady leadership, the city of Koto, and the nation of Chon'sin, quickly recovered from the Conqueror's brutal invasion. The walls were still being rebuilt, with several towers still undergoing repairs or reconstructions. Most of the damaged homes and shops were fully repaired at this point, which helped bring the city back to life. The markets thrived once again as trade flourished between Chon'sin and Archanea, now that both the Empire and its embargo were gone. Overall, it was a remarkable turnaround for the once besieged capital.
Eat your heart out Dooku. Luke thought with a smug grin.
They approached the Palace district, where thin, decorative walls separated the royal Palace from the rest of the city. Yen'fay and Luke slowly strode up stone steps that led up the hill towards the Palace gate. Halfway up the steps, Yen'fay cleared his throat.
"You're not dodging my prying this time."
Luke rolled his eyes, "Me and Cynthia are fine, Yen'fay. Right now… we are happy. I don't want to do anything to possibly upset that."
Yen'fay furrowed his brow, "You think actually marrying her will upset her?"
"I-I don't know." Luke sputtered as they reached the gates. A pair of guards opened the gates for them, and both royals entered the main courtyard, "I-" He grimaced and snapped his mouth closed.
Yen'fay stopped walking. Luke took a few more steps forward, realized Yen'fay was no longer stride for stride with him, then paused.
"She would say yes, Luke. You know that." Yen'fay said with a small smile.
Luke sighed, "I know she would. But…" He shook his head, "That means, starting an actual family, and- well… I-"
"You're past is just that Luke, the past." Yen'fay said, his voice reassuring, yet commanding. A strange combination that made Luke feel a little better about this conversation. He no longer felt pressured at least, "Maul is gone, and you are no longer on that dark path. You have fought hard to get to where you are now, and Cynthia has been by your side the entire way. That is how I know she would say yes and be ecstatic about it."
A small, nervous laugh slipped from Luke's lips. He glanced off to the side, noticing some of the palace servants carrying trays of food to the dining room. Breakfast was about to be served. It was one of the few moments during their busy days that all of them could be together and be a family.
Usually, their days were spent apart. Cynthia would fill her time doing… something or another. Usually she helped look after Kage, or spent time training with Sakura. Luke often trained on his own, usually going through deep meditations in order to continue purging Maul's influence from his mind. A tedious, time consuming, and often frustrating process. A process that Yen'fay tried to assist him with by advising him and often being the person he vented his frustrations and concerns to. But those moments were few and far between. Yen'fay had a kingdom to reorganize in the wake of the Valm Empire's collapse. That left him little time to spend with Luke, Cynthia, and Sakura.
But at least they had breakfast together.
The two men entered the dining room. Right as they entered, a blur of blond hair shot past Luke. Yen'fay reached out and snagged Kage by the back of his shirt, yanking the child to a stop.
"Mind your manners." He chided the boy as Kage slumped in his grip.
"Yes, brother."
Luke chuckled quietly to himself as Yen'fay let go of Kage. The boy stomped over to his spot to Yen'fay's right and flopped down onto his cushion, clearly bored. Sakura was already at her spot at the table, sipping on some tea in silence. As Luke reached his seat, Cynthia emerged. A mess of bedhead sat on her head, and heavy bags rested under her eyes. She uttered a loud yawn and stretched her arms over her head.
"Well…" Luke chuckled as she trudged over to her spot, "Good morning, sleepy head."
Cynthia leaned down and pecked his lips, "Good morning." She flopped down on her seat and thanked Sakura as the other child from the future passed her a cup of hot tea. Cynthia hummed as she took a sip, "That's the good stuff." She smacked her lips and squinted her eyes, "Sakura?"
"Yeah?" Sakura muttered as she took another sip of her tea.
"Could you pass the soy sauce?"
Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion while Luke and Yen'fay poured their own tea, "Uh… the food is not here yet, Cynthia."
"I know." Cynthia shrugged, "Just… uh… got a hankering."
Sakura glanced over at Yen'fay, but he did not seem to notice. A servant had rushed in and delivered a report from Priam for him to read over. He sipped his tea as he read the report, not paying any attention to the others at the table as he engrossed himself in some abrupt work. Luke, likewise, did not notice Cynthia's peculiar request. Instead, Luke was busy talking to Kage about one of the horses in the stables. Apparently the young boy wanted to learn how to ride soon, so eventually he could learn to ride a Wyvern.
