Part Two: The March
Don't You Know It's Love?
Agrias' right hand clenched on the pommel of her saddle in frustration as she watched with impatience at the knights about her tidy their gear in preparation for their march to Bethla Garrison. Her mood communicated to her mount so that the chocobo skittered sideways, dancing out of line to prompt a whisper of warning from Lance Cadin and soft giggling from Lavian and Alicia. Agrias sighed through gritted teeth, forcing herself to relax as she unfastened her hand to reach down and pat the nervous animal. At the head of the column, Agnes turned his own mount to ride back to where his daughter was, his face clouded as the sky above.
"I'm all right," Agrias assured her father, though the grim set of her features told the Commander of the Lesalia Knights this was more facade than truth and smiled, knowing the source of his daughter's aggravation, as he briefly glanced at the combat master mounted besides her, who nodded in understanding.
"Lavian, Alicia, come with me," Lance commanded. "We must see to the rest of the preparations."
As they cantered away, Agnes reined his mount over and reached across to set a hand on Agrias' shoulder. "Are you still troubled by last night's events?"
"Of course," Agrias answered, her voice terse.
"There is nothing I could say or do to relieve you of your affliction," Agnes said, his tone sympathetic. "All I can do is support you."
"Then tell Lan—Sir Cadin to leave me alone!" Agrias' response was bitter. "Or do you have something else in mind?"
"Perhaps." Agnes stared at his daughter's blue eyes, watching the wind ruffle her thick blonde hair. "There is a saying: 'Don't be a knight who simply carries out their duty.' Understand this and your heart will be at peace." His hand tightened, squeezing, before releasing his daughter's shoulder and trotting back to the head of the column, leaving Agrias alone to brood.
At another part of the column, under the pretense of overseeing the preparations, three figures had watched the brief exchange between father and daughter. "Does Lady Agrias hate me?" Lance asked the two knight maidens, seeing the glower Agrias wore.
"You don't have to worry, Sir Cadin," Lavian reassured the combat master with a smile. "She doesn't hate you."
"Though she wishes she does," Alicia added with a giggle.
"True!" Lavian agreed wholeheartedly and both women burst out laughing at the thought.
Lance frowned in disapproval at their outburst. He wasn't fond of being mocked, especially if it concerned his own feelings. "I'm glad you find this amusing because I do not."
The two knight maidens found it hard then to stop laughing after seeing his solemn expression. Only at the blaring of a horn did they contain themselves—albeit, with some difficulty—as it signaled the completion of the preparations.
"We should return," Lance announced, trying to ignore the occasional chortle that would somehow escape from one of the knight maiden's lips, as he strolled past them.
"Oh?" Lavian raised an inquisitive brow as she smiled mischievously. "You still wish to return to Lady Agrias' side despite her ill-tempered manner?"
The combat master stopped his chocobo in its tracks, caught off guard by the innocent query.
"Lavian!" Alicia gasped in mock admonishment. "What a thing to say! I'm sure Lord Oaks said something to earn his daughter's displeasure, not Sir Cadin."
The other knight maiden shrugged and sighed. "I guess you're right, Alicia." She then urged her mount forward, giving the combat master a sly glance as she strolled past him.
Alicia brought her chocobo next to Lance. "You're welcomed to join us, Sir Cadin," she offered. "I'm sure Lady Agrias would enjoy your company, more than you believe."
Before the combat master could question what she meant, she ran after Lavian as both went to take their place near the head of the column where Agrias awaited with her father.
He watched her now, as he had done so many times, always admiring the way she bore herself, sitting straight on her mount with slender shoulders squared in determination, her head resolutely up as if she looked to the distant horizon, her golden mane shining brilliantly despite the gloom. But there was more than the physical aspect he admired about the lady and it was these things that placed her above all the other women that had vied for his attention. It's true that he could have had any of them, but his heart was already set on one and the thought of losing her would be hard to bear. And so, with that thought, he spurred his chocobo in her direction.
Though she was quite capable of protecting herself in battle, even a knight—a Holy Knight—had their moments of weakness…
Lavian and Alicia watched closely, interestingly, at the couple that rode before them, trying to hide their snickers behind gloved hands, finding hard to resist the temptation to laugh outright.
