Reinhardt - Gran 779

It was a fairly common job, organizing my lady's papers. Ever since she came of age, Lord Bloom had her assist him in his duties, to learn how to rule since, one day, she would take over for House Friege, and given her other duties, she needed help making sure she had everything. That's where I came in, though it wasn't often that I organized the papers while she was asleep at her desk. Since she still had her hair up in a ponytail, I assumed she had been working and then just passed out. Sadly, such things weren't uncommon these days. She was under too much stress, and each day, it only got worse. So, I did what I could, just as always.

"Mmm…" Lady Ishtar mumbled, slowly waking up. She yawned and sat up, rubbing at her eyes before sleepily looking over the stacks that were much neater than before. She frowned, confused, and then looked up to where I was, trying to decide the best place for a particular report. "Ack!" And my lady promptly tried to shoot up and nearly fell from her chair. I helped her balance, however, and continued with my organizing. "Reinhardt?! When did you get back?!"

"About an hour or so ago, my lady," I answered easily. I pulled Lady Tine's letter from my pocket and handed it to her. "I wanted to check in on you, and Lady Tine wanted to send you a letter."

"Oh…" She smiled slightly, softening as she always did when Lady Tine was brought up. The two adored each other, after all. "You could've woken me."

"You needed the sleep, Lady Ishtar."

"No, I…" She began the common lie, but then sighed and simply leaned back in her chair. "I don't know why I bother. You've been with me ever since I was a child. You know how to see through me."

"It is important for a knight to see the true meaning behind his liege's words." I frowned at the bags under her eyes, and how pale she was. "My lady, do recall that while I am called a 'general of Friege', I swore no oaths to the house or land. I swore them to you, and you alone." It actually amused me that so many dubbed me the 'perfect mage knight'. I wasn't at all. Proper knights served the people, but I didn't do that. If I did, I would've had to have turned from this path long ago. No, I was Lady Ishtar's knight, and thus, I remained on the path with her. "The second you wish to change your situation…"

"Reinhardt, please…" She sighed and looked up at me sadly. "I don't want you to die, you know."

"I am not so easily killed, my lady. I trained hard for that purpose."

"That is true. Some days, I want to spar with you, but I have my pride." She managed a little smile at the 'joke', and I shook my head, laughing a bit myself. The power she commanded was far beyond my own, after all. "What sort of change would you suggest, though?"

"Perhaps pursuing your heart of hearts more than the rest?"

"...Ha… most people should be so lucky that they have multiple people in their lives who can see the true troubles." She sighed and tilted her head back to stretch out her neck. "Though, you knowing what my heart of hearts feels makes me worry that others who know me well have guessed."

"I don't believe so, my lady. After all, your heart is in conflict." I wished I could help her 'fight' that conflict as well, but I really couldn't. "It masks it."

"Good." She groaned and half-sprawled on the desk, letting herself just relax. "It must be so aggravating, dealing with me." She glanced at me curiously, giving me no chance to deny that remark. "Hey, this is probably a silly question, but have you ever had a crush on someone? Or on two people at the same time?"

"Hmm? Of course I've had crushes." I had to fight to keep from laughing at her yelp. This was a serious conversation. "I am not the type to really pursue such things, though." Not one to burn with passion. I'd left all the fire in the womb, and Olwen had picked up my share as well as hers when she was born a few years later.

"Reinhardt, if you chose against it because you're my knight…"

"My lady, any partner of mine would have to be content with knowing how important that duty is to me." I smiled reassuringly at her, and slowly she relaxed, catching my meaning. "And I currently do have feelings for someone. However, I don't believe I can give you any sort of advice for your predicament, romance wise."

"You'd think that with everything I have to deal with, I wouldn't even care about my romantic problems." She groaned and rested her head on the desk again. "The world is going to hell, after all."

"Your heart is important, my lady. Same as any part of you." I remembered Olwen telling me that, once. I hoped she was well, wherever she had disappeared to. I'd heard rumors she was with the Liberation Army in Leonster, but I hadn't seen her the few times I was close. If she was, though… then I was sure she had found her own path, out of my shadow at long last. She was, after all, more of a 'proper knight' than I ever would be. She couldn't walk my path, and be happy about it. "And it is difficult to focus on solutions when so much of you is hurting."

"Pain shouldn't be normal." Yet, sadly, it had become normal for many. Including her. "Anyway, Reinhardt, thank you for fixing this mess, and for giving me the letter." She sat up again, smiling. "But I do insist that you enjoy a day off. Maybe spend some time with your crush!"

"My lady, you don't need to give me a day off to learn who that is. I would simply tell you." I shrugged. "I simply didn't deem it important."

"Hush, let me tease." She giggled, and though I was tempted to sigh, I smiled instead. It wasn't often she was in a mood to tease, nowadays. Too tired. "Go on, go on!"

"Let me at least finish with this, my lady. Please."

I finished organizing the papers, and then obeyed her order, to her clear delight. Though I did have to think of just where to go, and so wandered a bit, skirting near the practice yard on accident, where the new squires were training. I couldn't help but smile sadly, because a few years ago, Olwen would've been among them. But she had become a knight, and now… well, I spent many nights praying for her safety. I was certain she was, but I would be glad to see her. I was curious about how much she had grown, freed from my shadow. Sadly, my efforts had darkened her path considerably, but I was sure she had found her own light. I looked forward to seeing that, even if I also feared that path might bring us into conflict. She was my baby sister, after all. The only family I'd had ever since our father, a Friege soldier, died alongside Duke Reptor in the days before the Belhalla battle. I was used to taking care of her, even becoming a page, squire, and knight just for the stipend, so that she wouldn't have to skip meals. Well, that was the original reason, at least.

