"Father, who is this man?" A little girl no older than 8 or 9 with long blue hair gazed up with curious eyes at the towering figure before her.
"Why, this is Frey. He is going to be your personal knight from now on." The voice of an older man explained to the girl, nudging her forward slightly. The girl continued to eye the man a little frightened by his lifeless expression, yet some part of her understood what was going on inside of his heart.
"This man… I-I understand." The girl walked closer, her expression changing to a slightly nervous smile as she looked into his eyes. The towering figure then got down on one knee, head faced to the ground as he bowed to not only the princess of Altea, but also his new master.
"Princess Elice… I vow my utmost loyalty to you. May you accept my service." The man spoke softly and without emotion, his cold aura shaking everything around him… except one. The princess placed her hand gently on the knight's head, taking a deep breath as tears began to flow slowly from her eyes.
"Sir Frey… You suffer greatly on the inside, don't you? I can feel your heart… it has been turned ice cold…" She whispered almost inaudibly to the knight, an eerie silence serving as a response to her observation. The knight slowly arose his head to gaze at the princess. Her face could only be described as the pure essence of innocence itself, her warm and comforting gaze cutting into even the likes of him. Before long, however, his vision of her became violently distorted before everything around him was engulfed in flames. He took one last desperate glance at the girl before his vision was returned to the view of Altea castle burning in ruin, a few tears beginning to flow from him as if his emotions that were long locked away had finally begun to escape.
"Lady Elice… Forgive me…" The thoughts of the knight were then interrupted by Cain's groans of pain as he was laid down on steady ground, him immediately being attended to with bandages and other sorts of first aid. Frey wiped his eyes, putting his mask of emotions back on as he gazed over at the rest of the group.
"Cain, you should rest for now." Marth advised as Cain tried to stand up, concerned about the condition of the knight upon seeing all of his bandages being soaked through with blood. The red haired knight let out a sigh before sitting down upright, the pain seemingly fading a little.
"This really wounds my pride more than my body, sire," Cain began, not even looking Marth in the eyes. The guilt was too much. "Regardless, I am sorry again for the scene I put on when we should have been focusing on escaping as soon as possible."
"I wouldn't want you to worry about that, Cain. I'm just glad you were able to stay in one piece. I'm sure father would be glad to see us all unharmed." Marth said with a smile, although his heart truly ached in pain with such a statement. It still didn't feel real, some part of him wanting to believe his father still lived. Despite the pain, he would have to wait a little longer to mourn. This safety was only temporary.
"Sire, about that," Cain began, "We need to talk. I must give you the last message from your father."
"His… last words? I see." The prince answered solemnly, but he knew it must important. However, that reaction only drilled into Cain more as the guilt of even being here alive and semi well became hard to bear.
"Yes, sire," Cain nodded as he spoke with a certain reluctance. "They were as follows: 'Tell Marth the future is in his hands now and that he must rise where I have fallen, defeat Dolhr in my stead... that he was born into greatness and now he must be great… and lastly that I'm sorry…'" Cain finished, the last line in particular chilling him to the bone as he repeated an apology that he believed should only come from himself. It was his own recklessness that left the king in such a crippled state. However, the words seemed to shake the prince as well. Such a heavy weight was placed on his shoulders at such a young age. Could he really defeat the shadow dragon on his own? Such an idea terrified his developing mind. Regardless, it was all true. It was all his destiny now.
"Father. I will try…" Marth murmured, gazing at his own small figure. He would have a lot of work to do before he could even begin at accomplishing this feat. All of this was enough to get Cain feeling emotional once more, him slamming his fist into the dirt.
"Damn it! Sire, I cannot bear this guilt! Such a coward I am to return alone where your father died alongside many of my brothers in arms!" He cried out in fury, clenching his fist as it rested in the earth.
"Cain, please don't get so sad again… I told you that I don't blame-" Cain cut off the prince before he could finish, laughing.
"Sire, you amuse me," he began, "I'm not sad… I'm furious! Furious at myself and all of those bastards from Grust, Dolhr, and especially those filthy traitors from Gra! I swear to you I'll make them all pay and avenge our fallen comrades by kicking the ass of every single one of them, you hear me?!" As he shouted it seemed as a new resolve had been born inside of his heart, his passion as fiery as ever. His words fired up the rest of the knights as well, Abel and Jagen nodding in agreement as Marth put his hand out for Cain, a determined look on his face.
"You speak for both of us, Cain. We'll take them down together, one day we will! So I ask that you serve me until the day comes that I am strong enough to do so!" He kept his hand extended, Cain eventually taking it as he pulled himself up, sensing determination in the 8 year old prince too.
"Naturally, sire. I aim to please." He replied, before going into his own thoughts.
"Though I'm sorry sire," the red haired knight thought to himself, "I plan to push myself to be so strong that I'll never have to run away and abandon you. That is how I can truly make amends with myself… I won't mess up again."
