I do not own Re:Zero or any of the characters.
Capitol: Day 1
Ian walked outside, finding Subaru pestering a butler tending a Dragon Carriage. The man was tall with a broad build, white-grey hair in a ponytail, a white-grey mustache and beard, and a look in his eyes that Ian couldn't identify, but that set him on edge. Ian walked over to them, setting a hand on Subaru's shoulder, Subaru staring at the butler as the butler agreed that he had believed his wife was the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Are you ready for today's sword lesson?" Ian asked.
Subaru groaned. "I'm never ready. I'm tired of you hitting me with a fire iron."
"If you would block it with your own fire iron, I wouldn't hit you," Ian said. "We could switch to sword if you'd prefer."
"No thank you," Subaru said. "Fire irons work just fine."
"Good," Ian said, looking over at the butler. "Good morning, Sir. How are you?"
"Oh, I hardly deserve to be called 'Sir'," the butler said. "I'm just a butler."
"Even so," Ian said. "I taught to greet everyone whose name I don't know as either Sir or Ma'am."
"I see," the butler said. "Not may have such a strict, respectful view."
"I'm back old man Will," a young girl's voice said as a demi-human girl with pale brown hair, cat ears, and a white and blue dress with a large white bow on the back stepped around the carriage. "Sorry to make you wait outside. I bet you were bored, huh?" She had golden eyes and small, oval-shaped eyebrows.
"Not at all," the butler said. "In fact, I was passing the time having a rather interesting discussion with this young man here." He gestured at Subaru.
The girl began to meow repeatedly as she sniffed Subaru. "Ah, meow I see. Meow, of course. You must be the boy that Miss Emilia was talking about earlier."
"She mentioned me?" Subaru asked.
"Wow, looks like you're totally clueless aren't you?" the girl asked.
"That's an understatement," Ian said.
"Hey!" Subaru complained.
"Let's go, Old Man Will," the girl said, then paused, looking back at Subaru. "See you in the capitol."
Subaru's eyes widened, and once the carriage was trundling away from the manor, Subaru all but sprinted inside. Ian sighed, walking after him, only to stop as he met Roswaal in one of the hallways.
"I'd like you to accompany Miss Emilia and young Rem when they go to the capitol," Roswaal said, his tone nothing like when the others were around, as always. "You'll be there as a bodyguard. I only ask this considering the unfortunate events that happened last time Miss Emilia went there. It would be very unfortunate if she were to be targeted by another assassin."
"Understood," Ian nodded. "I'll prepare to leave immediately."
Roswaal nodded. "Oh, and, one more thing. You should take care of how you behave. Your frequent impulsiveness is dangerously close to being unpredictable. It will get you in trouble, if you aren't careful."
Ian narrowed his eyes slightly. "Coming from you, that only makes me want to be even more unpredictable. After all, the first time I met you, you lied to me and manipulated me into being seriously wounded, all so you could confirm a theory about what abilities I hold. And then you gave me the sword so that you could convince me to be of use to you. You're very far from being someone I feel any loyalty toward."
"Well, allow me to put it to you this way then," Roswaal said, leaning close to Ian's ear. "If you intend to take Ram from me, you'll have to continue feigning loyalty until you earn her trust, and then after that, you will have to do something rather drastic in order to earn her attention."
"I'd wager you probably have a good idea as to what that something would be, don't you?" Ian asked.
"Indeed I do," Roswaal nodded. "No, be a good boy and go collect your things. You'll likely be gone a few days. And I'll even allow you to keep Rem with you during it. I'm sure I can manage with just Ram for a few days."
Ian nodded and headed to his room, closing the door softly before activating his power and kicking his bed hard, breaking his foot. He kicked it again and again before skipping backward and sighing, sitting on the bed. He looked around the room in silence for a moment, his eyes falling on the picture on his wardrobe, then on the guitar he'd hand-made about three months after he'd arrived. He stood, folding up the picture carefully and putting it in his pocket, then put some spare clothes in a sack before slinging the guitar across his back and leaving the room. After a couple of minutes, he found Rem in the foyer. She smiled, greeting him with a hug before glancing at the guitar.
"You're bringing that this time?" Rem asked.
"It's been a while since I've played it, so I figured I might as well practice," Ian said.
"Alright," Rem nodded.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ian asked.
"Of course," Rem asked.
"Why did you fall in love with me?" Ian asked. "And when did you realize you had?"
Rem frowned, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't really know, to tell you the truth. I probably couldn't pick out any one thing that made me fall in love with you. It was just...everything. And I'm not sure I really know when exactly I realized I had."
Ian nodded just as Subaru walked in. "You ready to leave?"
"You're bringing spare clothes?" Subaru asked.
"Better safe than sorry," Ian said.
Subaru nodded before frowning. "Can I ask you something, alone?"
Ian nodded and they walked over to the far side of the room. "What's up?"
"Do you remember when I told you that Rem had died in one of the loops, and that you and Ram both tried to kill me?" Subaru asked.
"Of course I do," Ian said.
"I wanted to know if you could guess why you tried to kill me," Subaru said. "I mean, you're always calm and collected, but when she died, you refused to listen to a word I said."
"Have you ever been in love before?" Ian asked. "Not the attraction you have to Emilia. I mean actually in love."
Subaru shook his head. "Mili's the first."
Ian nodded. "Speaking from the standpoint of not remembering her dying, I can only guess. But...I doubt it was about me thinking it was you who did it. I wouldn't blame you even if it had actually been you. I'd blame myself for not protecting her. If I was trying to kill you, it was probably to reset you so that you could warn me and I could protect her."
Subaru nodded. "That...actually makes sense. for the record, I'm sorry I let her die."
Ian shook his head. "She's alive. There's no reason to apologize. But I want your word. If her or Ram die, you'll respawn so that they can be saved."
