Author's note: as a reviewer pointed out to me, not much has been revealed so far — true. Sorry about that, more mysteries than revelations so far. This chapter basically consists of getting up to speed with what our characters have been up to, before all hell breaks loose. Just for you guys, I think I'll stay up till an ungodly hour of the morning writing feverishly to bring on the next bit where something actually happens. Good luck to us all, I guess. (Oh, and please let me know if I misspell any characters' names or anything, so I can fix them. Thanks.)

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem stuff not mine

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At first the gathering at Melior was just like any reunion of old friends and comrades. The last time all of them had been together — those of them left on Tellius, anyway — had been two years ago at Elincia and Geoffrey's wedding. Everyone wanted to know everything new, and so chatter and shameless gossip was prevalent in the meeting room. Jill and Haar had finally gotten married after a metaphorical whack over the head from their good-intentioned, interfering friends. Sanaki had finally rid her country of the last corrupt senator and installed Tormod among the new, trustworthy ones — and although she was still slightly at odds with Lehran, at least she had rescinded the sentence to have him drowned in rancid butter. A smile twitched Micaiah's lips. Ah, the many sides of her little sister, so formal and cold one minute, and yet with a little bit of joking and impishness still hidden away in her heart. The last piece of surprising news came from the Greil Mercenaries and company, the biggest news for the group since Mist and Boyd's wedding years ago: Mia had accepted a proposal, as told by the new ring on her hand.

"Giving up the wandering, then? Edward asked her incredulously.

Mia waved one hand — the other was laced with Rhys'. "My archenemy is out there," she declared. "I see no reason why he or she can't find me in Crimea." She eyed Edward suspiciously, for about the hundredth time in seven years. "You've never considered wearing white, have you?"

Micaiah laughed quietly, contentedly. She wasn't currently part of any conversation; she leaned against the wall with Sothe, pushing aside her worry to be happy to see her old friends again.

"Micaiah, Sothe." Queen Elincia appeared before them with a smile. "It's good to see you again. How is everything in Daein?"

"We're doing well, thank you," Micaiah replied. "We were expecting a visit from Rafiel and Nailah, before Kurth called us here. But Pelleas is perfectly capable of handling everything as long as we're gone." Micaiah glanced around the room again before she mentioned, "I haven't seen Geoffrey here yet."

"He'll be here shortly," Elincia said with a fond smile. "He was going to take Ramona along to her tutor, then escort Kurth through the castle."

Micaiah nodded slightly. Someone else called Elincia's name and she excused herself; but Micaiah remained staring at the floor where she'd been, determined not the cry. She was happy for Elincia, honestly happy, that she and Geoffrey had an adorable daughter, an heir to the throne, a child… she was happy for Elincia. But for herself…

Sothe touched her face gently — then he drew her into his arms. "It'll be alright, Micaiah," he whispered, stroking her hair soothingly. "All the healers agree you're fine." He tilted her face up to his and kissed away the single tear. "We will have a child."

Micaiah mustered up a smile, because she knew that the trauma of her miscarriage had scared him even more than it had her. So she tried for a smile, for Sothe, and was reasonably pleased with her success. Two years and his loving strength helped her to push the sadness back, and she returned his kiss. "Of course we will," she murmured, "and you'll be just as overprotective as you are of me."

A slight smile flitted across his face. "As long as they eat their vegetables."

Micaiah laughed, just as the door opened. She turned back to face the room; but she leaned against Sothe's side, with his arm around her shoulders and his hand clasped in both of hers.

"Sorry for the delay," Geoffrey announced. He went to Elincia's side, and Kurth entered the room. His hair was longer than she remembered, but his face looked unchanged by the passing years. Seeing him, Micaiah frowned slightly. Something whispered through her mind, almost but not quite like a message from Yune; she glanced around the room, feeling that that might help her pinpoint the niggling half-idea, but she was distracted before any coherency formed: because two people followed Kurth, and nearly everyone gasped. Micaiah felt Sothe stiffen in surprise.

Words on the wind notwithstanding, no one had heard from him for — goddess, how many years? Three, four? Some had thought him dead. Most had thought he would be fine. None of them had ever really expected to see him again.

"Commander Ike?"

...

PS: reviewers win, obviously, so there's double the chapters tonight… I just like to leave off chapters with little cliffhangers… maybe bigger ones in the future (mwahaha.) Anyway, thanks everyone for the reviews, keep it up and I might just keep updating…