Mad King's War: Deliverer
Written by: ExposedWiresExposedVeins
Beta'd by: DarkEclipse45
Chapter Three: Alliance
The recent encounter with the Daeins within the borders of Gallia seemed to last far too long to the Greil Mercenaries as the sun set on the bloody day. With the arrival of the Gallian warriors, the agile Lethe and the behemoth Mordecai, sent by King Caineghis himself, there was talk of marching further into Gallia once it was dawn.
Considering the relentless attack of the Daein forces that took place, Ike agreed with little reluctance and immediately relayed the information to his mercenary group via Soren.
"Meeting the king of beasts so soon, huh?" Malin asked with a raised eyebrow in response to the mage once he told the archer. "Well, what then?" Mia was still in Malin's room; she narrowed her eyes at him upon his response.
Soren narrowed his eyes all the same. "I trust Ike's judgment on what the Greil Mercenaries will do once we reach King Caineghis and the princess of Crimea," he said with a neutral voice.
"Tell the boss-man he has nothing to worry about!" Mia spoke for herself and her friend. "We're with you guys no matter what! Right, Malin?" Mia shoved an elbow at his side.
Malin merely sighed at her abruptness, rubbing where she hit him. "I already told him where I stand. I haven't changed my mind. To Castle Gallia we go, then." Soren nodded at the two and left without a word. "Seems like ever the friendly mage, huh Mia?" Malin sarcastically observed.
"You're one to talk," Mia countered with a joking smile.
"I have my moments," he replied with no hint of denial. "Now get out of my room, would you? For once, a good night's rest would do me some good." Malin lightly placed his hands on Mia's shoulders and led her out.
Mia rolled her eyes as she was out the door. "Yeah, you sure do have your moments. Not even gonna say please?"
"You're asking too much," Malin simply stated. "Now if you would be so kind, don't bother me again tonight."
"I guess you're right about getting some sleep. You'll need all the rest you can for the next duel at dawn, partner! Goodnight!" Mia then made her way to her room, which was a short distance away.
I hate my life, thought the unfortunate archer as he frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe I should just tie her up in her sleep…
xxxx
Dawn came rather slowly for a change to the mercenaries. At this point, everyone was awake and preparing to march to Castle Gallia.
Lethe, the orange cat, grew impatient due to how long the beorc were taking. Her companion Mordecai, however, enjoyed his free time by relaxing at the base of a tree next to the castle. Some of the Greil Mercenaries marveled at how such a large tiger would be so gentle in the company of a small field mouse that approached him. Lethe would just roll her eyes at how unlike a warrior of Gallia Mordecai acted.
Mordecai's rest was interrupted by a pained groan. He got up and decided to investigate. Not that far away was what appeared to be a sparring match. It would've been called a sparring match, however, if one certain archer were able to put up a fight against the lightning-swift strokes of a myrmidon. From the tiger's perspective, it was very one-sided.
Miraculously dodging a swing, Malin kneeled and rested on the ground, gasping in deep breaths. Mordecai walked up to the two with a curious expression on his face. "Hm. You beorc are amusing," the tiger observed.
"Oh, hey!" Mia exclaimed with a smile. "It's the tiger that saved us yesterday!" She waved to him with a grin never leaving her face.
The laguz introduced himself. "Greetings, beorc. I am Mordecai."
"I'm Mia, and this," she said whilst patting the archer's shoulder, "is Malin!"
Malin finally spoke up, albeit hesitantly. "…Thanks for saving us back there."
"You are welcome. Malin, Mia, I hope we may become-"
"Mordecai!" Lethe yelled out as she approached the trio. She had a fierce look on her face. "Just what do you think you're doing with these humans?"
"What, are you his keeper or something?" Malin asked in a joking tone.
The female laguz hissed in anger and tried to keep it in check by taking a deep breath. After a moment, she spoke. "You best stay out of this." The archer merely folded his arms and frowned. Mia said nothing.
"Lethe, these two aren't like the little mage," Mordecai said in defense.
Lethe turned back to the tiger. "It matters not, Mordecai. You've seen one human; you've seen them all."
