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There are things in Magvel that Seth grows up with, stories that get passed around. One forever constant is the existence of the sacred stones. The way of how to seal the Demon King back, to keep the evil from coming back.
Then, the reality of soulmates. How people are linked together through the pain they go through. Cuts and wounds grow flowers on the other person's skin, reminding you that you will never be able to protect those you love. That much is reality just like how war is inevitable.
And finally, how the princess of Renais is his soulmate. He knows this, she does not.
Grado’s attack on Renais is one that’s swift, one with no warning and Seth wishes he could have seen it happening. Peace doesn’t last forever and he is a man trained for war. The battlefield is where he fulfills his purpose, not in the castle or in the training fields. Yet he doesn’t see it happening because why would he, Seth is no seer.
First to fall are the minor cities, then villages by the border. Serafew falls first, Renais’ first major loss. Then, Lacus the coming week. He asks the king if they should strike back, if they can do anything because the crown prince is out there- Renais cannot lose the prince nor the princess. The country needs them more than they need the Knight General.
But the king tells him to stay, that he needs Seth here rather than out there. Soon, it will be his time. Something about it all makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Yet he can’t help but think of how many people will die because of this decision. If they could strike back, if they could muster up their forces then none of this would be happening.
For now, they are sitting ducks and Seth can do nothing.
Then all too soon, the Gardo forces are knocking on the front door. Their allies - now enemies - are on their doorstep. Seth clutches the pommel of his blade when the soldier runs in, sweat pouring down their face, eyes wide in fear. He knows that look, it’s the same one as seeing those around you being struck down yet you need to leave, to ensure there are less casualties.
“Your Majesty!” the soldier reports, kneeling on the ground. There’s blood covering their armour, a reminder of what’s to come for all of them soon. Franz flinches from the corner of his eye. “The castle’s been breached- Emperor Vigarde’s forces are within the castle walls-”
The King does not flinch. “I understand.”
“The garrison’s fallen and we- we’ve lost contact with Prince Ephraim and we can’t expect any aid from his men-” Shit. Shit. The soldier only babbles on as if they must get these words out before the shock fully takes them. Seth clutches his jaw, if this is how war arrives then so be it. He will gladly die for Renais. “Your Majesty, what are we to do?”
A pause as the King thinks for a moment. What the King Fado says next makes Seth’s blood run cold:
“What else can we do?” The King asks as if fighting back isn’t an option, as if it’s an absurd thought because Grado used to be their allies. “Order your men to lay down their arms.”
The soldier scrambles up to their feet, running back into the bloodshed and some part of Seth knows that they’ll be lucky to be alive after this. There is only one way that this will end.
The princess - Eirika - turns to her father, an unreadable expression on her face. Shock that this is happening, resignation, then a twist of anger to know that Grado is responsible for this.
“Father,” she begins with her voice cutting through the throne room like a bolt of lightning. Everyone turns to her, hanging onto every word.
Her father turns to her, all business. “Are you wearing the bracelet I gave you?”
Eirika pauses for a moment, studies her wrist before nodding. “Yes, I have it right here.”
Then the King turns to him. “Good. Seth.”
This is a command, one that he will see through no matter the consequences. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Take Eirika and head for Frelia,” King Fado commands, voice hard without a single waver. There’s the sound of distant metal clanging only getting louder, the sounds of his men dying. “King Hayden is an honorable man. I trust that he will keep you safe.”
He nods, shoving emotion at the door. What he thinks is right does not matter, what matters is keeping Eirika safe above all else. “Understood. And what of Your Majesty?”
The king smiles, a sad little thing and Eirika’s eyes go wide. He knows how this will end and so does the princess. “Me? I shall remain here. We have long held Grado among our dearest allies, yet now, they attack? I must know why-”
You don’t need to know, your children need you , Seth wants to argue. Fado continues and Seth only breathes in, and readies his mind for what is to come for the long trip. “Am I somehow responsible for this?” the King asks no one in particular. “Have I erred in my leadership? Renais is mine to guide… How could I have failed her so?”
Eirika opens her mouth, a mix of emotions on her face. She steps forward as if wishing to argue with her father and Seth shakes his head.
It’s not worth it, he tries to convey. Your father won’t listen, not to you, not to anyone.
“Father, you can’t stay!” she argues, her voice bright as a bell. “You mustn’t! If you remain behind then-”
The King turns to him, then to his horse. Seth knows what he is to do as he gets on in one swift motion. His horse snorts, ignorant to what is going on in this very court.
“Then so shall I!”
King Fado scoffs, a light little thing before locking eyes with Seth once more. The banging of metal louder than ever, they only have so much time before- “Go now, Seth! Ride! Take her to safety!”
And that’s when he gets his horse to move. He knows Dove, and understands his stead in a way where they can move in unison as he grabs Eirika and hoists her up onto his stead .
She screams when he gets Dove to gallop. They will never see Castle Renais again if they’re lucky.