"Okay?" Sakura reached for the small bottle of soy sauce and slid it over to Cynthia.
"Thanks." Cynthia beamed.
Sakura eyed Cynthia as the blue haired girl opened the bottle. Horror filled Sakura when Cynthia suddenly turned the soy sauce over and dumped a bunch of it into her tea. Her mouth fell open further when Cynthia set the soy sauce down, picked up her tea, and drank a large gulp of it.
"Ahhhh." Cynthia breathed happily, "That's good." She glanced at Sakura, "You should try it."
"Uh…" Sakura shifted a few inches away from Cynthia, "No thanks."
"Why not? It's good. It gives the tea a sweet and salty taste."
"Cynthia do you even-"
The doors opened and the servants entered with breakfast. Cynthia's eyes lit up as she saw a large plate of rice and fish placed in front of her.
"Yay!" She cheered, making Luke chuckle.
Yen'fay set his papers to the side and began to eat. Luke reached for his chopsticks so he could take a bite. Cynthia fiddled with her own chopsticks a moment before giving up and grabbing a fork meant just for her. She jabbed her fork into the rice, paused, then glanced at Luke.
"Could you pass the tea please?"
Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, terrified of what was about to happen.
"Sure." Luke replied, oblivious to what Sakura was fearing.
Cynthia plucked the teapot from Luke, "Thank you."
Then to everyone's shock, she poured tea all over her fish and rice. Once she was happy, Cynthia passed the teapot back to a stunned Luke. They all stared at her as she took a gigantic bite of tea soaked rice.
"Yummy." She smiled happily, oblivious to everyone's incredulous stares as she munched on her soggy breakfast.
Luke glanced over at Yen'fay. Yen'fay shrugged, just as puzzled as him. Kage laughed at Cynthia's antics before taking a big bite of his own breakfast, and Sakura smacked a hand to her forehead.
"You and I are going for a walk after this, Cynthia."
"We are!?" Cynthia asked, mouth full of tea infused rice. She quickly swallowed, "Great! I love walking."
"Uh… yeah. We're just walking." Sakura glanced past her at Luke. A glance that asked Luke what the hell was wrong with Cynthia. Luke shook his head, unsure of what was going on as Sakura took a look back at Cynthia and said, "We've got some stuff to discuss."
"Like what?" Kage asked.
"Girl stuff." Sakura replied to the young Prince.
"Girl stuff?" Cynthia replied, puzzled.
"Yes, now hurry up. I'm sure everyone else has stuff to do too. And I need to check on the horses once we're done walking."
"Alright!" Cynthia declared.
Sakura's eyes remained wide throughout the entire meal. She had no idea Cynthia could eat that much food that fast.
Cynthia took a deep breath of the cool air. The winter was nearly over, and spring was coming soon. The cherry blossoms would soon be in bloom, the rice fields flooded once more with green patches of plants sprouting from the waters around Koto. She couldn't wait for it to come. Already, a giddy smile sat on her face as she walked with Sakura through Koto's markets. After breakfast, Cynthia initially followed Sakura out to the stables to help her with the horses, and now they were browsing the market for apples for those horses. Cynthia was in a very good mood, and she wanted to share that good mood with the loyal mounts in the royal stables.
Plus, both her Pegasus and Sakura's horse loved apples. She could not bear to not give them a treat at some point. As they looked through the market's many stalls and shops, admiring some lovely clothes, oohing and aahing at a group of street performers with the rest of a large crowd, Cynthia munched on a bag of dried mango.
"You've been eating a lot lately." Sakura muttered as they approached the last grocer in the market, who hopefully had some nice, ripe apples.
Cynthia furrowed her brow, mouth stuffed with several strips of dried mango. She spoke back at Sakura, but her words were a jumbled mess of grunts and muffled sounds, causing Sakura to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"Chew then swallow, for the love of Naga."
Cynthia blinked, munched furiously, then swallowed. She gave Sakura a sheepish smile as they both entered the grocer, "Sorry about that."
Sakura rolled her eyes but said nothing back. She wanted to say a scathing rebuke regarding Cynthia's childishness, but she bit her tongue instead. She feared saying something she would regret… again.
