L'Arachel is finally here, and she seems to know it too.Shes actually pretty okay rocking a very even stat spread, infact she’s a all rounder mage it seems with her only weakness being her defence stat. Even then it hits 20 due to her weapon. However it also means she’s outclassed by some other units blue mage wise, in the horse department though, she takes the best points of Reinhardt and Olwen in someways. If there was a scale she’d be right between them.
Base kit
Ivaldi provides +3 defence, and if the foes hp is 100% it grants her atk/spd +3 in battle. Its a okay weapon, just like Eirika’s. It can give her a edge but it might just not proc due to the fury meta. Renewal lets her have sustain and if you want to make her a mage counter then its a nice skill. Growing light is a very meh skills, especially considering her attack isn’t that high. Finally res tactic is very interesting and quite frankly solid on her if you plan on using her on a mixed team as tactic skills work better on non infantry units.
A skill wise you can go with all sorts of things, warding stance or distant defence are nice options if going defensive while swift sparrow, death blow etc are solid offensive options.
Pros + Cons
+Overall solid stats
+Res tactic is a amazing support skill
+She’s a real horse hero
-Her tome is somewhat situational
-While average overall she won’t shine much either
-So... Reinhardt
Partners
Basically she works with just about anyone, its really dependant on how to use her, while she always appreciated horse emblem, arguably units with solid defensive skills like ploys are gonna be solid partners for her, targeting a foes speed and res will be the biggest help to her, infact units like Deirdre are very good and work well colour wise.
Suggested set(s)
Dogs are the true heroes!
+atk/res -def
Blarwolf+, reposition , Iceberg
Slot A = Fury
Slot B = Vantage
Slot C = any c skills
Sacred seals: Deflect Magic, atk+3
Weapon refinery: Honestly going for the one which nullifies buffs is a solid choice as it lets her win a lot more matchups easily and live threats like Gunnthra and Cecilia. If suffering -res, a res refine can be used to patch it.
Basically L’Arachel can be a horse killer on a horse. Her high res means she can potentially tank Reinhardt, with deflect magic and a res nature or weapon refine since it provides hp. This lets her fall into vantage range and thus take on other threats, mind you Cecilia and Gunnthra are hard match ups here but she can live it really depends on their builds. Fury in general is the best A slot here as she gets a nice stat boost overall while also providing hp loss to get into vantage range.
The wrong Blade of light
+Atk/spd -hp/def
Blarblade+, reposition, Moonbow
Slot A = Life and death, fury, swift sparrow
Slot B = desperation
Slot C = Horse buff
Sacred seals: spd+3,
No surprise she does amazing with a blade tome, she can safely destroy a lot of units with it while also being able to tank mages, provided she doesn’t run life and death. Ideally a +spd nature is the best one for this set as she needs the extra speed.
A returning fest to celebrate Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and produce fanwork! We will run from Sunday, October 22 to Saturday, October 28. Mods are in EST, but we aren’t fussy.
For a special twist, each day has a choice of prompts, inspired by ending script. You can take either (or both!) in whatever direction you wish.
All content is welcome! Fanart, fic, playlists, graphics, analysis posts. Whatever you’re inspired to create, we’d love to see. Please note: we will not reblog edited or reposted fanart in any form (unless the original artist has given permission).
Prompts are as follows:
October 22: Home / Adventure
October 23: Serve / Regret
October 24: Legend / Secret
October 25: Comfort / Grief
October 26: Honor / Sacrifice
October 27: Return / Disappear
October 28: Restoration / free for all!
All work should be tagged #FE8Week so it can be easily found and appreciated. Late entries (seriously, as late as you like!) are still loved and shared!
Please boost, especially if you plan on participating!
Trying to calculate how much time passes in the events of the game from the sparse (and somewhat inaccurate) measures of time FE8 gives us? Kinda difficult!
