Disclaimer: Yea, Okay. Whatever.

Chapter 4

Dukedom of Themis

A/N: Hey Ho!

We now tune in on Stahl, Maribelle, Brady, and their noble family!

Thank you everyone for viewing this! I noticed a lot of spelling errors and a lot of my sentences didn't fit well with my mouth so I rewrote a lot! I'll do the same with all the other chapters now and rewrite them. So if you're on story alerts, I'm sorry!

Zallow: Right? Sumia makes a good queen! Though I did wonder what Maribelle would make as a queen.

Lolrofl: Glad I managed to make you think about it! I hope you like the next couples, hahaha. But hey! If you see couple you liked in Chapter 1, tell me about it and what you expect ;)

In any case, hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Stahl! Stahl! Stahl!" Maribelle wailed, as she saw her husband collapse just outside the temple, on the bare open grass. She ran next to him and knelt by his side. "No, no, no! Please don't die!"

"Ma?! What's wrong? What happe- Pops!" Brady cried as he heard his mother scream out and saw his father surrounded by dead bandits but was lying down on the ground himself. He rushed to his father's side at once and took notice of the wounds. An arrow sprang from his abdomen and he was wounded in several places. Brady quickly took out the arrow as Stahl grunted in pain.

"Get your hands off him you mongrel!" Maribelle yelled, tears rolled down her face as she sat helpless. Brady slapped her with his free hand. "Snap out it, ma! You can heal can't ya?! Get to it!" Brady said. As Maribelle remembered her skills and started fumbling around for her staff, healing Stahl's wounds.

Brady gave the arrow another look. He reached for a pouch filled with leaves. Grabbing a few, he wrapped some of the poison sensitive leaves around the arrow's head and watched for a reaction. The green leaves turned purple. It was a deadly and fatal kind. He didn't have any sort of potions left to counter act it. He looked once more at his father. " No... no. No. No! Don't you dare die pa! I left the future ta save ya! Come on! Ya have to pull through!" Brady said.

"The wounds are too deep! I can't heal it alone!" Maribelle yelled. Brady moved next to his mother as he could do NOTHING else but to help her. He racked his brain for anything. Some sort of idea to save his father but none came.

Stahl regained some sense of his body and knew poison was spreading across his body. He saw Maribelle and Brady trying desperately to heal his wounds. If they didn't he'd die of blood loss, and if they did heal him, the poison would finish him off. "W-what kind?" He asked out loud.

"What?" Brady and Maribelle asked desperately.
"The p-poison... what kind?"

"I-I don't know! I don't have any of the leaves you use to know which-"

"Purple. Two second interval." Brady supplied.

Stahl smiled and reached for his pouch on his belt. He had an antidote. He was able to get out a vial and lost his grip on it. Maribelle dove to catch it and opened it quickly, lifted Stahl's head, and helped him drink it. He closed his eyes and coughed for a while as the antidote spread through his body. He opened his eye and smiled at Maribelle and Brady. "Heh. It pays to be an apothecary's son." He said as Maribelle cried and hugged her husband.

"You idiot! You idiot, you idiot, you idiot!" Maribelle cried through her tears.

"Sorry to make you worry, dear... Brady?" Stahl looked at him.

"Where'd you learn about the leaves?"

"You and ma taught me."

Maribelle released Stahl and stared at Brady. She was about to say something but Stahl spoke first.

"The Maribelle and me from the future?"

Brady nodded.

"Heh... So my son stopped my death..."

"Brady! Straighten your shirt! Stahl! You got crumbs all over you chin!" Maribelle yelled at her two boys as the carriage neared their destination. The were riding Maribelle's family carriage, House Themis. It was made of dark mahogany wood and had red velvet for curtains and seats. The carriage was going smoothly over brick roads of Katelox, the hometown of Maribelle. Travelers, peddlers, and farmers could be heard outside of the carriage going through the day, but the trio paid them no head.