A heavy sigh left Sakura's lips as her hand brushed against the beat up, old scabbard with cherry blossoms carved into the wood.
"Do you miss her?" Cynthia asked quietly.
Sakura pursed her lips, "In a way yes, but also no. It's-" She noticed the slightly puzzled look on Cynthia's face, causing Sakura to sigh, "It's complicated."
"Well, at least Yen'fay, Luke, and I are there to help you uncomplicate it." Cynthia smiled back. She shoved her last few strips of dried mango into her mouth, quickly chewed, then swallowed.
Sakura looked at Cynthia incredulously, "Two plates of breakfast and now a whole bag of fruit?" They strolled past a shelf filled with various jars of soup, "You alright, Cynthia?"
Cynthia shrugged as she eyed a jar of potato soup, her mouth watering at the sight of it, "Just been extra hungry lately." She sighed a little bit and looked down at her waist, "I just… feel like a bottomless pit for some reason."
"Well you have been putting on some weight." Sakura teased.
"I have!?" Cynthia cried, not picking up on her joke. She twisted her body to look at her behind, causing Sakura to bury her face into the palm of her hand, "It's getting bigger?"
"N-not-" Sakura uttered an exhausted sigh, "Trying to explain anything to you feels like an exercise in futility."
"Oh, Sir Frederick said that a lot."
"I know he did." Sakura said with a half hearted laugh, "We were both on the receiving end of those words many times, remember."
"Rarely together though." Cynthia reminded, "You always thought the justice cabal was dumb. So you never got in trouble with me, Owain, and Morgan."
Sakura shook her head as they rounded an aisle, "I never said dumb, but I did think it was incredibly immature and stupid."
"Aren't those the same things?" Cynthia countered.
Sakura opened then closed her mouth. Her eyes darted away from Cynthia and managed to land on a small barrel of dark red apples, "Oh hey! Look!"
Cynthia let out a happy gasp then pumped her fist, "Mission success! Ooooh, the horses are going to be so happy!"
She rushed up to the barrel, and started to gather some apples into her arms. Sakura watched with exasperation and some amusement. Sometimes she wondered if there was something wrong with the Pegasus Knight's head. Maybe she fell on it a little too hard as a kid one time? Or perhaps she received too many concussions while training with Lucina, Severa, and Kjelle? The latter seemed pretty likely. Those three were always tough outs in training.
I wonder how they're doing? Sakura thought as she approached the barely and opened up the bag she brought with her. Cynthia threw her armful of apples in, Lucina is probably doing something Princesses are supposed to do. That or learning from Master Ben. Severa… I hope she and her mom are okay. And Kjelle, I hope she's safe. Wherever she is.
"You got the money with you?" Cynthia asked as she snatched one more apple and bit into it.
Sakura gawked at her, "You just ate!?"
Cynthia shrugged, "I'm hungry."
Sakura furrowed her brow. As they walked up to the counter to pay for the apples, the young Cavalier carefully observed Cynthia. She was eating an abnormal amount of food, even for her. She doubted anyone in their group could beat her in a eating contest at the moment. Then there were the odd combinations she was concocting in that strange mind of hers, punctuated by the appalling display of soy sauce dumped into perfectly good tea. That still made Sakura shiver just thinking about it. Finally, her robes seemed a bit tighter around her stomach. Not noticeably so, but…
Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as Cynthia snatched the money pouch from her and paid the shopkeeper.
Is she…?
Sakura eyed Cynthia even more carefully as her friend wolfed down one apple, reached into the bag of apples, and bit into another. She arched an eyebrow and thought even harder. In the future, she was just old enough to remember when Miss Nowi gave birth to Nah.
At the time Nowi was exhibiting strange behaviors, according to Lady Tiki at least. She would regularly eat three chickens in a meal instead of one, usually consuming feathers and bone too (Tiki did not object to it, but still wondered how Nowi managed to stomach that many servings of raw poultry). Sakura recalled the Manakete's stomach slowly swelling as time passed. She also remembered Miss Nowi combining foods that were not meant to go together, such as chocolate and chili powder. Apparently it tasted extra sweet to Miss Nowi at the time. One time, she even ate the pages of an empty book for lack of anything else to eat. The other parents often joked about how that was the reason why Nah was always reading. A joke the other kids enjoyed telling as well.