"Well then, sire," Frey began suddenly as he walked over to the group, "I suppose it is time we make our way towards the nearest port. I made arrangements for us to escape to Talys."
"Talys… A small island country to the east correct?" Marth pondered aloud, his mind seemingly forgetting something at the moment.
"Yes, that is right," Frey answered emotionlessly as usual, "Your father apparently had close ties with the king of Talys, so it was always a place available for you to take refuge should the worst come to pass… at least that's what lady Elice told me."
"Elice!" Marth shouted as what he had forgotten in has returned to him at the mention of her name. "I completely forgot! We need to secure a route for her to escape! There's no way she can with all of those troops surrounding the castle." Marth observed in a panic, scanning the view of the castle in the distance as even from here it looked swamped with Gra soldiers. With this, Cain, Abel, and the other handful of soldiers that returned with Jagen lined up for a battle. They were ready for Marth's command.
"That won't be necessary." Frey said simply monotone voice, his expression unchanged.
"What do you mean?!" Marth asked in frustration, confused as to how the safety of his sister could possibly be unnecessary.
"I mean that… Lady Elice had no intentions of escaping." The prince gasped, dumbfounded but also betrayed. If that were true, it meant his sister had lied to him. Lied to protect him, no less!
"That's absurd!" Marth cried in disbelief before beginning to run off in the direction of the castle, Frey grabbing him by the collar of his shirt before he could get far.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Where do you think?! I will not let my sister die for me!" Marth cried, beginning to squirm. Frey held him tighter.
"Fool! You would die if you went back there!" Frey hollered, refusing to let go.
"I have to at least try," Marth began, still struggling to get out of his grasp, tears coming to his eyes, "Frey you were her retainer! How could you just let her die?!" Frey's eyes widened, dropping Marth to the ground abruptly causing him to land face first in the dirt. He was at a loss for words for a moment, being cut deep by the sword of realization. Yes, he knew he was leaving her to die, she who had made him feel something other than emptiness. It only made it that much harder on him. Marth turned around to gaze up at the knight, shocked to see his usual emotionless face show a look of undeniable despair.
"Frey..?" The prince asked, Jagen walking over to them, sighing.
"You know, Marth, just like how your father had a reason to do what he did, don't you think there's a good reason that Elice lied to you?" Jagen asked, pressing his liege to think things through. Frey slowly regained composure, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"That is precisely the case, Jagen. My prince, do you already forget what Cain told you about your father's final message?" The young prince became wide eyed and aware as the words of Cain echoed through his head. He was to be Altea's future, he was to plunge the world out of darkness.
"I'm… our future…" Frey placed a hand on his shoulder, something that was rare for him to do.
"That is correct, sire. Believe me when I say that I did not want to leave your sister behind… I tried hard to convince her to rethink, but it was for nothing." Marth's gaze returned upward, his resolve in a flicker.
"It seems my life is no longer mine to hazard… I must honor my sister's sacrifice."
"More to the point," Jagen began, "We should start moving towards our escape in Talys as soon as possible. The Gra army will be on top of us anytime now." Marth nodded in agreement, the other knights preparing to head out.
"If we are quick about this, we may not have to enter another battle by the time we escape." Frey acknowledged, staring down the distant enemy lines.
"Frey, how did you make these preparations?" The prince asked.
"Well your sister instructed me to, sire. It just so happened one of our very own men in training was stationed on guard by the coast."
"One of… our very own..?"
Scene cuts to the port on the coast:
"All you've got is 2,000 gold?!" Shouted an angry boatman, slamming his fist on the counter of his shack.
"I'm afraid so," began a young male with green hair that was slightly spiked, "My liege didn't send many funds to work with…"
"Sorry, but to get to Talys you're going to need more than that!" The man replied unmoved, letting out a yawn.
"Sir, please. Can't we make a deal? We are talking about a life and death situation! The escape of our prince!" The younger male argued back, frustrated by the lack of urgency this spurred in the others around him.
"Fine… Give me 5,000 and I'll let you go. Unless you want to try your luck at pissing me off more?" This made the young knight even more angry, it beginning to show. It should cost nothing for the survival of their country!
"Now listen here, I don't know where you get off charging the prince of your own country to escape for your own future good, but-"
"Uhm, excuse me…" A young feminine voice interrupted, a hand tugging at the arm of the green haired youth. The male turned to look behind him, seeing a young girl with pink hair. She looked cute admittedly, but he didn't have time for just any cute girls. Still, he had never seen a girl be so… enticing.
"Oh, hey. What can I do for you?" He asked, not even realizing he was blushing as she had taken him out of his rage.
"Y-You said you only have 2,000 gold, right? Well uhm…" the girl paused, looking to her side, "I'm sure my village would be happy to provide for the rest." The sweetness of this girl surprised him. Why was it that this simple village girl in 1 sentence had shown more care for her country than this boatman had in almost 10 minutes?