With the war over, Maribelle had been called home by her family. The problem was, she never told her family, most of them anyway, that she had fallen in love and married Stahl. He's air-headed, scatterbrained and is ever hungry to be sure, but his kindness, unshakable service to his friends, and dedication to a cause he believes in, all but dispels his 'shortcomings', if you can even call it that. Besides, he alone could read Maribelle like an open book. She loved him. All of him.

At the current time however, sat on edge and was downright nervous on meeting with her family.

Brady and Stahl looked at each other as they could plainly see Maribelle in a very uncomfortable posture. She insisted on sitting across from them as to 'be able to see what needs fixing' and for the better part of the trip, she verbally whipped both of them for any and all fault.

Stahl shook his head and moved to sit next to his wife. He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Maribelle, it'll be okay! We're here for you my love."

"Ya, ma! They can't be that bad can they?" Brady offered.

She glared at them. Stahl wore a noble's long coat and white shirt buttoned all the way to his neck. He wore black pants and a pair of black boots with gold embroidery. Brady wore a similar outfit but was colored in a dark violet that matched the color of his priest robes. They never looked finer. But she knew her family was still going to nit pick each and every detail.

"You don't know them the way I do! They're the type of nobles that would never accept you two as their 'equal', much less family!" She complained and shaking her head vigorously. "And I would think you have some knowledge of that Brady!" She pointed at him.

"Uhh... err... that's the thing ma... We didn't live in a mansion..." Brady said weakly, knowing where this was going and not liking it in the slightest.

"What?!" Maribelle said in anger and her eyes bulging. If it was possible to cast fire just by expression, she would have done it. She clutched her parasol and Stahl's hand tightly, bordering on pain.

"Well... uhh.. you see... we kind of, you know. "

"Tell. Me. Where. We. Lived." She threatened.

"We lived with pops downtown and owned an apothecary!" He yelled quickly

"Wait. Wasn't I suppose to be dead?" Stahl asked, still holding on to a dangerous Maribelle.

"Huh? No. Of course not pops. I said you were the one that taught me potions n' stuff remember? But... The poison killed off your legs..."

"So you're telling me. My dear Brady, is that we got kicked out?" She said, eyes closed but evidently furious. Stahl kept holding on to her, despite her grip getting more and more painful.

"What? No! You never really told me, but we weren't kicked out of ta family. It's just that... oh! Where do I even begin!" Brady said as he threw his arms in frustration.

"Alright! Why don't we all calm down, before we start asking difficult questions okay?" Stahl offered, keeping his head leveled

"How could you be so calm about this?!" Maribelle demanded as she yanked her hand away from Stahl.

Stahl just reached for it again gently. Both hands this time. And kissed her on the forehead. "Because we all know we can change the future. Brady already prevented me from being a cripple. Now that I'm fine and can take down 5 men, not to mention we still got our son here, I think will be fine."

Maribelle conceded to that and sighed. They weren't powerless. They stopped Stahl from being crippled, so they can stop... whatever befalls their family.

They took a moment to re compose themselves and Stahl was the one that lead them through the questions. Maribelle loved him for that. She clutched his hand as both looked at each other and she mouthed a silent 'thank you'. Stahl just smiled and pecked her on the lips with a wink, as if to say 'we'll make it through.'

"Okay. Just to make things clear, I'm crippled, Maribelle is living with us but not at her mansion which she wasn't kicked out, correct? " he started.

Brady nodded.

"Does that mean she chose to live with me, instead of her family?" Maribelle didn't think of that.

Brady shook his head. "No. Ma's family got separated as they sort of fell into hard times. Course' the risen didn't help. Neither of you wanted to talk about that."

"Alright, so we're gonna have to look out for whatever 'hard times' is. What DID we tell you though?"

Brady thought for a moment. "Let's see... All I know is that ma' hammered the life of a noble into me. Her pops was the one strongly against your weddin'. You and her taught me about potions." Stahl nodded, once again thanking his future self. "And that ma really didn't like my childhood friends, so much that she enrolled me to study with the priesthood."

Maribelle sighed. They didn't get anything useful after all. She already knew her father would be the last person to accept her marriage.

