Olivia was the best. As soon as Clovis finished the rest of the first cake with Peri's help, a second cake was placed in front of him on the counter. Clovis expected to head back to the inn he was staying at after his quick arena battle against some untrained fool. Instead, Gregor dragged him out of the arena to go buy him a drink.
On the way out, Peri, someone he assumed would be difficult to get along with, ambushed him. Instead of acting like the rabid dog he had expected her to be based on their fight, she reminded him more of a younger Lissa. Whiny, clinging, and demanding. Clovis could only thank Naga that Gregor apparently knew Olivia and ended up dragging the group to her inn. Without Olivia's cake, Clovis doubted Peri would have shut up.
Gregor and Peri were both competent fighters compared to others Clovis had fought in the arena. It was a good thing Clovis had accepted Gregor's offer to get drinks together. The fact Gregor was only asking for 15,000G a year to join his company was surprising. Someone of his skill set would be perfect for preparing Ylisse for the war Clovis knew was on the horizon.
The only question was if it was worth paying Gregor with his own coin or trying to convince the mercenary to eventually return to Ylisse with the party to be paid from the Ylissean treasury. Gregor was a mercenary, he'd be loyal to the person paying him. Clovis supposed he could at least buy a month of Gregor's service out of pocket to buy time until he returned home.
Peri's potential recruitment was another concern entirely. Her childish personality made her seem fickle and arbitrary when it came to her decision making. Why else would she suddenly be offering him a salary two times greater than that of an average knight?
Clovis supposed he could use Peri's determination to recruit him to his advantage. She seemed stubborn enough to keep trying. Clovis couldn't just leave everything behind to actually join her in Nohr.
Peri was a Nohrian noble. Peri only knew Clovis as Cyrille Dusk. If he revealed his actual identity, it's possible his standing would be enough to entice her into sticking around. Another method was to keep leading her into thinking she was slowly convincing him to join her in Nohr.
Was it really worth bothering with someone like her in the first place?
Clovis cut a piece of the second cake as he thought about what to do.
Decisions. Decisions.
As Clovis finished his slice of cake, he made up his mind on what to do with the two. Gregor was well worth the coin. To secure Gregor's personal loyalty, it made sense to pay the mercenary with Clovis's own coin. Otherwise, Clovis ran the risk of Emmeryn sinking her claws into his mercenary.
Peri was a more difficult decision in the end. While Clovis could use his actual identity to potentially tempt her into sticking around, it also meant dealing with a possible irate Emmeryn. Peri was a Nohrian noble, Emmeryn might argue with Clovis about proper diplomatic procedures or something just as asinine. It would be much easier to just edge Peri into believing she was tempting him into entering her service.
He'd start with the easier recruitment option.
"Gregor, I've decided you're worth the coin. After we finish here, I'll bring you to where I'm staying. You'll get your pay."
[-15,000G]
Gregor happily slammed his mug onto the counter top, reaching over to thumb Clovis on his back, "Gregor looks forward to it!"
Clovis turned his attention to Peri as she ate another slice of cake, "Let me be clear with you. I'm not going to Nohr right now. There is too much opportunity to be had here. War is coming, I can feel it. With war, profit."
Cyrille Dusk was a merchant and apparently now a mercenary captain. Clovis had to sell his alternate identity.
Peri stopped eating her cake, her focus entirely locked onto Clovis. Her gaze seemed to pierce right through his mask.
"War…" She muttered to herself.
Clovis nodded his head, unsure of what else to say.
"Peri does not like war…" She tapped her chin.
She tilted her head, an unnaturally large grin on her face, "Peri LOVES war."
She pushed her seat back, jumping onto her feet. She seemed to be filled with energy.
"Juice!~ Juice!~ Red!~ Red!~" She twirled as she sang.
She giggled to herself as she leaned up against one of the tables. She stared at Clovis from the table. It was as if she changed in the span of a single moment. She was back to that unhinged persona she showed back in the arena.