Seth does not need to turn back to know that Franz is coming with them.
And the moment they’re outside of the castle, taking the fastest route, he stops for a moment and lets Eirika breathe. Then he motions for Franz to ride over on his palfery, between the two of them, Franz will get there faster but it’s Seth’s duty to protect the princess.
“General Seth!”
He turns to Franz, hushes Dove before turning to Eirika to make sure she’s still here with him. This is about duty, nothing more. “Franz, ride ahead and bring word of our coming to Frelia. A single rider has better odds of passing unseen by Grado’s men. Convey to the throne all that has happened here and petition for reinforcements.”
Franz nods, serious. “U-understood!”
And he turns to Eirika and then- that’s when that man appears, [someone he’s only heard about in passing mentions]. It doesn’t matter though, not when Eirika is in danger.
“Princess Eirika, we must- Quickly! Behind me!”
“You there, with the girl,” this man says, far too confident in a way that Seth wants him to eat the very ground they stand on. “Tell me, would that be the wayward princess of Renais? Well, this must be my lucky day.” Then this man turns to him, a smile that grows but it’s like one that’s been cut onto his face and Seth grabs the pommel of his sword. “You’re a dead man. The wench goes with me.”
“Never,” he retorts, helping the Princess off of his stead and then back at [Valter] .
“I’ll take care of this,” Seth tells her. A promise that he knows that he can fulfill. “Do not worry, I’ll be fine.”
Then he gets on Dove once more, pulls out his blade once more and stares down the Wyvern rider who only laughs, manic.
“I am Valter, the Moonstone, Grado’s finest general!” Valter announces with all of the attitude of someone who simply thinks too highly of himself. Bastard. “And you’re just a corpse who does not know he is dead.”
“And I don’t even know who you are,” he mutters to himself before readying his blade. If they’re lucky, this will be quick.
It is quick, rather, h e misses his first slash towards Valter first , blocks the next blow coming from the general. This is fine, everything is manageable for now. Knowing his skills, he won’t- rather- he refuses to lose Eirika.
Not now.
(Not ever.)
He turns around to look at her for one moment, just in case, and he fucking misses- Hits the air rather than Valter. Then in retaliation, the lance from Valter cuts through his clothing, a deep gashing wound that he somehow can’t feel. It’s fine. Seth will live. Except he doesn’t have time for this-
If he dies, then so be it. But he has to get Eirika over to Frelia, damn the cost.
And he doesn’t think, instead grabbing the princess up from the ground, doesn’t feel anything- then calls for Dove to go, go, go.
He has a job has to do. This might slow Seth down, but what happens to him doesn’t matter. What matters is the Princess.
Seth does not know how long he makes Dove gallop for, all he knows is that they must get away from the castle grounds of Renais. He does not have time to stop, and can only ask for his destrier to go as fast as she can. Eirika clings onto him and it’s only when he can see the mountains and the forest that he stops for a moment. The sun has set and part of him swears they’re being followed.
Hours have passed and he knows they must keep moving but this is about Eirika. She must reach Frelia safely.
He turns to her and she looks him in the eye. It’s improper but he has to know- This is a fine time to breathe for a moment, to take a break before going back onto the road.
“Princess Eirika,” Seth begins, tentatively as if she’s going to run away from him (she won’t run, not from him). “I can see no more of Grado’s men. If we’ve made it this far, we’ve surely earned a moment’s rest-”
Then:
“Please forgive me for grabbing you so brusquely earlier-,” he adds, hanging his head awkwardly. It’s improper to handle royalty in that way, he knows that but he can’t help but worry. His hands are made for death, ones for war and will never be fit for handling anything delicate.
(Nothing like how a Princess should be treated.)
Instead she only tilts her head and looks at him in a way that’s all sorts of soft yet there’s this air of sadness hanging over her. He wishes he could wipe it off of her face, then ensuring that she never had to go through this in the first place. “Don’t be foolish Seth. If it weren’t for you, I would have never made it out of the castle. You are the reason I’m still alive. You have my gratitude.”
I couldn’t save your father, he wants to reply but the world has never had time for his guilt. What Seth feels does not matter because it’s not about him, he needs to protect Eirika first and everything else comes second.
Then, Eirika continues, the words seemingly flowing out of her mouth in a steady stream with concern coating every word. “And whoever that man was, he was clearly after me. It’s my fault that you received such a grave wound- Allow me to treat it, I-”
Except Seth doesn’t feel anything, rather he doesn’t have time to. “Your highness, I can’t allow an injury like this to be an obstacle. We have more important matters to attend to. We must press on to Frelia, we must fulfill His Majesty’s wishes-”
A beat. Then, Eirika answers, tentative:
“I wonder how my father fares alone in the castle. Do you think he’s safe? And what of my brother on the Grado front? We’ve heard nothing of him for days.”
