Author's note: As this chapter's title implies, the situation is about to escalate for our heroes. However, before it does, let us enjoy the humor of Mister Odin Dark a little while longer.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fire Emblem.
Chapter thirteen: Tension Raises
A few hours later, Benny came to relieve Odin of his post. Odin was never so glad to be off-duty. He usually enjoyed taking the night watch — staying awake was better than trying to sleep under horrendous nightmares — but that night had been terrible. His hero's heart suffered under the burden of such harmful secrets as he had been whispered by his friends; though he had sworn a sacred oath, he knew he could not keep what he had learned from his ally, Niles. To do so would be to break an even more sacred oath — the oath of a son to his mother to always do the right thing.
As he raced through the dark, barreling towards the home he shared with Niles and Lord Leo, Odin tried to rationalize his decision. I didn't really swear not to tell Niles, he thought. I didn't look up at the moon or say any chants — I didn't even say my name! I just said "I", and you can't swear a holy oath without referring to your full and true self. And there wasn't any blood! No, this oath definitely doesn't count.
Odin was entirely comforted by his own logic. Odin Dark had not sworn an oath that night — "I" did, and who was I? Certainly not he! No, Odin could tell Niles all he had learned without any pang of his conscience. It was only the pangs of his body that made Odin hesitate to enter his own home, as he thought of what would happen to him if Selena and Laslow learned of his seeming betrayal.
Don't think, just act. You know you always create your best material when you do that.
Odin opened the door as slowly and as quietly as he could. He peeked inside; all was dark. Odin slipped in and closed the door, then paused. The only sound he could hear was Niles' breathing.
Lord Leo's house was different from the quarters of most of the soldiers. Rather than the house being only one room, with a kitchen and a table and a bed fitted into a single space, Leo had a small back room to be used as his bedroom. Because of this set-up, Leo had allowed his two retainers to bunk with him, letting them sleep on mats on the floor of the front room, and keeping the bedroom for himself.
Odin was in the front room, where all was dark except for a sliver of silver light that shone through the west windows. It lit the room just enough for Odin to confirm that his liege's door was shut. Odin smiled, relieved, and tip-toed towards Niles' bedroll.
Odin got to his knees and whispered, "Niles? Niles, are you awake?"
Niles didn't answer.
"Niles? I'm really sorry to bother you, but you gotta wake up now…"
Niles didn't stir.
Odin whimpered and chewed on his nails. "Between betraying Selena and waking you, this is probably the most dangerous night I've had in a long time!"
Niles didn't even apologize.
"Wake up!" Odin exclaimed.
Odin had managed to keep his voice low, but harsh. This was finally enough to wake Niles. The other man sat up, startled; his hands flew towards Odin's neck, but Odin's reflexes were faster. Odin threw himself backwards, landing on his elbows on the floor, and watched as Niles grasped the air above him.
Odin said, "Relax! It's only me!"
"I know," said Niles, his voice dripping with annoyance, "who else would I want to strangle?"
Odin glared at Niles, though he knew Niles wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. "Shush! I'm trying to help you here. The least you could do is be nice to me."
"Hand me my patch." Niles interrupted, obviously uninterested in Odin's feelings. Odin could make out the silhouette of Niles' hands as one went to his face, the other stretched out in an expectant manner.
"Why? I can't see your face in this light."
"Just give it to me!" Niles barked.
"All right!" Odin whispered hoarsely, groping for the piece of cloth along the dark floor. Geez, he's as obsessed with hiding his face as Gerome!
Odin's hand slipped on something soft. He picked it up and handed it to Niles. "Is this it? Good. Now can we talk?"
"I guess." Niles swiped the eye-patch and began to put it on. "Is it an emergency?"
"If it was, would you still take the time to put on your eye-patch?"
"Odin, I'm too tired to think up a deplorable retort. Just get on with your message."
Odin moved to chew more of his nail, but found that there was little left for him to bite. Odin Dark is not supposed to play wingman for a pair of star-crossed lovers! he cried. Odin Dark should be focusing on his secret mission, or his duties as a retainer — or at least his own love-life!
"Odin," Niles murmured, and yawned. "If you woke me for nothing, I'll kill you in the morning."
"It's not nothing!" Odin exclaimed. Then remembering himself, he said more softly, "I just… I just don't where to start. Uh… Remember how you told me about you and Corrin the other day?"
Niles scoffed. "No."
Odin's mouth dropped. "What? Are you kidding me! You told me that you proposed to Lady Corrin!"
"Why would I tell you that?"
Odin wanted to say, Because I am the great Odin Dark! and you young lovers are in desperate need of my black magic and love potions. But he quickly decided against it. He was already treading on thin ice tonight; no need to add more heat to the fire that was Niles' temper.
"You had to tell me about you and Corrin," Odin said with more patience than he felt. "You came in really late the other night, remember? Only the truth could explain that event."
"Oh, yes — the night of the accidental 'sleep over'."
Odin could see Niles smirking in his mind. Odin wanted to scream, How can you be so calm about that!
"Why do you bring it up?" Niles asked, his voice suddenly guarded. "Is something wrong with Corrin?"
"No no! not at all!" Odin assured in a low voice. "Actually, you're the one you should be worried about. I heard something tonight that could put you in a lot of trouble tomorrow."
"Hurry up and get to the point, Odin!" Niles demanded. Odin flinched at his volume. He listened closely for any noise coming from Leo's room, but all seemed silent.