It all lines up.
"Cynthia?"
"Yeah?" Cynthia replied with a mouthful of apple.
"Do you feel nauseous in the morning?"
Cynthia furrowed her brow, "That's a strange question."
"Well you are strange." Sakura muttered under her breath.
"But now that you mention it, yeah." Cynthia nodded, "That's why I look so terrible when I wake up." She bit into her apple again and munched on the bite a moment, "Until I get some food in my gut, I feel awful." Her eyes widened, "You don't think I've got some illness do you?" A sharp gasp rushed from her lips, "Is it measles!?"
"I'm pretty sure you'd know if you had measles, Cynthia." Sakura said with a roll of her eyes.
"Then why do I feel so sick in the morning?"
"Well," Sakura cleared her throat, "How often have you and Luke… y'know…" She made a small, sharp clicking sound.
"Clicked?" Cynthia asked, confused.
"Sang, dammit!" Sakura exclaimed before running a hand over her eyes, "For lack of a better analogy that Kage will not fully grasp yet."
Cynthia blinked, "O-oh?" Her cheeks flushed, "Well, it's a pretty regular activity."
"Oh Naga, I regret asking." Sakura groaned, her head bowed as her face turned green.
"Then why did you ask?" Cynthia countered as they both neared the Royal Palace.
Sakura stopped working abruptly, "Think about it, Cynthia. Think really hard for a moment."
Cynthia furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes, staring past Sakura as she entered her thinking mode. For a moment, Sakura hoped Cynthia could possibly follow her own train of thought and grasp what she was insinuating.
"I have a tapeworm!" Cynthia declared with a snap of her fingers.
I need to stop hoping.
Sakura sighed and grabbed Cynthia by her shoulders, "Cynthia…"
"Uh… yeah?"
"This may come as a shock to you."
Now some concern flashed on Cynthia's face, "What do you mean?"
"Well… when two people love each other very much-"
Cynthia turned dark red, "S-Sakura- erm- Auntie Tharja and Auntie Lissa both already gave me this talk. They were very different versions, and one uh… one was way naughtier than the other-"
"Miss Tharja's talk was that in depth?" Sakura asked, brow raised.
"Tharja?" Cynthia shook her head, "No, Auntie Lissa's the healer. You can bet she went into detail."
Sakura's eyes widened. "O-oh, that's uh, kinda surprising."
"Wait a moment." Cynthia's mouth fell open and her eyes widened, "I… I don't have a tapeworm, do I?"
Sakura shook her head.
"Am I-?"
Sakura nodded her head, "I'd check with a healer first to know for certain. If you're still not sure what to do then-"
A loud cheer rang out from Cynthia. She threw her arms over Sakura, making her freeze in place. The Pegasus Knight bounced up and down as she embraced Sakura, then she froze too. A gasp shot from her lungs. She grabbed Sakura's shoulders and stared at her.
"What do I do now?" Cynthia wondered out loud, "What do I tell Luke?" A sharp breath rushed into her lungs." Oh Naga, what do I tell mom and dad?"
"Those," Sakura peeled Cynthia off of her, "are your problems to figure out. But… I'll help you with what to do next. Now, we should probably wait to tell Luke until-"
"Cynthia!"
Oh Naga dammit.
Luke strolled down the steps towards both of them. A smile rested on his lips, and he gripped a letter in one hand. Sakura noticed the Exalt of Ylisse's seal on the letter, which made her eyes widen.
Did Lucina write?
"We got an invite to some ball in a few months. I figured you'd want to go and-"
Before Sakura could stop her, Cynthia bolted up to Luke and threw her arms around him, placing one enormous kiss on his lips. Luke chuckled a little and kissed her back before returning her hug.
"I'm happy to see you too, even though it's only been maybe an hour or two since breakfast."
"Guess what?" Cynthia said, voice giddy.
"What?" Luke asked, his voice both amused and suddenly filled with a small amount of apprehension.
Cynthia leaned up to Luke's ear. Sakura braced herself. For a split second, nothing happened as Cynthia pulled away from Luke's ear, an enormous grin still on her face. Luke stared dumbly at her for a moment. Sakura furrowed her brow.