For the past three days, they had observed Lance's attempts in conversation with Agrias, who had hoped to draw her out from her taciturnity, but all he had ever received were curt, one-worded answers. He was not deterred, however, determined to have a normal, yet one-sided, conversation.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" he inquired, gesturing towards the towering, white-capped peaks of Doguola Pass. Normally, it would take a day to traverse the mountainous region, but it had begun to snow among the higher trails, slowing their pace to a slight crawl. It was their second day in the pass and they were not at the halfway mark yet.
Agrias kept another sigh from escaping her lips, pursing them close instead as she stared ahead, vaguely listening to the combat master's voice. How long do I have to endure this?, she thought desperately and she looked up at the sky, hoping to find an answer, an omen, anything, but all she saw were banks of dark cloud, promising more snow. She then glanced over her shoulder at Lavian and Alicia, seeing their shoulders quaking with contained laughter. I'm glad they find this trip entertaining..., she thought dryly as she reverted her gaze to the fore.
"The priests of Glabados claim that God himself had descended from the heavens in the form of a golden cloud to speak with his son, St. Ajora," Lance continued, more to himself than to anyone else. "After, it was common practice for those seeking enlightenment to climb Mount Randoria, hoping to hear God's voice speak to them. Some claimed to have heard Him, others say they had received visions from Him." He then shrugged. "But if it's true or not, it depends on one's faith. Tell me, Lady Agrias, are you a God-fearing person?"
Agrias remained silent, and Lance could tell that she was ignoring him once again.
He nodded, finally admitting defeat and her wish to be left alone. "I'll speak with you soon," he said before trotting off to join some other regiment.
Agrias finally let out the sigh that she'd been holding. "I thought he would never leave," she muttered then frowned when Lavian and Alicia came forward wearing wide, mischievous grins.
"So, did you enjoy the combat master's conversations?" Alicia teasingly inquired.
"What do you think?" Agrias retorted, annoyed at their ceaseless banter. "I prefer to march in silence as to focus my mind on the task ahead."
"But we won't reach Bethla for another five days, perhaps more if this kind of weather keeps up," Lavian claimed. "Why not spend the extra time knowing Sir Cadin? You can't focus on the task ahead all the time."
"Thank you for the suggestion, but I decline," Agrias replied.
"Then I'll have a go at him."
Agrias immediately turned to her right where Alicia rode, eyes slightly wide in shock. "W-What do you mean by that?" she stuttered.
Alicia tried to keep a straight face, seeing that her lady had taken the bait. "Since you're not interested in the combat master, I thought I would get to know him better," she answered innocently. "You don't have a problem with it, do you?"
"N-No, of course not!" Agrias quickly turned away as she tried to put on a stoic face.
Lavian leaned forward slightly to study her face, and grinned when she saw her failed attempt in hiding her slightly agitated features. "Are you jealous, Lady Agrias?"
"No!" Agrias answered a bit too hastily.
"Then why are you so flustered?"
"I am not flustered!" the lady snapped, glaring at the both of them. "I just wish to be left alone! Is that so hard to understand!" With that said, she galloped ahead of the column, yelling back to her father that she was going to scout ahead.
Agnes looked to where Agrias had disappeared around the bend, frowning in mild confusion. He then heard soft laughter from behind and turned to see two of his daughter's subordinates slightly quaking with laughter. "Girls…" he called to them in a reprimanding, yet fatherly tone.
The two knight maidens straightened in their saddles as they replied in innocent unison, "Yes, my lord?" as if they were caught in the midst of a prank.
Agnes smiled, knowing their good intentions. "Nothing…"
Agrias stared at the trail ahead, forcing her mind to survey the land for an easy route through the pass. But as she did, her mind kept on wandering back to the incident she left behind at the column, and surprisingly, to the combat master.
Angrily, she shook her head, trying to wipe the image of Lance's handsome face away. What was happening to her? These past few days had been a trial to her, harder than any battle she had fought in, and this confused her. Surely, she'd known about the combat master's attraction to her, but why was she acutely aware of it now? Before, she wouldn't have given it a second thought.
As these thoughts raced through her mind, she wasn't aware of the panther that had been stalking her until it pounced.
