Author's Notes

Sorry about the very late update, but let's just say... that I've hit my first wall as a writer. No, not writer's block, an actual wall. It's involved much confusion, annoyance, and editing... not so much in this chapter, but in the next couple, lots. In fact, I have to add a new chapter to hopefully get things back on track, putting the total to six.

I said some things I probably shouldn't have to a particular person in my last PM to them, and well... if that person is still actually following this, I'm sorry. Some of that was a bit uncalled for.

Everything's fine now, unless something comes up again in the future, but I don't think it will. Unless I'm sadly mistaken.

Whatever, enough about me. No one cares about that. :p Let's keep going!

Chapter 3: Feelings

A door flies open, and Princess L'Arachel and her trusty retainer Dozla enter onto the deck; they met with Ephraim and company during the ambush on the ship yesterday.

"Ah, Dozla! What a beautiful morning! I say, it's almost as if the gods themselves have blessed us for our course by giving us this sight to behold!"

Dozla laughs. "Why yes, princess! It's quite obvious if you do say so yourself! And the sun shines off your radiant beauty like it's jealous of you!"

"Perfect alliteration, Dozla! I couldn't have said it any better myself!" She notices Ephraim and Myrrh on the deck. "Sorry to interrupt, but Sir Ephraim, doesn't this sun just perfect my already extraordinary appearance?"

"Uh, sure..." Ephraim rolls his eyes without her noticing. "Anyway, can I speak to you for a second? We need to discuss what we're going to do once we reach the dock."

"Why, certainly!" The two of them walk to the other side of the deck where they begin to discuss tactical strategy. Dozla walks up to Myrrh.

"Hello lassie! How are you? You seem to be in better spirits than yesterday!" He laughs quite loudly. "Of course, yesterday we were being attacked by 'hordes of darkness', as the princess would say..."

"I am doing... very well, Dozla. I've been watching the sunrise with Ephraim." She smiles. "It was... very enjoyable."

"Ah! I've seen many sunrises in my day!" he says, while he laughs (again) and sits down on a barrel. "Why, years and years ago..."

As Dozla tells Myrrh his story, she listens attentively, but near the end of it, she glances to her right, and she notices that Ephraim and L'Arachel aren't talking about strategy anymore; in fact, they seem to be joking about something. And they're standing quite close to each other.

As Myrrh watches the scene unfold before her, she closes her wings completely, and a strange feeling starts developing in her chest. She holds her hand to her heart.

Meanwhile, Dozla doesn't even notice that Myrrh isn't listening to him anymore.

"...and that's why I always think about eating whenever the sun rises in the morning! Gwa ha ha!" As he continues to laugh, he notices Myrrh looking at Ephraim and L'Arachel, and it seems that her normally large, curious eyes now look concerned. Dozla edges closer to her.

"Why, what's the matter lassie? Something seems to be troubling you." He points to his face. "Would you like to tug on my beard? It would always make the princess and Rennac feel better if they were sad! Especially Rennac!"

She giggles a little bit, but then she gets depressed again. "No Dozla, thank you. It's just that... when I see Ephraim speak so... freely with L'Arachel, I'm feeling strange... here." She points to her heart and sighs. "I don't know what it is..."

Dozla just laughs. "Ah, it is simple, lassie! You are starting to fall in love, aren't you?" Her eyes widen. "It is obvious! Why else would you feel such aches in your heart? Such jealousy?"

"Love... jealousy?"

"Why yes!" He wraps his arm around her shoulder. "I would know!"

She thinks for a moment. "If it really is love... then it... it is not meant to be..."

Dozla looks at her strangely. "Not meant to be? Why not?"

She closes her eyes and sighs. "Because... we are different. It's not... allowed..."

"Not allowed?" Dozla asks, flabbergasted. "Love can overcome anything! Even silly rules and traditions. I have seen it with my very eyes!" He sits up very dramatically. "I have traveled to many lands on Magvel before I became the princess' vassal. I've sailed the seas, and I've even visited another continent. I've seen love at its strongest! And I know strength! Gwa ha ha!"

Myrrh looks at him in awe. "R-really? You have?"

"Yes I have!" He picks Myrrh up and places her on his lap. "If you want to, I can tell you some stories from my travels. For some reason, one story in particular is crossing my mind right now... about a girl named Ninian. Would you like to hear it sometime?"

Myrrh begins to smile again. "Yes, I would." She gives Dozla a hug. "Thank you for cheering me up."