We don’t get much indication of how much time passes during the events of the game. So, I’ve analyzed the script to try and get a sense of the elapsed in-world time. (I intended to find out how long it takes to travel throughout Magvel, but that’s proven quite difficult--the only time we have been given a specific measure of travel time is in Chapter 9A, when Seth tells Eirika it would take 10 days from Port Kiris to Rausten by boat. Even then, it’s hard to tell whether he means they’ll reach Rausten territory, or Rausten Court.)
Given that Lyon and Syrene both use the moon to talk about the passage of time (in Chapter 18 for the former, her supports with Moulder for the latter), it’s likely that Magvelians used a lunar or lunisolar calendar. However, I’m not an expert in calendars. As such, for the sake of convenience, I’ll be measuring time under the assumption that there are 7 days in a week, 30 days in a month, 4 weeks in a month, and 12 months in a year.
(I started this for last year’s FE8Week, but never finished it. Finally got around to completing it!)
((Disclaimer: I’m not great at math so there’s a chance some of my calculations could be off.))
To cover the general timeline of the war, here is what is established in the following chapters:
Prologue: Year 803 (counting since the defeat of the Demon King. This info is also basically useless to us since we don’t have any months.)
A New Journey: A year and a half since the twins have seen Lyon
Chapter 9B: To get from Port Kiris to Rausten by boat through the North Sea will take 10 days (ended up taking a roundabout route)
Chapter 14B: A year since Vigarde died and Lyon freed the Demon King’s soul. The war started an indeterminate time later.
Chapter 16: Six months since Monica died (assuming that Seth is counting from the time of the chapter)
Chapter 18B: The events of Chapter 20/Final Chapter will take place in 10 days
Final Chapter (Ephraim): Two years since they’ve met (the real) Lyon
From the above, we can estimate that 6 months pass between A New Journey and the final chapter (approximately 12 chapters). 6 months, with the above assumption I decided on, is approximately 180 days / 26 weeks. Because the events from Chapter 18 to the Final Chapter happen in the span of 10 days, we’ll subtract those 10 days to get 170 days between A New Journey and Chapter 18. Assuming that the time between chapters is relatively even, the time between each chapter, from Chapters 8-18, is around 17 days / 2½ weeks, rounded up.
With the above calculation, that makes Chapter 14B take place around 102 days / 3½ months after A New Journey. That makes it around 21 months (almost 1¾ years) since the twins had seen Lyon. Since Knoll states that Vigarde’s death happened a year before Chapter 14, that means he died around 9 months after the twins last saw Lyon (and 9 months before A New Journey).
Doing the math:
1½ years since they last saw Lyon = 18 months = 540 days
17 days x 6 chapters = 102 days = 3.4 months
540 + 102 = 642 days / 21.4 months since the twins last saw Lyon
1 year since Vigarde died = 12 mo. = 360 days
642 - 360 = 282 days = 9.4 months between the last meeting and Vigarde’s death
While Duessel and Knoll’s support suggests that Lyon started the war against Renais immediately after reviving Vigarde, it seems quite unlikely (Knoll himself says that only Lyon knows when he decided to go to war). Even if we assume the chapters in Eirika’s first third of the story (Chapters 1-8) are the same length as Chapters 9-18, her campaign to find Ephraim would only cover 4½ months. Considering the script itself claimed Renais was unable to mount any resistance, it seems pretty unlikely that it would take the first 4½ months since Vigarde’s death for Grado to take Renais’ capital and start the story.
Furthermore, there’s the matter of Monica’s death in relation to the invasion. Seth tells Ephraim that Monica had died some 6 months prior to Chapter 16. From the prior calculations, Chapter 16 takes place around 34 days after Chapter 14′s events. If Monica died 6 months prior, that puts her death at 16½ months after the last meeting with Lyon, making a 3½-month gap between Vigarde and Monica’s deaths.
Doing the math:
540 days + 136 days (between ANJ-Ch16) = 676 days / 22½ months since they’ve seen Lyon
22.5 months - 6 months = 16.5 months / 495 days between the last meeting and Monica’s death
360 days + 34 days = 394 days / 13 months since Vigarde died
16.5 - 13 = 3.5 months between Vigarde and Monica’s deaths
Given that Seth doesn’t express any surprise that Orson knew of Monica’s death, that means that Orson was in Castle Renais when she died and not off with Ephraim. Since Ephraim’s dialogue in that chapter suggests that he immediately took off when Grado invaded, we can infer that Renais wasn’t yet at war when Monica died.