"Hire Peri. 10,000G is all Peri asks for. Looting rights too!~ Kill kill kill!~"
She was worth the investment, despite how off she seemed. Someone like her was a weapon worth molding. If all he needed to do to keep her happy was to let her loot some worthless Plegian corpses, he was more than willing to accept her offer. She was even willing to accept less pay than that of a knight. Likely because of her noble origin, he doubted she actually struggled with her coin.
Clovis grinned at her, "You're welcome to join Gregor in following me back to where I'm staying. I'll pay you both when we get there."
Peri happily skipped back to the counter, grabbing her mug of ale, "Peri will pack her things and move over to where you're staying too. We'll have lots of fun! War!~ War!~"
[-10,000G]
[97,000G - 87,000G]
Olivia spoke from behind the counter, "W-war? Y-you really think…"
Clovis shook his head, "I know. Your father sees it too."
Gregor tapped the counter, "Even Gregor sees. Many villages pay Gregor near border for protection on way back to Ferox. Gregor fought not bandits, Plegian soldiers not wearing uniform. War will happen, yes? Gregor will not miss it."
The radiant smile Olivia previously had on her face, had long fallen.
She looked depressed by the news, "I-I see…"
She took a breath, "I… I don't want anyone to get hurt. Be careful, please. If… If you do go to war, please write me letters. I'll write down everything you need to know to send a letter back to me. You seem like… good people…"
Olivia seemed to be on the verge of tears.
It was disturbing to see Basilio's daughter apparently on the verge of some type of breakdown. Clovis wasn't entirely sure on what exactly to do. He wasn't necessarily close to her. He couldn't exactly just treat her like Lissa or something, right?
Would Basilio kick his butt for trying to cheer her up?
Gregor's voice wavered as he spoke towards Olivia, "Little Olivia, no tears. Gregor will cry!"
Olivia looked like she was about to cry. Going by Gregor's words, he'd probably start bawling as well. Peri was frozen in her seat, her hand hovering near the cake as she stared at Olivia. Kellam seemed equally unsure of what to do, sipping from his mug of ale while looking directly down at the mug.
Clovis sighed, it would be up to him to do his best to cheer her up before things got worse.
He stood from his chair, moving past Gregor to head behind the counter.
Olivia's eyes were watering as she looked at Gregor, "Trying…"
She turned in Clovis's direction as he reached for her shoulder.
Olivia stilled as his hand rested upon the bare skin of her shoulder, "..."
Clovis quietly spoke, trying to cheer her up, "Look at me. I'm your father's Champion. Do you really think I'll let my people get hurt? Gregor, Peri, and Kellam are my responsibility. They won't get hurt. I promise."
She sniffled, silent tears falling down her face. She wiped at her eyes, not speaking.
Clovis pulled her forward into a small hug, "We'll all be fine."
"EEK…" She squeaked in his embrace.
She started to push him away. As she pushed her hands against his torso, the bell above the entrance rang.
Clovis let her go, looking towards the door.
A deep voice spoke, "Boy."
"Oh…" Clovis froze.
Standing in the doorway to Olivia's inn was Khan Basilio alongside several guards.
A chill went down Clovis's spine. He didn't want a boot up his ass!
"This isn't what it looks like!" Clovis immediately rose his hands as he took a large step away from Olivia.
Basilio's heavy boots thudded against the floor as he closed in on the bar with his guards. The guards were glaring at Clovis, their gazes shifting between him and Olivia.
Olivia looked towards her father, "Papa!"
She started to cry.
Basilio rapidly advanced towards the bar counter.
Gregor followed in Olivia's wake, the giant man bawling his eyes out.
Gregor's crying caused the Khan to pause in his movement, "What is going on here?"
He wasn't just asking for an answer, he was demanding one.
Gregor's voice cracked as he answered between wails, "L-Little Olivia's clay heart. Gregor is hurt! Little Olivia is worried for Gregor and friends going to war."
The Khan turned his gaze to Olivia, who ran from the counter to him. She wrapped her arms around him as she hugged her father.
Olivia cried at his side, "Papa! I-I don't want them to get hurt! C-can you help?! Please. T-they're so kind…"
Basilio rubbed the top of Olivia's head as he kept her locked in a hug. He deeply sighed, the air around him seemed far less intimidating. The soldiers at the Khan's side took a step back.