"Enough of the future then. Maribelle, anything we can do to make your father accept us?"

She shook her head. "Unless you can come up with a lucrative business right now, as well as s noble lineage and birth, there's no way he could possibly accept it. But it's not like he can do anything. We've made our vows and even father would respect that." She leaned on him then. She HOPED her father would respect that...

Stahl wrapped his arm around her and held her hand. Brady interrupted them before anything else happened.

"I realize you two love each other, and I would like to be born soon, but could ya two not do it in front of me?" Brady said as he looked away.

The couple just chuckled, releasing more of the tension. "By the way, how do we explain Brady? No reason to make them be displeased us any more than they already do." Stahl asked.

"Well... We can pass him off as you're brother. Although, I fail to see the resemblance. You look far to sweet dear, but Brady-poo here looks far to scary."

"Aw. Why'd you have to put it like that ma?"

The couple just laughed again. Even Brady grinned at the family-teasing. Even if he was the rear end of it.

"We got no choice. We'll have to make that work." Stahl said, as the other two nodded.

The carriage rolled on, as the trio discussed what they can do when they introduced themselves. The carriage finally reached Maribelle's home. Home was a crude word for it.

House Themis sat on top of a hill over looking the town. It didn't share the hill with any other noble or prestigious houses. It occupied the WHOLE hill and was surrounded by high walls with the town guards being housed inside. Home would be a far cry, mansion just a little under the bullseye, but castle was spot on. Passing through the gates and climbing the slope, the grounds looked like a training yard and was well kept. After a while, another wall could be seen as it lead to the mansion proper. The wall was made out of brick and had metal railings and spikes on top. Passing the second gate, the trio saw a large garden, being tended by workers. Trees line the path as well and hedges. Finally reaching the front area of the house, the carriage circled a fountain and finally stopped.

The trio stepped out with Maribelle in the lead. She waited patiently for her two companions as they regained their wits and control of their jaw as they stared on to her mansion. Our mansion. She thought privately. She vowed they'll make the future a bright one.

It was a large mansion, not yet quite a castle but almost, it was lined with windows and the occasional flower beds on all four floors. Ivy was growing on some spot, but those looked intentional as it grew against the white brick walls. The main entrance was a large wooden double door, already opened by servants, kindly waiting for their guests to step in.

Finally regaining their senses, father and son joined Maribelle on both of her sides. Stahl on her right and Brady on her left. She noticed Brady fixed his posture and noticed his neck tense as it usually did when he spoke like an aristocrat. Stahl straightened and looked sharp, but also relaxed his arm as he offered it to Maribelle. She accepted, and mentally noted she would have to praise them later. They looked dashing.

The trio entered and arrived in the main hall. On the ground floor, doors appeared on both side and the walls were decorated by portraits of what could only be assumed as the members of House Themis. Directly opposite the entrance stood a grand staircase that forked as it reached the wall. A giant painting stood to face them. The painting was that of a very beautiful blond woman as she sat with dignity on a chair and sitting on her lap with a bright smile could only be Maribelle as a child.

I'm home now mother. She said silently.

"Why if it isn't our little Marmar! Welcome home!" Said a voice as she walked down the staircase while Brady stifled a laugh.

Maribelle looked to the origin of the voice, forced a smile and small bow. "It is good to be home, cousin Sierra."

Sierra wore a noble's dress, similar to Maribelle's, with a big puffy skirt and frills just about everywhere from her hands to her front shirt, and all around her skirt. She was a brunette and kept her hair oiled back. She evidently liked the color green.

"And who's the entourage that you brought with you?"

"This..." she gestured to her left "is Brady. A close friend of mine."

Brady made a graceful bow with his left hand covering over his heart. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, mi'lady." He said perfectly.

Maribelle turned to her right then. "And this, is Stahl. Brady's brother and my husband."

Stahl made to bow "It is an honor to-"

"You're WHAT?!" Sierra demanded, cutting of Stahl as Maribelle simply looked offended. "You're not supposed to be married yet, you impatient, inconsiderable little tramp!"