She was thrown from her saddle, the cat's heavy weight pinning her down to the ground. It snarled at her, exposing long, curved fangs between bone-breaking jaws as it set to mauling her with its poisonous claws. Fortunately for the Holy Knight, her armor sufficiently protected her, but some of those claws managed to find weaknesses within the armor as she struggled to keep the animal's maw from finding her throat. It seemed all fangs and claws and horrid determination, and she felt her lungs burn as the poison took affect, her struggle weakening in turn.
Her chocobo came to the rescue then, pecking angrily at the predator, who growled at the annoyance, swiping a paw at the giant bird, who deftly dodged it and continued to attack the beast. Infuriated at this distraction, the panther completely turned to face this new threat, releasing his current victim in the process.
Agrias saw her opportunity to slay the beast as she slowly rose from her prone position on the rocky trail, her breath now coming out in ragged gasps as she strived to free her sword from its scabbard. The poison coursing through her veins was heavily hampering her movements as she finally freed her blade and held it above her head. Her remaining strength was enough for only one attack at the creature and she had to make it count.
Summoning the holy powers bestowed on her upon her knighting, she recited the ancient spell that could freeze her opponent:
"Life is short…Bury!"
The snow that had begun to fall swirled around her glowing blade in answer to her call.
"Steady Sword!"
She swung her blade at the panther, the snow gathered flying out to meet their target. The white flakes surrounded the creature before solidifying into ice, encasing the beast in its tight grip before letting it go, frozen where it stood.
Agrias again raised her blade to drive it down across the small of the panther's back, the crack of the breaking spine audible. It fell over silently and she sighed in relief as she fell to her knees.
"I know that someday I would die in battle," she panted heavily, each breath a fiery agony to her lungs, her vision fading as she added softly, "but not like this," collapsing on the snow-packed ground, the wark of her chocobo the last thing she heard as the world went dark.
"Has Lady Agrias returned yet?" Lance walked over to Lavian, who was pounding the last peg into the earth to secure the tent she shared with Alicia. The inclement weather had forced the column to make camp early as to wait out the storm.
"Not yet." Lavian tugged on the rope, and seeing that it was secured, stood up and tossed the hammer to the side. "You need not worry," she added as she turned to face him squarely. "She can look after herself."
"I have no doubt in her abilities," Lance said, "but it's nearly dark and she still hasn't returned from her—where did she mention she was heading?"
"Scouting." Alicia emerged from the tent, clothed warmly in a fur-lined cloak.
"Scouting?" Lance repeated, frowning. "Then she should have already returned to report."
"Now that you mention it," Lavian tapped her cheek in thought, "you're right. I shall speak with Lord Oaks."
"Thank you." Lance ducked his head in gratitude.
As Lavian went in search of Agnes, Alicia went back into the tent and later emerged with two steaming cups of hot tea. "I'm sure she's fine, Sir Cadin," she reassured him as she offered him a cup. "The snow is probably slowing down her return."
"Perhaps," Lance allowed as he took the proffered cup and sipped, the liquid doing nothing to warm the chill of doubt in the pit of his stomach. He then looked up at the winding trail and saw nothing but a white curtain of snow as it continued to fall abundantly, buffeted by the winds, and he sighed, his breath a cloud of mist in the cool air. Perhaps Alicia was right. It would be difficult to navigate the trail in these conditions.
As the thought passed, Lavian returned looking quite upset. "Lord Oaks also seemed worried," she explained to the both of them. "But until this weather eases a little, no one is allowed to leave the camp."
Lance stared at the knight maiden in disbelief. "Are you saying that Lord Oaks is abandoning his own daughter to the storm?"
"He has to think about what's good for the whole army, not just one knight," Lavian argued, no less distressed as the combat master. "Even if that one knight is his own daughter."
"It's his duty as commander," Alicia whispered. "I'm sure Lady Agrias would understand."
"Well, understand this!" Lance roared in outrage. "I'll not wait here for the storm to subside while Lady Agrias is out there, orders or not!" He then stomped away, calling for his chocobo to be brought to him.
"But—" Alicia started after him, but Lavian held her back.
"Let him go," she said, then nodded towards a figure approaching the combat master. "Lord Oaks will handle it."
