A/N: Well...and it's been nearly a year since I've updated this fic...but I didn't forget about it! I've just, I guess, lost some interest in the FE fandom...and just haven't had all the time that I used to (well, I guess I found time now since I don't have school this week...). I suppose that that is what comes with life... Well, I could list all my reasons *coughexcuses* for why I haven't updated, but I know none of you want to read me rant on how busy and stressful my life has been, so I'll just no write about it xP
I'd like to thank my reviewers: Dr. Weirdo69, HaveAHeart0301, TheFreelancerSeal, and my anonymous reviewer, D. Your review really make me happy.
I'd also like to dedicate this next chapter to my anonymous reviewer, D. The review that you sent was very unexpected, but it made me smile, and it really motivated me to get this next chapter written and posted. So thank you! Thank you everyone of my readers, because these little things are what really motivate me. ^w^
Chapter Eight
To Wake up to a World Without You
• • • • •
"Uncle Shinon, will you teach me how to make a bow, please?"
"Why do you keep asking? I already told you no."
"But whhhyyy?"
"Stop whining already Rolf!"
"Why should I listen to you? Boyd, you're the one who's complaining all the time."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!
"At least I'm not annoying like you."
"Wha–"
"Stop yelling you two. She's still asleep. If you want to fight, then go outside."
"...Sorry Mist..."
• • • • •
Her amber eyes slowly fluttered open as the voices around her slowly became more clear and distinct. She took a look at her surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar room and the unfamiliar faces, and realized that she was no longer in the comfort of her own bed in the palace; the attack on Castle Crimea had not been just a horrible nightmare, it was a harsh, harsh reality. She winced at the thought, but quickly returned her attention to everything before her, trying to distract her drifting thoughts.
"She's awake!" a young, orange-haired girl announced, shooting a glare to the two behind her. "Boyd...Rolf..."
"Sorry Mist!" The two green-haired boys hastily bowed their heads after simultaneously blurting out a nervous apology. "We are very sorry for waking you!"
A small smile played onto Elincia's lips as she slowly sat up. "It is quite alright; you didn't wake me."
The two let out a dramatic sigh of relief that left the emerald-haired princess softly giggling to herself.
"Here," the girl who sat bedside continued, "you stay put for a moment while I bring everyone else in here."
She quickly ran off, but within moments, she was back with a crowd of people following close behind. A green-haired man with armor to match; a pale-faced staff wielder in a white cloak; a strong looking woman with vibrant red hair pulled into a braid; a blond man in large, bulky armor; a jumpy girl with a sword at her side; a scowling man with a long ruby ponytail; a short mage in a black cloak; a sweat-drenched blue-haired boy; and a tall, older, grown man; they all had joined her, and bewilderingly fit into the small room.
"I'm Mist," the orange haired girl introduced, gesturing with her outstretched arms. "Those two are Boyd and Rolf, there's Oscar – they're all brothers – that's Rhys, Titania, Gatrie and Mia. Him over there, that's Shinon, and that's Soren. This is my brother Ike, and this is my father."
"Nice to meet you, the name's Greil," he said, enthusiastically shaking her hand.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Elincia."
"So, how are you feeling?" the tall man asked.
"Oh, I...I'm fine... But...My lord Greil...you are the one who came to my aid, are you not? I...I don't know how to thank you..."
"Hold on. The one who found you and brought you here is my son, Ike. If you want to thank someone, thank him."
"What?" Ike, startled, began, quickly stealing a glance at his father before turning to Elincia. "No, please, that's not–"
"Lord...Ike, was it?" Her sweet tone cut in, silencing him. She gave him a smile. "You have my gratitude."
"Oh...you...you are very welcome!" he said, returning her grin.
"But…umm...Lord Ike, may I ask you something? When you found me, was there another person nearby? A young, blue-haired knight, with blue armor…?"
The desperation in her voice that she had tried to hide came out clear and obvious, the pleading expression in her eyes only being a confirmation of that. Everyone in the room could sense the sudden change of mood in the air and looked to the floor, avoiding the forlorn look from the emerald-haired girl; they all knew the answer to her question, but none of them wanted to be the one to have to tell her.
Elincia looked from face to face to see a grim expression across them all. She knew there was something that they weren't telling her, and that that something wasn't a good thing. She could feel her stomach twist with every silent second that passed them by, the anxiety eating at her nerves. As she began to speak, reiterating her question, another voice spoke up, saying to her, "I'm sorry Miss Elincia, but you were the only one I found."
She nodded, expecting those words to come from his mouth; but even so, she felt a pang at her heart as she heard them.
"Um, I don't mean to be blunt," Ike's voice continued, waking her from her short daze, "but what were you doing out there, in that forest? It was the middle of a battlefield, and–"
"Ike," Griel warned, putting a restraining hand in front of his son. "Leave her be. We can question her at a later time."