He cringes for a moment, part of his mind wondering how he should answer this question. Sometimes it’s better to give the half truth. “King Fado and Prince Ephraim are both valiant and brave men. I doubt even the might of the Grado Empire can hold them in check-”
It’s at least true for her brother. Seth does not have the heart to tell her the worst case. He can’t, rather he won’t. Instead he takes a deep breath and gets Dove to trot. They have to keep on moving.
“More important to me,” he eventually says with every word weighed carefully like a knight testing to see if a blade was well balanced . “Your Highness, is that you look over your own safety-” rather than worrying about me “-How sad the two of them would be if something were to happen to you. We must reach Frelia to ensure the day of your happy reunion.”
A reunion that Seth will see through even if it were the last thing he will do. Then Eirika sighs, then massaging her forehead before answering. He wishes that she never had to go through this at all. “Yes of course, you’re right. Until I am reunited with my father and brother, I must not despair. Let us go.”
And Seth nudges Dove to continue moving forward.
Eventually they will have to rest for the night but with that forest coming up, well, he supposes that they will have to make due with what they have.
Later that night, seemingly hours later, there is a fire going and he realises that he’s still bleeding. There’s part of shirt that is turning a shade of dark red by his chest. Except they have no healing supplies and well, he has weapons rather than hunting supplies. But he lets Eirika sleep, so he can take first watch. She will make it to Frelia, she will.
Rather, Seth likes to think that he’s always been a light sleeper and any bit of rest means he will be more useful later if they’re attacked.
It’s going to be a long night as he watches as Dove sleeps as well. Tomorrow, they venture deeper into the forest. Northwest is the direction to Frelia, with the sun rising from the east, then setting in the west. As long as Seth can see the sun, even for a moment, they will find their way to Frelia.
What does matter is food and water. He knows they can last three days without water, then a few weeks without any sort of food but Seth would rather Eirika never have to go hungry or thirsty. And so for a moment he closes his eyes to listen, trying to find a vain hope that they can survive the next coming days in this dreaded forest.
Shuts his eyes to hear if there’s the sound of anything. A river, perhaps. It’s not often that he has to go down this route because of his obligations at Castle Renais. Seth is a general first, but what is a general if he doesn’t have a country to protect? And who is he without his men to command?
For a moment, there is nothing as the fire crackles in front of him swallowing every other bit of sound. Seth tries not to dwell on the what ifs, the what's next as the moonlight flutters down through the canopy of leaves. They’re lucky that it’s summer rather than fall or winter.
Then a quiet sound, one that seemingly hovers over everything, an undercurrent. Except Seth doesn’t have a map which means he doesn’t know how far this river is. But it should be River Fluvius, a thread of hope-
Tomorrow, tomorrow morning he will investigate in the morning hours . Then, back on the road.
Somehow, somehow that night, he still dreams in those few hours. It goes something like this:
He is fifteen years old, and Princess Eirika is training with swords with her brother. Seth doesn’t join them, rather he’s simply training to in hopes of one day to protect them both. His father has told him that knighthood is the greatest thing he can do and he looks forward to the day he gets knighted.
The stories did always say that a princess and knight are soulmates. Ones that are meant to be. Forever tied by flowers of devotion and elegance. He wonders what his flowers will be - perhaps lily? Roses perhaps? But instead he wonders what flowers his soulmate will have because-
“Ow! You- brother!- you hit me!” the princess suddenly cries out, holding her head and crying out for someone to come quickly.
And the prince is saying something, trying to calm her down. Seth wants to go, also wants to comfort the Princess but as much as he wants to- does he not have a duty? Still, finds himself walking over, and in a few strides he is overlooking both royal siblings.
“What happened?” he prompts even though he already knows what happened.
Ephraim looks at him funny, apologetic but it’s not Seth whom he needs to apologize for. He didn’t get smacked by a wooden blade. Instead he leans down, surveys the Princess for a moment, gently pulling her hair away to reveal a bruise.
“He hit me!” Eirika says with tears in her eyes. He glances over and there’s an older knight, someone far more equipped to deal with this than he is. Sir Lancelot, he believes. “What did I do wrong?!”
“It was an accident!” the prince argues, both arms waving in the air and Seth thinks he’s going to come down with a migraine.
He takes a deep breath. “How about you ask Sir Lancelot to help you find you a healer? I unfortunately need to get back to training.”
The two children nod, quiet before leaving the training yard. Quiet. A peace of sorts as he resumes his drills.
Then, he sees something in his reflection in the metal of his blade. Yellow on his forehead. That’s not possible. Seth has not been scrubbing pollen on his head. The sun’s too high for that to be a reflection. Upon further inspection, in the reflection of his sword made out of metal he sees it.
Yellow jasmine.
In the same spot which the Princess just got hit in the face by a wooden sword.
“Shit,” Seth curses. What were the odds? Surely, this is a bad joke.
And perhaps the universe loves bad jokes like these ones and he is simply living it instead.