As Lance secured the saddle to his mount, Agnes called, "Where are you going, Sir Cadin?"
"To search for a missing knight," the combat master replied without acknowledging his superior's presence.
"I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave the premises, not until I deem it safe to travel the trail."
Lance whirled around, anger in his dark eyes as he glared at Lord Oaks, arguing, "And leave your daughter to die, either by the snows or by starvation? What father would abandon their own child?"
Agnes inhaled sharply, apparently stung by the combat master's words. "I may be a father, but I am also the commander," he whispered so that Lance had to lean forward to hear over the howling winds. "And being the commander takes precedence over being a father. I have my duties to my men, Sir Cadin. I must think what's best for them, even if it means sacrificing my own flesh and blood." He smiled sadly as he placed a hand on the combat master's shoulder. "Agrias knew the risks when she first took up the sword. I'm sure she would understand."
"But that doesn't mean you should give up," Lance protested. "At least allow me to search for her."
"And if you do not return, then another knight shall look for you, then another after if that knight does not return, and another until probably everyone is lost in the mountains. Then what?" Agnes spread his hands. "The Lesalia St. Konoe Knights would be lost and without our aid, perhaps Limberry will be lost, and with Limberry lost, we won't have the strength to force the Ordallians to surrender, which would mean that the war would continue. Do you see, Sir Cadin? With every action, there are consequences."
"But if you don't send a knight after me," the combat master began thoughtfully, "then the chain reaction would cease there."
Agnes stared at him in admiration. "You're willing to risk getting lost in the storm?"
"Of course." Lance mounted his chocobo and looked down at Lord Oaks as he said, "We have our reasons why we fight this war, my lord."
"And what is your reason?" Lord Oaks inquired.
"To protect those I love." And with that, Lance galloped into the storm, grabbing his namesake off a weapons' rack as he passed.
Don't be a knight who simply carries out their duty.
It was her father's words, but it was that same voice that spoke them, that ghostly voice she had heard during her last night at Lesalia.
She was back there again, alone with the combat master, as couples twirled about the hall. Unlike that night, however, she did not feel at all agitated by his presence. She felt calm and glad of his company, smiling as she reached out a hand to touch his. Lance returned the gesture in kind, clasping her hand in his, their fingers intertwined.
"I love you, Lady Agrias," he declared in a voice filled with tenderness and a determination as he added, "and I will not let you die."
Agrias looked at him strangely. Funny, she thought, he didn't say that before.
Then, before she knew it, she was torn away from the combat master by a great cat. The hall disappeared, replaced by the trail where she was again battling the beast. She felt the panther's claws clutch out her life, and smelled the animal's breath in her nostrils, the cold pervading her limbs as much as the poison that eked out from the panther's claws. Death would claim her soon, she knew, as she fell into darkness…
…and in that darkness, she heard a voice.
"Lady Agrias! As long as there is a hint of life in your veins, I will not let you die!"
She said inside her darkness, "Lance? What are you doing in my dream?"
And got back, "You're not dreaming. You live, now drink this damn antidote."
It was hard to open her eyes, but she did, and consequently saw the glow of a dim fire that outlined the familiar visage.
"Lance?" she called unsure.
And Lance said, "Yes, I am here, Lady Agrias. Your father wait outside along with Lavian and Alicia."
"Where am I?"
"Safe in camp, thank God."
Lance sounded very happy, and at the same time very concerned.
"How did I get here?"
"I brought you here after finding you further up the trail and it's a good thing I did. Any longer in the snow and you would have surely died." Then added in a sad whisper, "I thought I'd lost you…"
Agrias looked into his eyes and saw the fear there. She smiled faintly as she reached out a hand to clasp his, as to reassure him that she was alive. "I'm here, thanks to you," she said.
Lance was surprised at the gesture and at the compliment. Usually it was he who complimented her, who smiled at her, with not so much as a response back. But here she was, holding his hand, smiling up at him from where she lied on the cot.
He returned her smile as he tenderly held her hand—a hand that had been as cold as death a few hours ago—between his own. "I could not, in good faith, leave you to die. My heart would not allow it even if it was against your father's order."