"Ha ha! It's what I do! Now, who gave you the idea that you aren't allowed to love the princess?"

"Wait, what?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, anyone who wasn't travelling to Grado with Ephraim; namely his sister Eirika, some other members of the army, and some new allies, such as Prince Innes of Frelia and the proficient sage Saleh, have just arrived at Caer Pelyn. Eirika, Saleh, and Innes are speaking to the elder of the village, and the conversation is nearing a close...

"...there was dark energy to the south, and the Great Dragon went with Saleh to investigate, but they got separated. No one knows where the Great Dragon is anymore."

Eirika widens her eyes in surprise. "The south? Myrrh said there was some dark energy there... could that be her?"

"WHAT? You know where the Great Dragon is?"

"Yes, she's going to Grado with my brother and his army."

Worry begins to crawl onto the elder's face."She's with your brother?"

"Um, yes, she is," she says, confused, but then she lightens up considerably. "When I saw them at Frelia, she stayed really close to his side. I think she feels safe around him! And Ephraim really cares for her as well."

Before the elder can respond, a messenger runs in and requests that Eirika and Innes come outside immediately for an important message. They thank the elder and exit the room, leaving only the elder and Saleh.

"Saleh... did you hear that? It seems like the Great Dragon is getting... quite close to this brother of hers..."

Saleh shakes his head and begins pacing. "Eirika told me about her brother, Ephraim. He can be a kind-hearted man, or at least to those close to him. Perhaps..."

She cuts him off. "It is not allowed. She is not human. It is not allowed."

"Not allowed?" Saleh stops pacing, and he looks at the elder with doubt. "I'm not sure about that... there are many stories in other lands about dragons and humans falling in love with each other... I am unaware of the issue you speak about. Nothing about it is mentioned in the legends."

"Exactly! It is not there! Which means it is not meant to be! Hybrid children... If all of the other dragons in other lands are doing the same thing, the entire dragon clan could be completely wiped out!" she exclaims, pointing at Saleh. "Plus, how could we let a creature as sinful and imperfect as a human tarnish a being as perfect as the Great Dragon?"

"I... guess I see the issue," he replies, although he's not thoroughly convinced. However, since he's talking to the elder of the tribe who also happens to his grandmother... "When I find her, I will talk to her..."

"Thank you. I do not mean to be harsh, but I am doing this for the good of the Great Dragon."

"Would you like to try to ride on a horse, Myrrh?"

"I don't know. Whose horse is this?"

Ephraim laughs. "I borrowed Forde's. He said I could use him while he sleeps."

The army is situated near Grado Castle. In about an hour, they plan to charge the castle, and Ephraim's ordered that everyone is to rest before they go inside. Ephraim and Myrrh are in a clearing near the castle, and he hopes that he can cheer her up after the events of the last few days, including just a couple of hours ago when they were forced to kill the Grado general, Selena.

"It's really fun, Myrrh. I'll even ride with you." He gets on top of the horse and stretches his hand towards her. "If you get scared, you can just fly away anyway."

Myrrh laughs as she grabs his hand and he helps her up. "I suppose that's true, isn't it?" She sits behind him.

"Okay Myrrh, I'm going to need you to grab my waist. It might get a bit bumpy."

Myrrh grabs his waist. "Should we really be... sitting this close to each other? You are the prince of Renais..."

"I don't see a problem with it." He looks at her, and from the looks of his face, it seems like he hasn't the slightest idea as to why it would be an issue. "You might hurt yourself, and that wouldn't be good, would it?"

"O-okay then." She holds him tight, and Ephraim signals the horse to begin riding into the distance.

Author's Notes

Given the fact that the elder of Caer Pelyn is barely shown at all in-game, (and not at all in Ephraim's path) I don't think she seems off in this scene, based on the few facts known about her. She can get very passionate in-game about a couple of things (such as not calling Myrrh one of the Manakete) even though she's over 100 years old. Plus, she would seem like someone with possibly old-fashioned views, considering her age.

I made Dozla interpret love the way he did on purpose. He's a simple man, and so the way he describes love and how he probably views it is based on the some of the simpler qualities of love, such as the fact that unselfish love has enormous power. The Bible says "love never fails." As well, Dozla's past is barely touched upon, so he could have easily travelled in the days of his youth. The nod to FE7 is there for obvious reasons. :)

Please don't complain about "impossible" timeline integration if it exists; this is fan fiction, after all. :p