He wakes up to the sun shining in his face, and Eirika next to him and- and there’s a part of his cape torn off and bandaging around his chest. The very area he got injured and for a moment Seth wonders if she knows that the very areas she has scars are ones where jasmines decorate his skin.
Except-
Except Eirika only says this:
“I’m not losing you, not after what we went through,” she says with her words even. Conviction in every syllable. For a moment, Seth wants to believe her. Somehow there’s a way in how she says it, be it the tone or intent that makes it taste like a confession.
A confirmation that she knows what he is to her.
He tells himself it’s not a confession. Rather it never could with their differences because he is here to serve her. They won’t be equals (they are but they can’t- since she’s a princess and Seth is simply her knight)-
“You won’t,” he replies and all it simply sounds hollow.
“You swear?”
“On my life.”
It’s a promise Seth wants to keep but there’s too many ways the cards can fall, too many things that can go wrong as they continue on. Still, he stumbles to his feet and guides Eirika over to Dove.
“You should take her and I’ll walk alongside,” Seth offers only for Eirika to glare at him as though he’s said the wrong thing. Perhaps he has. “Unless you have better ideas?-”
“We go at a trot with breaks in between. Then, I presume you have string somewhere in your supplies? I can make traps,” Eirika states with no place for an argument. “We can cover more ground that way and not upset your injury.”
“Princess, it’s nothing to-”
“That’s an order, General.”
It’s decided then, they proceed with what the Princess has proposed except- except- neither of them has had a drink of water for hours now. So he does what any good general does when protecting the Princess.
“There may be a river nearby,” he prompts once he gets Dove to start on a stable trot. If they’re lucky then it’s going to be River Fluvius and he knows the general direction. Three days.
They have three days before they collapse and knowing this journey, it will be longer than that. A week at a trot, shorter if they had Dove galloping but there’s no insurance should something happen if they were to go as fast as they can. If Dove falls then there is no way they will make it to Frelia.
It will be hours before they reach the lake and perhaps they will be better for it.
The trip does take hours and once they do see the river, Seth sighs in relief. Good. At least something has worked out as he climbs off of Dove then leads her towards the water. Eirika in the meantime splashes water on her face and for a moment, just for a few seconds, he can imagine that this is merely a trip into the wilderness.
One that the princess wished him to join her on rather than being on the run. Perhaps in another life - not this one, it could never be this one - they could build a little house right here by the river. Life could be good for the two of them.
“Seth!” Eirika calls him over and he can never say no to her. Not now, not ever. “You have to try this water out- it’s- it’s so refreshing!”
He smiles, fond. “It has been hours since you last had any water, Princess. Of course it tastes wonderful.”
“Perhaps we could make camp here tonight then. Maybe finally bathe,” Eirika then says and Seth nearly trips on nothing. “And I can wash your injury.”
Part of him wonders if it’s always about the injury, one that he’s gotten quite good at ignoring. What happens to him doesn’t matter. Not now except for the fact that he promised the princess that he’d be here for her.
(And how would she feel if he were to die and then learn that he was her soulmate? It would rip her heart out.)
“I will live, Princess.” Just as he always has in Renais, the injuries never slowed him down which is why he’s able to be a general.
“Then show it to me,” Eirika counters, putting her hands on her waist. Again, no place for an argument and he sighs as he removes part of his armour. Then gloves before removing the mock-bandages from his torn cape. At least he gets to keep his pants on. For some reason, the Princess stares at him and he’s suddenly very embarrassed about his muscles.
“I assure you- I am fine.”
Except the wound hasn’t healed and she beckons him to come closer when he reveals the wound. It’s not enough to be fatal but without a healer and should it get infected, well, it could very well become one that he could die from. The thought isn’t one that Seth enjoys dwelling on.
She moves a rock over, a makeshift pillow and he concedes to lie down with his wound fully revealed. And then she dumps a handful of water on it which makes him wince. Gods. Gods. The things he would do to have a healer now because it stings. Every part of his chest stinging as though a wasp decided that he has caused too much trouble and must be punished.
Maybe he had it coming. She touches around the wound though, careful to wash away the remaining bits of blood before the sound of fabric being torn is echoing through the air. Seth tries not to wince when it gets applied onto his skin even if she is delicate in how she touches him - not cruel but kind in a way that a man like him shouldn’t deserve. Instead, maybe in the way that he should be treated. Not as a weapon for the country but a mortal man instead.
Then:
“Do you mind if I bathe?” she asks when he gets his clothing back on.
He turns to her, sheepish. “Of course not, I will see if I can find something in the meantime.”
Rather, without a bow, he can’t hunt well but he can lay traps and hope that they get lucky the next morning. Perhaps find some sort of wood to make a fire. Except he’s obviously aware of every rustle of clothing that comes off as Eirika undresses. Seth’s out of earshot but even from here he can see the splashes of those purple flower tattoos on her chest in the same area he got injured.
