Stupid Cupid

See disclaimer in Part 1

When Yggdra and Durant got to the bar, the queen was able to spot Roswell instantly. Whereas almost everyone else in the room was crowded around the circular tables in groups, talking and laughing and toasting the health of the as-yet successful negotiations amongst themselves, the Lord of the Black Rose sat at the mostly-deserted bar itself, slumped dejectedly with his back to the door and his only companions a tall crystal goblet and a half-empty bottle of deep red wine.

"Oh, dear…"

"Sir Durant, you're finally back…? Thank the gods."

Yggdra turned to see that she and her champion had been joined by one of Roswell's necromancer countrymen. This one was slightly older than his lord, still dressed in his heavy ceremonial robes due to the lower temperature of the room, with his bone-white hair pulled back over his shoulders and his ruby-colored eyes anxious.

"Please… what happened here…?" Yggdra asked worriedly, pointing to Roswell where he sat.

The necromancer shook his head helplessly. "All I know is that milord got in an argument with Lady Rosary earlier today. He's usually a little moody every time he and milady have one of their little marital spats, but it's never been this bad before. Lord Roswell is a sensitive man, but he's definitely not one to try to drown his troubles in the bottle. He's always had more sense than that."

"I wouldn't have expected him to do something like this either," Durant admitted, placing his hands on his hips and staring over at the younger man. "Not with his tolerance to alcohol, if it can be called that."

"Lord Roswell isn't as open about his emotions as he should be," the necromancer said, "and he won't talk to any of us, but surely you can get him to explain, Your Majesty. He trusts you in a way that he doesn't trust anyone else. Please, do something…"

"I'll try my best," Yggdra pledged. "I just hope I can get through to him so he'll stop. This really isn't good for him, or anyone…"

Nodding to her knight and Roswell's worried comrade, Yggdra slowly wove her way though the crowd, trying to plan what she should say. Would it be better to just engage Roswell in some other topic of conversation and veer him towards the subject of his argument with Rosary, or to confront him straight off? Would he be willing to say anything to her either way, even if she appealed to his better sensibilities? She'd never even seen Roswell drunk before, so she wasn't sure if she should prepare for outbursts of violence or severe depression. All she knew was that she had to do something…

But as she slid onto the barstool beside Roswell's and got a good look at his face, all her half-formed plans flew right out of her head.

"Oh, Roswell…" she groaned despairingly, reaching out to stroke his hair.

Roswell didn't look drunk at all, at least not in Yggdra's experience of her friends getting drunk. He just looked… sad, despairing and tired and completely devoid of his usual composed and noble bearing. There were dark streaks beneath his lovely turquoise eyes, and the lost look of their gaze was enough to break Yggdra's heart. Still worse were the half-dried tearstains streaked over his face: It took so much pain to make Roswell cry. The only thing that betrayed his inebriated state was the faint red flush over his pale skin.

"Oh, Roswell…" Yggdra repeated, slowly shaking her head. "You're going to make yourself sick. Please… you don't have to do this to yourself. You deserve so much better than this." So saying, she reached out and carefully removed the wineglass from his slackened grip, placing it further off than he could reach. "Please tell me… what's the matter? What happened that you're so depressed? I've never seen you like this before—it worries me…"

Roswell let out a short laugh. The sound was bitter, and the pain it held made Yggdra shiver. "So… she was right about that, too? …I really am… nothing but a burden to you all…"

"Don't say that," Yggdra pleaded. "Don't even think that. If that's what Rosary told you… then you should know better than to believe it…! So many people wouldn't have lived to see today if it weren't for you, Roswell…"

"You say that, but… I made so many stupid mistakes over the course of the war," was his reply. "From the civil war in Verlaine to the final battle at Heaven's Gate… I've put everyone through so much trouble. It's true, whether or not you try to deny it."

"Roswell, don't put yourself down like that," Yggdra urged, turning him to look at her. "How could we ever have abandoned you in Verlaine? Leon and his men turned right around and attacked you in the middle of the battle. They were slaughtering your people, laying waste to your lands… all you did was try to save the ones depending on you…"

"The point was, I couldn't," Roswell said flatly.

"The point was, you were willing to lay down your life for them," Yggdra insisted. "You fought and fought until you just couldn't anymore. And we… we just couldn't get there in time before Leon caught up with you. But…"

"You could have left me. You could have just went on and defeated the Black Cavalry, routed them. That was what you should've done. It would've saved everyone else so much suffering…"

"But it wouldn't have saved you, don't you see?" Yggdra laid her hands on Roswell's, stroking one finger along a small scar near his wrist. "No one would ever have had the heart to abandon you with wounds like that."