The boy nodded, lowering his head as he apologized. "I'm sorry."
"It is quite alright," she replied with a smile.
"We'll leave you to yourself now," Greil cut in. "We'll call you in for dinner when it's ready, alright?"
"Yes, thank you Lord Greil, Lord Ike, everyone; thank you very much."
She waited and watched everyone exit the room, keeping her eyes on the blue-haired boy, meeting his deep, sapphire eyes as he slowly left through the wooden door. There was something in him that reminded her of Geoffrey, something in his eyes that gave her a feeling of strength and safety. It was obvious to her now that Geoffrey's protection was something she had taken advantage of; she had become so accustom to his presence and security, that she had unconsciously become reliant on him, and without him by her side, she felt vulnerable, scared, and alone.
"Geoffrey..." her words instantly went to Geoffrey, an anxious expression gleaming in her amber eyes. "Geoffrey...I hope you keep your promise to me..." Two thin hands clasped each other in her lap. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her hands until she could feel her nails dig into her skin. The unbearable worry was slowly eating away at her; she needed a crutch to lean on, but her anchor and her pillar was nowhere to be found.
"Geoffrey...I...No...I won't hope...because I know that you will keep your promise...because you've always been like that...and because you would never break a promise to me..."
A lone tear trailed down her pale cheek and feel onto the back of her hand. "G-Geoffrey," she quietly stuttered, "...and Bastian...Uncle Renning and Lucia...I know it is selfish of me, but please...never leave me. Father and mother have already gone, so without you here...I will be all alone."
• • • • •
'Elincia...' was his first coherent thought as he slowly drifted into consciousness. As his eyes began to open, all his surroundings seemed to fade into a bright light, and all the sounds around him started to become louder and more precise; the multitude of footsteps...the whispering voices...they had all become clear and distinct to his awakened ears. He spent a brief moment letting his eyes roam about the infirmary, his gaze moving from the busy healers dashing back and forth with staffs at hand, to the bandaged soldiers occupying the next bed a few meters away. Caught up in the chaos around him, and without putting any thought to it, he hastily sat up, but immediately regretted it the instant he felt an intense pain surge through his midsection.
"S-sir Geoffrey!" frantically cried one of the healers, rushing to his side to aid him. "You musn't yet move. The stress may reopen your wounds."
"It is alright. I am thankful for you concern, however, I am the one who knows my capabilities best. I will be fine." Moving slowly, as if with caution, he removed the white sheets from his lap, and turned so that his legs hung off the bed. He began moving to stand up, but was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder and a voice from behind before he even got to his feet.
"I have known you for a relatively long spanse of time, and have grown to acknowledge that stubborn personality that is yours. And although I have agreed with your judgment on many occasions, I must tell you that this decision is not the most sensible one. Right in this instant, I would advise you to oblige to what our young healer here is instructing."
Geoffrey did not look back to the man behind him, nor did he make eye contact with the healer before him; though on any other day, he would have eagerly taken the opportunity to respond with a witty remark, this time, he did not. "Bastian, this is not the time for another of your extraneous monologues or complex lectures. We must go find Elincia and bring her back to safety."
"No. It is not the time for that."
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words left his mouth. That reply had just been a tad too blunt for his liking, and was miles far from what he had wanted to hear. "I...well...if you are not wiling to save her, then I will, as her loyal knight and trustworthy friend."
"This is not a matter of loyalty or trustworthiness. Right now is not the suitable time to charge out into the battlefield, do you understand? Our army has suffered many casualties, and a major portion of us are still recovering, you included."
"But...but don't you care about her? Don't you worry for her safety?"
The curly-haired sage let out a sigh. His companion was being unbearably stubborn, and was clearly not thinking of the consequences and repercussions of his rash intents. Nevertheless, he knew how protective he was over the princess. Lucia had once told him stories of their childhood, and the chivalry she had depicted the young blue-haired boy to have humored him. This situation, however, left him with little reason to chuckle. "Of course I am anxious, but there is nothing we can do; it is out of our control."
"But...but how can you be so calm? For all we know, she could be amongst combat this very moment."
"Geoffrey, you must put faith into her. She is capable of protecting herself. Everything will be alright; there is no need to worry to such an extreme extent."
"But-"
"Geoffrey," the sage interjected, as if knowing his next response. "Before you say another word, just let me tell you that Elincia wouldn't wish for you to worry over her."
"That does not matter. I must find her, even if it means I must travel to Daein and fight Ashnard."
Bastian shook his head with irritation. The knight certainly was not taking any of the words he was saying into consideration. Instead, he was fighting back as if his mindless plan was the only right choice there was. "Geoffrey, Elincia wouldn't want that."
"I don't ca-'
"And your sister wouldn't want that."
It was nearly an instant reaction; the moment any noise had left the sage's lips, Geoffrey had turned around to face him. His expression was so serious, and his tone so sharp; it was obvious that even from his very first word, that he was dead serious. "Don't bring her into this. She has betrayed our country. She is no longer my sister."