Part of him hopes that she doesn’t bring it up. Or draws attention because as much as he loves her, it’s not- it’s not proper. At least not for now. If they were anyone else in life, perhaps he could be upfront about it but it’s not this life.
Most importantly, he can’t be honest about it now. Perhaps once this is all over. The war can be over and maybe then he’ll tear off the bandage then deal with the consequences another day.
What matters now is finding food and given his poor cape condition, well he supposes it could be worse as he ventures into the woods once more. Maybe there are blueberries in season, and plus, maybe they can have rabbits tomorrow or even squirrels. Anything to keep their energy up.
It’s not much but it’ll be something. Seth then walks into a tree and gets smacked right across the face by it enough for it to bruise. Fuck.
Then he finds a berry bush, blackberries that are beautiful to look at. He would know these anywhere with their thorns, those leaves but most importantly with how these berries look. Seth recalls being trained by another knight and being told the importance of finding food anywhere. Years ago, he would have laughed if you told him that he’d have to use the knowledge.
Sometimes the thing that can kill a knight isn’t a blade or a wound but instead some sort of berry. Should this trip be any longer, nature would the one who holds their lives in the palm of their hand.
But it’s beyond the point as he gathers up the berries before making his way back while setting up the traps in any places he can see tracks in. Hopefully they will have meat as they continue and if he’s right about how this river flows, it should be in the direction of Frelia. It flows west to east with Frelia in the north west of Renais which means that-
That once the trees part then they should be Frelia . Once they see the open plains of Frelia, he can rest but before then there won’t be a chance to do so.
All he hopes is that it doesn’t rain.
Going back to their temporary base camp is one that he manages to stumble to and then he sees Eirika with a lance in hand. His lance in hand and she plunges it into the water. Seth can only stare, can’t find any words to say- Eirika truly is Ephraim’s twin sister. The two of them truly are made out of the same cloth.
“Be careful with that-” he manages to get out of his mouth and then Eirika hits something. Actually hits something and the next time she picks up the lance, there’s a fish on the other side. Then on the rockside, multiple small fish.
“I was getting us dinner so we don’t go hungry,” she replies as she walks back onto the rocky beach. “You look like you need it, Seth.”
He doesn’t quite have a response to that, rather stares at the heliotropes decorating her chest . It’s at a time like this that Seth wonders if he should say something. Those flowers of devotion are his. Just like the ones in the legends that they grew up learning about. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction, Seth supposes.
“I can roast them,” he offers instead, tossing down his cape filled with blackberries onto a rock. “I just wish we had salt.”
Eirika closes her eyes, clearly imagining the flavour of this fish if only they had some sort of seasoning. But life isn’t always like that. This could easily be a trip but they have other obligations. Rather, don’t they always have obligations so much so that this is impossible to ever have.
He rotates one of the fish over, then stabbing another one through with a stick. Eirika has taken his knife, and hands over every fish completely gutted. It’s times like this where Seth doesn’t mind serving Eirika for as long as he can. A shared dinner on the same makeshift table.
And plus- he wonders idly for a moment, just for a second if they could (hypothetically) make it work. Of course, not for the situation now but maybe down the line. Except? Maybe he’s too well known to be a mercenary. But that’s nothing that a wardrobe change can’t fix. Who knows, maybe he’d even like it.
Then again.
Ephraim might hunt him for sport if he does go along with it - assuming Eirika’s okay with it. But that means telling her that they’re soulmates which isn’t quite ideal but he can deal with that later. Rather this whole idea can wait for later when he tries to raise his arms over his shoulder for a stretch. Ouch. Nevermind.
It’s going to be a long night. Hopefully tomorrow they’ll have rabbits for dinner and be closer to Frelia once again but not on an empty stomach. Now that’s far more realistic.
The night is long and Eirika sleeps on the side of him that isn’t injured with his cape used as a mattress of sorts while hers is placed on top like a blanket. It’s a long night, he takes first watch and there’s stars out tonight. Ones that are a reminder of how small they are.
And yet they are still bound by fate. Expectations that they have placed onto themselves. It’s not like anyone in Magvel knows what the flowers mean, just because two people are connected in some sort of way doesn’t mean anything. For all Seth knows, the royalty between the countries don’t care if their children have soulmates outside of the court.
What matters more are the political allegiances that can be forged. Anything to ensure a war from breaking out. It’s as simple as that.
Soulmates make good stories but everything happens in reality.
Seth wakes up to winds blowing, the trees slightly bent with the leaves rustling. Then when he looks up at the sky, there’s a patch that’s dark. Gray. A storm that’s brewing in the distance. He nudges at Eirika and for her to awake, the sun’s only just risen but he doesn’t have hopes that it will stay up for long.
Not in winds like these. This is a storm brewing.
“We should go,” he tells the Princess, all duty. “I’ll check on the traps and then we’ll see about getting to Frelia.”
“Maybe we’ll find a village,” she replies, running a hand through her thick locks of hair with strands of it flying everywhere. This trip hasn’t been kind to anyone. Not to him, not to her. In another life, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
“Maybe.”