Why is he not-
Luke pitched forward, rigid as a board. Cynthia yelped and caught him as he fell, where he eventually went completely limp in her arms.
"Luke!?" Cynthia cried, struggling to keep him upright, "You don't have to be so melodramatic."
Sakura rolled her eyes and quietly walked up the steps, leaving the two lovebirds to deal with their good news. As she quickly ascended the stairs and entered the courtyard, she noticed Yen'fay leaning up against the palace gate, watching Cynthia trying to shake Luke back to his senses from afar. A small smile rested on her Uncle's lips as he kept his arms folded over his chest. A knowing smirk that told Sakura all she needed to know.
"You already knew." She gave Yen'fay a small shake of her head.
Yen'fay shrugged, "My mother exhibited the same traits when she was pregnant with Say'ri. Once I put the pieces together, it was the only logical solution."
Sakura snorted as they both entered the main courtyard, "You'd think one of them would have noticed first? I literally had to spell it out for Cynthia, and her first thought was she had measles."
"And then she-"
"Then she thought she had a tapeworm."
Yen'fay pressed his lips into a thin line as they walked to the beautiful palace gardens, near the living quarters for all of them.
"At least Luke is there to be the brains." Yen'fay admitted under his breath.
Sakura laughed quietly at that, "Cynthia has her moments, but she is the airhead of the group." They both paused in front of the small pond in the garden. A few koi fish swam up to the edge, expecting some food to be dropped down to them. When none came, they quietly swam away, "Speaking of the group, have your feelers-"
Yen'fay shook his head, cutting her off as he took a seat on the bench beside the pond.
"Nothing?" Sakura questioned.
Yen'fay let out a small sigh, "Nothing. Priam is keeping a lookout, but he hasn't seen or heard of any strange occurances. No future children spotted. Not even any Risen sightings. Everything has quieted down quite a bit." He folded his arms again as Sakura sat down beside him, "I wonder why."
"Why what?"
"Why have the Risen suddenly vanished?" Yen'fay clarified for her, "One moment they help us win a war, with a deadlord declaring it to be the only time they would aid us, then they completely disappear?" He shook his head, "Something is brewing, I can feel it."
Sakura gulped, "You don't think it's another war do you?"
Her face paled, and it only grew paler as she watched Cynthia and a half delirious Luke make their way to their quarters. Cynthia gave them an excited wave, then dragged Luke into their room.
Is it THE war?
A reassured hand patted her shoulder, "Don't be so anxious. If the Fell Dragon was planning something, I'm sure the Risen would be much more active rather than quiet."
Sakura swallowed hard, some color returning to her cheeks due to her Uncle's reassurance.
"So…" She rubbed her arms as a cold wind swept in from the mountains, "A royal ball in Ylisse?" Yen'fay nodded, "You going?"
"Are you?" Yen'fay replied, one brow raised.
Sakura frowned then glanced over at Cynthia and Luke's shut door.
"Someone's gotta help Cynthia keep her family from killing him." She said with a mutter.
Yen'fay chuckled lightly, "I'm sure it won't come to that."
"I don't know." Sakura replied, "I remember Prince Chrom could have a temper when he wanted to. And Lucina… she used to have a thing with Luke when they were younger. Now, not only is Luke with Cynthia, he's knocked her up and-"
"And I think Lucina has grown tremendously during her time here, just as you have." Yen'fay said, "You both are no longer children. You are hardened warriors and adults now."
Sakura snorted, "Me? Us? Adults? Have you seen Cynthia and Owain?"
"They are just very cheerful adults, but adults nonetheless." Yen'fay replied with a small smile, "I'm sure Lucina and the others will be thrilled to see you there."
Sakura sighed, "Which means I'll have to go."
Yen'fay furrowed his brow as she picked at her nails in her lap, "I thought you'd be excited?"
"Oh I am, just…" Sakura raised her head and glanced around the gardens, "It's been a couple months now, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't starting to feel at home here. If we sail across to Ylisse, it's going to be a few months before I get back. Hell, Cynthia will probably end up staying there since she is, y'know, pregnant and all. I doubt her parents will let her leave the palace."