"Lethe, please do not say such bad things about beorc. Malin and Mia are kind, as is Ike."
"Hmph. I've had enough," Lethe finished, her patience wearing thin. "I warn you to not get so close to these two, Ike or anyone. Keep in mind we can only trust our brothers in the end." She walked away from the three, shaking her head.
"Pff. Well, it was nice meeting you, Lethe," Malin called out in sarcasm. The laguz ignored him.
Mordecai sighed. "Please forgive Lethe. Distrust of you beorc still runs deep in Gallia for some. I only hope we can bridge the gap between us."
"Don't worry about it," Mia answered with a renewed smile. She then turned to Malin. "You wanna get back to sparring?"
"I never wanted to in the first place…" Malin complained.
Mordecai grinned at the two. "Amusing still."
xxxx
Seeing that his mercenaries were all ready to go, Commander Ike let both Lethe and Mordecai know. Not a moment later, the two laguz led the group further within the borders of Gallia.
Such fact was of some relief to the Greil Mercenaries; several thought it would be a smooth road ahead with no more confrontations resulting in bloodshed. Once they reach Castle Gallia and its king, they would be safe while the commander decides what's next.
Said leader was thinking as such while he was marching behind Lethe and Mordecai, with Soren on his left. The two didn't speak much after the conflict between the mage and the Gallian warriors yesterday; he wanted to address what happened.
"You know, Soren, since we'll be with Lethe and Mordecai up until we reach Castle Gallia, I hope you can be able to tolerate the laguz," said Ike in a soft voice that only he and Soren could hear. "Not only them, though, as we're headed further into Gallia."
Soren sighed. "How could you be fine with all this when that sub-hu… tiger pounced on you?"
Ike shrugged. "Simple. Mordecai didn't mean to attack me; besides, he apologized. And did you already forget how those two saved us when we were vastly outnumbered?"
The pale mage said nothing. Not waiting for a response, the commander continued, "I don't mean to sound harsh, but it was your words that led to Mordecai attacking. I may not understand why you feel this way towards the laguz, but you'll need to watch what you say."
Soren wished to drop the topic altogether. "…I will do my best for your sake, Ike. Let's just move on."
"If there's anything you need to talk to me about, Soren, I'm always here for you," Ike concluded and placed a hand on the mage's shoulder. Soren cringed at the touch, but his friend paid it no mind. That all said and done, they continued onward.
I doubt you or anyone else will ever understand, thought Soren cynically. Never…
xxxx
Several marks have passed since the Greil Mercenaries departed Castle Gebal with Lethe and Mordecai, and the sight of an endless sea of trees was replaced by tall mountains to the west and a beach to the east, with fewer trees surrounding the area. The beach had a few modestly sized cabins resting by the sea.
The group stopped for a few minutes as they beheld the new sight as well as a nearby structure. Lethe and Mordecai immediately recognized it as Castle Soan, named after the legendary lion that helped defeat the dark god eons ago.
The two warriors looked upon it with reverence for the father of the beast tribe nation. "We are close," started Mordecai. "Once we pass here, Castle Gallia will be in sight in just a few marks." He turned to Ike. "Are you all well enough to continue? Do you wish to break?"
The commander shook his head. "We're fine. I'd rather not stop until we reach the king."
"Are you sure?" Lethe questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I was sure your skinny little beorc legs would be begging for a rest."
Ike insisted, "You don't need to worry about us."
"Good," replied Mordecai. "Then we will continue."
The cat raised an eye. "Hmph. You beorc surprise m-"
"Hold!" Mordecai interrupted her. He sniffed the air and grunted in response to what his senses founded. "I smell… iron. Other beorc are here. Well-armed ones."
The Greil Mercenaries sighed, knowing their struggle was far from over. "Here? Come the hell on!" complained Malin, who was standing in the middle of the group. The archer was the only one who spoke; some looked over his way, as did Lethe. "What in Tellius are your forces doing? Are they completely unaware that Daeins are treating your borders like sh-" Mia forcefully shoved an elbow into his stomach.
"Enough, Malin," the myrmidon softly said, feeling embarrassed of her friend's rudeness.
