Welcome to chapter two! Many apologies for taking so long! I'm afraid I had a bit of a case of writer's block for a while back there. Hopefully it'll be a one-time thing. Cross your fingers!

My thanks go out to Rapis-Razuri, Glaceon Mage, and Gunlord500 for taking the time to read and leave a review!

This chapter was beta-read by the amazing Rapis-Razuri! Thank you so much!

Dragonsong
Chapter II – Panacea

Lilina walked through the dirt paths, one hand holding her robes so she didn't step on them. Snow covered the Ilian grounds in a dusty layer as cool winds kept the land in a constant chill all year 'round. It wasn't so bad, as long as she kept a cloak on over her sage's robes. It was a far cry from the Ostian summers she was used to, but it was bearable.

Sighing, she wondered how long her life would go on like this. For three years, ever since Sir Lance had brought her to Ilia after the battle was lost, she had stayed there and built up a sort of refugee camp for survivors who knew nothing of battle, or those who didn't want to fight. Be they human or dragon, they were welcome in the settlement of Panacea.

She had become their matron, their guardian, and warded away those who would think to tempt the peace of their lives. She was the leader of this small camp, and the people there had come to respect her decisions. They knew nothing of her heritage as the next marchioness of Ostia, nor did it matter. There was no Lycian League left for her to lead, just pockets of resistance rising up against the dragons.

Three years had passed, and she knew nothing of her companions from the war. Sir Lance had returned to Roy's side after seeing her to safety, and no one had found their way to Ilia since. She had no idea if any of them were all right.

Wendy, Barth, Bors… Her three personal retainers, were nowhere to be found. They had remained in the Dragon Temple to fight to the end, leaving Lilina to wonder if it truly was their end. For three years, she was left to wonder if they were all right.

Three years now, and still not a word of Roy.

He had only been sixteen when he led an army comprised of two nations and three more supplying additional troops into a war against the most militant country of the land. A mere child in the eyes of many, but no one could deny the prodigal mind he possessed. He was always intelligent and quick to learn new things. History, arts, strategy, military science, swordplay… He was a master of everything.

Except the feelings of those around him.

Over the ten years that she'd known him, Lilina had always watched silently as he missed the praise given for his talents or the flirtations offered by the daughters of noblemen. He was a genius at books and strategy, but remained ever ignorant to human emotions.

Part of her was grateful that he was ignorant to the girls around him, but another part was frustrated that he was blind to her feelings, too. Though she had considered telling him her feelings, she had never been able to say it aloud. And now, she realized bitterly, she may have been silent for too long.

Why? Why had things turned out this way? She was eighteen now. If the Demon Dragon had been slain those three years ago, then she would have been enthroned as marquess. She would be leading the Lycian League into a world of reform and recovery after the war with her mother's council. For all she knew, her mother may not have even survived.

Biting back tears, she shook her head as a voice called from several paces away, "Matron! At the gate... We need your help!"

She lifted the robes a little higher from around her feet and began to move a little faster at the cry of the man. Davian was older than she was, but he was a peaceful farmer from the borders of Etruria and fled to Ilia with his family during the attack. Now was his turn to watch the gate for intruders alongside Olken.

As she approached the gate, she slowed to a stop, but kept her hand on her Elfire tome just in case there was trouble. As the Matron, it was up to her to defend the settlement. She approached and paused at the sight of two people waiting by the gate, a man and a woman. The woman kept one hand on the man's shoulder, as if trying to keep him calm.

Lilina walked closer, saying, "Welcome to Panacea. Have you come seeking shelter?"

The woman nodded and took a step forward, saying, "We have. My name is Eafya. This is Yilt."

Lilina cocked her head in curiosity. "Those are dragon names. Are you kin of the wyrmfolk?"

Eafya gave a slight nod. "We are. We have no desire to follow the Demon Dragon and just wish to live in peace."

The young matron held her hand out and said, "Then you have come to the right place. We will welcome you, but I must ask that you surrender your dragonstones until we know we can trust you. Please understand. It is for the safety of all in this settlement. Humans are asked to surrender weapons as well."

Yilt looked unsettled by the proposition—no doubt he was the reason Davian had run for help—but Eafya held up her hand to stop him. "It's all right, Yilt. We want to live in peace, right? We should have no need to fight any longer."

Lilina nodded and accepted the woman's dragonstone when she offered it. "Rest assured. If a course of aggressive action arises, your dragonstones will be returned to you so that you will not be left defenseless. In the meantime, welcome to Panacea."

…

For years now, Lilina had lived her day to day life in Panacea, passing time as the matron and protector of the village. She kept the peace and helped the dragons and humans get along with each other. Perhaps this was what it was like back in the days before the Scouring. Humans and dragons got along over a thousand years ago and lived in harmony. What changed? What made the two species fight with such prejudice?

Lilina couldn't help but wonder as she walked through the snow-covered paths of her new home, watching as Hale and Selfian played in the camp. Hale was a human, about eight years old, and Selfian was a dragon, almost a hundred, but looked to be about seven. They got along so well, so what stopped others from getting along? The two kids were the best of friends.

What was so attractive about complete power that made the dragons want to rule? Why had the humans fought against them and forced them from their home so long ago? She wouldn't be so narrow-sighted as to say that the humans had no fault in the current situation, but she wouldn't say the dragons were innocent, either.