If those 3½ months between Vigarde and Monica’s death were peaceful, and the first third of the game actually takes 4½ months, then that leaves a month from when the invasion of Renais began and when Grado takes over the capital--a much more reasonable time frame.
(On that note, we don’t know how long it took for Lyon to revive Vigarde. Lyon and his mages were concerned about the rumors flying around, so there was at least enough time for people to be suspect about Vigarde’s disappearance. As historical reference, Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s death was kept a secret for two months, with certain members of his entourage going through great lengths to disguise his death and keep up appearances.)
After this, the rest of the game’s timeline is pretty straightforward. Ten days pass between Chapter 18 and Chapter 20, which we know from Lyon’s conversation with Ephraim in Chapter 18. He says that “Ten days from now… When the moon is swallowed by shadow… In Darkling Woods, I will perform a ceremony…” (As an aside, that means it’s a new moon. But the only other time the moon is referenced is in Syrene and Moulder’s supports, so that’s the furthest we’ll get with that.)
The battle in Chapter 19 seems to take place the night that the group arrives in Rausten Court, and the text suggests that they leave the next day. At the most, they spent two days in Rausten, as the second day was spent going to the temple and stocking up. Based on the world map and the length of the paths, it probably took 3 days to get from Neleras Peak to Rausten Court, and 5 from Rausten Court to Darkling Woods.
Then, when the twins finally reunite with Lyon, Ephraim tells Lyon in his route that it has been two years since they’ve last met (the real) him. In the flashback at the beginning of the chapter, a box states that the flashback takes place 1½ years ago, but it’s wrong and whoever devised the script didn’t bother making a box that would say “2 years ago.”
As a final wrap-up, here’s the game’s timeline I’ve deduced based on my calculations:
Ephraim and Eirika part ways with Lyon at Grado Keep - Our benchmark
Vigarde dies - 9 months after #1
Monica dies - 12½ months after #1
Grado invades Renais - Soon after #3
Castle Renais is captured, Eirika flees Renais - Around a month after #4
Ephraim and Eirika reunite - 1½ years after #1, 9 months after #2
Eirika defeats Carlyle but fails to save Ismaire, while Ephraim defeats Vigarde - 1¾ years after #1, 3½ months after #6
The twins retake Castle Renais - A month after #7, a year and 10 months since #1
Lyon is killed, the Demon King is resealed - Two years after #1, nearly a year since Grado’s initial invasion of Renais
As Eirika receives a letter from the Askr Kingdom requesting her and her brother's presence, her favorite knight is more than a little concerned.
"Seth, please, keep calm. I've been summoned for Askr. I'm scheduled to leave in the morning."
Seth, even the stalwart knight he aimed to be, couldn't ready himself for such a sudden blow to the gut. Eirika delivered those words with every ounce of certainty within her, there's that same look in her eyes as whenever she addressed the army back when they fought Grado. But while back then had determination, this one held a little more nervousness. The shadow of the throne loomed over them both, as the sunset's crimson light settled on the queen's shoulders and painted the knight's armor a faint coffee brown.
"... So suddenly, really? Did they give you any warning? I can't imagine the kingdom is so irresponsible that they didn't at least give you time to prepare for the journey." Seth resisted the urge to tack on 'you can't stay a little longer?'. That'd be unprofessional. Eirika rested a hand on her elbow and another on her chin, one of Seth's favorite gestures to see. This was her thinking pose, especially when she had important decisions to make. He'd seen it on her numerous times when she studied maps or talked strategy with Lord Ephraim. Her eyes would shift from side to side as she pulled forth just the right words to say, then her hands would rest at her sides.