Malin coughed a few times and gave up. "You really need to stop that…"
Lethe looked at Malin in anger, her knuckles white and fists slightly trembling. Mordecai had a stoic look on his face as he held up a muscular arm to prevent her from attacking. "You dare defy our brothers, human?! Hold your tongue!" It took all of Lethe's restraint from transforming and ripping his throat out.
After a moment, Ike spoke up. "Please accept my apologies on behalf of one of my men's behavior, Lethe and Mordecai. I'll see that he gets properly disciplined."
Lethe let go of her anger and sighed, folding her arms. Knowing Daein soldiers were at the aforementioned castle, the feline thought for a moment before speaking. She turned to Ike and concluded, "Well, I suppose we can go around to avoid a fight."
Ike refused with a shake of his head. "We're not going to run away; we'll make them regret defying Gallia's sovereignty."
xxxx
With Soren's plans set, the Greil Mercenaries as well as Lethe and Mordecai were ready for the fight to capture Castle Soan. And despite protests, Ike's sister Mist and Oscar and Boyd's brother Rolf joined the fight. Mist remained by Ike's side and Rolf stayed by Oscar. All four of them, along with Soren, Lethe and Mordecai, took the south. Due to an injury she was recovering from the last battle, Titania stayed back to protect the convoy.
Boyd, Mia, Malin, Ilyana and Rhys took the beach. Boyd and Mia took the front while Malin and Ilyana watched their backs. Rhys stayed close behind, the grip on his healing staff tightening in anticipation.
The fight started in an instant. Several Daein axe fighters sprinted towards Boyd and Mia, murderous intent in their eyes. They swung their steel axes with as much force as they could. Mia sidestepped and swung her blade in an arc, felling the foe. The other's axe was caught in the blade of Boyd's. The green-haired fighter swung his foot to trip the Daein fighter over. Before he made contact with the sand, Mia fatally slashed his chest.
A mage with a crimson colored tome muttered a few words as a ball of fire formed. It stopped midair until the mage pointed his hand at the group. The fireball flew at an alarming speed, only to be countered with a sudden thunderbolt, thanks to Ilyana. As the two spells collided and dissipated, Malin made use of his new steel bow and launched an arrow into the mage's neck. The mage made a short choking sound as he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.
As the five mercenaries marched further into the coastline, they found a shirtless man approaching a cabin with an axe that was coated with a sickly black color. Malin launched an arrow in hopes of stopping the brigand. It flew over his head by an inch, only resulting in it shearing a few hairs from his head. The arrow buried itself in the cabin wall as it caught the man's attention. He whirled around, sprinting towards the archer whilst swinging his axe with wild abandon.
Malin didn't hesitate in preparing another arrow. Before he could launch, however, the brigand stopped suddenly, with the end of a sword piercing through his belly. He grunted and fell into the sand, never to rise again. Mia dried her sword of the blood on the brigand's pants, wiping her forehead of some sweat. She looked over to Malin, her eyes widening in shock. "Watch out!"
The archer looked behind him and saw a brigand like the one they just killed. He was dressed in the same garb and carried the same kind of axe. The brigand swung his axe horizontally. The archer jumped to the side, the axe's blade barely cutting his side, resulting in a small wound in his torso. Malin fell to his knees with a hand over his wound.
As the brigand ended his swing, he met an end as Boyd smashed his own axe into the brigand's back. Mia sprinted to Malin's side, her hands on him. She turned him around and saw his torso bleeding. "Oh no! Rhys!"
The healer ran over to the two while Boyd and Ilyana stood by to protect the trio. Mia exposed the archer's wound by pulling up his shirt. The wound didn't look severe, but no chances were made, as the axe that hit him had the familiar black liquid. Malin, now lying down, didn't look at his wound; he instead looked up to the sky, taking slow breaths as he was shaking in pain. "D-dammit! Is… is it bad?"
Rhys looked at the wound as he dug a hand into his pack. He pulled a small vial from it, eyeing it. "It probably would be without this." The healer popped open the container and poured the concoction into the wound. Whatever poison that may have reached the wound was purged.
Malin gritted his teeth at the burning sensation. "Shit!"