"My father's order?" Agrias frowned, pulling her hand away. "You disobeyed a direct order?" Though she was touched by his altruism, she could not accept a disobedient knight. It goes against the knightly code of following orders without question. Without discipline, there would be chaos.
Hearing the disapproval in her voice, Lance quickly said, "I will accept any punishment for my disobedience," hoping to gain her approval.
"That won't be necessary."
A cold draft blew as Agnes entered the shelter.
"My lord." Lance immediately rose from his seat and fell to one knee. "Please forgive my insubordination. I was out of line."
Agnes held up a placating hand. "Relax, Sir Cadin. You need not be so formal. I am a commander, but right now, I am a father expressing my gratitude to my daughter's rescuer. Please rise."
"I only did what I thought was right," Lance returned as he rose.
"I know you did," Agnes smiled as he placed a comforting hand on the combat master's shoulder. "And I thank you for it. Now would you please wait outside? I wish to speak to Agrias alone."
Lance nodded and took his leave as Agnes occupied the seat the combat master had vacated.
"You should not have done that," Agrias expressed her disapproval of such leniency.
Agnes looked down at his daughter, concerned and at the same time disappointed. "Don't tell me that you are not grateful for Sir Cadin's help."
"I am grateful," Agrias replied, "but he disobeyed a direct order. How could order exist within the knighthood with such insubordinate knights?"
Agnes sighed. His daughter could be so narrow-minded at times. "Have you forgotten what I told you? 'Do not be a knight—"
"—who simply carries out their duty," Agrias finished. "But what does that has to do with the combat master's disobedience?"
"It's the reason why he chose to disobey my order," her father explained. "Do you not understand yet?"
"What I understand is that punishment must be swift in order to maintain discipline within the order."
Agnes sighed again, slightly frustrated at his daughter's stubbornness. "Before this war is over, you'll understand," he said before rising from his seat. "Rest now. The storm may last for several days so take the time to heal and to think about what I've said. Lavian and Alicia will come in periodically to check on your wounds." He then turned to leave, but Agrias' voice stopped him before he could open the tent flap.
"Father."
He looked back and saw, not a wounded knight, but a vulnerable young woman, and he could not help but feel pity for her though he was careful not to show it. Agrias was too proud and Agnes wondered if it was her pride that stopped her from acknowledging the feelings she felt towards the combat master. But that thought did not linger long upon hearing his daughter's request.
"Tell Sir Cadin—Lance—thank you and," she paused briefly, as if considering her next words, before speaking again, "tell him he is welcome to visit if he so chooses."
Agnes smiled, pleased with the request. "I will. Sleep well, daughter."
He left then, leaving Agrias to sink into the easy darkness, the image of Lance holding her hand the last she remembered before oblivion.
The storm raged for about a week, the column held at its mercy as torches were extinguished and tents shuddered ceaselessly in the bitter winds, the snow threatening to bury them within the pass. There were times it seemed to have abated, only to return twice as strong than the last.
The blizzard seemed to mirror the emotions raging within Agrias' heart as she continued to heal from her encounter with the panther. Visits from her father and her two knights seem to settle her somewhat, but when it came time for Lance to come avisiting, she didn't know what to feel.
Of course she was grateful for his company, as she had felt in that world between the conscious and the unconscious, but there was also that small part of her that felt disappointed. And that's when her father's words would come back to haunt her.
Do not be a knight who simply carries out their duty.
What did it mean? How did it relate to Lance's insubordination? Why was it so important for her to understand it?
Their one week suspension in the pass did not provide her the answers she sought.
Now the whole column was on the move again, cautiously as to not cause the snow to thunder down upon them. If the storm did not bury them, the avalanches certainly will.
Agnes would have wanted to wait until the upper slopes settled, but they were already behind schedule and he would not delay any further. Their pace was agonizingly slow, but the slightly overcast sky promised good weather and he prayed that it will hold until they have left the pass.
That took another week of which the column rejoiced when they finally reached the foot of the mountains. The trek through the pass had been in silence as to not invoke an avalanche, but now that the threat has passed, they expressed their relief and some offered prayers to God for their safe passage.
Agnes planned to offer his thanks to God at the main temple in Bervenia Free City just a day's ride from the pass, their last stop before traversing the arid sands of the Bed Desert, and—he looked back to where Lance rode alongside Agrias—where he would pray for a bright future.