For now, Seth will entertain that thought. May they get lucky and there’s someone in the wilderness. And for all as beautiful as it is, it’s one night. And if they don’t leave soon enough, everything will come crashing down. Because for a single night, they weren’t Princess and General, rather, Eirika and Seth.
Out here in the wild, their status means nothing.
And it’s their lucky day when Seth finds two rabbits. Meals for today as they get on the road even though he doubts they’ll be able to slow down. What they need to do is to find shelter.
But for now, Seth will count his blessings.
Renais has rain clouds that behave in a particular way. Namely, it starts off as a light drizzle, one that he can take his cape up to block before it starts pouring. One moment of calm where he can hope that it won’t be awful until it truly breaks his good mood. This lasts for a few minutes where for a moment, for one moment, that it won’t start pouring.
Then it’s pouring and he’s forced to make Dove canter. Just a bit faster until the rain stops. Of course, Seth doesn’t control the weather and- Then lightning followed by thunder.
Dove whimpers at the sound of it, enough to make Seth grimace. They should not be out here.
“Over there!” Eirika calls out, pointing somewhere in the distance. “I think that’s a house!”
He squints his eyes, and indeed, there is a faint golden glow in the distance. Perhaps they’re closer to Frelia than he thought. With a nudge, Seth gets Dove to go in that direction, careful to ensure that none of them get even more wet than they are. He can feel the texture of his wet clothing already and he knows that Eirika can’t stand the texture of it.
It’s okay, they’ll be there soon with their rabbits and if they’re lucky, this will be the place they stay in tonight. The cabin is a small thing, tiny in a way that it’s easy to not see from a distance.
And so once they approach the door, Seth knocks on the wood. Both for good luck and to know if anyone is in the house. It creaks open, enough for an older woman to greet him with strands of her hair turning gray, then white.
“We’d like a place to stay for the night, we didn’t bring anything and it started pouring,” he explains, feeling as though he’s babbling. “And my- my partner saw your place and we were wondering if we could stay the night.”
The old woman smiles, coy. Somehow Seth thinks that this is a trap of sorts . “Of course, please come on in, dear.”
And Eirika does come in with one hand still holding onto their rabbits from earlier this morning.
“And my stead ?”
“I can handle them, don’t worry, it’ll be just a moment,” the old woman says, going out into the rain. “My husband actually used to have a stable. He won’t mind us using it.”
Ah. Okay. Seth can live with that. But he can’t say that he trusts a stranger. Then, after a few minutes, the old lady comes back in, soaked but without a care in the world. And then she summons a flame and his hands go flying to his sword.
A mage.
Out here in the middle of Renais’ forests.
“Oh don’t worry, I don’t bite travelers,” she says all sorts of cryptic . “Might gobble a few of them up at night but only when I’m hungry.”
Then Eirika speaks up as if knowing that Seth is going to make a fool of himself. Perhaps he was always going to make a fool of himself regardless.
“Thank you for letting us in,” Eirika says with all of her words weighed equally . The words of royalty that everyone listens to. “We appreciate it.”
“Oh it’s not a problem. Maybe you were always supposed to come here. Now, you can take the kitchen and the second bedroom,” the old woman replies, opening one of the doors. “And feel free to dry your clothes by the fire. I don’t mind since I’m going back to bed. It’s been a long day.”
Seth nods at that. “It’s been a long week.”
Eirika sighs but there’s a faint smile on her face, fond. “Thank you. We’ll be sure to be quick.”
Then the old woman is gone as though she’s never existed and Seth has to deal with the mortifying ordeal of wet clothing. And the fact that his bandages must be changed. His bones ache and his head feels as though it’s stuffed with wool.
Eirika turns to him once the door is opened and Seth tries to convince himself that this was always going to happen. This is a small little cabin, of course, there’s two bedrooms and they have to share the bed.
“I can take the floor,” Seth says instead.
Eirika raises a brow as if asking if he’s really doing this now. “And you’re injured. I won’t have that.”
He can’t argue with that. “But there’s only-”
“We can share then.”
Somehow, Seth thinks that Eirika wants them to share this bed even as he’s removing his wet clothing. The first that goes is the cape, then pieces of his armour. Even the inner shirt that he wears is wet and it’s not something he likes dwelling on. But they have rabbits and he gestures for Eirika to hand it over to him.
“I’ll uh, gut these and we’ll have them for dinner in the kitchen. I could skin them if you want,” Seth then admits because he has to do something other than stare at the princess. He should be doing literally anything else. “We won’t go hungry tonight.”
“Nor did we last night,” Eirika replies without missing a beat and it’s as though they’ve already lived together for years. “I like working with you, Seth.”
He walks into the door.
There’s a certain flow in gutting out rabbits or anything that can be eaten. A pace to be set to ensure that the skin can be taken off then to ensure that everything is just right . Except Seth wonders if they could sell the pelts off at some point. He’s only heard a few words about the economy but it’s at least a good distraction while knowing that Eirika is changing in the other room.