"Admittedly, they did. But it was only a few weeks, I thought Ephraim and I would've had more time together, or I'd have more time to set affairs in order before--"
"Please, milady. I'd be more than happy to do that. You shouldn't need to worry about such things." Ever the useful knight, he made himself. Eirika chuckled, brief but sweet, and rested her hands at her sides. The mood settled and Seth felt his shoulders lower, only an inch. He wondered if she caught it, those eyes of hers always watched. "You should get to packing, I know you won't do it once the sun's all the way down." He allowed himself a chuckle as well.
"Seth!" Eirika gasped and fought back another laugh, she gave a quick tap to her knight's shoulder in admonishment. "You know better than me that you're just as bad with remembering to pack. And shouldn't you watch your words?" The last bit was said with a wide grin.
"While I'll admit I'm not efficient, I do get it done. You on the other hand, milady, prefer to wait mere moments before." Seth smiled and closed his eyes, even if the jab was a little personal, he knew Eirika could take it. But instead of another small smack there's silence, it lasted for long enough for his eyes to open. Eirika's hands are pressed together and a smile played at her lips. Seth knew this one too; whenever she had an exciting secret for someone, she simply couldn't keep it to herself. Much like someone who handed a birthday gift to their friend and watched with glee as it was opened, she wanted to catch that moment of surprise on others faces for herself. It's another gesture Seth can't help but quietly adore. "... Is there something else?"
Before another second goes by, Eirika's hand is around his wrist, so small compared to his large leather glove and gauntlet. This wasn't unfamiliar to Seth, she did this even as a small child, but nowadays it was so few and far between, it struck him quiet. Though he dared not let such surprise worm its way onto his face. Without words she led him away from the throne room and instead up the stairs to her private quarters. This too wasn't unfamiliar, yet the timing of it all seemed slightly suspicious. The two of them, now ventured to the girl's bedroom moments before night would hit and the castle would be covered in darkness. Seth dared not let his mind wander any further. He was never the type to jump to conclusions, yet the strange coincidence of it all only served to prod his innate thoughts to places he knew they shouldn't be. Still, throughout this, his stoic expression remained unbroken.
"There's a reason I wanted to wait on packing." Eirika's voice snapped Seth back to reality, the door of her room opened enough that the knight peered in to see her unfinished folds of clothing upon the bed. Seth remained silent as Eirika tugged him inside, she only let go for the few seconds it took for her to run over and place a lit lantern on her bedside table. "I have something for you."
"What is it?" Seth was far too intrigued to back away now, even if the more rational part of him said this could very well veer into quite dangerous territory. He had to put his own feelings aside, he was a knight first and foremost. A protector for the queen and king, their dependant servant. There was no need to get something as messy as his own affections muddled within their affairs. That would only cause dissaray and further get him confused, not to mention he hadn't factored in how Eirika would feel. He was being selfish just for even playing with the notion that things could happen. He kept his stare ahead at the lantern on the table, he hardly watched as Eirika reached into the drawer below and pulled out two letters; one opened and one closed.
"Here!" She presented the closed one to Seth, who had to force himself back to the world again. He stowed away such inane thoughts and picked up the letter, one with his own name written in an elegant cursive across the front. Eirika held up the opened one with a grin from ear to ear. Seth blinked twice and ran his thumb under the wax seal, he broke it with ease. Within was a letter, addressed to him.
'To the Silver Knight Seth--
While we are a kingdom dependant on great Heroes from places unknown, we always recognize duty above all else. We have summoned Ephraim and Eirika to assist in our fight to keep our kingdom safe, but do not think we have forgotten the knight sworn to serve and protect them.
We humbly ask that your service extend to watching over your rulers as they make their journey to Askr safely. Of course, you are welcome to join in the fight as well, if you do not wish to leave their side.
We wish you safe travels regardless of your choice.'
Seth stared at the words, Eirika clapped her hands together with glee.
"You can come with! You don't have to stay at the castle and worry about me or Ephraim! Isn't that great?"