"Rosary said it would have been better if I'd just died."

Yggdra winced at the harshness of those blunt words, and the raw pain in Roswell's voice as he said them. Rosary, how could you? You must have known how much those words would hurt him… "If Rosary really believed that—if she'd truly wanted you to die—then she would have refused to let us in when I begged her to let us treat you at her manor. And besides, what right does she have to say your actions then were wrong? She didn't have to deal with nearly the same situation as you. You weren't conscious then, but I know we told you—as soon as Russell heard about what Leon had done, he got so angry he just took his troops and Rosary's Ankh and left. I seem to recall him saying that Gulcasa had specifically ordered the two of them that you and Rosary weren't to be harmed. So… Rosary is in no position to talk. She never had to fight for her people the way you did."

"But all those other times…"

Yggdra held a finger to Roswell's lips to silence him. "Hush. All those other times… Roswell, don't you see? Whenever there was a dangerous plan we had to fulfill, a risk to be made, a civilian to be rescued, a fort to be captured… you always volunteered to take point so selflessly. I couldn't refuse you—in fact, I think I relied on you too much, pushed you too hard. You were always so brave, always so unafraid of being hurt… even though you came so close to dying on so many occasions. We wouldn't have made it if you weren't so courageous in every single fight we went through. You were an example for everyone in the Royal Army to look up to."

"But in Flarewerk, and at Heaven's Gate, my actions nearly killed us all," Roswell said numbly, shaking his head at her.

"If you hadn't thought of destroying the Ankh at the Arc of Triumph, at the very least we would've lost Kylier when she got the same idea you'd had," Yggdra told him firmly. "Rosary may have had the power, but she wouldn't have done the same. You'd grown to hate the Ankhs by then; she still wanted them for herself. All of us could've been killed if it hadn't been for you. And once we were inside the capital, we couldn't give you time enough to recover—you had to be put under guard then, but how could we not protect you? It was the same in Heaven's Gate. You still weren't up to your full strength, so how could we expect you to throw yourself between us and Marietta when she attacked us on sight? We were just lucky that Nessiah was there, or we would've lost you."

"All the same…" Roswell turned away. "I continually put everyone in danger. And Rosary hates me for it. You have no idea… just how painful that is…"

"She didn't really mean that," Yggdra said helplessly. "Everyone says hurtful things when they get angry, but that doesn't mean they truly believe them!"

"When Rosary told me she wished I'd died long ago… I knew from the way she said it, that she meant those words with all her heart," Roswell said softly, not meeting Yggdra's eyes. "But… how could I blame her for that? There are days when I… I hate myself so much, I…"

Yggdra couldn't stand hearing it. Biting back tears, she threw her arms around Roswell and pulled him close. "Don't you say that! Don't you ever say that, Roswell…"

"You're… a kind person," Roswell told her at length. "That you would even love someone so wretched as me… is proof enough…"

"Please don't talk like that," Yggdra begged him. "It scares me to hear you say that. It reminds me too much of the way Gulcasa was, after Flarewerk… you know that he said all those same things, and tried to kill himself so many times… and there's no Emilia for you, no miraculous good news that can turn the way you feel around! If I ever lost you, I…"

She shook her head, unable to articulate her pain, her fear, at the thought.

"I'm sorry," Roswell said gently. "I don't mean to worry you like this."

"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid," Yggdra insisted.

"…I won't. I promise."

The two of them sat in silence, listening to the clamor of the tavern's other customers.

"…I still can't blame Rosary for what she says or does, or for hating me," Roswell said eventually. "Over and beyond my own feelings… that's just the way she was brought up. …I don't know how much you know about the two governing houses of Verlaine, but…"

Yggdra shook her head. "I know very little. Father did say he wanted me to study the political system there, but…" She grimaced. "I never… got the time."

"Ever since Verlaine split off from Fantasinia and divided its ruling body into the Black Rose and White Rose Houses, there's been an intense rivalry between my family and Rosary's that has only gotten worse over time. So far, the House of the Black Rose, and the Branthese family, have been seen as superior to the White Rose, but the Esmeralda family's magical power has been on an upward trend lately. So when we were children, both Rosary and I were under a lot of pressure from our parents. I was told that I was better than her, to never forget she was beneath me. As for Rosary, well, the mantra she grew up on was, 'Never lose to a Branthese'. It's not, I'm sure you realize, dissimilar to the relationship between Fantasinia and Bronquia."

