Chapter 5

The early bird awoke Selena that morning and she felt so depressed. Usually, she would have a maid greet her or at least feel refreshed but not this morning.

She remembered about Vigarde still and that was the whole thing keeping her down. "I have to go check on him…"

As she was heading out the door, someone stopped her. "Hold it Selena."

"Cormag, what are you doing?"

"Glen told me not to let you near Vigarde until you clear your mind. He doesn't want to see you worried Selena. Please just heed my words and wait for just a little to see him."

"I…Okay Cormag…"

Cormag smiled and said, "Thank you. I know I can trust you not to leave while I'm not around, right?"

"I promise…"

"Good. I'll be on my way now-"

"Wait Cormag."

"Yes?"

"Where's Glen?"

"He's still asleep. He had to stay up until three. He probably just fell asleep about two hours ago."

"Oh I see. Well thanks Cormag."

"Anytime Selena." And off he went.

She decided that to make the day a little better was to start off with a nice warm bath to calm herself. It was one of her favorites things to do. I guess I'll go for a bath and then I'll go see Glen. He was probably up all night because of me…

She undressed herself and got into the tub. So nice it smelled. It didn't take long for all her horrible thoughts to drift away.

Meanwhile, Lyon was at his father's bedside still. The more he sat there watching his father suffer, the more he thought of using the Sacred Stone of Grado to heal him. He wasn't excellent with his magic yet but without the emperor's permission, one time, he and the mages used a spell to peer into the future. The spell took the Sacred Stones power and saw a dangerous thunderstorm on the seas. On that day exactly, there were to be many ships to go out and deliver items to the islands. Lyon halted all shipments that day and saved many lives. No one knew the great deed he had done for them that day but that didn't matter to Lyon. All Lyon cared about was protecting others. That alone was his prime motivation. But now he was wondering if the Sacred Stones would aid him once again and allow him to save his father.

"Father, I'm sorry for disobeying your order but I have to do it…"

"Do what son?"

"I have to save you. The doctors have told me how horrible this fever is. They said it might take your life…"

"What if it does Lyon? What will you do?"

He gasped. Never in his life had Lyon ever wondered what his life would be like if his father ever died. "I…I don't know…"

"I'll tell you Lyon. You will take my spot as king Lyon. That's what you will do."

"No I won't father because you won't die."

"Lyon I feel that my body is weakening every second. My body is growing old while yours is still young. I know I'm going to die one day and it may be during this week but you must stay strong or you will never be fit to rule."

"Stop it Father. You're acting like you're going to die. Please don't say such things…"

"You shed tears because you're going to lose someone Lyon?"

"I…I don't want you to leave Father. I was never strong and if you…"

Vigarde smiled and said kindly, "Are you going to let Prince Innes' words get to you son?"

Lyon couldn't believe what his father had just said. Lyon had been trying to keep that whole conversation secret.

The whole conversation happened when Eirika and Ephraim invited them to their castle. Lyon wasn't the only one invited either. Tana and Innes were invited as well. Tana didn't have a problem with Lyon one bit, but if it was only the same for her older brother. It seemed as though the prince of Frelia hated weaklings such as Lyon. So he had to release that anger that lay in him when no one was looking.

"Tell me, why are you so delicate?"

"Huh?"

"I know you heard me." Innes' voice was so cold and harsh compared to Lyon's soft, tender voice.

"I was just raised this way…"

"So you're going to be treated like a baby your whole life?"

"I won't be that way…"

"So if you lost someone, would you cry?"

"Of course…Who wouldn't?"

"Amazing how naïve a prince could be. I have you know I have already lost a person in my life. I didn't shed one tear. But from the way you act, you are a weakling. I don't even know why I waste my breath on you." With that said, the prince left.

Lyon got back to reality and asked his father, "Where did you learn that?"

"That Princess Tana told me all about it. She heard the whole thing."