"No, please. That's not necessary." He replied instinctively, the girl shaking her head.
"You said this was for the escape of our prince, we'll help however we can!" She insisted with a certain determination, the young male losing all will to refuse.
"I… that's very kind… thank you." He replied softly, a smile creeping onto him. "What's your name?"
"My name? It's Norne." The male nodded, keeping it in mind. Norne. He would put in a good word for her for sure.
"Thank you, Norne. My name is Draug, a knight in training for Altea. I'll be sure your kindness is rewarded." Norne didn't seem surprised by his position. She had learned a lot about the knights of Altea from her friend from another village, and this male… no, Draug, was every bit as virtuous as she imagined.
"It's no big deal, whatever I can do to help!" She then ran off in the direction of her village, leaving the young knight in messmeration.
"I didn't know girls could come in that variety…"
Back to Marth:
The group had been marching to the port for quite awhile now, the pace a strenuous one necessary to stay ahead of the Graan army that pursued them yet. Marth had to keep his emotions under control for now, pressing onward with the thoughts of his sister ever looming over his conscious.
"We'll need to get passed the fortress stationed over the river if we are to get to the port," Jagen began, eyeing the distance, "However, the chance of an enemy ambush waiting for us on the other side is high."
"It may be a risk that is in need of taking," Abel agreed, causing Cain to step back in surprise.
"You're sounding like me now, you know?" The red haired knight stated. Abel chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
"Everyone needs to be reckless when things get tight." As they marched, Marth would occasionally look back at Frey, him being quiet since they departed to the port. It wasn't unusual by any means, but it was still troubling. However, from across the water a group of Gra soldiers were indeed waiting for the Altean stragglers on the other side of the fort.
"Captain! The Altean prince is on his way here as we speak!" A soldier informed as he eyed the group across the water. "How shall we proceed?"
"Simple. We set a trap for the whelps!" The Gra captain ordered in response, intriguing the other soldiers nearby.
"A trap sir? Ohh, do you mean…?"
"Yes! The prisoner, bring him here!" The captain ordered, a couple of soldiers bringing in a young boy whose mouth was stuffed with a gag.
"Mffmmfph!" The boy screamed, trying to struggle out of the hold of the soldiers.
"Hey there, gaggles," the captain laughed, slapping the boy across the face. "We've got a mission for you. Men, suit him up in Gra attire!"
"Mmmf!?" The soldiers holding him stripped him of all clothing except his undergarments, suiting him up as the captain asked.
"Captain, if you don't mind me asking, what is our plan here?" A soldier asked, causing the captain to grin.
"I'm glad you asked. Our King Jiol himself is on his way in pursuit of the prince leading Gra's elite!" He began, "By making this little junior knight here appear as a soldier of our own, it will not only slow the pace of the prince and allow us to pincer him in like a rat, once it comes out that gaggles here is one of his own country men it will completely ruin the people's view of their beloved prince!" The captain began to laugh from this plan that seemed oh so brilliant.
"Great thinking, captain! The king will surely give you a reward for something so brilliant!"
"Of course he will. Now, take gaggles over to that fortress! As soon as the prince opens up the gate he'll have no choice but to react by attacking the armor of his enemy!"
"Mmf! Mmgg!" The boy screamed as he was carried away by the soldiers. Try as he might he could not break free from their grasp. Just as the captain had assumed, the group was completely oblivious to their plan. Jagen began to advise Marth on the right procedure going forward as they neared the gate to the fortress. As their conversation went on, Frey's gaze remained fixed ahead of him as his surroundings began to change into the castle grounds of Altea. He was sitting down in the garden picking various fruits, and by his side was princess Elice.
"Princess, will this amount please you?" Frey asked, gesturing to the full baskets of fruit that lay beside them. Elice nodded with a smile, reaching to pick up one as Frey's hand intercepted, him grabbing the basket first.
"Sir Frey? Is there something wrong with this basket of fruit?" The young girl asked curiously, confused as to why he had stopped her so abruptly.
"No, princess. I just insist that you allow me to carry both baskets, you need not trouble yourself." He replied emotionlessly, Elice tilting her head in confusion as she pondered his response.
"...not trouble myself…?" She repeated aloud before beginning to giggle, Frey raising an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong, princess?" Elice shook her head as she calmed herself down, simply smiling warmly at her knight.
"Not at all, Sir Frey." She replied, the knight now evidently confused.
"Then what is it?"
"It is no trouble for me to carry some of the fruit that I assigned you to assist me in picking. I do not need you to do everything, you know?" She moved her hand back to one of the baskets, Frey instinctively reaching for it again where Elice stopped him.