Yggdra nodded, watching Roswell carefully as he told her the story. She'd never heard any of this before, but maybe it was the real reason behind the explosive situation she'd walked into months ago when she'd decided to take her small army through the hills of Verlaine on their way to the Lenessey Mountains.

"I never really cared about the conflict that much, and eventually I let loose on my parents and got them to leave me in peace, but Rosary… she was never able to shake that influence, and so she was raised very strictly. That's where her great pride comes from, of course. We were close friends when we were children, but as she got older, it got harder for her to defy the way she was taught… our relationship just kept getting more and more strained, even after our parents died and we were freed from their expectations. Rosary's expectations for herself were still very high."

Roswell sighed and shook his head, smiling bitterly.

"She fought. I became frustrated. Our rivalry got less and less friendly. When Nessiah brought us the Ankhs… it was really just the straw that broke the camel's back. Whoever had both the Ankhs would become more powerful than Valois… and prove the might of our house for all time."

"I see…" It was such a sad tale. To think that this had been going on for so long, and both Roswell and Rosary were just victims of their families' design…

"Well…" Roswell traced the mouth of the bottle of wine still before him. "You and Gulcasa have proved it possible to bury old hatred and rivalries once and for all now that the both of you are actively working for peace between the Kingdom and the Empire… but at times like this, I truly do despair of trying to work Rosary around. She's so stubborn, so proud, so forceful… and I fear I just don't have your strength of will."

"It's going to be okay," Yggdra soothed, squeezing Roswell's shoulder. "You and Rosary may not be able to relate just yet, but… the two of you still have the rest of your lives to work things out. As for the immediate situation, don't worry about that, either. I'll talk to Rosary. She's hurt you by saying things like that carelessly, and she needs to learn to think before she speaks."

Roswell gave her a lopsided smile. "You don't have to bother. It's not that big a deal. I know I'm drunk—I'm talking too much. You have your own problems to worry about, too."

"You're important to me, too, you know," Yggdra told him, smiling sadly. "I can't concentrate on other things when I know you're sad." And she held him close again, kissing his forehead affectionately. "You're family to me, Roswell. Family and friends come before everything else to me. Now, come on—you probably need to sleep by now, and you definitely need to get out of here before you get any more drunk than you already are."

Roswell actually laughed at that, shaking his head. "You're probably right about that. Why don't you go on ahead and let Durant and my anxious friend over there know that you've succeeded in prying me from my self-pitying wine binge? I'll be right after you; I can still walk straight."

"If you're sure," Yggdra said, relieved, and hugged him one more time before slipping off her stool and navigating the crowds.

Once he was sure she was out of hearing range, Roswell let the smile drop from his lips and turned towards the near corner of the room, where he had noticed a pair of listeners. He glared at them now, an open threat in his suddenly frosty eyes. "I see you there. Don't think I haven't noticed you following Yggdra around lately. I understand your misguided desire to protect the Emperor, and even your jealousy to some degree, but if you dare try to take it out on that kindhearted, innocent girl, I will never forgive you. If you try to hurt her, and I or any of her other friends hear about it, we will punish you for it—you'll rue the day you were born. Do I make myself clear?"

"Shut up if you know what's good for you," Luciana snarled.

"Try to touch us, and we'll make you sorry," Aegina threatened. "If you think we'll just let that Fantasinian scum take advantage of His Majesty's heart, you've got a hole in your head."

"Or too much drink in your gut," Luciana added with a snort.

Roswell nodded coldly. "As long as the two of you understand the position you're in." With that, he turned away, stood up, and followed Yggdra, only marginally unsteady on his feet, so she could fuss over him and lead him back to his room.

Even if she herself didn't realize she was being stalked, her friends were aware, and every one of them was damned if they'd let her come to any harm.

---

"Come with me, Rosary. We need to talk," was Kylier's only preamble to grabbing Rosary by the arm and hauling her back into the queen's room, where Elena and Yggdra were also waiting.

"What? What's wrong with all of you? Whatever you think I did—"

"Oh, save it," Kylier snapped, clearly annoyed, as she dumped Rosary into the nearest chair. "What's the big deal with you picking another fight with Roswell earlier?"

Rosary reddened, but crossed her arms and puffed up her chest. "And the big deal about that is? Fights with Roswell are a fact of life. You should be used to them by now, shouldn't you?"

"Trust us, if it was just an ordinary fight, you wouldn't be getting yelled at," Kylier told her. "After your average everyday pointless argument, Roswell doesn't run off to the nearest bar to get himself plastered!"