For the first time in quite a while, Seth's calm expression broke. A smile, one that threatened to tear into his cheeks from how wide he felt it stretch, it was a real smile of relief and pure happiness. The hand that held the letter trembled, only a little, enough for Eirika's hands to clasp it. He hardly heard her words of concern, only focused on four little words. 'That your service extend.' The answer was obvious, of course. He'd follow his twin rulers to the very ends of the earth if that's what it took to ensure their consistent safety. His hand lowered to his waist as Eirika released it, instead she hugged her knight squarely around his gut. Seth, without a second thought, held her just as tight. With a swell of emotion in his chest, he placed a soft kiss upon the girl's forehead.
Eirika didn't bother with anymore words and neither did Seth. The letter fell from the man's fingers and rested upon his boot, they remained in that embrace, their hearts thrummed against one another. As Seth moved his lips away, he instead leaned down to her ear, voice as soft as silk.
"I'll continue to protect you, no matter what."
Eirika gave a soft chuckle and wiped a newly formed tear away.
"And I couldn't be happier with that."
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Amelia/Neimi (Fire Emblem)
Characters: Amelia (Fire Emblem), Neimi (Fire Emblem)
Additional Tags: magvelweek: day 1, prompt: home
Series: Part 1 of fe8week2017
Summary:
FE8 Week Day 1: Home/Adventure
Home: Fruit, flour, a warm day and a warmer oven. Dessert, after their first dinner together in their home, never tasted better.
Read on Fanfiction.Net
Read on Archive of Our Own
Characters: Seth, Fado.
Rating: K.
Warnings: Mild spoilers for FE8.
Summary:
The big day is finally over, and Seth is officially instated as general of the Knights of Renais. However, after a long day of official business, ceremony, and introductions, King Fado has one final rite of sorts to put him through.
A Legend Concealed
Seth was no stranger to the throne room of Castle Renais, although visiting it at this hour was new to him. He politely kept his hands clasped behind his back, his gait even and his gaze fixed forward, his attention divided between ensuring his guide’s safety and not showing his own confusion. A kingdom as large and powerful as Renais was bound to harbour certain secrets. He knew that well. But secrets that had to be discussed under the cover of night? Surely Renais’ secrets could not be so dark. Had he been five years younger, he would have jokingly asked if it was too late to back out of his new position, but enough had happened that he knew better.
Renais’s general had passed away, or rather, been slain in battle. This had left a large void in the barracks, an empty seat on King Fado’s council, and Seth without any remaining relatives. Admittedly, at a full score of age, he had no longer been a child, but the loss had struck him hard. Terrified that his lance arm would falter with grief, and not wanting his fellow knights and superiors to pity him, he had thrown himself into his training, as well as that of the large, unruly stallion he had been assigned as part of his promotion from foot soldier to cavalryman and which was proving a living nightmare to wrestle into behaving. It was during this time that he had lost what remained of his childish self, replacing it with the respect of his peers and the revelation that he might be even more gifted in the arts of war than his superiors had formerly thought. He had matured incredibly swiftly, and by the time the pressure on King Fado to permanently replace his dear friend and late general had mounted to a point where it could no longer be ignored, he had climbed the ranks of Renais’s military to command a small squad of cavalrymen himself.
Not just as the late general’s progeny, but also as a collected strategist, expert horseman, and warrior to be met, King Fado had considered Seth an obvious candidate for the position despite his young age. And here he was now; earlier today, he had been instated as Renais’s new general, introduced to his advisory position on His Majesty’s council, and held audience with the twin prince and princess, who had insisted on meeting him when their attendant had let it slip that their father’s new general was not that much older than they were. And now, hours after he should have been asleep, he was following his liege lord into the darkened throne room, a single lantern between the two their only source of illumination. “Your Majesty,” he finally whispered, no longer able to keep his confusion and curiosity in check, “I would not dare question your wisdom, but could this not have waited until tomorrow morning?”