Rhys shook his head lightly at the cursing and held his staff a few inches from the wound. The archer felt a warm sensation replacing the burning. A moment later, Malin looked over to Mia, the myrmidon looking a bit relieved. "…Go make yourself useful, huh?" Mia wordlessly joined Boyd and Ilyana towards the cabins.
The heal staff helped seal the wound, but not completely. Rhys then wrapped a white bandage around Malin's wound. "There we are," said Rhys with a serious look on his face. "Now just try not to let anyone hit you again, won't you? I don't have any more antitoxins."
The archer stood up, ran a hand through his short brown hair and grabbed his bow that was resting on the sand. "You're telling me that shit was poison?!"
xxxx
For Ike and his men, their way as just as challenging if not more. They stayed back by a group of trees, waiting for the first group of Daein troops to reach them and attack.
A myrmidon sprinted and attempted a stab at Ike. Ike parried it and closed in for a stab of his own. The myrmidon parried it in return, but died as Oscar lunged forward with his spear with great force.
A soldier jumped up and attempted to jab Oscar with his lance the moment he killed the myrmidon. He didn't get to his goal, as an arrow landed in his chest. The soldier fell over, his back colliding with the grassy plain.
Rolf, the one who killed that soldier, fell to his knees, realizing he just killed a man. His very first kill. Shinon would have been proud, he imagined. That didn't take the guilt away. Neither did the fact that he protected his eldest brother. The boy felt a few tears form in his eyes and let his bow drop to the ground. "I… I…"
Ike's group moved forward to meet the rest of the troops head on, but Rolf refused to move. Seeing the boy in his current state from behind, Mist ran to get him. "Rolf, what's the matter?"
He sniffed and wiped his eyes, but didn't attempt a reply.
"Rolf! Please tell me what happened!" Mist cried, putting her hands on the boy's shaking shoulders.
No reply.
"Rolf, look at me!" Mist moved her hands to either side of his head and forced him to look at her. "Are you hurt? What is it?!" Mist didn't see any injury. All she saw were tears falling down Rolf's reddened face.
He sniffed again and pointed a finger toward a dead soldier, an arrow stuck in his chest. Mist looked back into Rolf's eyes. "You… you did that…"
"I… killed him. I… did it," was all Rolf said. His own eyes went wide, acknowledging the fact.
Mist wiped the tears that were falling down his face with her thumb. "You did, Rolf. But you did it to protect your brothers… you did it to protect all of us."
"I… I did?" he asked.
"Oh, of course you did, silly!" Mist exclaimed. She hugged Rolf tightly, trying her best to be strong for her friend. She ran a hand back and forth on Rolf's back, helping comfort the boy.
xxxx
Throughout the rest of the battle, Malin took it easy, though he would still assist from a distance. With no innocents put in harm's way and all Daeins and brigands on the beach dead, the group met up with Ike's forces by the castle. Among them was a pink-haired knight that was mounted on a pure white pegasus. Ike's really good at making friends, thought the man.
The commander of the Daein forces was all that was left of resistance. Malin sighed as he watched Mordecai and Lethe fight off a black-armored halberdier. The leader was clearly outmatched and outmuscled as the cat feigned with a short jump. He went in for a stab, but before he could make contact, he met the end of a tiger's claws slashing his exposed neck.
The commander fell to the ground, blood leaking through his lips. He managed to choke out a prayer before dying. "Daein… my brothers… c-cleanse my shame…"
Now with all resistance eliminated, the Greil Mercenaries took back Castle Soan, relieved that it was all over. Once all wounds were healed thanks to Rhys and Mist, they wasted no time in resuming the trip to Castle Gallia.
xxxx
It was late in the afternoon when the group reached King Caineghis of Gallia. All beheld the slowly setting sun hit the vast walls of the castle. Surrounding the castle, unsurprising, was another ocean of trees the mercenaries now got accustomed to.