"That explains it…"

"But Lyon, you're not weak. Everyone has their weaknesses. Yours is the fear of having someone taken from you. Dame Selena's is being alone. I'm sure Innes has one too. But just like many of us, he doesn't want to admit it."

Lyon nodded and wiped a little tear away. The nurse came in with a bottle of medicine and a glass of water. She looked at the two and said kindly, "Prince Lyon, if you don't mind, I need to be here alone with your father."

"Yes ma'am." He took his leave, feeling horrible. Not once has he felt so down and empty.

Meanwhile, Selena was just finished with her bath and now headed to see her "father". Her mind was clear now and she felt refreshed now. She reached his bedroom but crashed into Lyon who was coming out.

"Prince, I'm sorry." She apologized.

"It's fine…If you're going to see my father, you can't. The nurse needs to be alone with him now. I'm sorry…" He didn't lay his eyes upon her once. It was unlike him to do such.

"Oh…okay…" She watched Lyon take his leave without a word more. She decided to do the same. But what was there to do now? Selena pondered on.

Cormag came hunting her down when he found that she wasn't in her room. He searched for her in the Emperor's room but there was no one in there besides the king himself. The living room as well as the kitchen was empty. He had run out of ideas of where she was. "Forget it…As long as she's not seeing the emperor is good enough."

Selena had left the castle grounds that day with a cloak and her horse. She ran through the forest and to a river where she stopped. The scenery there was picture perfect. Not a thing astir. "This place…Mother used to take me here all the time…I wonder if it's still here…" She went around the forest looking for something in particular. Then she caught a glint of something in the corner of her eye. A necklace wrapped around a tree was what she found. The chain was rusted but the gem was in perfect form still. Selena lifted it gently and unclipped it from the tree it hung on. The feeling of it between her hands made her feel nice and hopeful.

"It's still here…I could still remember why I left this here…"

"Mom look!" Selena pointed at the ground where a forest animal lay.

"What is it Selena?" She went to her daughter and saw the poor creature.

"Mom, what's wrong with it?"

Her mother lifted the little squirrel into the palm of her hands. She could feel that it was still breathing but very slowly. "The poor thing…It's on the verge of death."

"Can't we help it?"

"I don't think we can dear…We can end its misery though. It's suffering pain right now but if we just-"

"No please don't Mom…I don't want to kill it…"

She smiled down at her daughter. "Alright then. We'll try to take good care of it."

The two spent the rest to the day cleaning its wounds and making it relax. Then as the squirrel was sleeping, it passed away. Selena thought that it was a peaceful death at least. They buried it beneath the tree where she left her necklace as a memento.

She went back into reality and smiled as she held the necklace close to her heart. She looked around and whispered to herself, "Why were we here in the first place? All she said was that she wanted to see something?" Selena plopped down on the ground and her horse began nuzzling her.

"What is it girl?" Selena rubbed its nose and got back on its back. "You probably want to go home, huh? Okay then." She whipped the reins a little and they galloped away.

At the castle, Vigarde was getting worse and worse. But o matter how bad things got, his son still stayed by his side.

"Father, do you need anything?"

Vigarde couldn't answer back for his coughs overpowered his words.

Lyon felt horrible. Tears welled up in his purple eyes and they dropped down on his blanket. His father shut his eyes and tried to sleep but his coughing stopped him from even getting into a dream.

So there Lyon stayed, right by his father and that's when Lyon realized that his father was dying right before his eyes. Where was everyone else now? No where. Lyon began losing all hope.

Days passed by and Selena found things to occupy her time so as not to see Vigarde. She knew that if she saw him now, things would be bad for both of them. She was also seeing changes in Lyon too. He was no longer that sensitive soft boy, but a stingy and gloomy one instead. The whole week it rained so no one could really leave the castle unless they were foolish. Glen had gone to Frelia for the week to speak to Hayden about Vigarde and the plans of what would happen if he were to die. Selena didn't want a part of it. The main thing she did was write a story based on her own life but another character represented her. It was mostly like a diary. So mainly, all she did was write a life story.