Subaru nodded. "I give you my word."
"Okay," Ian nodded. "Now, let's go. Our girls are waiting."
Subaru smiled and nodded, the two of them walking over to Emilia and Rem, following them out to the Dragon Carriage. Once they were in, Ian reached under the seat he was on and pulled Subaru's sword out of it, holding it out to Subaru.
"For emergencies," Ian said.
Subaru nodded and accepted the sword. However, after a few minutes, Subaru's excitement about being on a trip to the capitol, and about riding in a Dragon Carriage, got the better of him and he climbed into the window to ride partway out. However, after a few minutes, he let out a cheer and threw a fist into the air, only for it to leave the area of effect of the Earth Dragon's magic, which allowed it, the carriage, and everyone in or on it to be unaffected by the wind. As Subaru raised his fist, the wind caught his hand and yanked him out of the carriage, Subaru's other hand snagging on a strap and leaving him flapping in the wind behind the carriage for a moment before Rem slowed to a stop so that he could get back in, Emilia glaring at him. After a couple more hours, they reached the capitol and Rem dropped Subaru and Emilia off before leaving to a stable to drop off the carriage. As she did, Ian climbed up onto the front bench with her.
"Aren't you supposed to be protecting Miss Emilia?" Rem asked.
"Subaru can keep her safe until we get back," Ian said. "Besides, I don't particularly feel like doing what Roswaal says."
"You still don't trust him?" Rem asked.
"The first time I met him, he set me against a small army of Wolgarm just to see how I'd do," Ian said. "And that was far from the only time he ever manipulated me. He hasn't done anything to make me trust him. Not to mention the fact that he knows more about me than anyone. Sometimes more than I do."
Rem nodded as they reached the stable. After a few minutes of getting the carriage into place and paying the stable hand to feed and look after the dragon, they left, heading toward the building where they were supposed to meet up with Emilia. However, before they could reach it, they stopped as they spotted Emilia heading toward an alleyway with a man wearing faded, tattered trousers, a curved sword, one that looked to Ian like a Chinese broadsword from his home world, horizontally on the back of his waist, a tattered yellow cape tied around his shoulders over a vest, and a black helmet with a full faceguard.
"Who is that?" Ian asked.
"I don't know," Rem said. "What a strange choice of outfit."
"Come on," Ian said, the two of them hurrying after them, stopping behind them in the alleyway.
"Well, whataya know!" Subaru was saying as Emilia stood behind him, hiding herself from the other person in the alleyway, a girl with orangish-red hair in a ponytail on the left side, a black and red dress that exposed her cleavage, and a folded up orange fan in her right hand. "It looks like we both found just who we were looking for. Let's go." He and Emilia turned to leave, but stopped as they spotted Ian and Rem.
"Just a moment," the woman said.
"There you two are," Ian said authoritatively, the woman raising an eyebrow. "I hope you two weren't causing trouble again. Did you at least finish the errand I assigned you this time?"
Emilia bowed instantly, Subaru following suit.
"We did, Lord Marcus," Emilia said, obviously realizing what Ian intended. "Please forgive us for any trouble our actions cause you. We will accept the necessary punishment."
"Truthfully, I don't care if you accept it or not," Ian said. "But at least one of you understands their place. Let's go. We have more important things to do than associate with rabble."
He could feel the girl glare at him as they walked away, but they ignored her and walked back to the inn they were staying at. As they walked, Subaru tried to ask Emilia who she was and why she hid from her, but Emilia wouldn't say. Ian assumed she was another candidate for the throne, and probably not a pleasant one, but didn't voice his suspicions.
"Thank you for stepping in," Emilia said finally. "You play the role of a Lord really well."
"It doesn't take much," Ian said. "The way I figure it, nine times out of ten, if you just act like everyone's beneath you everyone'll buy it."
"I suppose," Emilia said. "It's not a good thing, though."
"I agree," Ian said. "But it worked, and no one needs to know otherwise."
Emilia nodded and they continued to the inn in silence. Once there, Emilia made Subaru promise not to go to the castle the next day, wanting him not to be in any position where he might end up pushing himself, and instead wanting him to focus on getting treated. Finally, Subaru relented and gave her his word that he wouldn't go. Once that was settled, Emilia headed to bed. Ian sat on the couch, picking up his guitar and began to strum. Subaru stared at him in surprise.
"You play?" Subaru asked.
"Some," Ian said. "I'm not the best, but I can play a few songs from back home."
"He's being modest," Rem said. "He's amazing. I have him sing to me sometimes."
"You do?" Subaru asked.
"Yes," Ian said. "Nothing fancy, just a few songs."
"What love songs could you sing with only a guitar?" Subaru asked.
"A surprising number," Ian said. "But I don't sing only love songs. I sing a lot of different genres."
"Genres?" Rem frowned.
"Styles of music," Ian clarified. "And I'm not amazing. Not compared to the singers back home."
Rem smiled. "You are to me."
He smiled, looking out the window. "We should all get some sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow."
The others both nodded, and they all headed to bed. However, after a few minutes, Ian's door opened. He looked over, seeing Rem standing in the doorway wearing a nightgown matching her hair. She looked hesitant, but when he held his hand out to her, she crossed the room, taking his hand in hers. He slid over to make room for her, and she climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over herself, smiling.
"I'm sorry," Rem said. "I can't sleep alone."
"I know," Ian smiled, lacing the fingers of his left hand with those of her right. "I don't mind."
Rem nodded, smiling, and Ian reached forward, kissing her forehead. She closed her eyes and within a few minutes she had drifted off. Ian smiled, internally arguing the merits of using his ability just to be able to kiss her. However, after a time, he closed his eyes and drifted off.
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