Several minutes after Ike met with the king and Princess Elincia, Lethe, Mordecai and some other laguz assisted all of the mercenaries in leading them to their own rooms. Malin marveled at the sight of his room identical to all the others. It housed a large bed and a lantern sitting on a modest nightstand. It was automatically better than sleeping atop a cold, stone floor with only a modest cot for warmth and comfort. "Damn… please extend my thanks to the king!" Malin exclaimed with a smirk. He turned around to remember it was Mordecai who led him to his room. He felt guilty. "And Mordecai, I'm sorry about what I said earlier." It felt a little awkward, seeing how mad Lethe was at him before, and he was fearful of how the tiger would react.
"Please do not worry," replied Mordecai. "You were just angry. I believe we all were."
Malin scratched the back of his head. "You're probably right."
The laguz left him alone in his room. Malin moaned as he gracelessly fell face first into the bed. The day wasn't over and yet with all that occurred, the marching, the fighting and that wound, exhausted him to a level he was almost unfamiliar with.
He heard someone walk into his room; Malin guessed it wouldn't be anyone other than Mia to bother him. He was right when he felt a hand pat his back lightly and heard the memorable voice ring out with some concern, "Are you feeling all right?"
Malin groaned in annoyance. "Noooooo," was heard muffled from the pillow the young man was resting his head on.
"Good to know you're okay, Malin," said Mia. If Malin's eyes were open at this point, he would have rolled them. She took a seat on Malin's bed. "You worried me back there."
Malin shifted into a sitting position and rested his head in his hands. "Yeah, sorry. If you didn't warn me back there, though, I'd have a bigger concern than just a small gash… Thank you."
Mia smiled in return. "You're welcome." A moment passed, and the young woman pat the archer's back again but with more force. "C'mon, lazy bones. I hear one of the king's chefs are cooking, and we better make it to supper fast before Ilyana gets there. Can you believe how much that girl eats in an instant?!"
"To think she eats more than meatheads like Boyd and Ike…"
"I heard that," the commander announced himself by the wooden door. He stepped into the room and saw the archer and myrmidon sitting side by side on the bed. "You do know you have your own room, Mia, right?"
Malin shrugged and lightly shoved an elbow against his friend. "I've been telling her that since day one, Ike… Commander… whatever." Mia rolled her eyes in response.
"I've felt responsible for him since day one," said Mia, "and I feel awful for not protecting the guy." She motioned for Malin to show his wound; he lifted his shirt partially.
Ike didn't even know Malin was wounded until then. "We all get our share of wounds. Are you okay?"
"This little thing? You both worry too much. It's fine, though I would feel better if you don't have to discipline your man," answered the archer. He cracked a joking grin.
"Don't worry about it," Ike replied with a shake of his head. "Believe it or not, but I heard you apologize to Mordecai, so I at least know you feel guilty. I suppose that's enough." It turns out Ike was nearby longer than Malin thought.
"Don't even have the heart to punish your men?" Malin asked with some surprise.
"Actually, I can do it for you, Boss!" Mia said with a smile. "I can just have my partner here spar with me twice as long!"
"No," was all Malin said in refusal.
Ike smirked as he played along. "Oh, I don't think you're in a position to refuse."
Malin frowned. "You don't understand. This girl makes me spar every morning and she won't stop kicking my ass."
"Hold on, I have a new idea. I can let you run along with Mia and spar until she breaks you or I can just find you a new sparring partner," the blue-haired ranger offered. "Perhaps one of the laguz warriors here would suffice."
Malin failed to respond; he didn't really need to.
xxxx
Malin ate heartily that evening of what Gallia had to offer. The brown-haired archer was quite impressed at the lake-dwelling grouper and the venison, both cooked to perfection. The talent of Gallia's hunters and chefs certainly pleased him, as did the generous supply of the nation's ale.
"I never took you for a drinker," Mia said. She sat right next to the archer, to no one's surprise.
"Need something to get my mind off a damn war, right?" Malin took a brief chug of the mug of ale. "Wanna try?"
"Nah, I don't think so…"
"Suit yourself," was all the archer said. He took yet another sip. The way the ale sat in his belly made him feel quite comfortable. Malin sat the mug back onto the table. "Ahh… Think I'm done. That was… nice."
"You're quite the lightweight, huh?" questioned Boyd who was to Malin's left. He motioned towards his mug that was only half-full.