"I kindly asked that mi'lady to refrain from calling my wife in such derogatory manner or tone." Stahl said threateningly as he wore a hard glare that easily pierced through Sierra. "Or else." He added. Maribelle should still be offended by Sierra but she was now dumb founded thanks to Stahl.

"Che. I'll tell uncle about this once he returns!" Sierra said as she turned and climbed the staircase, obviously fuming.

The trio were left standing as servants pretended not to hear the exchange. They all sighed in sync, the two men realizing how much trouble this was gonna be and Maribelle on seeing nothing had changed. For better or worse.

"Mi'lady! So good to see you once more!" Said an old man as he neared the trio.

"Alfonse! I'm glad you're doing well! I hope my family hadn't run you to the bone, have they?" Maribelle said.

"Oh, it is of no bother mi'lady. I live to serve." Said Alfonse. He was an elderly man with more gray hair than brown, cleanly shaved and wore a head-servants garb. "I did not mean to eavesdrop, but I heard the entire exchange. I apologize." He bowed. "However, I am glad to see that mi'lady has found not one, but two people she has grown fond of. Master Brady. Master Stahl." He nodded to former and bowed to the later.
"Oh, and does mi'lady and her party want some tea? I imagine the long journey has been tiring and... the exchange with Miss Sierra twice as much."

Maribelle sighed in relief. "Yes... Yes. We'd like that Alfonse."

Alfonse nodded and lead them to another room through the eastern wing of the mansion. They arrived in a living room with a terrace. Long sofas were neatly arranged and coffee tables. The terrace contained a small table, just small enough for the three of them to have tea, and chairs over looking the town. As Alfonse bid his leave to get the tea, Maribelle moved to the terrace and took a chair as she fell into it and leaned on the table as she massaged her temples.

Stahl grabbed a chair and moved it next to her as he wrapped his arm around and began encouraging her. Brady on the other hand moved to marvel at the view. Katelox was a walled town that had houses built out of white stones and had assortment of blue and red roofed home. The sun had passed noon already on the brisk autumn day, and trees have begun to change their colors. Outside the walls were lined with farms of all sorts from wheat to olive trees and further out were red-yellow forested hills. It was a beautiful day, in spite of their predicament.

Turning back to his parents, he took a seat as Alfonse came back with tea, cookies and biscuits then promptly left the family to their privacy. Maribelle took her cup and saucer and sipped, then frowned.

"Something wrong with the tea ma?" Brady asked.

"No. It's just... different? This is elderberry right?" She asked Stahl as he took a sip as well.

"Yeah it is. I make tea differently from how it's done.

"How?" Maribelle asked.

"I'll teach you when we get the chance but keep it in the family alright? It's supposed to be a secret, right Brady?"

"Wait, so the pops in my future taught it to me?"

"From the way I tasted your tea, it most likely is. In any case, what was Sierra's problem? Is she always that... mean?" Stahl asked.

"Yes, sadly. And everyone else as well. Except grand father. But I know for a fact he won't be back until after a week."

"Now that I think about it, you never talked about your family before."

Maribelle set down her cup and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I... Never talked about them because... I never liked how they acted or treated others. You two know who I am and what my dream is. To be a magistrate that is fair to all, and yet... Unless you were of noble blood my family wouldn't even acknowledge your existence. Funny isn't it? Such a cruel joke of fate." Maribelle said with a tear. Stahl still had his arm wrapped around her and did nothing. She wasn't done talking. Not yet. As Maribelle finished gathering her thoughts, she continued. "I would have been the same if not for my mother and grand father. They taught me to cherish all people and treat everyone fairly. I'm so glad they did. As I was able to meet both of you." Maribelle wiped a tear before it even existed. "Everyone else, my father, aunt and uncle, and two cousins, are self centered nobles whose dream is just to get richer. Your typical nobles. If you remember Stahl, I was a little bit like that when I first joined the Shepards. In any case, that is all I can tell you."

A silence came as all three thought about what they could do in such a situation. It was Brady that first had a thought.