"But Princess, I insist-"
"Sir Frey," Elice interrupted, "You do not need to be so serious with me. You are doing a great job." Frey became a little flustered now, a rare sight compared to his usual emotionless appearance.
"Princess, I am your retainer, to leave any task to you while I am present is inexcusable!" He replied with urgency, causing the princess to giggle once more. "What now?"
"I noticed you only ever call me princess, you act as if we are complete strangers!" She replied as she calmed herself down once more, Frey shaking his head, his emotion leaving him as soon as it came.
"Of course, it's only natural. I am your retainer, nothing more." Elice let out a sigh, placing her other hand on the knight's.
"That simply won't do," she began, "If you are to be by my side on every occasion, if you are to be my sole protector, and if you are to be my teacher of the world…" she paused, gazing into Frey's eyes, tearing into his emotionless wall that stood around him. "If you are to be all of that, I would prefer it if you address me with a little more comfort."
"A little more comfort…?" He repeated. Elice nodded. "Then how about… milady? Or…holy maiden… no..." Frey began to think hard, Elice letting out another sigh.
"You can refer to me by my name, you know?"
"I cannot!" Frey replied sharply, "To do so would be an insult to you!" Elice simply looked at him dumbfounded before giggling one last time, causing the emotionless knight to blush.
"Why must you keep laughing, Lady Elice- I mean, milady!" He corrected himself swiftly, Elice's giggling subsiding.
"That's the one!" She said abruptly, confusing the knight.
"What do you mean?"
"Lady Elice," she continued, "Address me as that." Frey now gazed into the eyes of the princess as she did him, feeling a sincere warmth radiating off of her and cutting into him. Lady Elice… something seemed so right about that.
"Are you sure…?" He asked, Elice nodding in approval.
"Not too formal and not too casual, wouldn't you agree? Besides, I like the sound of it." The young princess made her decision. Frey agreed, surrendering at last.
"Very well, if it is what you will, I shall do as such… Lady Elice…"
"Frey!" Called out a voice from all around, interrupting the moment. "Frey!" The voice called again, his surroundings beginning to shift back into reality as he found himself staring at the fortress, a hand having in his face.
"Frey!" The voice called one last time, him now recognizing it as the voice of prince Marth.
"Huh…? What is it, sire?" Frey asked as his senses returned to him, seeing the other knights look at him with concern.
"We are about to move in on the fortress, are you ready?" Jagen answered for the prince, Frey nodding reluctantly in response. "On your command, sire." This was the prince's first taste of being a commander, something he knew he would need to grow accustomed to if he was to win back his homeland one day.
"Very well, then. Everyone ready?" Marth asked, looking around as an offensive line was formed. "Then… charge!" He commanded, sprinting at the fort as fast as his young legs could move him, the knights traveling close behind him. Whatever was inside of that fortress would have a hard time defending against the force of their line, him running even faster as all other thoughts in his mind shut off, the gate closing in. Cain and Abel pushed a little ahead of the prince before charging right into the gate, it falling down abruptly as the prince ran inside with the rest of knights. However, to their surprise the fort lacked any sign of life. As far as the eye could see it was empty as an eerie silence loomed over them.
"What the hell! We got worried for nothing!" Cain shouted in protest as he made his way inside, Abel letting out a sigh of relief at the emptiness. Marth was relieved as well, a drop of sweat falling from his chin.
"Don't speak so soon," Jagen advised cautiously, "There could still be someone in the shadows… we should still tread carefully."
"R-Right…" Marth nodded, beginning to slowly walk through dimly lit and evidently abandoned fort, their footsteps echoing throughout. As they pressed on, Frey abruptly stopped, putting out an arm to stop the prince as well.
"Sire, do you hear that?" He asked coldly, everyone stopping at once to listen to the apparent sound. The faint sound of gagging could be heard from further inside the fort. If they kept going straight they would surely find the source of the sound.
"Could it be an enemy ambush?" One of the knights asked.
"How shall we proceed, our prince?" Asked another.
"Uhm, well… I uhm…" Marth struggled to find an answer before clearing his throat, gathering some confidence. "I say we keep going! At worse it's only one soldier, we can take just one, right?" Jagen nodded in approval.
"Correct, however one of us should remain guard at the front of the fort in case we get flanked. One of you," he pointed at one of the knights, "Go stand guard!"
"Yes sir!" They replied before running back to where they entered. Meanwhile the group continued to move forward, the sound slowly getting louder. It seemed as if they were just upon it now, their stride slowing in response. Just then the figure of what appeared to be a Graan soldier could be seen, Marth halting in an instant.
"Let's move in all at once…" Marth whispered, walking towards the soldier as the rest of the knights followed. As they grew closer, the soldier gazed up at them, the sound ceasing.
"So you tried to ambush us, huh?" Cain called out as they slowly surrounded him, "Well you failed, bastard!" He then took out his sword, the soldier squirming around in response as all sorts of muffled screams began to fill the air until he fell to the floor, revealing a rope tied around his arms.