The Khan spoke calmly as he stared down at his daughter, "I see. I understand what happened now."
Basilio looked away from Olivia, staring directly at Clovis, "Boy, come take a seat."
Basilio pointed towards where Clovis had previously been sitting. Clovis wasted no time hurrying over to his seat, "Sorry."
Basilio quietly spoke to his daughter, "Was Cyrille trying to cheer you up?"
Olivia nodded in his embrace, "Y-yes. H-he just scared me a little… Y-you know… I… I'm not really used to… H-he felt warm."
Clovis grabbed his mug of ale. Naga preserve him. He didn't want a sudden trip to the Mila Tree courtesy of Basilio's boot. He couldn't even tell if Olivia's words were helping his situation!
Basilio mumbled to himself, "Gods damn it all. Children…"
"What would you have me do, Olivia? The four before us are fighters. It's in their nature to go to war. They can take care of themselves. Gregor will be there to keep them out of trouble."
"I-I want to write to them to make sure."
Basilio grunted, "You're old enough to make decisions on your own. You don't need my permission to write to your friends. Be strong and make your own choices, Olivia."
Olivia fell silent, slowly leaving her father's embrace, "A-alright…"
She moved away from him to behind the counter.
Even though her expression still looked pained, she smiled, "C-can I get you and the soldiers anything, Papa?"
Basilio walked towards the counter, putting his hand on Gregor's shoulder, "Move."
Gregor wiped his eyes, "Gregor will move this one time for old man to take seat."
Gregor got up, causing the Khan to scoff, "You're nearly just as old."
"Gregor is youthful, very vigorous. Ask ladies in market!" He shouted as he moved to one of the tables the soldiers were taking seats at.
Basilio ordered ale for his soldiers from Olivia, alongside a cake. While she moved up the stairs, the Khan put his hand on Clovis's shoulder.
"You did good by me for trying to cheer her up. She's jumpy around strangers, I'm surprised she even let you lay a hand on her. I overreacted. She would have stabbed you if you were doing anything funny."
Instead of forcefully squeezing Clovis's shoulder, the Khan lightly squeezed down on his shoulder, "Keep in mind what I told you before and we won't have any problems. I don't mind you guys being friends with her. Gods know she needs more friends. Some of her friends are not very reliable."
Basilio glanced around the bar before sighing, "Dammit Lon'qu… Where did you run off to, brat?"
Clovis hesitantly spoke, "Your daughter seems very kind. If it makes her happy, I will be happy to write to her. I think she'd get along well with my sister. Maybe I can get her to write to Olivia too…"
"That would be nice. Hell, bring your sister over here sometime now that Gregor has shown you how to find the inn. Oaf that he is. I'm going to choose to trust you. Don't disappoint me, boy."
Clovis nodded, "I won't! I'm your Champion after all!"
Basilio let go of Clovis's shoulder, "Brat. Pass me that cake over there."
Peri whimpered when Clovis grabbed the remaining half of the cake, sliding it in front of the Khan.
It seemed Clovis would live to see another day.
He happily smiled to himself, before his smile rapidly fell.
Oh god.
He still needed to introduce Peri to Lissa.
After a few more drinks, Olivia eventually returned from the upper floor. She placed a piece of parchment in front of Clovis. The parchment contained information on how to send a letter to her inn. Alongside the parchment, a cake was placed on the counter near Basilio. The Khan divided the cake into a dozen or so small slices before calling his soldiers over.
The soldiers happily took some slices of cake, returning to their seats. Peri was pouting at the sight as she watched the new cake vanish before her eyes. Clovis kept to his ale, refusing the urge to try to get any of the additional cake slices. He didn't dare draw Basilio's ire.
Once Clovis finished another mug of ale, he stood from his seat. The atmosphere of the inn had changed since the arrival of the Khan and his soldiers. While the soldiers had considerably calmed down since their initial arrival, Clovis could still feel them glancing his way. It was starting to put Clovis into a bad mood.
Clovis grabbed the parchment from the counter, tucking it into his pocket, "It's about time for us to depart. I need to show Gregor and Peri where they'll be staying."