And the fact that they’ll be sharing the bed. He tries not to think of that at all because he has other things to do .
Of course, that’s when Eirika chooses to come in from the bedroom with her hair tied up and Seth swallows. Because of the scent of the rabbits roasting over the fire, of course.
“Are you going to give me the legs again?” Eirika prompts all sorts of fond when she looks at him .
Seth turns back to the fire. “It’s your favourite part to eat, so yes, Princess. I will gladly give them to you.” Anything for you.
The Princess is beautiful and someone he’s known for years and has seen change over the years . He is happy to serve her for as long as he can regardless if she sees them as meant to be or not. Seth understands that soulmates aren’t followed up upon in Magvel, they don’t do anything . They don’t mean that people will obviously get together - that they will be happily ever after. In fact, Seth can’t remember the last time the royalty of Renais even married their soulmate. It’s all about how the stories attached something onto these flowers that link people together.
It could mean anything and the people of this land have chosen one that he can’t believe in. Reality is a different story than the one told in dreams.
After the rabbits are roasted, he gives one of the legs to Eirika who takes it with the glee of a knight receiving their first custom sword. The small things in life really do mean so much in the long run. He wants to remember parts of this night even if only in memory. Something to hold onto to remind him of another life.
Then when Eirika finally speaks, Seth chokes on his bit of rabbit:
“Why didn’t you tell me that we were soulmates?” she asks in that voice that brokers answers . Answers that he has kept under his metaphorical floorboards to drive himself insane. “When did you know?”
He can’t answer her, can’t find the words to but the words are already tumbling out of his mouth . “I thought it’d be better for us both.”
Eirika scoffs, annoyed at this choice. “So you made the choice for both of us then instead of telling me outright. I thought you had a good head on your shoulders.”
Seth cannot believe the latter statement. No really, he’s never quite been one who has the track record of not making a fool of himself. It happens more likely than he likes to think and apparently no one has caught onto it.
Rather. Everyone except Eirika.
“But apparently you don’t,” she finishes and he winces. In another life, he would not be putting this off this much, or for this long.
“And what good would telling you do, Princess?” he tries to argue. The rabbit tasting like ash in his mouth. “The politics of Magvel doesn’t depend on soulmates- if we did then- then years of alliances would go gone up in smoke-”
“You really want to live like that?” she counters. “Miserable and stuck in reality when what you can have is right in front of you?”
“If it means keeping Renais safe, then yes. If it meant keeping you safe-”
A beat.
“And if Renais has fallen?” Eirika asks with every word aimed like an arrow flying right by his head. “Would you take it then? I understand your fears but if I were to say that I felt the same, I presume you would do nothing about them. ”
He freezes, like a deer staring down a hunter who has their bow raised.
“D-do you feel the same?” he asks quite intelligently. “Princess Eirika? I didn’t want to assume that-”
Eirika blinks. “I thought it was obvious, Seth.”
“Anyways-” Seth deflects rather pathetically. “I knew ever since your brother hit you when you were training with those wooden swords years ago-”
She laughs. “I knew at the same time, those yellow jasmines are not subtle.”
Oh. Oh. From the corner of his eye, he can see Eirika coming to sit next to him on the floor and she’s warm. She’s here. With him.
Then, all sorts of tentative, he asks:
“Can I see them? The flowers?”
Eirika nods, pulling her shirt over her chest and there are the flowers. The same place as the wound on his chest. A vivid purple. Heliotropes for devotion.
“I knew it was you the moment I saw my first flowers, I think you smacked against a table all those years ago,” she tells him and he can’t believe this is his life. That this would ever happen even at all.
And she kisses him gently on the lips even though his hands are gresy as well as his lips. It’s the best moment of his life. One where dreams become reality and part of him still thinks this is a dream. Except it’s one which he doesn’t quite want to wake up from.
“So,” Eirika says, leaning away. “I’m guessing you’re fine with us sharing a bed then.”
For the first time since they’ve left Renais, Seth laughs. “Of course, Princess. Anything you wish.”
Some part of him feels lighter, as if a weight is lifted off of his chest rather than stifling him with knowledge that he cannot tell others. Now, now, the world becomes just a bit brighter when he knows that maybe some sort of human creation - because they may never know what these flowers mean and how they link people together - can bring people together like this.
Now they both know that this fact is true.
The storm parts the next day, not quite clear skies with how many trees are covering the sun. Seth wakes up early though, mainly to check up on Dove, to make sure she’s safe and she is, just in the stable close by the cabin.
She snorts when he walks in through the small wooden door that creaks when he pushes too hard.
“Glad to know that someone slept well,” he tells her, only for Dove to scoff in a way that only a horse can.
“I think we’re only a bit from Frelia now,” Seth then admits. “Two day’s trip if my memory serves right.”