"Well, she hasn't been a child for a few years," I whispered to myself, continuing on. And she hadn't. She'd been seventeen when I'd last seen her, two years ago now. Two years… I'd never gone so long without seeing her before. I was used to guiding her on her path, helping her at every turn, even as I became aware that my path and hers couldn't be the same. She would be miserable. "Please be okay…"

Thankfully for my own anxiety, I heard the sounds of arguing and I went to investigate, as a means of distracting myself. However, when I discovered the source… well, my anxiety surged back for completely different reasons. The two arguers were Prince Julius and Prince Conall, and any argument involving Prince Julius carried a substantial risk of death. Even if they were in the gardens, where Prince Julius was most often at his calmest.

"Julius, it is not Reinhardt's fault if you're confusing respect and admiration for lust," Prince Conall noted dryly. It seemed that, somehow, the topic had come to me, and Prince Julius had been ranting. I had to admit that it hurt a little. Before he'd changed, he had admired me, frequently asking me questions about magic the few times I came to Belhalla with Lady Ishtar. Now, though… "Don't be an idiot."

"What did you say…?!" Prince Julius hissed, whirling with his hands sparking with black fire. Automatically, my hand dropped to the Dire Thunder tome I kept in a holster always, preparing to counter whatever spell he was about to use. However, Prince Julius stopped just short of touching Prince Conall's face, the black fire flickering and dancing by his cheek. But despite the close proximity to magic we knew was dangerous, Prince Conall looked at Prince Julius impassively. "...Conall, you're the only one who isn't afraid on me, you know? Everyone else is. But not you."

"Should I be afraid?" Prince Conall kept perfectly calm. He often did in situations like this, because to him, pain was normal. Being close to death was normal. Even after years in Belhalla, it had been that way for him. A good thing, considering how damn tactless he could be. Like scolding someone who was known to kill on whims and for the most inane reasons. Just a few months ago, Prince Julius killed someone for humming while he had a headache, and another for wearing a color he disliked. "I'm more annoyed than anything."

"Because I won't kill Reinhardt?"

"Because you don't trust Ishtar." Prince Conall narrowed his eyes. Not quite a glare, but enough to convey how annoyed he truly was. "Who cares who loves her? She loves you, and that's all that should matter."

"But I don't like people stealing my precious people." Prince Julius dismissed the magic and hugged Prince Conall, sulking. "You and Ishtar are my most precious people. You will always be with me." Prince Julius gasped and jumped away, no longer annoyed or angry, but excited. He changed moods quickly, as quickly as one might flip through a book. "Oh, that reminds me! At the last Child Hunt, the soldiers found this extensive book collection in one of the houses. I ordered them to bring it back for you, Conall. I'll go make sure it gets to your room."

"You're too kind, Julius." Prince Conall managed a little smile, and that was enough because Prince Julius laughed and rushed off. "Whoo boy…" He glanced around then, no doubt to see if it was 'safe' to vent, and saw me not far away. "Ah, Reinhardt. I didn't know you were in Belhalla."

"I arrived not long ago," I replied, bowing to him. I looked around for some sort of topic, and noticed something instantly. "Where is your shadow?"

"Hekate? I sent her to Ishtar when I saw Julius winding up for a rant." He shrugged, expression softening a little. "I was originally heading to her room to make sure she was okay. She's been overworking recently."

"I must've just missed her arrival, then." I knew he was also heading there to hide for a while himself. And because… well, no small part of me was amused that Prince Julius thought I romantically loved Lady Ishtar and yet was perfectly oblivious to the feelings slowly developing with Lady Ishtar and Prince Conall. Then again, Prince Conall seemed to unconsciously deny them, no doubt for his own safety. And perhaps, in his twisted mind, Prince Julius simply couldn't comprehend the idea of 'his precious people' doing anything he didn't want them to. "Please, don't let me keep you. I'm sure Hekate has ruined all my hard work with organizing things."

"Er… yeah, probably." He laughed, relaxing finally. "Be careful walking about, Reinhardt. I'm sure you overheard a great deal of that."

"I always am, Prince Conall." I bowed again, and waited for him to leave before continuing on my way.

Noting the hour, I finally decided my first destination and, to my delight, I was right. Cyas was in the library, sitting at a table right by the window with books scattered about him. He looked up as I approached and smiled warmly. "Ah, Reinhardt, excellent timing," he noted, gesturing to the seat next to him. "I was just thinking you'd like this book."

"Really?" I asked, intrigued. I sat down in the offered chair and smiled. "What's it about?"

"Well, you see, it's about potential medical applications of thunder magic and…" Then he was off, excitedly telling me all about the book, because one of the few times you saw Cyas without the calm healer-tactician mask he wore was when he was talking about magical theory and the like. It was just one of the many things I loved about him, really, and it let me see his smile, which was all too rare in the dark halls of Belhalla.

Besides, Lady Ishtar ordered me to visit the one I loved. And I always followed orders.

Author's notes: And have a Reinhardt, just because. Slight remember that the timeline for FE5 is 'stretched' to account for the later start-time of FE4's Gen2, hence why it's only been two years since he's seen Olwen. There's various mentions to Reinhardt's lines in FEH, but it's vague, so I won't be specifically pointing them out or anything.