"I've never seen so much snow in my life!" Alicia exclaimed as she brushed off her armor of the white substance.
"That's because we've never thought to travel through the pass during this time of the year," Lavian quipped as she shook the snow from her cape.
"Just be glad that we're through." Agrias' abrupt tone effectively silenced both knight maidens.
"And be glad that it wasn't to serve as our grave," Lance added, unintentionally reminding Agrias of her narrow escape with death.
She frowned at the thought, which set her to reflect on events passed, and that one phrase that doesn't seem to want to leave her:
Do not be a knight who simply carries out their duty.
Such a simple phrase, yet one whose complicated meaning escapes her. Two weeks and still she wasn't close to solving its mystery.
"You are well?"
She turned, recognizing her father's commanding voice, and nodded once, both in acknowledgement of his presence and in answer to his question.
"We'll be making camp soon," he said. "Best seek your answers then." He then rode away as suddenly as he had appeared, trotting down the column to make his announcement.
Agrias was surprised by her father's comment: he had made no mention of the subject since her recovery, only talking of plans and tactics, yet he could see the conflicting emotions within her. She watched, with rising anxiety, as a few knights rode out to locate a suitable spot for their encampment where she would later confront her feelings…
The camp was rowdy and bright that night unlike the two weeks of silence and darkness they had spent while traversing the mountains. The atmosphere was cheerful as knights sat around fires that burned merrily, consuming what rations they had left as they joked with each other.
Agrias did not join in their revelry, sitting alone at a fire, nibbling a biscuit that was more stone than sustenance as she stared into the flames. Her father was at a meeting with his officers and Lavian and Alicia were among the crowd, howling to the moon like a pack of wolves.
"Hah! Do you think a little snow can keep us down?"
Well, at least Alicia was.
"May I join you?"
Agrias grunted and Lance sat beside her, tearing a chunk of dried meat. They sat in silence for a time, each occupied with their scant meal. Then:
"Why?" Agrias suddenly asked and Lance stared at her questioningly, a piece of dried meat hanging from his mouth. "I don't understand," Agrias continued, staring into the flames before turning to face him. "Why did you save me?"
The combat master sighed as he removed the piece of food and tossed it over his shoulder. "Why not?" he countered as he returned her gaze. "Would you have rather died?"
Agrias saw the hurt in his eyes, heard it in his voice, and wanted nothing more than to take that pain away, but she needed to know, wanted to know his reason behind his actions. She told him thus and he replied:
"Why do you fight this war, Lady Agrias?"
"It's my duty as a knight," she replied immediately without giving it much more thought.
"Is that all?"
Agrias nodded, frowning in confusion. "Is there supposed to be more?"
Lance sighed again, wondering how he could go about this. "Let me ask you this then," he said. "Why did you become a knight?"
And again Agrias replied without hesitation, "My family has a long history of knights serving the crown and as an only child, it's my responsibility to carry the line."
"So, you became a knight out of tradition?"
Agrias shrugged. "I guess you could say that. Didn't you?"
Lance did not immediately answer. He stared into the fire, stared into his past, seeing it clearly as the flames that burned the branches.
The campfire reminded him of happier times in his life when he would travel with his parents and a few others, a caravan passing through the various cities. Entertainers by trade, they would bring smiles and laughter wherever the wind blew, from the humblest village to the bustling city. And when they were en route to another place, they would set up camp at night and dance and sing around the fire, enjoying the freedom of the road despite the devastation that surrounded them.
The fire seemed to flare in Lance's eyes, seeing it engulf the wagons, set by marauders who had suddenly appeared from the surrounding trees and bushes. No longer did they sing and dance, but screamed and died as the bandits set on killing them all…
"This war," he whispered, those screams still echoing even as the memory faded away, "has devastated many families. Be it noble or commoner, rank has no meaning when we are fighting a common enemy. I became a knight so parents do not have to lose their children, so husbands do not have to lose their wives, so families would not be destroyed as my family was…"
Agrias found herself speechless. She didn't know much about Lance's family or past; actually, she didn't know anything about him at all, and she found herself regretting having started this conversation. She never thought it would turn down this road.