Gregor downed the rest of his own mug of ale from his seat before standing, "It is good to be seeing you again little Olivia. Gregor will get letter sent to you."
Peri quickly snatched one of the last remaining pieces of cake on the plate in front of the Khan, "Leaving time!"
Peri skipped out of the inn as Basilio scowled at her back, "That was my piece…"
Kellam silently stood up, falling in line with Clovis as Clovis followed Peri's example of hurrying out of the inn. A scowling Basilio was not a Basilio he wanted to deal with.
Upon exiting the inn, Peri and Gregor started to follow Clovis. He hoped introducing the two mercenaries to the rest of the group would go well. Peri was a wildcard, one he was worried about. He hoped she could at least pretend to be normal long enough for her introduction to go well.
It didn't take very long to return to their own inn. It wouldn't be hard for Peri and Gregor to find the inn again either given the distinct goat themed sign the inn used. Peri seemed enthralled by the silly sign of the goat wearing a spiked helm of a warrior.
She pointed at the sign, "Peri wants one of those! Imagine what would happen if a whole bunch of goats rammed someone with those helmets! THWACK!"
Clovis did his best to remain calm. He internally prayed for Naga's mercy. Could Peri please be normal for just a few minutes?
Gregor rubbed his chin, "There is much argument to be made on good use of spikes on war mounts. Gregor would happily put those on mighty war horses, if only it did not slow the beasts."
Heavily armored mounts were not easy to maintain from what Clovis could remember. Back in Plegia, the armored war horses of the knightly orders often needed more to drink than those without armor. It was the exact same trend with the soldiers. Metal armor in the desert environment exhausted people far faster than wearing little to no armor.
Logistics were never fun to think about. Clovis would vastly prefer to brush those off to someone else to worry about. He'd happily lead the soldiers out in the field of battle, but ensuring they were all well supplied was something he knew he would be better leaving to the specialists of his forces.
Clovis headed into the inn, the bell above the door jingling to signal their arrival. Unsurprisingly, the girls were drinking tea at a table within the central tavern room of the inn. They were on their own. Clovis was starting to think Anna may have pulled some strings given he had yet to see any guests at the inn other than his own party.
The girls took notice of him and the others that followed after him.
Lissa calmly sipped from her cup of tea, before placing it down on the saucer with a loud clunk.
She pointed at Gregor and Peri, her tone devoid of any emotion, "Who are those two?"
Maribelle spoke from across Lissa, "I do believe I recognize the male among the two."
Clovis was about to introduce the two before Peri sprung into action.
Peri moved to the table, "Tea! Give Peri tea! Peri loves tea!"
She was tapping her fingers on the table impatiently, her eyes locked onto the kettle of tea.
Lissa wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Ugh, rude. Where did you find her? In a barn?"
Maribelle frowned, yet began to pour tea into an empty cup. She slid it in front of Peri.
Peri happily sipped the tea before placing the cup back down onto the table, her smile slipping into a deep frown.
"Peri did not come from a barn…" her tone was dangerously low.
Maribelle hummed, "Of course not, dear. Please ignore the harsh words of my friend. She has been in a poor mood today. I am curious as to how you met Clovis."
Peri tilted her head, "Clovis?"
"Clovis or Cyrille as you know him to be. I am sure he will explain when given a chance," Maribelle resumed sipping her tea.
Peri stopped frowning, "Ah! Peri understands."
Peri nodded her head with a smile, "Peri knows Cyrille very well! Cyrille knocked Peri to the floor and thrust very deep into her. It hurt, but Peri liked it. There was so much juice!"
Maribelle dropped her tea cup. Lissa was in the middle of sipping her tea when she started to choke.
Cordelia, who seemed to be off in her own world, froze in place while lifting her own cup of tea.
Lissa was the first to speak, "CLOVIS DID WHAT?!"
Clovis's shoulders stiffened. Lissa's voice sounded an awful lot like Emmeryn's voice when she shouted. Why did Peri have to introduce herself like that? There was a ton of context missing behind her words!
Before Clovis could go full into damage control mode, Gregor took a step forward towards the table.