Then one day, the worst happened. While everyone was doing their business, Lyon went to check on his father alone. There was no coughing or no moaning, just silence. Lyon had thought his father was finally healed until he saw that Vigarde let no breath out.

"F-Father, wake up…Father…stop it…" Lyon began trying to wake his father up but to no avail. The stalwart king had died, leaving Lyon alone in the world. "Father wake up…You said you wouldn't die…You said…" The rest of his words were taken over by sobs.

Everyone in the castle was oblivious to his death. They all continued on with their duties and assignments as if nothing happened. Selena had passed by Vigarde's chamber but since she heard no coughing, she thought he was all nice and healed. "That's good…," she mumbled.

Now Lyon lost all his sanity. Everything came rushing at him. His mind snapped and there was nothing left of that prince everyone had come to know. Since he no longer kept even a sense of sanity, his body now controlled itself it seemed. There was only one mission left to Lyon and that was to use the Sacred Stone to get his father back.

While everyone was oblivious to the emperor's death, they let the young prince get passed their sight. Lyon had gotten into the chamber which housed the Sacred Stone of Grado. Lyon took the stone and snuck out with it in his robe. No one noticed him at all and he got back into his father's room.

This wasn't' going to be the first time the young prince had used this Sacred Stone for his studies. He had used this stone countless times to help his people. With the help of his ally, Knoll, he got to somewhat peer into the future. What the two saw was the end of Grado. They weren't sure if this was true but they knew it had to be bad or at least bad enough to kill many innocent lives from men and women.

The stone was placed beside his father and he was ready to unleash it's power, Please Sacred Stone, let me use your power one more time…Let me have the strength to bring him back…

Lyon opened his eyes and felt someone or something grab a hold of him. Then he heard a devilish voice speak to him, "Do you want your father back that badly?"

"Yes…I do…"

"The human heart…such a weak object but the easier it is to get to. If you want him back so badly, I'll bring him back if only you do something for me…"

Selena got out of her bedroom after finishing another page of her book. She closed it and set it aside stretching into the air. She turned her head to the notes lying on her bed and was able to read: Tomorrow Glen returns from Frelia. Immediately she jumped up from her seat and wanted to look presentable to the wyvernrider. She brushed her hair and put it in a braid like the way she did the other night when she found that her emperor was sick.

He'll be so happy to hear the news.., Selena went downstairs and found that Cormag was beginning to leave the castle as well.

"Cormag please wait."

He turned around and greeted her with a pleasant smile. "Good morning Dame Selena. I see you remember about my brother as well."

"Yes. I've been anticipating this very day. Do you think he'll be happy about the news we have about our emperor?"

"Very. For one thing he's alive and another thing is because you're happy."

Selena blushed but continued smiling. Then the sound of flapping wings were heard from outside.

"Looks like he's here. I'll let you go and greet him first." Cormag held open the door and stepped aside.

Selena couldn't refuse this generous offer and replied, "Thank you Cormag." She walked outside and watched him jump off his wyvern. Glen untied the reins then turned his head towards her.

He dropped the reins feeling a little shock of sudden happiness. "S-Selena…" He bean walking towards her and when they reached he gave her a gentle embrace.

Selena gasped but gave him a hug back. When enveloped in his chest, she smelled such a wonderful scent. It wasn't that regular metallic scent you would smell if you were close to a man covered in armor but maybe a scent of cleanliness. Unfortunately for Selena, he pulled away once his brother came walking out.

"Cormag have you been keeping up with your duties?"

"Yes brother and Selena has also been able to complete her duties while you were gone."

Glen looked down at Selena who was standing beside him, "I'm glad. I hope I wasn't gone for too long."

"No Glen not at all. And King Vigarde has healed up quite well."

Glen smiled and Cormag suggested, "How about we go inside now and discuss things rather than stay out here? We each have many things to talk about and we should be in a nice comfortable place to speak in." The two nodded in unison and followed Cormag in.