Malin replied groggily, "I'm not some big lug like you, so I don't need much to feel it. Besides, these laguz are more than generous with this stuff."
The door to the mess hall opened to reveal Ike. "Hey, hero! Got a seat right across from me!" Malin invited the ranger.
Not wanting to come across as rude, Ike took the seat.
"Where's that… kid that's always hanging at your side? Saleh? Sophia…? Oh wait, sorry. That's a girl's name!" Malin chuckled at himself.
"You mean Soren?" Ike asked. "It would take a miracle for him to have a seat and eat with us. He's always busy whether it is studying magic or something else… If it weren't for me bringing him a plate, I'm sure he'd let himself starve."
"That's a shame, innit?" The archer hiccupped. "`Scuse me! So, I'm sure you've had a long talk with that king guy and princess… What's next for us?"
"King Caineghis offered our group a place to live in Gallia, but I refused. Our goal is to retake Crimea from Daein," Ike answered.
Boyd grinned and thumped his chest with loyalty, "We're with you no matter what!" He gave Ike a brief thumbs-up.
"If any of you want to stay in Gallia, I won't make you go with me," the commander offered. "It's sure to be much more difficult than what we've faced so far…"
Mia let an excited smile form on her face. "That's the kind of talk I love, Boss! I've been in since Greil saved me and Malin, and my mind's not gonna change!"
Malin didn't say anything; he was resting his eyes and leaning back on his chair. Mia rolled her eyes at him and slapped the back of his head. "Ouch, dammit! Why do you need to keep hitting me, Mia? And why are we still talking about sticking with Ike? As lovely as Gallia and her ale is, I can't stand sitting down for long."
"It's… heartening to know you're all with me. Even you, Malin," Ike joked, "with your particular choice of words."
"What do we do to retake Crimea, though?" Boyd asked with some curiosity. "We can't just march back through the borders and roll heads, can we? …Wait a minute. I like that idea! I'm a genius!"
"No, of course not, Boyd. We'll need to petition Begnion for help, seeing as the king can't offer us any more assistance than Lethe and Mordecai," answered the commander. "There's strength in numbers."
"Why doesn't Gallia offer their entire force?" asked Malin. "We could actually go with Boyd's idea if we had them with us. Not like I'm siding with the blockhead, though." Boyd eyed the archer in annoyance.
"As easy as that sounds, Malin, the king can't do that. Anti-beorc resentment is still present in some of the elders. They would do all in their power to protest if King Caineghis chose to do that," Ike explained. "We can't let him get in trouble like that. They already feel unsure about Princess Elincia being here in the first place."
Malin nodded. "Guess that makes sense. So, are we leaving at dawn?"
Ike shook his head. "As advantageous as getting back on the road sounds, I think we need a short break from all the fighting. We'll depart in a few days."
"In that case, I can sleep in for once… thank goodness," Malin said with a grin. "Don't bother waking me up in the morning, guys." He got up from his seat and made his way out of the mess hall. Unfortunately for the archer, the ale got to him more than he expected. He tripped and landed on his face. "Ugh…"
"You're so helpless!" laughed Boyd. The others joined in the laughter. Mia got out of her seat and helped him up and walked him out of the door. The fighter decided to follow.
Once out of the door, Malin removed Mia's hand from his shoulder. "I can make it just fine…" At this point, Boyd was out of the door as well and watched the archer.
Malin started to walk yet again, though it looked like he was on the verge of tripping. Mia shook her head with a small grin. Boyd snickered. "What'd I tell you? I'm just fi-"
He hit the floor again, though his hands caught in time to avoid slamming his face. Boyd laughed out loud. "You can't do anything without Mia, can you?"
Say another word and I'll shove an arrow up so far up your… thought the clumsy Malin.
xxxx
High noon came to greet Malin with the sun shining brightly up in the vast skies of Gallia. He finally woke up, surprised Mia didn't get drag him out of bed to spar for once. Malin opened his eyes, blinded by a parchment that was on his face. He grabbed and read it.
Malin,
Decided to go easy on you today and let you sleep in. Don't expect me to do it again, though! I'll be waiting for you on the training grounds outside the castle.