King Fado turned, looking at the knight behind him, and shook his head. “I apologise, Seth. I know today has been a long day and tomorrow proves to be no shorter. But as Adam’s successor, there are things you must know.” Seth successfully suppressed a wince at his father’s name, making a mental note that he had to make work of truly processing the man’s death. If Fado had noticed it, he gave no indication. “Things that cannot wait. Look here, Seth. Do you know what these are?” Noticing the movement of one of Fado’s arms, Seth felt his gaze drawn downward to whatever it was the king was holding out and angling the lantern so its light illuminated them. The king showed him what appeared to be a pair of mundane if well-crafted golden bangles, one decorated with a single large ruby and the other with an equally large sapphire.
King Fado had not kept him up this late for a pair of mundane bangles, though, and so Seth decided to keep the observation to himself, shaking his head. “I do not recall ever having seen them before, Your Majesty.”
Fado nodded approvingly. “Very well. I shall reveal their function to you soon enough. But before that, allow me to ask: how much has Adam taught you about the Sacred Stones?”
The Sacred Stones? Seth didn’t have to think long. They were such a well-known part of Magvel’s history that he could recite their origins, importance, and function in his sleep. Having been given to the hero Grado by the Everlasting, they had collectively served as prisons for the Demon King- His body destroyed by the hero’s blade, his soul split into fives and sealed firmly away within the five gems. Though his soul was immortal and his power terrifying, the light radiating from the Sacred Stones and the distance subsequently put between them ensured that he could not return or wreak havoc upon Magvel from within them. Once again, Seth deducted from the context that the king did not mean to quiz him on his knowledge of history. “The Sacred Stone of Renais is held within the temple, my lord,” he said. “In a glass case beneath the altar, shielded by powerful wards to prevent it from being removed or tampered with. If I’m not mistaken, the glass case itself is a ward as well, although I am no wizard…”
“He taught you well, I see.” Once again, an approving nod from the king. “This is what you are to uphold at all times when asked about our Sacred Stone. It is of utmost importance that the people of Magvel, ally or enemy, believe the stone in the temple to be genuine.”
That piqued Seth’s interest, any hint of tiredness gone from his mind. “From your choice of words, I suppose that it is not.”
Fado cast a swift look around the throne room, as if ensuring they were not being listened in on. “You and I are the only living souls to know of this.” He turned, placing the lantern on the ground and taking one of the bangles in either hand. “The true Sacred Stone… well, you’ll see.” With that, he raised both hands above his head. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but then, Seth saw a gleam from within the two gems and felt a painful whine in the back of his head; magic, he knew, akin as it felt to the buzzing of the wards in the temple. This was much stronger, however, and left him wincing and reaching up to clamp both hands over his ears to shut it out. Before he could get a chance to do so, though, it stopped as suddenly as it had begun. “Come,” King Fado said, picking up the lantern. “Mind the steps.”
Seth followed behind him once more, biting back a gasp at the sight of what the bangles’ magic had done. The throne had vanished from sight entirely, revealing a winding staircase leading to someplace beneath the throne room, instead. Seth wracked his mind -were not the dungeons directly beneath here?- but followed the king down the stairs, trusting that he would learn soon enough what this all was. “I do not fully comprehend how it all works,” Fado confessed as they descended, “But the bangles, together, form the key to an infinitely complicated magical seal of sorts. Much like yourself, I am no wizard, but the ancient kings of Renais were. They could feel the power of the Demon King radiating from the Sacred Stone, however faint, and they feared that it might influence them. Obviously, they could not impose the same precautions upon their allies…” They reached the bottom of the staircase and Fado extinguished the lantern to conserve oil. The light from it was no longer necessary, as the chamber they were in was dimly lit when they entered it. Seth cast his gaze around for the source, quickly finding the light to originate from within the large gemstone hovering quietly above a pedestal in the middle of the room.
It was clear that this chamber had not been meant to be found. Apart from the pedestal, which Seth supposed held wards or masking spells to hide and protect the gem above it, there were no furnishings or decorations, or much of anything. The pedestal did not even have any engravings in it. The only other items in the room were a pair of weapons, resting peacefully against either side of the pedestal; an infantry lance of the kind that Seth idly noted Prince Ephraim had said he wanted to learn how to use, and a thin sword, both ornately decorated. They looked out of place here, and yet there was no mistaking that they were collateral at best. The true prize was, after all, the orb lighting the room. “This is the true resting place of Renais’s Sacred Stone.”