Gregor lightly placed his hand on top of Peri's head, "Ignore the silly girl. You did recognize Gregor! Gregor fought Cyrille in the arena just like this silly girl did. Gregor was there to watch Peri and Cyrille's fight. Peri is skilled fighter. Cyrille was better. Cyrille finished the fight by knocking her to the floor and stabbing her in the back."
Peri nodded her head, "Mhm! Cyrille spilled a lot of Peri's tomato juice on the floor! The floor was covered in Peri's juices!"
Cordelia heavily sighed, muttering to herself, "Thank Naga, she's just retarded…"
Clovis stared at Cordelia in silent judgment. Lissa and Maribelle subtly glanced in Cordelia's direction before both of them looked at one another.
Lissa and Maribelle seemed to silently communicate with one another before Maribelle turned her gaze to Peri.
Maribelle pulled out a handkerchief and began to clean her spilled tea on the table as she spoke, "I assumed she was a fellow fighter in the arena because of Gregor's company. Your introduction just caught me… off guard. I suppose it is nice to meet you, Peri. Gregor."
Gregor tapped the top of Peri's head with his hand, "Gregor is happy to meet with you too. Let Gregor explain why we are here. Cyrille has bought both of our services as mercenaries."
Clovis finally had a chance to speak up, "They are both wonderful fighters. I couldn't just leave them to freeze their butts off out here in Ferox. We could use them both in Ylisse."
Clovis started to slip his mask off, "Let me re-introduce myself to you two now that we are here."
The two mercenaries turned in Clovis's direction as he took his mask off, "I am Prince Clovis of Ylisse. The girl on the left is my sister Princess Lissa. Seated to the right is Maribelle of Themis, daughter of Duke Roland of Themis. Across from us is Cordelia, one of our knights."
Peri's crimson eye widened, "Cyrille was a Prince this whole time?! Noooooooooo! How is Peri supposed to recruit a Ylissean Prince as her knight?!"
She stomped her feet in place as she whined to herself.
Gregor lightly thumped the back of her head, "Calm down silly girl! There was other reason for both of us to join this Clovis. If you want to leave, leave. Gregor would like to earn his coin."
Peri stopped her tantrum, rapidly nodding her head, "Oh yeah! Peri will still stay for war. Nohr hasn't had a good war in a long time. We can't get past Hoshido's stupid dumb unfair barrier. Peri would LOVE to fight and fight and fight!~"
Lissa stared at Clovis silently, he refused to meet her gaze.
Clovis muttered, "Peri is a Nohrian noble by the way…"
Lissa covered her face with her hands, "What am I supposed to do, Emmeryn…"
Lissa lowered her hands, deeply sighing, "Is there a reason you recruited them both? You said it was for Ylisse."
Clovis sensed his opportunity, "Gregor is a veteran fighter. He'd make for a great trainer back home. Peri's origin provides us a chance to learn about Nohrian warfare or at least their noble customs."
Peri responded, "Peri can tell you all about how we cook! Peri also can show you how to draw and sew!"
Maribelle stared at her wearily, "I… see. I suppose I shall be the one to attempt to learn those Nohrian customs from her."
It was clear to Clovis that Maribelle was trying to put some distance between Peri and Lissa.
Clovis hesitantly replied, "If you're offering…"
Maribelle quietly nodded.
Gregor pounded his chest, "Have no fears. Gregor will do his duty well as long as coin flows!"
Lissa groaned, "Emmeryn is going to freak out when we get home."
Today had been far too eventful for Clovis. Between his incident with Basilio and Peri's sloppy introduction, he just wanted the day to end. He quickly excused himself, Peri, and Gregor from the table. He dragged them off to his room to pay them their contracted fees.
Gregor happily accepted his coin, "It does not matter to Gregor if employer is big Prince. It means Gregor's employer has deep pockets!"
Peri took her payment, "Peri is sad that she might not have Clovis as her knight, but Peri will stay for the war. Who knows? Maybe Nohr will finally get past the stupid barrier and Peri can hire Clovis as a mercenary for Nohr!"
Clovis wasn't entirely sure he'd want to go running off to Nohr, "I'll keep your offer in mind. I'm third in line for Ylisse's throne. I appreciate having future opportunities if Ylisse doesn't need me."
