After Leif's and Seliph's forces met, they successfully forced Bloom out of Alster. The tyrant and his remaining forces had fled to Conote, like a coward dog with its tail between its legs. Like before, Seliph had allowed his forces a few precious days to unwind before their grueling campaign might continue.
Lester was the one to petition Ulster, this time. "Hey, have you seen Lana?"
The myrmidon placed his book down and looked up, seeing the archer standing in the study's entrance. "No, not recently."
The knight frowned, his eyes creased with concern. "I haven't seen her at meals the past couple days. Mind helping me look for her? I just want to make sure she's okay."
Ulster bit his lip pensively. It was true, she'd made herself scarce. The myrmidon hadn't thought anything of it, since he usually kept to himself. "Sure thing, Lester."
The two warriors split up and began scouring Alster castle for the young priestess.
After a rather thorough search, Ulster had a hunch on where he might find her. Saddling a horse, he rode out to the church southwest of Lenster. There was another horse outside the chapel, grazing peacefully. Probably another one of Alster's horses. Looks like my hunch was right, he thought.
The warrior approached the old building. It was not quite dilapidated, but it wasn't really maintained, either. He pressed open one of the broad front doors and stepped into the shadowy chapel.
"Hey, Lester's been looking for you." The myrmidon breathed a sigh of relief, glad he'd finally found her. The priestess was sat quietly in one of the church's pews. She was simply gazing up at the light filtering through the chapel's stained glass windows, paying him no heed.
"Lana," he insisted, walking over to her. "You doing okay?"
She finally turned to him, and he could see her eyes glinting with tears. "Go away," she said quietly.
Ulster shook his head briskly. "Not a chance. Not til I know you're alright."
"I'm fine."
The myrmidon snickered softly, sitting down a short distance from her. "Both of us know that's not true. Come on," he insisted, "what's wrong?"
She remained reticent, and Ulster watched as a tear trickled down her fair cheek.
"It's Seliph, isn't it?" he guessed. Lana'd had a crush on the imperial prince for a long time now, but he'd taken quite strongly to Lewyn's silver-haired ward.
Lana breathed a painful sigh which might have been part sob. She glanced sullenly at the ground between her feet, her face stormy and bitter. "Go away," she repeated.
"I'll make you a deal," Ulster reasoned with her. "You don't seem to want to talk to me right now. But let's head back to Alster. I won't even force you to talk on the way, if you don't want. We'll get you something to eat, make sure Lester knows you're alright. Then I'll leave you alone."
Another painful breath passed the priestess' lips. "It's just not fair." Her voice was barely audible.
Ulster frowned, feeling a faint pang touch his heart. "No, it's not. Honestly, I don't know anything more about this than the rest of you guys. So I can't really offer you any romantic advice. Sorry."
She shook her head, and her pretty copper hair glistened in the chapel's ambient light. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
The myrmidon watched her for a few moments before he finally continued. "I really will sit here and nag you if you don't come back to Alster, you know. Besides, it's not like moping is going to accomplish anything, right?"
Lana straightened, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No, probably not," she agreed glumly. The priestess stood and began making her way from the church. Ulster followed several paces behind. Their horses were grazing patiently where they'd been left. The two mounted and began riding back to Alster in silence.
Seliph and his liberation army kept scraping through by the skin of their teeth, stealing heroic victory from the jaws of defeat. Individually, they were more or less doing fine. Johan had, bizarrely enough, somehow found his flowery affections reciprocated by Larcei—although not in nearly so many words. Other than that, Ulster hadn't made it his business to butt into his comrades' personal matters. Like before, they were left to their own devices. After they were rested and refueled, the liberation army would march on Miletos.
Lester sought him out again. "Hey, Ulster? Have you seen my sister around?"
The myrmidon found himself going through the familiar motions, putting his book aside and glancing up to his visitor. "No. You need help finding her again?"
The archer knight shrugged in response. "Yeah, a bit. I'm worried," he said with a frown.
Ulster nodded and joined Lester in his search.
After a while, he finally found it. While Travant and his countrymen had been quite warlike, they weren't entirely barbaric. There was a modest shrine atop one of the crags outside the castle grounds. It wasn't much—a roof held up by four pillars, with a simple altar placed in the middle. However, the shrine did offer a pretty view of the Thracian landscape. The priestess was leaning against one of the pillars, watching the scenery in bitter silence.
Ulster dismounted and walked over to the shrine. "Hello again," he said, lending his voice as much pep as he could muster. "Lester was worried about you. Again."
She shook her head indifferently. "I don't care."
"How do you find these places, anyway? This one is especially beautiful," the myrmidon said appreciatively.
Lana simply ignored him, turning her gaze to the bleak hills below.
"So," Ulster said, approaching her, "what is it this time?"
"Go away," she said bitterly.
He sighed wearily, feeling for her. "Seliph again, I guess."
"Shut up," Lana spat, cutting him off.
Ulster shrugged, and turned to take in the view in silence.
The two were quiet for a while, before Lana finally spoke. "I—it's just not fair."
The myrmidon glanced over to her, frowning. Tears marred the girl's pretty face, and her eyes were red. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just watched patiently.
"Seliph and... Julia" she spat the second name. "It's official... they're an item now," she finally managed.
Again, Ulster found himself lost for words. The myrmidon felt another pang girding his heart, and he wished there was something he could do for his friend.
"I—I don't stand a chance," she said bitterly. "She's mysterious, she's good in a fight. She's—she's even prettier than me," the priestess fumed. "Seliph can't help but dote on her. Not after he made that promise to Lewyn..."
Ulster found himself laughing quietly. "You think Julia would look pretty right now if she was the one at grief's doorstep?"
"Shut up," Lana snarled, glaring at him. "And I bet Seliph would think she was pretty while crying. They're infuriating. I hate it."
Another long silence engulfed the two of them. This time, it was the swordsman who ended it. "You remember back when we were kids in Tirnanog? Seliph and you were inseperable," Ulster mused.
Lana's breath hitched in her throat, finding its way out as a sob.
"Sorry," Ulster said, feeling stupid. "I just... I don't know what happened."
The priestess shrugged, turning her gaze to the sun setting behind the distant Thracian mountains. The evening light glinted off her expressive brown eyes, like two polished zircons.
"Shanan and Oifey were always there to look out for us," Ulster said quietly, "but you were a big deal, too. When Edain wasn't there for us, you were the one to fix up our scrapes and bruises."
Lana shook her head in dismissal. "It doesn't matter," she said hopelessly.
"So?" he asked, looking her in the face. "One unrequited love, and that's it? Your life's over now?"
"Shut up," she said with another venomous glare. "You wouldn't understand."
Ulster sighed, at his wits' end. "No, I probably wouldn't." He turned around, seeing their horses foraging on needle grass. "Lana, I'm going to head back to Thracia."
"Good. Why don't you perish there, while you're at it."
"You planning on staying out here for a while, then?"
She met his query with sullen silence.
"I'll let Lester know," he said ruefully. After another brief moment, the myrmidon turned back to the upset girl. "One more thing, before I forget."
The impatient priestess glared at him once more. "What is it?"
"Lana," he said, feeling his cheeks flush, "I think you're plenty pretty. Even when you're upset."
Her face became a cute moue, and her eyes darkened. "Go make fun of someone else," she said bitterly, fixing her gaze back on the shrine's scenery.
"Lana, I'm not—"
"Go away," she cut him off. "I really mean it this time, Ulster."
He sighed, feeling defeated. There wasn't anything else for him to say, so the myrmidon simply turned and left.