A/n- A shorter one today, something nice and sweet with some wholesome Ostia family vibes. Enjoy!
The Commission Files- File #1172 Two Parts of a Whole Heart
Characters: Rutger, Lilina, Hector (FE7)
Based on: a commission by Ziurvi on Twitter
"Shouldn't you be off getting ready for your portrait to get taken instead of being here in the training tower with me?" Hector asked the blue haired young woman that was fighting besides him. It was still a bit weird to think about, but everything he had learned here in Askr told him that she would be his daughter by one way or another. Either way she had earned his respect as a person and leader outside of those circumstances, so he was finding it easier each day to be more friendly and open with her.
"Perhaps, but portrait day here in Askr isn't one of my favorite events." Lilina noted. Every year since the Summoner had arrived in Askr they decided that to celebrate the anniversary of the event he would have Commander Anna take a portrait of each hero wither her Snapshot tome that would be hung around the castle and also used as a logbook for new heroes to look at to get familiar with the people they were fighting alongside.
"Do you mind telling me why?" Hector wondered, a bit of his fatherly side coming out.
"Well it has to do with the couple's portraits." Lilina noted, looking down at the dirt and kicking it with her boot a bit embarrassed that she was so affected by it. "I know this is going to sound selfish, but all the other versions of me have their important ones with them here while I'm still waiting for mine to show up. It makes me feel lonely sometimes because he isn't around and days and events like this just make the feelings hurt just a bit more."
"Alright, but there are a ton of Roys here in Askr, I'm sure one of them could fill in for the day." Hector suggested, his experience in Askr being that his dream he told Eliwood about their children was pretty much destined to come true.
"That's the thing Fath- I mean Hector." Lilina replied, quickly correcting herself. "In my Elibe Roy isn't the one I'm in a relationship in, it's Mark and Lyn's son Rutger who I'm with."
"Oho! Mark and Lyn are going to have a son as well then?" Was the first thing that Hector latched onto before realizing that it wasn't quite important to this conversation. "Well, I guess that makes your situation a bit more understandable. But, you'll see him again eventually, even if it happens after all this business in Askr."
"I know, but it's still a bit disheartening." Lilina sighed.
"How about this? Why don't you tell me about him while we walk to the portrait taking area? Maybe that will get your spirits up enough to crack a smile so you look nice." Hector offered, hating to see someone from his family feeling like this.
"Alright, I guess it couldn't hurt." Lilina replied. "But I have to let you know that the story isn't all rainbows and candy, and it's gonna spoil stuff about what might happen to everyone you care about."
"I don't know if the me from your world ever told you, but my life hasn't been rainbows and candy either, so I think I can handle it." Hector noted. "And I already know I'm destined to die in battle, so that won't be much of a surprise either."
"He did, but I just wanted to make sure." Lilina commented. "But very well. I guess the best place to start is when I first met Rutger when I was around 5 years old." So Lilina told Hector about how she first met Rutger and how she and Roy became good friends with him, slowly moving forward and eventually getting to the part where Bern started invading Sacae and Ilia and what happened to Mark and Lyn. She told him how it changed Rutger's personality pretty seriously but how during the war with Bern he started to get better and how she was a part of that. She also admitted that Rutger wasn't the only one that needed some emotional support and that him being around really helped her confidence and happiness. As Hector listened to Lilina go on and on he could really tell that she was in love with Rutger, it was the same feeling he got when one of the other Lilina's talked about their relationship with Roy.
"So do you think that you'll get married?" Hector wondered since it hadn't been brought up.
"Oh, we've already gotten married." Lilina noted. "I know I look a lot like the other Lilina's around here, but I'm a bit older actually."
"I guess that makes sense, when you have a style that's yours why switch it up?" Hector teased her. "Why do you think pretty much every version of myself has the Armads? Either way, thank you Lilina, I feel like I've gotten to know yet another side of my future and I'm glad I could get you to smile a bit more than you were." It was about then that the two had reached the waiting room for taking portraits.
"Thank you Hector, I really appreciate it, even if you aren't my father just yet." Lilina thanked him. "You still act a lot like him and I hope when your Lilina has problems that you can talk to you just like this."
"I'll make sure of it, now go take a beautiful picture." Hector replied with a smile before Lilina walked into the waiting room. Once the door was closed Hector started walking towards his room to rest when he saw the Summoner walking on the opposite side of the hall towards him with a hero he didn't recognize. He was quite tall, had long brown hair, and wore a long and red hooded cloak.