- Mia
Though he didn't want to spar, Malin knew he'd never convince Mia to stop. He got out of his bed, got dressed and walked out of his room.
Malin didn't even know where the training grounds were, but he knew he'd find them eventually. He declined to ask a Gallian for directions, as he'd feel a little embarrassed.
At the end of the hall where his room was, Malin stopped at a door and opened it. The sun greeted him, so he thought he was right. He walked outside.
Wrong way, thought Malin as he found his way into a garden; it had a great variety of flowers that made a beautiful display and mixture of aromas. The archer marveled at how fierce fighters such as laguz could have a taste for the less violent things in life.
At the center of the garden was a statue composed of stone. It depicted a beautiful female laguz in beorc form, holding the petals of a flower in one delicate hand. Her face had a blissful smile and a bird was perched on her shoulder. Paying it little mind, Malin walked around the garden in curiosity.
Malin found the only one in the garden, a young woman with long green hair and hazel eyes. She was examining a rose that looked to have recently bloomed and wore an orange dress that contracted against rather than compliment her elegance. The woman was unaware she wasn't alone in the garden until Malin sneezed. He must have been allergic to some of the flora.
"Oh, bless you! I thought I was alone here…" the young woman said in a soft voice. She walked over to the archer; her eyes were still focused on the flora.
Malin sniffed and wiped his nose. "Ehh, guess you were wrong..." He changed the subject. "Hard to believe that a people as ferocious as the beast tribe have an interest in something like this, huh?"
Princess Elincia took a look at him, a young man with short brown hair and blue eyes. Malin was dressed as a commoner save for the boots his pants were tucked into as well as gloves that wrapped around his hands and ended at his forearms. "It's beautiful," said the noblewoman.
"It is. Oh, sorry," said the archer. "My name's Malin. I just joined the Greil Mercenaries about a week ago."
The princess made a curtly bow with grace. "It is nice to meet you, my lord Malin. I am Princess Elincia."
"Oh, shoot! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you're the princess of Crimea! It's an honor!" Malin nervously said and bowed. "Please don't toss me into a dungeon or execute me!"
Princess Elincia raised an eyebrow in wonder and asked, "Now, why would I do that? You didn't know."
"Sorry…" Malin sneezed again. "I'm not so good at speaking with royalty."
The princess lightly chuckled. "Please don't worry yourself. Honestly, I wasn't raised in Melior Castle, so I know not the ways of a princess. This all was just forced on me once Daein invaded Crimea." Her smile turned into a frown.
Malin sighed in relief. "I-I see. Well, I'll do all in my power to help you and Ike retake Crimea. It's my home, too."
"…You have my thanks, my lord Malin. It's a blessing to know Lord Ike and his men are so dedicated. I don't deserve all this loyalty."
"Oh, don't be like that, your ladyship… err, highness!" Malin stuttered. "What would Crimea be without a princess? With the king and queen gone, we'll need you now more than ever, especially when those Daeins get the hell out."
"You're too kind, milord," Elincia said with another bow.
Malin bowed, not sure what exactly to do in return. Needless to say, it made him feel quite awkward. He scratched the back of his head. "R-right. Well, it was nice talking to you and such, but I need to-"
"My apologies for interrupting, but you look like someone I may have met before… I just can't place my finger on it," the princess said thoughtfully.
"Really now? My family and I have never seen royalty before. Yep, just a commoner's family!" Malin denied with a smile.
The princess replied, "I suppose I'll take your word for it, then. It was nice speaking with you, milord."
"You too, Princess Elincia." With that, the archer walked away from the garden and re-entered the castle to look for Mia, but not before another sneeze. Could it be that he was there when the Daeins…? Malin questioned himself. Doubtful, very doubtful.
End of chapter.
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(Author's Notes): I swear I'm not dead; I've just been without Internet access on my personal computer up for… well, a while. That, and I finally got my hands on a 3DS and Fire Emblem Awakening. Stars above, I love it… Anyways.
I feel uncertain about this chapter, as I may have focused far too much on my original character here. I'll do my best to not let that happen next update. That all said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Notes will soon be posted on Livejournal. Thank you for reading.