"Lord Xander," Odin said, speaking even more quietly, "spoke with Lady Corrin tonight. He… he told her… Well, he filled in the gaps, you know?"
"What are you talking about?" Niles asked. "What gaps?"
"You know — her knowledge gaps."
"Stop saying that! I don't get what you're referring to. What didn't Corrin know?"
"That… that… ah, the, ahem! Ah…" Odin flipped through the pages and pages of his extensive vocabulary, but could find no term modest enough for his tastes. He wanted something that was both dramatic and not so embarrassing for him to say. Nothing came to mind.
"Odin, would you like to become a coat?" Niles asked. "Tell me what happened."
Odin swallowed hard. "Corrin learned where babies come from!" He winced and braced himself for a beating.
Niles didn't answer. Odin suddenly wished he could see his friend's face. He couldn't imagine what Niles was thinking.
"Judging by your silence," Odin said, "you didn't know she didn't know, huh?"
"Oh gods…" groaned Niles, and Odin thought he could hear Niles smacking his forehead. "It's suddenly making sense! All those innuendoes she never understood, the advances I would make and she would ignore without so much as a blush — and not saying anything during the massages! I thought it was me, or that she was slow!"
"Niles, you're getting way too worked up over this." Odin whispered.
"But it wasn't either of us!" Niles continued. "It was her siblings' faults! … Wait. Why did they tell her now? They hate me. They don't want to encourage our relationship. So why get her all prepped for the wedding night?"
"See, that's the thing I really wanted to talk to you about…" Odin trailed off. He cleared his throat. "Niles, they told Corrin — ah, Lord Xander told Corrin — because they think you're not going to wait until the wedding night."
Niles was silent. Then he laughed. "Ah hah! Of course. So, they've spilled their guts over the battle plan and now they think they've given her the tools to ward off the enemy's advancement."
"Er, I guess?" Odin wasn't sure what was so amusing to Niles about the situation. Personally, Odin was extremely uncomfortable. "It gets worse. They think you don't want the wedding part at all — they think you're just using Corrin for the, ah, night part?"
"What?" Niles shouted. Odin was so startled, he backed away and crashed into some piece of furniture.
Odin tried to shush himself, then shush Niles, who was pelting Odin with questions. Niles ignored Odin's warnings. "How do you know?" he asked, his voice cold. "Who told you? Did Lord Xander say any of this to Corrin?"
Odin tactfully skipped the first two questions and focused on the third. "Lord Xander said all of this to Corrin." Truthfully, Odin wasn't quite sure of this, but from what Selena had overheard, it was a likely scenario.
"Damn it!" Niles' shadow suddenly loomed over Odin. Niles was muttering curses under his breath and fumbling with some dark shapes that appeared to be clothing. Odin did his best to keep out of the way before he was accidentally — or purposefully — kicked.
"What are you doing?" Odin whispered fiercely.
"I have to speak to Corrin!" Niles spat back.
"What, now?" Odin exclaimed. "Are you insane?"
"That's rich, coming from you."
"If you get caught alone with Corrin at this hour, Lord Xander really will kill you!"
"And if I lose Corrin to some stupid gossip, then I'll kill myself. And you."
"Why me?" Odin whined.
"As a parting 'thank-you' gift!" Niles said. He was already at the door. He opened it, throwing moonlight all around the room. Odin shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness.
"Niles, please, wait until morning!" There was no answer. "Niles!"
"He's left." Leo's voice said.
Odin opened his eyes and spun around. Standing in the doorway to his bedroom was Leo. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his face was pale and worried. "Sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"How long were you standing there?" Odin asked, his stomach churning with anxiety.
"How much did I hear, you mean? Basically all of it. Everything I missed I had already heard elsewhere, so I was able to fill in all the blanks."
Odin didn't know how to respond. What did I do! he thought. Did my trying to help Niles condemn him?
"Please, Lord Leo, you must believe that Niles would never—!"
"I know," Leo said, coming closer to Odin. He sighed. "The fool really does love Corrin. Tonight proves that, beyond a doubt. Though I don't think Xander or Camilla will see it that way if they run into him on the way to Corrin's house at this hour."
Leo forced a smile for Odin. "Thank you for warning him. It was rather brave on your part."
Odin was slow to respond. He was reeling from all that was happening. "You're welcome, my lord — I think. You're not angry?"
"Not at all." Leo stared out the open door. "But I'm going to find Xander. I have to find out what happened after he spoke to Corrin. This situation — it must end tonight, one way or another."
"I'll come, too!" Odin said, scrambling to stand up.
Leo nodded. "All right, thank you. But first, you look so pale, let me get you some water."
Odin was speechless at this kindness. Leo rushed about in the kitchen, struggling in the darker corners of the space. As he returned to Odin, a dark cloud pulled over the moon, again casting the entire room into shadows.
Odin reached out carefully and grasped the cup. He swallowed the water in one gulp.
Leo took the cup and put it somewhere with a thin bang. Then he grabbed Odin's arm. "You should sit down," he said calmly, "this spell works fast."
"What!" Odin shouted, feeling suddenly dizzy. "Leo… You cursed me?"
"I'm sorry, my friend, but what's about to happen tonight is a family matter. Besides, you obviously already betrayed someone's secret to tell Niles all this. I can't risk you saying or hearing anything more."
Leo helped Odin lay down. Odin was too drowsy to fight him.
"Sleep well, friend. I hope you'll wake to a happy ending tomorrow."
Leo might have said more, but Odin couldn't hear him. He was drifting, drifting, drifting — into darkness.