Seth cautiously took a step forward. As he did so, his suspicions were confirmed- there was some sort of sound in this room, very faint, but recognisable when he and Fado were both silent. It became more audible as he stepped closer to the stone, but the king gave no reaction to it, so Seth supposed it was only in his own head. As he stood right in front of the pedestal, he could hear it clearly. It was his own voice- murmuring of the responsibility Fado gave him by telling him about this, the strength he would need to protect Renais, its royal family, and its Sacred Stone, the fortitude he would need if he were ever captured and tortured for this information… The very faint temptation welled up in him to reach out and touch the Sacred Stone. Part of him, unnerved by these thoughts, perhaps hoped to tap into a portion of the Stone’s power so that he could be comfortable in the knowledge he had what it took to carry out his new duties…
But these were not his thoughts, and Seth snapped himself back to reality. Forcing himself to step back, one foot at a time, until he was far enough away from the Sacred Stone that he could no longer make out his own voice among the muddled whispers, he realised he was trembling. “So you feel it too,” Fado said, looking at him knowingly. “That is what the ancient kings feared. There is no telling what will happen if someone were to give in to its seduction and attempt to wield it; that is why the true stone was sealed away here, and the temple furnished with a forgery to distract the people.”
“I suppose the same is true for Sieglinde and Siegmund,” Seth said. It wasn’t a question. They, too, had copies take their place in the kingdom- theirs rested in large glass cases flanking Renais’s throne as a symbol of the monarch’s power, and Seth had seen them often enough to recognise the true pieces. Much like the Sacred Stone, it wasn’t hard to see why they were here, shimmering with poorly contained power, although far less than the Stone held. Fado only nodded, gesturing that Seth had to follow him back up the staircase.
Though the journey down had been silent, this time, Fado spoke. “You must be wondering why I tell you this,” he said, slowly, as if he had to deliberate every word. “Normally, I would leave to you believe the lie, to make it all the easier to uphold. However…” Seth heard a faint clinking and knew the king had taken the bangles to hand once more. “The keys to the seal are not safe in the hands of one single person, and less so in the hands of someone who knows all this. I plan to present the bracelets to Eirika and Ephraim upon their sixteenth birthday.” Seth was left to process that as they reached the throne room, the staircase vanishing as silently but with the same magic discharge as it had appeared with. This time, Seth did rub his temple, his exposure to the Sacred Stone just enough to make this particular magic break his composure for a moment.
Fado continued as if he had never stopped, prompting Seth to leave his aching head for what it was and listen once more. “They know nothing of the bracelets’ nature, and they must not know. But there is no telling whether it will be within their lifetime that the Sacred Stone, or the Sacred Twins, are needed once more. I will tell Ephraim everything when he is crowned, of course, but should anything happen to me before then, someone else has to know. I know it is much to ask of one so young as yourself, but they took to you well. They would trust you.”
“If such great peril strikes,” Seth stated, nodding his head in agreement, “I shall inform them as well as shield them from harm.”
“Thank you, Seth. Now, then, I believe it is high time we made our respective ways to bed.”
“I shall escort you to your-”
“No, no.” Fado held up a hand. “The castle is well-defended, Seth. I require no escort. Return to your quarters and go to sleep. Your duties as general begin tomorrow, and I want you well-rested for them.”
“By your leave then, Your Majesty.” Seth bowed before turning and leaving the throne room. Part of him was still a tad nervous about having been given this immense responsibility, but mostly, he was proud that King Fado thought him reliable enough for it. Proud, and tired. He told himself there was no need to be anxious over all this. After all, what were the odds that he would ever need this information? The Demon King had been vanquished long ago, and he could not imagine another threat that would require the Sacred Stone to overcome.
