Basilio crosses his arms, waiting impatiently in the courtyards. "So there's a messenger from Flavia…I wonder if anything has happened in the East," he mutters to himself. "Or perhaps she's finally fallen for the old Basilio charm," he quips. "But I never thought that she'd be the type to send love letters."
Brisk footsteps resonate in the hallway, and he turns to face them. The messenger is a Chon'sin boy, and seeing him stirs a memory in Basilio's mind…wasn't this the boy that Flavia had chosen to take under her wing? Why was she sending him here now? No matter. He takes the proffered letter and breaks the seal in a fluid motion, scanning the brief contents quickly.
Basilio
His name is Lon'qu, and you no doubt have heard of his prowess. He is one of the best myrmidons in Regna Ferox and that is no idle boast. However, he can no longer stay with me due to a reason that will soon become obvious to you. You might find him a bit reluctant to explain this matter. I trust you to handle this with whatever methods you think are best. I'll leave him in your care, then.
Flavia
Basilio harrumphs. "Just like her to dump a few more responsibilities on me. All right, boy. To celebrate your arrival to West Regna Ferox, we'll have a feast tonight. Pick your favorite poison, and I'll give you the best there is."
The boy hasn't spoken a word, yet, and Basilio wonders that if Flavia's previously-alluded to 'reason' is that he is mute. But then again, he muses, that shouldn't affect his ability to stay with her.
"…I don't drink."
Basilio's brow furrows. "Well, looks like that's something we're going to have to work on."
Basilio instantly takes a shine to Lon'qu despite his frustrating reserve, and Lon'qu also finds himself drawn to the easygoing nature of the West Khan.
Lon'qu is already renowned for his talent with a blade, and Basilio sees to it that his skills do not grow rusty. Still, Lon'qu is leaps and bounds behind Basilio, and this spurs him to begin a one-sided rivalry that Basilio encourages from time to time. A challenge would only make him grow faster, Basilio thinks.
Basilio sees no reason to address the issue that Flavia alluded to in her letter, which was revealed on the same day of the feast. A maid had reached towards Lon'qu, intending to take an empty plate. Needless to say, the entire table had been shocked by his adverse reaction.
The boy would learn to deal with it in his own time, Basilio thinks, and pushing him to do so before he was ready was tantamount to dropping a newly hatched chick out of its nest before the feathers on its wings had begun to grow. An artful metaphor, he thinks to himself. Perhaps he should write it down and tell it to Flavia later.
Nevertheless, Basilio cannot dismiss all of his female staff and the few female recruits in his employ. He shrugs absentmindedly. He supposes that the boy could avoid them until he was ready – an option that was not quite as feasible in Flavia's castle. And the maids, well, he would just have to learn to deal with them. Perhaps that could slowly ease him into becoming more comfortable with the female gender.
With Lon'qu as his champion in the tournaments held at Arena Ferox, Basilio finds himself in the seat of power as the ruling khan quite often. At one point, he briefly wonders if Flavia ever regrets her decision to send Lon'qu away. Then, just as quickly, he dismisses the thought. Flavia probably prefers freedom over the oppressive responsibilities that belonged to the ruling khan, and besides, she is not the type to value power over the comfort of her ward.
A few months later, Lon'qu squares off against his newest opponent. The Feroxi arena has become his second home, he realizes. Ke'ri would not be happy about that. But Ke'ri is gone, and there is nobody left to admonish him for risking his life so frivolously.
This challenger's a bit different from the others. Lon'qu's not quite sure what sets him apart – after all, he has all the makings of a cocky and arrogant would-be-champion. Although this one has gone further than most – not many would dare to claim the name of the legendary prince Marth, ego be damned. But for some reason, Lon'qu feels as though his opponent's air of self-assured confidence is justified, and sometimes, it looks as though he bears the weight of worlds on his shoulders.
Which is why even though Lon'qu has gotten quite used to winning, he is unsurprised when the stranger bests him. He fights with a passion that is unparalleled to anything that Lon'qu has ever seen, and against such strong-willed motivation, Lon'qu's skills and training mean nothing. Losing, Lon'qu realizes, is not an option for this "Marth".
These thoughts make him think of a time not too long ago when losing should not have been an option. Though he had not lost the battle, he had lost something far more important.
The very next day, the Ylissean prince and Khan Flavia arrive at Arena Ferox. Lon'qu is glad to see his old mentor again, though he can no longer look her in the eyes. He's a little suspicious of "Marth" as well. The well-timed arrival of this strange challenger along with the arrival of the crown prince is a little too suspicious to be a coincidence. He brings it up to Basilio, who simply shrugs it off.
"Prince Chrom can take care of himself," he says offhandedly. "After all, he's had years of training and he carries the Falchion. And besides, he's got a pretty capable army behind him. And if it ever looks as though his life is in danger, I'm pretty sure Flavia will step in."
Lon'qu nods, but he's still not satisfied. Battles shift as quickly as the wind, and a side that seems to be winning may find themselves cut to pieces a few minutes after. And something that Basilio has just said triggers something in his mind. The Falchion…hadn't Marth been carrying that very sword? If anything, it was a very convincing replica.
He sets the thought aside and returns to his room. The contest is set for tomorrow and Lon'qu is content to be a spectator, for once. The prince's well-being is not his concern, and neither is the mystery of the Falchion replica.
A/N: Sorry for the late update! Grad school interviews are fun, but exhausting...hope I get in somewhere hahaha.