"Wait! This soldier had been gagged!" Marth then knelt down by the soldier, removing the gag from his mouth as a series of deep breaths followed. At closer inspection, something seemed familiar about the soldier. Green hair… rather short… wait!
"Hold on," Marth continued, "You're one of our archers in training, aren't you?"
"Gordin, sire," he answered in between breaths, "The enemy captured me and left me in this state…" Cain then put his sword away as Abel helped remove the ropes from Gordin's body.
"I see. Well, I am glad you're unharmed," Marth said relieved, helping the young archer to his feet. Gordin's short stature made him look no older than the prince himself! "I am sure you're aware we cannot afford to stay here much longer, so stay behind me and-"
"I can fight, sire," Gordin interrupted, "If you have a bow I can use, I would be honored to fight at your side!" Marth looked to Jagen where he nodded in approval.
"Very well, we're glad to have you, Gordin!" Marth said with a smile, Jagen handing the young archer a bow he had stolen from an enemy back at the castle. "Now, we should press onward."
"Sire, bad news!" One of the knights shouted from up ahead, "This door won't budge, it seems we're trapped!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Cain shouted in frustration, Marth looking around nervously as their options became limited.
"If we stay here, Gra's elite will catch up in no time!" Abel added, the prince remaining silent. There had to be something they could do, perhaps charge at the door with all their might? It couldn't just end like this.
From outside the fort the soldier that was sent to stand guard let out a yawn as the eerie silence of the open Altean fields became comforting. He felt himself about to doze off when the sound of heavy armor made him alert, his gaze fixing to the distance where he saw dozens of soldiers closing in towards them and fast. It was Gra's elite, and leading them was of course king Jiol himself! The troops stopped in place as Jiol made his way to the front, spotting the soldier as he let off an evil grin.
"Listen, men. Your target is the prince," Jiol began, "Find the prince of Altea and bring me his head served on a shield!" The knight on guard ran back into the fort, the sound of footsteps booming throughout the building. Their attention turned to the direction of the sound, the figure of their soldier slowly forming in the darkness.
"Sire, I have a report!" He shouted, catching his breath.
"What is it?" The prince asked with concern.
"The situation outside… has turned for the worse… King Jiol is just outside with Gra's elite in tow… they are closing in as we speak."
"Are you certain?!" Jagen questioned, the soldier nodding reluctantly.
"My eyes do not mistake me, sir. We must move fast!"
"But… The door to the fort is locked shut! We're completely trapped!" Gordin shouted, his morale melting into the puddle. "Our lives our forfeit…" Cain then punched Gordin in the face in frustration of his apathy.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"Don't you dare give up," the hot headed knight began, "There has got to be a way we can still get out of here! I will NOT allow my life to exist instead of king Cornelius's only for it to be taken out by this damn door!"
"Cain's right," Marth began, "We can't lose hope… there has to be a way out…" He tried to provide comfort in the dire situation, but his voice was full of dread. The young child of a prince truly had no idea on how to get out of this mess. His insides became knots as the realization that time was running out continued to settle in. While this all happened, Frey remained silent.
"I cannot let the sacrifice of Lady Elice be in vain…" Frey thought to himself, "She who is divine and everything holy among all other people… I must allow her death to mean something!" The group continued to quarrel amongst each other, trying to come up with some sort of plan until Frey spoke up.
"Sire, I have a suggestion," He said, his voice carrying more emotion than usual.
"Hm? What is it?" Marth asked, his conscious suddenly hopeful as any idea sounded good at this point.
"Allow me and a few other knights… act as a decoy to ensure your escape." Frey suggested, the prince's eyes widening.
"What…? You cannot mean…"
"I do, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make." The blue haired knight insisted, his expression unchanged.
"No! I cannot allow it! I cannot allow you to throw your life away!" Marth cried out in desperation, his heart began to throb in pain just thinking about it.
"Sire," Jagen began, "None of us want to do this as much as you, but Frey is correct."
"Jagen?! You too?" The prince began to sound betrayed by the veteran knight's support of such an idea. Jagen simply nodded.
"Your life is more important than any of ours, any of us would gladly offer ourselves if it meant you live." Jagen reasoned, glancing over at Frey who nodded in agreement.
"But…" Marth trailed off, not wanting to accept this, even if it truly was the only way. Frey walked over to the prince, placing his hand on his shoulder.
"Sire, please allow me to do this," he began, "It was your sister's wish that I ensure your safety in her stead… allow me to fulfill my Lady's final request!" Frey's voice now wavered to the surprise of everyone, Marth biting his lip. "Please, allow me to ensure her sacrifice means something!" The prince's denial began to back down in the wake of Frey's virtue, looking away as he held back oncoming tears.