"I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I didn't know."
Lance smiled faintly in reassurance. "It's all right. It happened a long time ago." He took a deep breath. "Though I still miss them, I have a new family now. And…" He looked down, as if in embarrassment.
Agrias was not certain—it was perhaps only the fire's red glow—but she thought Lance blushed.
"And…after this war, I hope to start a family of my own," he finished as he again gazed at her, his eyes expressing the unspoken.
With you.
Agrias stared into his eyes, the world vanishing once again to leave her alone with the combat master just as the time during the banquet at Lesalia. She tried to break away from his intense gaze, but the more she struggled, the more she felt drawn until…
…a group of knights suddenly arrived unannounced.
"So here you are, Lance!" a knight with windswept hair the color of chocolate exclaimed. "We've been looking all over for you!"
"Trying to woo the Commander's daughter as usual, I see," his blonde-haired companion added with a mischievous grin. "No wonder you didn't join us for dinner."
The combat master frowned at their interruption, but before he could retort, Agrias spoke, much to his—and his friends'—surprise.
"You presume much," she said with a hint of frustration. She thought Lavian and Alicia's constant teasing about her situation with the combat master would be enough, but to hear it from his companions…
Her life was beginning to be quite trying to say the least.
"Sir Cadin and I were just having a small conversation," she finished with a meaningful glare. "Nothing of the romantic sort, mind you!" she added quickly when she saw their mischievous grins.
"Not from what we've seen," the first knight stated slyly as he crossed his arms.
Agrias felt her face burning crimson, mortified to know they have witnessed her discussion with the combat master. "W-What are you trying to say?" she blurted, hoping to hide her embarrassment behind a wall of anger.
The knight's sly grin grew wider at her reaction. "What I'm trying to say is—"
"—that we'll be taking our leave now," Lance interjected as he abruptly stood up. "It is getting late and I'm sure Lady Agrias would want to rest well for the march early tomorrow morning. We, too, should do the same."
The knight seemed disappointed, but complied, gesturing to his companions to quit the site. "Oh well," he shrugged as he turned to follow them. "And here I thought things would get more interesting."
"Galen."
The knight paused, glancing over his shoulder at the combat master.
"You owe Lady Agrias an apology," he said. "You too, Orson," he called to the blonde-haired knight, who nearly escaped his attention.
"But…!" Orson moaned as he whirled around, but Galen raised a hand, stalling any further complaint. The blonde-haired knight glowered, but followed, bowing as Galen uttered an apology. "Forgive our boldness, Lady Agrias. We only meant it in jest. Nothing more."
"Of course," Agrias nodded in acceptance.
Galen and Orson bowed again then looked to Lance, who nodded and gestured that they may go.
When the knights left, the combat master looked to Agrias. "I, too, apologize for their rash behavior. They are good men, but sometimes they can get carried away, especially Galen."
Agrias waved a hand nonchalantly. "It's all right. Lavian and Alicia are quite the same. You needn't apologize for their behavior, but," she frowned in puzzlement, "why tell those two knights to apologize?"
"To save you from further embarrassment," Lance answered and smiled when he saw the surprised look on Agrias' face.
"It seems you know me well," she whispered after a moment's pause.
"I would like to know you better."
At that simple declaration, Agrias felt her cheeks flush. Flustered, and a bit puzzled, she turned away, wondering why she was bothered with such considerate words. "Perhaps after this war," she began in what she hoped was a composed tone, "we would get to know more about each other."
Lance smiled gently as he said, "I would like that very much." He then bowed. "Pleasant dreams, Lady Agrias."
Once the combat master left, she sighed, stunned at what she had said, wondering why she had suggested it in the first place.
What's happening to me?
Author's Note
This part has been a long time coming—two years to be exact. I'm still not satisfied with it, but it's been such a long time and I thought it's time to move on to Part Three: The Meeting (The Promising Future). The reason why this took such a long time to post is because of all the "romantic" scenarios. I'm not really a romance fanatic and this piece shows it. Special thanks goes to Toastyann, Viktor, and Wu-Dog for helping with the beta-reading. I really appreciate the comments and the suggestions. Well, enjoy this piece! I don't know how long of a wait it will be for the next part…