"Oh, Lord Hector, it's nice to finally see someone here I recognize." The tall man said politely, if not a bit subdued. "Hm, but you probably don't recognize me since you look a bit younger."
"Yeah, can't say I've seen someone like you before." Hector agreed. Lilina hadn't actually told Hector what Rutger looked like, so he was expecting someone with green hair and a more Sacaen look. Not more Bernese like this. "What's your name?"
"I'm Rutger, Mark and Lyn's son." Rutger stated. "You have a Mark and Lyn in your world right?"
"Wait, you're Rutger?" Hector wondered. "The one that I was just talking to Lilina about?" When Hector mentioned Lilina Rutger's eyes lit up immediately.
"Lilina is here as well?" He asked with a bit of happiness before realizing who he was talking to. "I mean-"
"Don't worry about it, she told me all about you and what's happened between you two." Hector explained before turning to the Summoner for some clarification. "This is the right one, right?"
"Yes, I had to scour a ton of Elibe's to finally find him, but this is the Rutger from the Elibe where he and Lilina are a couple." The Summoner confirmed.
"Let me guess, Lilinas are usually with Roy?" Rutger asked with both Hector and the Summoner nodding in confirmation. "Makes sense honestly."
"Either way Rutger," Hector said putting his hand on Rutger's shoulder, "you have my blessing to be with Lilina. I know that you make her happy and can protect her, and that's honestly all I could ask for from someone to join my family. So don't worry about me, or the other me's, they'll see what's up soon enough."
"Thank you Lord Hector, that means a lot to me." Rutger said, one of his worries being that Hector might not have approved of his relationship with Lilina if he was still alive.
"Just call me Hector, you're older than me at this point anyways." Hector noted.
"Alright, I can do that." Rutger replied. "Well, with that over, I guess I can get my portrait taken. I wonder how many Anna's are here, she's always an interesting person to meet."
"Speaking of portraits, I have an idea for what we can do to surprise Lilina." The Summoner noted. While all this was going on Lilina was still sitting and waiting for her portrait to be taken and wondering what was taking so long.
"Maybe they lost the Snapshot tome and I won't have to do this." She pondered to herself before the Summoner came into the room to take the portrait.
"Sorry for the delay, had to introduce some heroes to each other." He told her. "Let's get this portrait taken." So they stepped into the portrait room and the Summoner directed Lilina on how he wanted to take her portrait. He snapped it and Lilina thought it was over but he had more instructions for her. "Okay, could you put your right hand on your chest like this?"
"Like this?" Lilina asked, putting her hand up in what kind of looked like half a heart.
"Exactly." The Summoner replied.
"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but why like this? This looks like part of a couple's pose." Lilina wondered. But the Summoner didn't answer, he let Rutger do it for him.
"Because it is part of a couple's pose." Rutger said before putting his left arm around Lilina's shoulder and using his left hand to complete the heart. Lilina's face immediately lit up and in that moment the Summoner took the perfect picture commemorating the newly reunited couple.
"Rutger! It's you! You're finally here!" Lilina said happily before checking his hand for a ring. "And you have a wedding ring like mine! You're really my Rutger aren't you?"
"The one and only it seems." Rutger replied calmly, though you could see a smile on his face. "The Summoner here really went out of his way to find me, and I'm really glad he did."
"Yeah, thank you so- He's gone." Lilina said looking at where the Summoner was and not seeing him anymore. "Huh, I wonder why he left."
"Maybe he just wants to give us some alone time." Rutger suggested.
"I'd really like that actually, it's actually been a long time for me since I've seen you." Lilina noted. "I know, why don't I give you a tour around the place so you can be more used to it?"
"I think I would like that very much." Rutger said contently. Lilina smiled again and kissed him on the cheek, something she missed doing so much. "And I like that very much as well."
"Well, I think you'll like something else even better." Lilina teased him. "Did you know that couples get to share rooms here?"
"I did not." Rutger said with a smirk. "Why don't we tour our new room first then?"
"Sounds good to me." Lilina replied. So they started walking off to their room. "Oh, and don't be intimidated with all the versions of my father walking around here, he's actually pretty chill after a while."
"Oh, I already ran into one of them actually." Rutger noted.
"Really, tell me what you think then." Lilina requested as they walked into the distance together. And with the two of them united again there was yet another power couple in Askr, ready to do what they could for the good of the people.