"Very well… I will allow you to… fulfill your duty. I have no right to take it away from you…" Marth muttered in defeat, now forcing his eyes open as the tears began to flow, handing Frey his spare set of clothes.
"Sire… I thank you. I swear, I will not fail!" He then ran off with a group of knights, leaving only Marth, Jagen, Cain, Abel, and Gordin behind. The prince took one last look at Frey, and although it didn't make sense, he could have sworn he saw a tear flowing from his face as well.
Back at the port:
"There! All 5,000 right here!" Draug heaved a sack of gold onto the counter of the boat shack, the boatman seeming surprised.
"That was fast, but no matter." The man began to count the money, nodding. "Very well, let me know when you lot are ready to set sail." The green haired knight then walked away slightly satisfied, Norne waiting for him a few yards away.
"So how did it go?" The pink haired girl asked, Draug blushing as he didn't expect to see her.
"Just fine, but why are you still here?" He asked, the girl smirking with confidence.
"Well you said you guys are on the run, right? I'm not too shabby with a bow, you know." She began, the green haired knight curious as to what she was scheming.
"Are you asking me to come with us to Talys?" He asked, impressed that she would go so far.
"Yep! Is there a problem with that?"
"Not at all, we can use the help… but you do realize that you could easily die, right?" Norne nodded in understanding. "Can I ask why you are so willing to do so?"
"Well, a couple years ago I met this boy named Kris. He helped me find my way back when I was lost in the woods, and even more than that he told me all about the knights of Altea." She explained, "Full of virtue and protecting their liege to the very end… the idea sounded right out of a fairy tale. He said it was his dream to be a knight one day, so I decided I wanted to give it a try too." Draug nodded, it made enough sense to him.
"So, you want to be a knight, huh?" The girl nodded excitedly, her face getting a little red.
"Yep! After seeing you, Sir Draug, I can definitely say my imagination of you dashing knights wasn't let down…" It took Draug a moment to figure out what exactly the girl was implying, slowly turning red as he pieced it together.
"Y-You think I'm… dashing?" He questioned incredibly embarrassed at the compliment, admittedly satisfied that this cute girl found him easy on the eyes as well.
"Uh huh…" she answered whimsically before snapping back into reality, "Anyway! Do you accept?"
"Of course. Since you're an archer, don't be afraid to stay behind me in battle. I'll keep you safe from the front lines!" Draug began to do some defensive poses as he said this, Norne watching amazed as if her heart was in the process of being stolen.
"As you say, sir Draug…"
Back to Marth:
Frey had just finished changing into the prince's spare clothes, them surprisingly not very tight on him as he turned to look at the knights who came with him. The Gra soldiers were closing in on them still. Time was running out.
"Lady Elice," Frey thought to himself, a tear flowing ever so slowly down his face. "It is because of you that my sad and worthless life once again has meaning. To thank you, I will ensure your final wish comes to be… A fool like me is not worthy to see you in whatever after life I am given, but… If I can only be in your presence one last time…"
"Sir Frey!" One of the knights called out, interrupting his thoughts. Frey simply nodded. It was time to move. With the prince and Elice in his thoughts, Frey began to run across the open fields with the knights following behind, it catching the attention of the Gra soldiers.
"Look! It's prince Marth!" Cried out one of the Gra soldiers. Frey smirked, close enough to hear them shout amongst each other. The plan was working.
"Oh yeah? Who's that then?" Another soldier asked. "That bloke over there is dressed in the same clothes. Could be either of 'em." Frey then turned around to see Marth struggling as Cain and Abel held him back.
"Damn it, sire!" Frey thought, "Stay back! You're going to ruin the whole plan!" Just then, Jiol went to the front of the line again, beating the two soldiers over the head as he walked by.
"Simpletons!" Jiol insulted, "Use your heads! One of them ran; the other didn't. What does that tell you? Easy! The one who stayed behind is trying to buy time for the one who fled!" Upon hearing this, Frey's jaw dropped. The king of Gra couldn't be that stupid, could he?
"So, er… the one who took off is-" Jiol cut off the soldier.
"The real prince, you idiot, yes! Hie, troops! After him! Put that craven whelp to the sword!" Jiol ordered, the entire unit turning their attention to Frey and the other knights, beginning to chase them down.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that one who is dumb enough to betray Altea is dumb enough to fall for this!" Frey chuckled with a smirk, "Alright, men, run as fast as you can and get them as far away from the prince as possible!" Marth continued to struggle against Cain and Abel as he watched Frey run off with the Gra army close behind.
"No! We have to go after him! He'll die back there!" The prince cried out before the two knights reluctantly pinned him to the ground.
"Damn it, Sire!" Cain groaned out, "It's too late to change your mind about letting him go!"
"Let his sacrifice… mean something…" Abel added, Marth's squirming becoming weaker and weaker.