Heaving a sigh, she cocked her head as she watched the two children chase each other around the street. The human boy had red hair and the dragon girl had light blue-colored hair. She couldn't help but think of herself and Roy as children, back in the days when they would play in the courtyards of Castle Ostia. Such peacefully innocent times; those days when her biggest concern was keeping her dress from getting ruined so her father wouldn't scold her.

Biting back tears, she wished silently that she could see her father one more time. She never really followed the church of Elimine, but she found herself praying to no one in particular that her mother was safe, along with Roy and Lord Eliwood. Why had this war broken out in the first place? Was it King Zephiel's madness? Or were the dragons controlling him from the start?

"Matron?"

She looked up as a small hand folded around hers to find Selfian looking up at her with wide eyes. "It's all right, Matron. Don't cry."

She offered a smile to the girl who looked to be a third of her age, but was actually five times older. She still didn't quite understand dragons that well. Just because she'd lived for a hundred years, did that make her as mature as an elderly human? Or did dragons mature more slowly? She managed a smile and bent down to the girl's height, reaching up to brush away her own tears while saying, "I'm all right, Selfie. I was just watching you two play and couldn't help but think about my best friend."

The girl cocked her head as she thought about it. "Are they okay?"

She reached out, brushing her hand through Selfian's hair—so close to Lady Ninian's hair, now that she thought about it—and giving her head a slow shake. "I don't know. But Roy is strong. He'll keep fighting to take care of the people he loves."

"People like you, Matron?"

She blinked. She supposed the friendship she shared with Roy was built on love. She loved him as her best friend, but also as something more. She loved him as only a woman could love a man. She wasn't sure when those feelings appeared, but they'd been there for as long as she could remember. Since before the war even started, but she had never had the nerve to tell him.

Flashing a smile, she said, "Yes. Like me. Like his father, his friends, his countrymen, everyone. Even you and Hale. Roy is the kind of person who loves everyone."

The girl nodded, her red eyes crinkling as she flashed a smile. "Don't worry, Matron. Roy will come here soon!"

Hale ran up next to her and, completely oblivious to her tearful moment, took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, Matron! Come play with us!"

There were a few times when her new life didn't seem so horrid. At least she was still able to bring smiles to the faces of children and give them the opportunity to grow up in peace.

…

The scent of perfume wafted through the air as she lit the candles, watching the tendrils of smoke drift upwards. Lilina sat on the floor of her tent beside a low table, lighting the flames in memory of those who'd died. She was feeling especially sad after reminiscing about her father and decided to pay her respects once again.

Her candles were beginning to run low after all the years they'd seen, but she figured she could find new ways to mourn when they bled dry. Clasping her hands together over her heart, she prayed once again to no one in particular that her father had found peace in the afterlife. He had fought to the end, done everything he could in the name of the Lycian League. It would only be cruel if the gods didn't grant him mercy.

"Matron?" a feminine voice asked from the other side of her tent flap.

It sounded like Eafya. She looked up and called, "Enter!"

The dragon woman pulled the flap back and offered a light smile. She'd been welcomed into Panacea for nearly two weeks now and had settled in rather well. She happily did her part to assist with the colony and seemed genuinely happy to have found a peaceful place to settle with Yilt, her son. "There is some trouble at the gate, Matron. The guardsmen asked me to come and ask for your assistance with the disturbance. It seems a young man refuses to surrender his weapon."

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence. It was only natural that one would cling to their source of protection in war-torn times like these. She nodded and blew out the candles on her table before shifting to stand, raising her hood against the cold of evening. "I see. I'm coming."

She followed the flame-haired woman out the door and down the streets, holding her trusted Elfire tome under her cloak in case the need for it arose. One could never be too certain how a newcomer would react. She had seen it before. When someone was given the choice of surrendering their weapon or being turned away from shelter, they have been prone to react in anger and draw said weapon.

"Please, all I ask is a place to stay for the night. I'll be on my way by morning."

The sound of this young man's voice filled her ears as she approached the final corner. The guard of the evening replied, "I'm sorry. We can't allow anyone entrance unless they surrender their weapons. It's for our safety as much as yours."

"I understand. I just want a shelter for the night. I promise I won't cause any trouble for you."

Lilina stepped around the final shelter and found herself looking at a young man with red hair, a blue and black tunic, black trousers, and white armor on his shins and forearms. On his upper left arm, a shield-like plate protected his shoulder. A blue and red cape stayed wrapped around his right arm, then attached to the shield to stay on his back loosely.

Underneath his cape, a very familiar sword stayed sheathed on his back. Blue eyes looked up from under a black bandana to meet hers as she approached, causing her to freeze. She knew those eyes.

Slowly, she lowered her hood as she whispered in disbelief, "…Roy?"

Yay, Roy! So ends this chapter, but there's plenty more to come! Also, in case you haven't figured it out, Roy looks like his Awakening design in this fic. Because he's frigging gorgeous in that artwork. Er, I mean, he's three years older than he was in FE6, so I figure he should… you know… Eh, face it. He's smoking hot in that art. Ironic, since he's part ice dragon (at least in this fic and my general headcanon).

I digress…

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time!

Please review!

-Valk