"You know... there really ain't nothin' we can do about it."

"We can't just give up!" Maribelle replied.

"I ain't talkin bout givin' up ma! I'm sayin' that there aint nothin' we can do to make the others like us! We can't change who they are and they can't change who we are. All we can do is keep doin' what we do best as a family. And it's helpin' people and each other. Know what I'm sayin'?"

Twice now in the day Maribelle has been left dumb struck by her two boys. Stahl just laughed at her expression.

"Brady has a point, dear. All we can do is try to help them, even if they don't accept us. Maybe Brady can keep sounding like an aristocrat and I not be so absent minded most if the time, but that's all we can do. So does that sound like a plan?"

Maribelle met Stahl's eyes, then Brady's, and sighed. "I suppose you two are correct. We can't just force them to like us... but I'm not too sure about either of you acting and sounding like nobles all the time..."

"Don't worry about it ma! I want to do it! I mean, I'll probably bite off my tongue sooner or later, but I wanna try my best for you!"

"I'm in it too! I'll help out in whatever way I can."

Maribelle sighed again. Different this time. She smiled and embraced Stahl. "I love you. Both of you." She said as she opened one arm for Brady.

"No thanks ma! I'm good!" He said as he lifted his arm in resistance.

"Brady..." she threatened.

Brady gave up. He stood and accepted the family hug as Maribelle nearly choked the life out of them. Brady struggled but Stahl just laughed merrily.

The rest of the afternoon was spent as Maribelle taught them the basic etiquette of noble dinning. She paid special attention to Stahl and warned him constantly to control himself. Brady on the other hand, already had background knowledge as future Maribelle drilled it into his mind. Stahl couldn't believe there were so many forks and knives that had to be used for all sorts of things. A separate fork for salad? Really? He thought. He'd call it ridiculous, but knew the pressure that was on his wife, so he persevered.

"Questions will be inevitable," Maribelle said. "And arguing will be likely. But let's at least try and get a good dinner with them."

Stahk just nodded. If the brief encounter with Sierra was anything to go by, smooth sailings were a luxury they could not afford. "Maribelle... I know you don't like talking about your family, but could you tell us a little bit more about them? It might make the difference in knowing what to say and accidentally saying something that offends them."

She sighed, but nodded all the same. "I suppose you're right dear. I'll start with my grandfather, Oscar Themis the true Duke of Themis. No, father did not depose him or anything. Calm down you two!" She chuckled softly as the two were misunderstanding her completely. For a moment, they looked ready to depose of her FATHER. But it was just a moment. "I'll get to why I say grandfather is the true duke in a minute. In any case, grandfather is a kind, patient and wise man. If he was not in charge, this whole place would be in utter anarchy. I have no doubts that he would welcome us if he were here. But sadly, he is away on a meeting with another duke and will not return until a week has passed.

You've already met my lovely cousin, Sierra. Her darling little brother who's so much like her, is Mark Themis. They're so unlike that I often think they should have been twins, really. Pity anyone that manages to grab their attention. Thankfully, I'm a little older than them and I did not suffer a traumatizing childhood. They do not hesitate to flaunt off the Themis name just to get their way. All that matters to them is their own enjoyment. Often times it involves another persons pain.

Next are my aunt and uncle. Fiona and Theon Themis. In hindsight, I favor them most among my family, besides my grandfather, due to the fact that they move in a logical business matter. They do nothing unless it was for profit. In fact, I think that's the sole reason they have for having Sierra and Mark! They manage all the farms outside the walls. But since all they think about is profit, don't expect any support from them. Frankly my dear Stahl, if I was their daughter, they'd probably marry me off to Chrom."

Stahl thought for a moment. Maribelle would no doubt be a fair Queen and bring justice to all. She'd make a great ruler. But he realized he didn't care squat if the whole world knew peace if it meant not being by her side. He didn't like that part of him, but acknowledge it all the same.