Rather, they’ll know once the forest is gone. Slowly peppered out to show a plain field. Seth thinks it’ll be beautiful. Maybe he’ll sleep better then, to know that he’s kept the princess safe. He’s never been so stressed in his life even if nothing bad has truly happened.
“Or one day,” Eirika chimes as she walks into the small stable. “I’m assuming we’re leaving now then?”
“If you wish.”
It’s a yes then when the two of them get back onto the road with the trees slowly beginning to part. As well as the clouds from high above them. Seth breathes in then out because they’re nearly out of this goddamn forest for the first time . He has no idea how far they’ve come. Seth nudges Dove into a gallop, they can get there tonight. He knows they can.
Then it happens all at once.
First, the trees get smaller as they continue on, followed by longer and longer strands of grass. Long green grass that seemingly swallows up the roots of the trees and then they’re there.
Frelia.
An open plain just as the skies open up to show how blue and bright everything is. A gust of wind blows except it’s not cold, not like the same type as the ones before the storm .
When Seth looks off into the distance, and there’s this faint brown thing in the distance. He raises his uninjured arm and points to it. There, right there, is their path to Frelia right in front of them. Soon, soon this will be over.
“Once we cross that bridge,” he tells her with his voice fond and light. There’s a smile tugging on his lips and he concedes . “We will be in Frelia, near Border Mulan. Let us proceed, Princess Eirika.”
Then, he turns around and there are fighters chasing them. Of course they were followed. Seth then removes one of the rapiers from his belt , one that he hasn’t used yet because he uses another. It’s the spare for Eirika. For now, his chest won’t be a problem but it’s only been a few days. Not weeks.
Seth is lucky to be alive. If he is to fall here, he doesn’t think he wants to. For three days, for a few hours, he’s been able to be with someone who fits into him like another puzzle piece and to tear it away is something that he won’t have.
“Your highness,” he says, ignoring how his voice wavers. “This will not be an easy ride. Please take this rapier.”
She takes said rapier, looks at him with unreadable eyes.
“If something should happen to me, you must continue to Frelia, alone if need be,” he finishes.
Eirika grinds her teeth, sheathing the blade and kissing him on the lips. “I’m not losing you, not when we just found each other.”
Then when she unsheaths the blade from her waist and then climbs off of the horse, Seth can only stare before readying his own blade. If they’re lucky, it will be short. He hopes that it doesn’t need to last as long as it does. Eirika shouldn’t have to go through this.
Not now, not ever because Grado shouldn’t have attacked Renais in the first place.
It feels like hours later when the last fighter falls to the ground to coat the fields of Frelia with blood . This place isn’t safe either.
“Princess, are you injured?” he calls as he guides Dove to the Princess.
When she turns to him, her eyes are distant just like so many men that he’s fought with on the field. It’s moments later when Eirika replies and when she does, her voice is hollow: “What? Oh, no… I’m fine, Seth.”
“But you look so pale,” he replies, wishing that he could do anything to lighten up her burden from all of this .
“I’m fine. Fine,” Eirika counters, seeming to try to convince herself rather than him. “This is war, isn’t it? It’s not like the games I used to play with my brother or Lyon.” She breathes in before continuing. “I never thought– I didn’t know it would be this savage. Are words useless? Is strength all that matters? It’s so- it’s so sad. Why would the Grado Empire do this? To what would they start a war?”
Seth doesn’t have any of the answers. Instead he extends out his hand towards her. “Princess–”
She shakes her head as she gets back onto Dove, quiet. “Don’t worry Seth. I won’t give in to sorrow. Let’s get moving. I’m not broken, and I won’t start until I see Renais restored. I won’t stop until I’m reunited with my father and brother.”
And so they ride on to Frelia. Seth needs to make sure the princess gets there, that she’s safe even though it’s proven that nowhere in Magvel ever will be thanks to the war.
Then once they reach the castle, when they finally reach it- the doors open and the King is there to greet them. Franz practically running up to them with that smile as if he knew that they would make it.
“Captain! You made it!” Franz greets as they make their way through the gates. He gets off of Dove, and then helps the Princess down from his stead . “Hello Princess! I hope the trip wasn’t that bad! Come! We have rooms for you!”
Seth takes a deep breath.
And then collapses onto the ground.
When he wakes up again, there’s Eirika looking down at him as well as a healer with a staff. Then he remembers that he’s in Frelia. They made it. They actually made it.
“What time is it?” he prompts instead.
Eirika takes one of his hands, faint heliotropes on her cheek, the place where he landed in the dirt. Seth raises a hand up to touch her, she’s warm and here.
“Good morning to you too, Seth,” she says with her voice fond. “I thought I lost you.”
He blinks. “It takes more than that to kill me, Princess.”
The Princess smiles at that. “I’d prefer if you didn’t die at all. With you at my side, perhaps we can do anything that we put our minds to.”
Seth nods, understanding. Once they get through the war, he knows that they will, the two of them will have the rest of their lives.