"Do not be like this. She is you sister, and will always be, no matter what happens."
Without any contemplation, Elicia's words from days earlier, came into his mind, and her voice had rung in his head. "Yes, even if she were about to kill me, I would still call her my sister," he could hear her say with firm determination, "would you not?"
He hesitated a moment, and took time to ponder the thought. How Elincia was able to believe in, and effortlessly forgive Lucia, he did not know. But he was well aware that he couldn't find it in himself to do the same; his compassion just didn't extend those far lengths. '...I'm sorry Elincia...but no, I would not.'
"Though your argument may be valid, the only thing we share are blood and name. Any other ties that we've shared in the past were severed the moment she drew her sword against us."
"And even so, sharing your blood and name, you would still deny her of being you sister..." The blonde man trailed off, his voice gradually becoming softer with each syllable, before picking his words up again with a dignified tone. "Then left me ask you this General; would you condemn her to death for the sins she has committed?"
Geoffrey could sense the bitterness behind the way he had been addressed. Not wanting to start a fight with the sage, he opted for a less quarrelsome reply. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"If Crimea wins the war, Lucia will be sentenced to death, not only for fighting alongside Ashnard, but also for betraying her home country. Will you be able to stand there in silence and watch her hung before all of Crimea?"
"Elincia would never do such a thing," he forcefully and quickly objected. He had spoken without thinking, as if it was a reflex; however, one could not be entirely sure if he was simply defending the princess, or objecting the thought of Lucia's execution.
"Ah, yes," the sage replied. "You are most correct about Elincia in that matter, however, what if she does not inherit the throne? Any other ruler will not be as merciful."
The young blue-haired man was silenced. He would never admit it to the sage, but he knew he didn't want to see her die. Still, he had no choice; if given, it would be a punishment for her crimes against their country, and just that gave him all the reason to stand out there and watch her hang on the gallows.
"Well," the sage continued, not waiting for Geoffrey's reply. "I know I wouldn't. I wouldn't sentence her to death, and just watch her die without taking any sort of action against it."
"B-But you can only say that because you love her. Admit it, you are madly in love with her, Bastian," Geoffrey shot back, rushing his words, the pungency in his tone very apparent.
Bastian closed his eyes a moment and let out a sigh. "I do admit that I love her. But does that mean you do not?"
He waited, unable to come up with a valid argumentative response. The notion of loving his sister had never before in his life come into thought; she had just always been there, as his older sister. But now, the young knight could not even tell if he loved her, or if he hated her.
"I...I do not know anymore...I really do not know."
"...Just wait, and time will tell. You will change your thoughts and conceptions."
Geoffrey couldn't let the blonde-haired man get his way. He couldn't give in. He had sworn to protect Elincia; he had sworn to defend the country; he had sworn to overthrow his enemy. He had made his resolution and he wasn't about to let it crumble, just like that, in one little conversation. "Bastian, if I am put in such a situation, I will do whatever need be to protect our country, even if it means killing Lucia."
He had already started off toward the door, but turned around at hearing the response."You can say that, but do you really mean it?"
"I-"
"There's no need to answer me now," he quickly cut in. "You will know when the time comes."
His last words faded out the door with as the sage left his companion to himself. Though he was surrounded by the many injured soldiers and the many busy healers, Geoffrey was left alone, lost in his thoughts. What Bastian had told him, he did not understand, nor did he want to understand. He had made up his mind; he had stood firm behind his resolve, and he did not want to falter.
Everything important to him was on the line in this war, and he knew he would have to let something or someone go; his loyalty to his country and the devotion to the princess would not allow him to give them up, so he knew
• • • • •
Geoffrey, I hope you are alright...
Elincia, I pray for your safety.
I remain unharmed,
I am alright,
So please do not act rashly.
So do not worry for me.
I will be here waiting for you.
I will be coming to you; just wait for me.
Geoffrey, I need you...
Elincia, you are everything to me...
You cannot die in this war,
You must continue to survive,
Because I'd much rather die than live in a world without you.
A/N: I hope that little bit in the last section made sense. It was Elincia's and Geoffrey's thoughts going about simultaneously, and I couldn't really figure out a better way to write it. So, the italicized words are Elincia's thoughts, the normal text are Geoffrey's thoughts, and the bold are both of them. I hope that clears everything up. I also used some lines from the game earlier in the first section, so I give credit to the game for that xD
Well, for those who read, thanks for reading. Please leave a review if you want. I can't really guarantee a date or even a time frame for when the next chapter will be out, but I hope it won't take as long as this one... As for what will happen next chapter...I honestly have no idea. There may or may not be a filler...or there may or may not be a time skip...I guess all we can do is wait and find out (of I could just decide right now...but that's not going to happen xP)
Well, anyway, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving~! ^w^