"I know I let him go, but-" Jagen then slammed his foot down in front of the prince's face, causing him to stay quiet.
"Sire, enough of this. You know as well as I do that Frey wished for it to be him! Let him be at peace and die a true knight to his Lady!" The veteran knight hollered, the prince digging his fingers into the dirt. "To go back for him now would not only insult his honor as a knight, but insult your sister as his master! Do you really wish to drag both of them through the mud?!" Marth remained silent as Jagen's words shook his core, him giving in as he realized the veteran knight was right.
"Very well, I will honor them…" he muttered weakly, Cain and Abel getting off of him.
"Sire, I am sorry for yelling," Jagen began, "But it is crucial that-"
"I know," Marth cut him off, "We need to use this opportunity to find a way to escape." Jagen frowned as he could hear how the prince had forced those words out of his bleeding heart. Today was truly hard on the boy.
"Hey!" Gordin shouted, breaking the brief silence, "The door on the other side of the fort is open now!" The group looked over to see that it was indeed open.
"But why…?" Abel questioned, Cain cracking his knuckles with a smirk on his face.
"Who cares? It's perfect timing! Let's get the hell out of here!" The red haired knight added.
"Sire, are you ready to press on?" Jagen asked, helping Marth to his feet. The prince nodded, not bothering to clean the dirt off of his face.
"Yes, let's go." Across the water, the Gra captain and his handful of troops remained waiting for the rest of Marth's group to come through the fort, ready to ambush him at once.
"Since the prince fled south, what do you guys say to having a little fun picking off the runts he left behind?"
"Aye, captain!" The troops replied in excitement, awaiting the prince's arrival on the other side of the fort. Meanwhile, the group rushed through the fort before making it out the other side, the port visible in the distance.
"There!" Jagen shouted pointing at the docks, "Our escape ship must be at that port!" Marth nodded, running as fast as he could until a few soldiers blocked his path, causing him to stop abruptly, almost tripping as a result. He looked around to see more Gra soldiers moving in to surround him too. It was an ambush and he fell right for it!
"Damn it! Out of our way!" Cain shouted, ready to rush right at them. Marth simply remained silent until a voice called out from behind him.
"Would you look at that! The prince that fled was a fake! Looks like a promotion for me is in order after all!" Marth turned to see the captain of the Gra soldiers, him letting out a laugh at what appeared to be certain victory. Except, little did they know, the Altean knights weren't some ordinary pushovers.
"Shut the hell up! Stand aside before I kick your ass!" Cain shouted at the captain, Abel attempting to calm down his partner.
"You shouldn't be so reckless-"
"Actually, Abel," Marth interrupted, "I know you guys aren't so weak. You're really worried about getting carried away for my safety, am I right?" Abel remained silent, Jagen smiling at the prince as he knew what was going through his head. "After Frey, I refuse for one more life to be thrown away for my sake today! I can defend myself well enough! Let's just focus on getting out of here!"
"Hell yeah!" Cain shouted, "Let's teach these bastards a lesson!" Jagen watched in satisfaction as the prince had already taken steps to maturing. Even with all of the loss suffered so far, he knew that somewhere Cornelius would be proud of his son's stand against Gra.
"You say that as if it's easy!" The captain replied aggravated. Cain smirked, fired up already.
"Just try us!" He lunged forward and stabbed one of the soldiers surrounding them clean in the chest, this being immediately followed by an arrow shot by Gordin landing perfectly in another soldier's shoulder, them falling to the ground. Just as quickly, Abel and Jagen charged right for 2 of the others, only one being left which Marth gladly took on, the chaos causing the soldier to do an extremely sloppy attack which the prince dodged with ease before delivering a killing slash with his sword. Only the captain remained, but he was desperate running right at the back of the prince.
"Now only the captain is left… where is he?" Marth questioned, seeing that he had moved from his previous position.
"My liege, behind you!" Jagen warned, the prince turning to see the captain running right at him, lance in hand. It was too late.
"If I am to die here I will at least kill you, Altean prince!" The captain roared. An arrow then came out of nowhere and nailed the captain in the head, him falling to the ground at the last possible second.
"Heh, nice shot, Norne!" Said the voice of a young knight.
"See, I told you I was a good shot!" The voice of a young girl replied. The prince turned back around, seeing the familiar sight of the knight in training, Draug, with a young pink haired girl by his side.
"Hey! Prince Marth!" Draug called out with a wave, "Let's get going, we must make haste, sire!"
"Draug!" Gordin shouted, running to his friend. "You're alive!"
"Did you have any doubt?" The other knight replied with a chuckle, equally as glad to see his training buddy unharmed. Marth then walked over to them, a relieved smile on his face.
"I'm glad to see you unharmed, Draug… but what are you doing here?" The prince asked.
"Frey instructed me to prepare a ship for your escape on your sister's behalf." He answered simply.