That would be a sad day. A day he somewhat hoped would come to pass. Ylisse not needing him would mean Emmeryn finally pulled her head out of Phila's snatch. Clovis wouldn't complain if such an event came to pass.
Clovis glanced at the two mercenaries, "Do you two think you'll be able to move into the inn with us by tomorrow? I'll pay for your rooms."
It wouldn't cost him much money. He could just pull from the meager winnings he earned over the last few weeks defending his title as Basilio's Champion.
Gregor grinned, "Gregor can arrive by early morning! Gregor does not have much needing to be moved."
Peri rocked back and forth, "Peri can do that. Peri will be back by the afternoon. Peri has to get her things."
"I'll see you two tomorrow then," he dismissed them.
Things could have gone a lot worse he supposed.
He was going to take the rest of the day off before today somehow further worsened. Besides, he still had the book he had won from Anna to read. He was nearly finished with it.
The sun had long fallen by the time he put his book down. He had finished it a few hours previously, but there were parts of the book he wished to re-read a few times for the sake of clarity. The tome had been very interesting, offering him a unique perspective on the type of mindset one needed to learn new subjects.
Time had slipped away from him as he found himself engrossed by the tome. Moonlight filled his room from his window as he blew out the candle on his desk. He considered going to bed, but something was bothering him.
Maribelle had been quick to jump at the opportunity to learn from Peri. Clovis assumed it was because Maribelle wished to keep an eye on her. It was a fair move on her part given Peri's first impression. Clovis wasn't entirely comfortable with Peri being around Lissa either. Peri didn't strike him as someone stable.
He should probably check in with Maribelle to talk to her about Peri. Clovis thought he had a decent enough understanding of Peri or at least what seemed to upset her. Peri was very childish, bratty in a way that reminded him of Lissa when they were much younger.
Clovis hoped Maribelle hadn't gone to sleep yet. He figured if she had, their conversation about Peri would be important enough to wake her up for. Even though Cordelia was technically Lissa's assigned knight for their trip, Clovis knew Maribelle would be more reliable as his sister's protector.
Clovis was in his warm wool pajamas when he departed from his room. He couldn't be bothered to change into something more presentable. His long sleeve shirt and long warm pants would be good enough. Maribelle should consider herself lucky that they were in Ferox or he would have gone without his top. With how much importance she put on etiquette, he bet she would not have been thrilled to see him like that.
Although…
He hesitated outside of Maribelle's door. The last time he had seen her at night, she was wearing much thinner pajamas than he had expected. She didn't seem bothered by her choice in attire either. Perhaps nightly attire didn't matter much to her?
He knocked on her door. After a few moments, he heard her moving towards the door.
Maribelle called out from behind the door, "Is that you Lissa?"
"It's Clovis."
There was a pause. He heard the rustling of fabric from behind the door before it slowly cracked open.
Maribelle was wearing the same pajamas she had been wearing when he had last seen her. The fabric of the pajamas was just as low hanging as before.
Maribelle had a slight grin on her face, "Clovis. What brings you to my room at this time of the night?"
Clovis quietly rubbed at his sleeved shirt. He was suddenly feeling very warm in his wool long sleeve shirt. He went to speak before pausing to contemplate his words.
He was feeling tongue tied, his gaze unconsciously sliding away from Maribelle's eyes. Her top was hanging far too low.
"Clovis?" Maribelle muttered.
He shook himself out of his daze, his focus returning to his self-appointed mission. He needed to take things seriously, not get distracted like this. Maribelle was beautiful, there were no doubts about that. However, his sister's safety took priority over his growing desires.
He stared directly into Maribelle's eyes, his focus absolute, "We need to talk."
Maribelle's stance stiffened, "Did something happen?"
She adjusted her stance, her arm no longer tucked underneath her breasts. As if a switch was flipped, the atmosphere between them shifted.
Clovis pointed forwards past her into her room.
Maribelle nodded, opening the door further for him to enter.
"What is it you wish to speak about?" Maribelle shut the door behind Clovis as he entered her room.
She leaned against the closed door as Clovis paced in the center of the room.