He would eat that thought only a handful of years later, when King Fado ensured Eirika was wearing her bracelet before ordering Seth to take her -and it- to safety. As he clasped the princess’s upper arm tightly to rush her out of the castle and away from their invading former ally, he spared King Fado one last glance and a reassuring nod. The king would either fall or be captured, but Princess Eirika would be safe, and when the time came, she and Prince Ephraim would know the truth. As His Majesty turned away and grasped his sword more firmly, though did not remove its tip from where it was resting on the ground in front of him, Seth turned to run, dragging Princess Eirika with him as he drew his own sword with his other hand to cut a path.
He would carry out his duty and keep his promise to his king.
The first time they meet they’re both simple cadets, anonymous soldiers among a sea of others just like them, with their accents and armors the only details differentiating them. Syrene wears an unfit, scrappy breastplate as white as her newly assigned pegasus (her pride and joy, eyes so vigil they remind her of the little sister she’s left home sometimes), while Selena carries herself tall in her mage robes.
She’s no Fluorspar yet but the way she measures the ground with her steps might as well already scream of her future every time her boots clack on the stone pavement of the hallways of the castle. Syrene thinks idly that the only other person to walk those hallways like that is their archer princeling, who still smells of his late mother’s milk no matter how mature he thinks he has to act, and maybe it’s that thought that makes her approach Selena.
(Or at least, that’s how she’ll justify it to herself in a late future.)
“Hey there,” she says, as casual as she can manage with the weight of her full gear on her shoulders and a few strands of hair blocking her eyes. She blows those out of the way. “Looking for something?”
Selena stops dead in her tracks, something that didn’t look just quite possible only a few seconds ago, and turns towards her, bows her head just slightly in recognition.
“Not really,” comes the dignified answer, thick Gradoan accent coloring her consonants and folding her vowels as thin as Carcino silk robes. “It’s break time and I wanted to see the castle.”
Syrene smiles, wide enough that she’ll remember the pull of her cheeks years later, countless other smiles later, and offers herself as a guide. “I’ll even give you a ride on my pegasus if drinks are on you tonight,” she declares, bolder than she feels, and prays Selena is not a lightweight.
She finds out soon enough how well they can both hold their liquor.
***
The first time they topple over onto Selena’s bed, giddy with euphoria and the best Gradoan wine to celebrate Selena’s recent promotion, Syrene lets herself melt in between the sheets with a helpless giggle, taking in the sight above of her. Selena’s flushed skin, all the way down to the collar of her shirt, the countless, faint freckles on the bridge of her nose, the black of her pupils eating up the stark blue of her eyes.
She probably makes a crude joke, something slurred about mages being good with their hands that only sounds funny in her head, but Selena is gracious enough to at least snort.
“I live for my Emperor.” Her voice is a huffed murmur tickling Syrene’s ear, and if the way the dim light dances in her stare seems foreboding Syrene doesn’t know what else to do about it but press closer, shivering as Selena continues, “but you, you’re—”
She trails off, like she doesn’t know what to say next except for Syrene’s name, voice feverish like a convict, and it makes Syrene’s fingertips dig deeper.
Later that night, with the blueish darkness right before the dawn seeping through the walls almost as if it were solid, Syrene thinks people in love shouldn’t be that desperate.
Selena is sleeping next to her, hair a halo on her pillow, and her mouth hangs ajar as she snores softly. It smells of her, and of bedsheets and the lingering alcohol, but the knot in Syrene’s throat quivers like the imperceptible, harmless tremors that shake Grado from time to time.
A nightingale starts singing outside the window and Syrene tugs at the covers so that they’re covering them both up to their chins. She traces the outline of Selena’s jaw with two fingers, careful not to wake her up, and thinks of Frelia, of her King and the princeling who’s all grown up now and his little sister; the child fills to the brim the gaping hole nostalgia’s gnawed in the middle of Syrene’s chest like a woodworm with every passing day. She’s duty-bound to them, just like Selena’s duty-bound to her own country, her own woodworms, but Syrene is going to smoke those out one by one.
“Just you wait,” she whispers, muffled by the sheets and the pillow, and with that she falls asleep.