"I see. Well thank you." Norne was looking into the distance as the prince talked with Draug, seeing troops on the move.
"Draug, sir! The enemy has crossed the border from the west!" She began, "They'll be upon us soon!" Marth looked over at the girl, not recognizing her at all.
"Draug, who is this girl?" He asked, Draug smiling as he patted the girl on the back.
"Sir, this is Norne. She heard wind of our struggles and wishes to fight for Altea!" Norne nodded, a blush on her face from the indirect praise.
"That's right! Prince Marth, 'tis an honor." She began, "By your leave, though, I'll be saving the curtsy-bobbin' for later! Let's move quickly!"
"Right! And thanks for the help!" Marth bowed politely before making a run for the port, the ship ready to set sail for when they arrive. As they arrived at the port, everyone rushed onto the ship where the boatman was waiting for them.
"This everyone?" He asked. Draug nodded and the boatman began to release the ship from the dock, Marth taking a look back at his home. He had escaped, but it was not without sacrifice. His father, his sister, Frey, and many more had died instead of him this day. The exhaustion began to catch up with him as his vision began to blur as time seemed to move out of control. He stared intently at Altea castle in the distance for one last time, it being the last thing he saw before falling into a deep sleep...
Meanwhile, in the southern fields of Altea, Gra's elite circled a heavily injured Frey, the rest of the knights already dead. However, Frey was still hanging onto dear life even as he was bleeding out all over the ground he stood on.
"This whelp is pretty good," Jiol began as he stared at the knight in a state of near death, "He's managed to take out 3 of our elite all by himself. Much stronger than those other puny knights that came with him." Frey glared at the king of this traitor nation with hatred as his breaths were heavy and painful.
"T-There's gonna be… 6 of you dead before I'm finished!" He forced out as he coughed up blood, it harder to breathe. Jiol held up his hand to stop the other troops from initiating on the beaten knight.
"Your strength is extraordinary for just a simple knight. Where did you learn to be so strong?" Frey remained silent as the blood continued to flow from his body. His vision became blurry and his senses began to distort. He was losing consciousness. "You might be useful to Gharnef, perhaps we should take you prisoner… if you survive! Hahaha!" Jiol's arrogant laughter was the last thing Frey heard before he collapsed on the ground, a puddle of blood forming under his body. He was finished, however his death wouldn't be in vain. He had refused to give away the location of his prince to the very end and had ensured his safety. He couldn't possibly ask for more.
"Lady Elice…" he thought as everything around him began to silence, "I completed your final request of me… Thank you… for giving me a reason…" his thoughts trailed off as a vision of Elice appeared before him. She was smiling at him and reached for his hand, attempting to pull him closer to her. He gladly welcomed her light, reaching out to take her hand in his. However, as they were about to connect, Frey felt himself be pulled downward by the shadows beneath him, falling into some dark hellish abyss. Wherever he was going, it was no doubt a place of great suffering, a place he felt he truly deserved. He took one more look at Elice's holy being and then… complete silence…
Marth had awoken on the ship, a violent wave causing the vessel to shake abruptly. He rubbed his eyes, taking in his surroundings. Everything that had happened this day felt like a huge horrible dream, but one look at the horizon proved it was all real.
"Look, sire. See how Altea shrinks on the horizon…" Jagen observed, Marth gazing at his shrinking homeland in defeat. In truth, the prince was utterly disgusted to even be alive after all of this. He was nothing more than a craven, unable to protect his people. If he was only stronger, Frey, Elice, his mother… none of them would have had to die! Perhaps if one day, he became stronger, he really could be a king who could save everyone! Yes, it had to be possible! Just thinking about how many lives he could have saved if he was strong enough… surely it could be true! However, as he was painfully reminded, for now he was just a weak fool. A craven.
"...aven…" he repeated out loud barely audible, Jagen looking over at the prince as he was unable to make out what he said.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I am a craven," Marth began dreadfully, "Powerless to save my sister, to staunch my kingdom's wounds; to ease my people's fears…" Jagen let out a sigh, shaking his head regretfully.
"This… was your only recourse, sire. But surely, one day, you will be able to set things right…" With this, Marth's built up emotions became too much to bear as he snapped, slamming his fist onto the wooden rails of the boat.
""Surely"? Why do words of such conviction smack so much of uncertainty when spoken?!" The prince began angrily, "Not surely, Jagen. Assuredly! Gra will pay for their actions! Today, though, allow me to wallow in this pain, to feel every awful twist of it! I never want to forget, do you hear me?!" Jagen backed away surprised at such an outburst, but understood how he felt. He too felt great pain today, but he knew someday it would all be paid back.
"Sire…" Marth continued to gaze at his home, making an oath to himself that he would never forget as this image would be burned into him for all eternity.
"I will return, Altea!" He cried out, "Your prince will return to you one day! I swear it!"