Clovis pulled at the sleeve of his shirt again, "It's about Peri. I wanted to thank you for offering to learn from her. She's not…"
Maribelle pointed towards her own head, doing a looping motion with her finger, "All there? I am well aware. I may not be a healer of the mind, but even I can tell when someone is mentally unwell."
She kept her gaze on him as Clovis continued to pace.
"Peri seems like she might be worth the risk. Not only is she foreign nobility, but she can fight! I was impressed by her in the arena. That doesn't happen often. We need someone like her to help protect Ylisse. She's like a child. Prone to tantrums when she doesn't get her way. I think we just need to appease her whims to prevent her from losing control."
Maribelle sighed, crossing her arms to cover her chest, "If she proves to be uncontrollable?"
Clovis stopped his pacing, "I will take care of her myself."
Maribelle frowned, "If she has any remaining intelligence in her head, she will likely send a letter to her home in Nohr about joining a noble's court. If she perishes after doing so, it will not look good for Ylisse."
"People die. We'll brush things off," a diplomatic incident like that sounded more like Emmeryn's problem to him.
"I suppose. I shall do my best to learn what she has to offer while keeping an eye on her. I will entrust you with dealing with her if she proves to be too unstable. Hopefully, you could make her depart before such an outcome occurs."
He was happy he brought Maribelle along on his trip to Ferox. While Clovis might not have always gotten along with Maribelle, she had always proven to be loyal to Lissa. Clovis knew the daughter of Duke Roland had to be a good person. He was happy that he was finally getting along with her.
Roland would probably be thrilled that they were finally friends!
Clovis smiled, the burden on his shoulders somewhat alleviated, "Thank you, Maribelle. This means a lot to me. I promise I'll shield you from any consequences should things go wrong. We'll be partners in crime."
"I suppose we will be… partners… in crime," she repeated his words quietly as she looked towards her partially obscured window.
Moonlight was shining through part of the pushed aside drape, "It is awfully late, Clovis."
She was right, it was late. He appreciated that she took the time to speak with him. They were at least on the same page now when it came to his concerns about Peri.
Clovis moved to exit the room, Maribelle still leaning against her bedroom door.
"Hey, Clovis…"
"Hm?" He questioned as stood in front of her.
She grinned at him, taking a step forward.
Without any warning, she kissed his right cheek, "Good night."
She swiftly moved to the side, leaving him frozen at her door as she moved past him.
What did she…
The kiss on his cheek didn't feel like the one Anna had spontaneously given to him.
Maribelle was someone close to him, someone that wouldn't play around with his feelings.
Why?
Why him?
He clenched his hand, taking a shaky breath.
He needed to leave.
He should leave.
Yet, he felt lost.
That kiss meant something and he had no idea how to reply.
His hand froze as he reached towards the handle of the door, his arm falling back to his side.
Love.
Did Maribelle love him?
Why? Why would she love him?
To him, love meant…
Sacrificing everything and everyone to protect the few that mattered.
Cherishing someone enough that he didn't think he could ever be happy again if he lost them.
As much as he butted heads with Emmeryn, he loved her. He loved Chrom, even if his brother didn't always keep his promises. He loved Lissa, even if it took her years to start reconnecting with him.
Could he love anyone else?
Did someone like Maribelle deserve someone like him?
Someone who would…
Paint the sands red in a sea of blood.
Harbor doubts…
He felt his throat constrict as his heart began to beat faster.
His father had loved his mother above all else. He cherished her, he loved her, and she had loved him. He knew his father had apparently changed upon the death of his mother. Emmeryn had told them all he had.
Clovis didn't know how much his father had truly changed from the loss of his mother. He'd never know. His heart ached for his father, for his mother.
Could he bring himself to love someone as much as his father had?
To risk that pain.
To risk…
Snapping.
Losing the person he loved.
Could he…
"Clovis!" Maribelle shouted into his ear as she pulled his arm.
His ears were ringing as he slowly turned his gaze to her.
Maribelle's gaze was filled with worry, "Clovis, are you feeling fine?"
No. He wasn't. He wasn't feeling fine.
He didn't want to lose anyone again.