"Lastly..." She continued "Arthur Themis. My father. There is only one thing my father wants. Power, through money of course. He's no Walhart, so no need to ready your swords. As I've said, grandfather is the true duke, however; most people believe it to be my father. They would not be all that far off. Father owns all the businesses in Themis, and I don't mean just Katelox. I mean the entire region of Themis as well as quite a few outside of it. He also heads the merchants guild here so it truly is not that far off to see why the common people assume he is the duke. Grandfather should really do something about it, but often has to handle meetings with the other dukes." She finished.

A paused came. Something was missing.

"Um... Maribelle? What about your mother?" Stahl asked.

She shook her head. "Mother... passed away a long time ago..." she said solemnly.

"Sorry." He cringed.

"No. It's alright. It was a long time ago." She forced a smile. "I'm sure you've noticed, but she was the one on the painting at the staircase."

"Soo... What was grandma like ma?" Brady asked. "I never got the chance to hear about her."

Maribelle fell silent for a while as she collected her memories of her mother. She felt tears welling up but forced them back and ignored the old pain of loss that grew in her chest. She felt a hand squeeze her's. It could only be Stahl. The tears dried up as the pain dispersed and she reopened her eyes. She nodded her thanks to Stahl and continued.

"There isn't much to tell about her. Other than she was intelligent, beautiful, and... Very protective. I never understood how she and father got together, but all you need to know is this; if she were alive today, I've no doubt she'd probably lock me away in my room while she gave your father the tongue lashing of the century." She chuckled. "But I know she'd support us."

"Hmm... That so..." Brady mused.

"Well, since we're talking about family. I haven't gotten the chance to tell you mine all that much have I, Maribelle?" Stahl said, thinking the gloom in the room was starting to get to him. "Brady, did I tell you much about your uncle Kevin?"

"Well... Uhh... No."

"Good! I think it's time we moved on to a much lighter topic. I know we're worried about the dinner, but I don't think being in such a glum mood would help us. So let me tell you a funny story of me and Kevin. One time, when we were kids in summer, we sneaked out and..." Stahl made to tell them his childhood antics with his family. The room WAS getting gloomy, and even the carriage ride was no laughs and giggles. He told the tale of when he decided to become a knight. It involved him and his brother's antics and how much they often got in trouble. The afternoon went by quickly as Stahl went on and on, sometimes touching memories that involved the three of them from not-so-long-ago war. He even told Maribelle of what they did when she made Brady do some ridiculous apology that involved playing his violin and doing a back flip to a supposed-applauding Stahl. Eventually the trio were in high spirits and laughing once more. Alfonse knocked and entered the living room to announce that dinner was ready and that Lord Arthur, had just arrived and will be joining dinner with them.

Maribelle gave Stahl and Brady a worried look. As if she was going to fight Grima again. But Stahl squeezed her hand and Brady gave her a reassuring nod and smile. 'Together' she mouthed silently, and they let Alfonse escort them down the lamp lit hall. They stopped at the dinning hall doors, a huge double door on the west wing of the house. Alfonse nodded to them and opened the door to announce their arrival to the family. They entered the room.

Author's Note: Yup. I'm ending it there. Sorry about that.

Did it drag too long? I needed t establish Maribelle's world for this story and I kinda had fun making up her family. I also had a battle scene before Stahl fell to the ground. I didn't make him a complete badass in that, heck, he DID get his butt kicked. But I decided to scrap it and save it for another scene later!

But tell me what you guys expect to see. Who knows? Maybe it'll kick my creativity into the right direction!

So why these two? I ask, why the hell NOT?!

I mean come on! Stahl LIKES to help people! Maribelle WANTS to help people! Then add to the fact that Brady is a priest, it makes sense to give him Apothecary's knowledge as well! In any case, I like this pairing a lot and I really think they'll be happiest like this. Stahl as a knight for Themis while Maribelle rules the people fairly as duchess(Oops! Did I give away part 2's plot away? MAYBE! HAHAHAHA!). Also, Stahl gets to eat whenever he wants!

So again, next week is Dukedom of Themis part 2 and for FE:A - Sage's Hamlet, we get on with the Magical Wedding!

See you soon! Rankin out!