Rosary stared, openmouthed. "He what?"

Elena grimaced. "It's true. Yggdra told us about it—she's the one who got him out of there. She said that he was very drunk when she found him."

Shit, Rosary thought, and winced inwardly. "Well… well, I always have said that my idiot second cousin is just too sensitive! This proves it! That fight was nothing to go drink yourself insensible over!"

Yggdra just shook her head sadly. The young queen looked so miserable, so worried, that it was starting to put Rosary on edge. "Rosary… are you aware that Roswell has been struggling with depression for quite some time?"

Rosary stared. "Are you serious?"

"You and I and everyone here knows that you must have said things in that fight that you never really meant, just like in every other fight you've had," Yggdra told her. "The problem is… that not only was what you said extremely hurtful, but Roswell believed you when you said that you wished he was dead. And he agrees with you."

"Do you really wanna go through the same thing with Roswell that we did with Gulcasa not too long ago?" Kylier asked, shaking her head. "And on a holiday, too? Come on, Rosary, we know you care about Roswell more than that."

"Just tell him you're sorry," Elena begged. "Roswell-san is… he won't believe us, but he'll listen to you if you say it, Rosary-san!"

"…It's not that easy," Rosary protested, refusing to meet their eyes and clenching her fists. "You make it sound like I'm just supposed to go up to him and grovel. I…!"

"Rosary, please," Yggdra said softly, tears in her eyes. "Please. This isn't about pride, or your old feud. This is about Roswell's life—his life, Rosary…"

"He's your rival, right? How are you ever gonna beat him, prove yourself better than he is, if he's dead?" Kylier pressed.

"Please, Rosary-san…" Elena laced her fingers together nervously. "Please…"

"If it's really that bad…" Rosary said with a sigh, throwing up her hands. "If it's really that bad, I'll think of something to say. That idiot, always taking everything so seriously…"

Yggdra pressed a hand to her heart. "Thank you… thank you so much…"

Rosary just made a face, embarrassed. "Well… you have to figure out what you're giving Gulcasa, and that's more than enough on your plate right there. I'm just… sick of you people always having to make such a big deal out of everything, alright?!"

Kylier shook her head. "Whatever. As long as we don't have to worry about Roswell slitting his wrists on top of everything else we have to deal with, we don't care what your excuse is."

"Let's get to bed, then, everyone," Yggdra suggested. "Tomorrow's going to be another day of hard work."

:TBC:

Notes on the text

Verlaine: If Yggdra and Roswell going back and forth was confusing, then here's the Cliff's Notes version. When the Royal Army decided to go after Roswell first to see if they could convince him he was being stupid—as he's the more reasonable of the two—the fight didn't go for long before Leon decided to interfere and steal Roswell's Ankh, which was not being used because Roswell would've been shooting himself in the foot by firing the Ankh all over his own lands. When Leon attacked, Roswell marshaled his forces to try to strike back, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the Black Cavalry. Roswell was badly injured in the assault; the Royal Army arrived in time to rescue him from Leon's forces, but knew they had to get him help or he would die. Milanor and Nietzsche stayed behind to stall Leon while Yggdra and Durant rushed Roswell down to the White Rose Manor, where he was treated. Rosary went out with them to fight Leon; meanwhile, Russell made off with her Ankh, but because he was pissed at Leon for disobeying Gulcasa's orders, he didn't hang around to help out. Afterwards, Roswell and Rosary called a temporary truce and decided to go with Yggdra until they could get their Ankhs back from the Empire. …That's basically it in a nutshell, at least…

Suicidal Gulcasa: As you may have figured, Emilia did not die in Drominos Marsh—she was, however, very badly injured, and although her troops got her back to Flarewerk, it was decided that she probably wouldn't live, causing Gulcasa's unusually emotional, reckless attitude during the Flarewerk battles. Though he was saved in the Chamber of Brongaa, for the next few weeks he remained in a dangerous emotional state. He wasn't "I'm sacrificing myself to resurrect Brongaa and save my people" suicidal anymore (largely because the Chamber of Brongaa was destroyed when Castle Bronquia burned down…), he was "I failed my loved ones and now I don't want to live" suicidal instead. And he remained that way until he was informed that against expectations, Emilia was recovering.

Why no Kylier or Elena this time?: Urk. Yggdra and Roswell ate the chapter. Well, Kylier took up most of the last one, and this is important to the story, sooooo… eheh. I'm sorry. (sweatdrop) I'm such a bad person.