He already lost his father.
He already lost his mother.
He already lost…
The knights.
The squires.
He knew loss far too well.
His eyes burned as his shoulders silently shook.
Maribelle quietly wrapped him into a hug, "Clovis, listen to me. You are safe here, everything is fine."
Clovis heard her mutter to herself, "Just like one of father's incidents…"
She lightly pulled him away from the door and towards her bed, "Sit down Clovis. You and I are going to have some tea together."
He silently watched her reach for a kettle and some type of metal device. She rested the kettle on top of the metal device. The magical metal device created a small flame underneath the kettle.
"Thank Naga I already filled the kettle with water…" Maribelle muttered as she dug through a bag by the kettle. She pulled out a collection of what appeared to be some type of leaves.
Clovis quietly watched her, doing his best to focus on her instead of his thoughts.
He hated getting lost in his head. It wasn't a pleasant place.
Maribelle sat at his side, giving him a cup of tea. She didn't speak as she remained seated next to him.
Neither spoke.
Clovis simply took comfort in her presence as he drank from his cup.
He wasn't sure he could… love her.
That he could risk breaking his heart again.
That he could afford to add Maribelle to the list of those he would sacrifice everything for.
His cup shook in his hands as he pressed it up to his lips.
Maribelle rested her head upon his shoulder, closing her eyes, "We are all allowed to have our own moments of weakness. I want you to know, I am here for you if you need me."
Tears slipped down his cheeks as he continued to drink the tea she had made him.
He didn't want to have any moments of weakness! Especially in front of others.
His moments of weakness are what earned him trips from the mind healers.
He went to speak, "I…"
Maribelle opened one of her crimson eyes as she rose a finger to his lips, "Shush. You do not need to say anything to me. Take your time. Focus on yourself."
She lowered her finger from his lips.
Clovis finished the rest of his cup of tea silently.
Maribelle took it away from him before returning to his side.
She sounded concerned, "Are you feeling better?"
He felt emotionally and physically drained.
Today had been a horrible day for him. One he just wanted to end.
Clovis took a deep breath, doing his best to regain his composure, "Thank you, I should go…"
Maribelle frowned at his side, "I am concerned about you. Are you truly sure you wish to depart? You should not be alone like this."
He wasn't feeling well, he wasn't feeling well at all.
He didn't trust himself to leave on his own. His thoughts and feelings were too much of a jumbled mess. To the point a part of him just wanted to get on Shadowmere and fly away into the cold night.
He remained where he was, Maribelle grabbing one of his hands.
She tightly squeezed his hand, "Let us try to get some rest. You should feel better by the morning, I am sure."
She seemed confident in her own words as she gazed at him.
Clovis chose to trust her, to trust her words.
He wanted to feel better, to not feel… hurt anymore.
She pulled against his arm, "Stand. You may have the left side of my bed, I shall sleep on the right side. I trust you, Clovis."
He followed her orders, standing to the left of her bed. Maribelle's bed was absolutely covered in layers of fur blankets. He supposed it made sense given her choice in pajamas.
Maribelle pulled the blankets down, hopping into the right side of the bed. Clovis quietly joined her on the left side.
They each laid on their pillows, Maribelle's crimson eyes focused entirely on him as the two stared at each other from their pillows.
She quietly scooted closer, pulling the blankets over both of them.
Clovis rolled onto his side, gazing away from her. He didn't trust himself. Not with his current state. He'd make a fool of himself, he was sure of it.
He felt Maribelle inch even closer, until he felt her press up against his back.
Clovis's shoulders stiffened at the sudden contact. He felt her wrap her hands around his back as she joined him on his pillow.
"I may not ask for an answer on this day, however I do expect one eventually. I do wish to court you."
With those words, she fell silent as she continued to embrace his back.
Clovis couldn't give her an answer, not now.
He needed to clear his mind.
Nothing mattered in the moment. He needed to focus on himself. To focus on getting better.
To focus on being happy.
To ignore the hurt.
He closed his eyes, willing his dark thoughts away.
He was comforted by Maribelle's presence, even if it was her actions that caused him to question himself so deeply.
She deserved an answer from him, someday.