"I wouldn't expect them to." Yen'fay nodded in agreement, "And if there is anywhere I am comfortable with Luke being, other than here, it is in Ylisstol." He drew in a deep breath, "At least there, Master Kenobi can give him the counsel he really needs."
"He's still struggling?"
Yen'fay nodded slightly, "A little bit." He leaned close to Sakura, "He has complained about strange nightmares of late. One recurring figure in them has been-"
"Maul." Sakura correctly guessed. She shivered as she spoke that name as if it was an ill curse, "I never liked him. Vile creature; always was, and always will be. Even if he is technically dead."
Yen'fay nodded a moment, "Do you know anything regarding Luke's dreams? Why does he have them so frequently?"
Sakura shook her head, "Not my area of expertise. Maul and Master Kenobi were extremely secretive in regards to theirs, Lucina's, and Luke's abilities. Plus, you gotta understand, when Maul came around, he completely took over Luke's life." A sad expression crossed Sakura's face, "We kind of grew apart because of that. Lucina, Morgan, Owain, and Cynthia remained close with Luke during that time, but only because they were always around each other. Me?" She shrugged, "I stuck close to Sev, Kjelle, Gerome, and my father."
"Sir Frederick," Yen'fay nodded, "I did not speak with him much, but… he seems like a good man. A careful man, but a good one."
"He is." Sakura replied, a wistful smile on her lips, "He may have… cracked a little bit towards the end, but I never questioned his devotion to us, to his family." She shifted in her seat, "Are you going to the ball?"
A reluctant noise came from Yen'fay lips.
"Oh, you better not try some dumb excuse." Sakura warned.
"I have kingdom to rule."
"Captain Eiji can handle it." Sakura argued back, "You know that, and you won't have to be as gone for as long as the rest of us. Just spend a night in Ylisstol then come back."
Yen'fay shook his head, "Royal Balls are not for me."
"C'mon, it'll be fun. You'll get out of your study for once."
"I get out of my study plenty." Yen'fay argued back, mildly amused by his niece's arguing, "I'm out of it right now, aren't I?"
"Moving to a different spot in the house doesn't count." Sakura declared, "No more hermiting, Yen'fay." She jumped to her feet and marched towards Cynthia and Luke's room, "I'm telling them to write back that all of us will show up. You can't say no."
"Sakura-"
"No arguing!"
Yen'fay uttered a heavy sigh as he watched the stubborn girl march up to Luke and Cynthia's room. As she knocked on their door, he shook his head and laughed to himself.
She is just as stubborn as you, Say'ri.
"Oh Naga! Put all of it away you two! NAGA ABOVE!" Sakura slammed their door shut and pressed her back to it. She stared wide eyed over to Yen'fay, "I swear I knocked."
"Maybe they didn't hear you." Yen'fay chuckled as he got to his feet.
"Then they need to sing quieter." Sakura harrumphed as she walked back over to him. She huffed again, blowing several strands of her brown hair from her face, "Well, since you will be going-"
"As of right now."
"You. Will. Be. Going." Sakura reiterated, "And you will need to get some new clothes."
"I can send a servant to go and find some for me." Yen'fay sighed with a wave of his hand as he got to his feet.
"Nope!" Sakura latched onto his arm, "You and I are going to spend some family time together already! No work included."
"Sakura, the Kingdom-"
"Can wait! C'mon, maybe you'll meet someone out there? Some Koto maiden looking for some love?"
Yen'fay frowned down at her. Sakura chuckled nervously.
"Unless of course, you prefer-"
"Let's just get this shopping spree over with."
"Okay!"
A small sense of dread built inside of Yen'fay as both him and Sakura descended the palace steps. His pocketbook already felt lighter, and for some reason, he had a feeling this shopping spree would involve more dresses than suits.
And chapter! A short, sweet little chapter once more. Just a little snippet showing the life across the pond in Valm during this time. I considered adding on another scene, but this felt like a solid stop point, and I didn't have much more to add on so, yeah. It looks like Cynthia and Luke really are going to be a family (and I thought it'd be really fun to have Luke react the same way as Chrom did when Sumia told him she was pregnant). These were nice moments to write and it is a breath of fresh air after all of the tension and action of the Valm war. Besides, I need to butter you all up before I destroy you all in arc 3 :)
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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