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31_days2020-05-09 01:00 pm
gershom_onyx) wrote in 31_days2020-05-09 01:00 pm
Entry tags:
[05 / 09 / 20] [Fire Emblem Heroes] Ageless King
Title: Ageless King
Day / Prompt: 09 / Maybe I'm A Lion
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Alfonse, Celica, Roy
Rating / Warning(s): All Ages
Word Count: 930
Notes: It helps that there is at least one character in all of Fire Emblem who explicitly has the word "Lion" in their nickname.
Alfonse and Celica, after separating from Bruno and Leon in the World of Shadows, have come to the World of Binding in search of one of the greatest of all Heroes: Roy, the Young Lion. As has been the case throughout his journey, Alfonse finds that this version of the world he is visiting has changed from what he knows, but this change is deeper than he realizes ....
* * * *
Celica stood at the base of the castle wall, her eyes tracing the long creepers of ivy that trailed up the stone. "It doesn't remind me of Zofia, but –" She touched one of the leaves, pinched it between two white-gloved fingers. "– it's very much like what I read of the castles in Archanea, across the sea."
Alfonse smiled. "Well, if you visit enough worlds, you'll see that they have more in common than not. Lycia's very much like Altea in Archanea, though, you're right." His smile faded. "I ... don't remember Castle Pherae looking quite like this, though. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's been more than just twenty years compared to the one I saw in the World of Blazing."
"Well, the gate's open. Let's go." And she added, after greeting the guards and passing into the courtyard, "It's peaceful here, too. Otherwise, we would have been stopped." She thought about it for a moment. "Alfonse, have you encountered a Hero who's later in life than you're used to seeing? What if – ?"
"It's not unusual," a new voice said. Alfonse and Celica both turned to behold a young man striding across the courtyard to greet them – tall, lean, wearing a close-cropped goatee as red as his hair. "It's been a long time, Alfonse."
"Roy?" Alfonse seemed surprised. "Can it be – ? How long have you – ?"
"Don't eat all your words, old friend," Roy replied, laughing. "Or –" He studied Alfonse. "Not as old as all that. Younger than when I left, in fact. Perhaps you're not the same Alfonse?" He shook his head. "Not that it matters! I imagine that you're here for my help if you've come all this way."
Alfonse nodded, but he repeated the question, very calmly, "How long, Roy?"
Roy sighed, his face sobering as he said, "It's that obvious, huh? Well –" His eyes suddenly seemed much older. "It's the hundredth year of my reign. I've offered to step down multiple times, but ... people seem all right with me being the Sovereign of Elibe, even if I'm very tired and can't help wanting to sleep." He nodded. "Children, grandchildren, five generations of House Pherae. Sooner or later, it's going to have to be one of them in charge, not me." He sighed. "I'm sure you realize this means that most of my friends are gone."
"Most," Alfonse admitted, "but not all. I'm sure you know who I mean."
"That's a good point." Roy looked up at the sky, as if trying to see across a great distance. "You'll need me to go with you. The way to Arcadia is not easy to find, especially nowadays." He looked from Alfonse to Celica. "I'll be able to leave in the morning, but I suggest that the two of you take a chance to rest and eat before then. You both look like you've been through a lot."
"Do ... you know me, King Roy?" Celica could not suppress her curiosity.
"Of course I do, Princess." He smiled as she flinched from the use of the title. "But, depending on which Celica you are, and from which time, you may not know you, so I'll keep my mouth closed for the time being." He turned back to Alfonse. "Like I said, rest up, wash up. When you're feeling up to it, we'll dine together. Pherae's not the most exciting place in the world, even as the seat of the entire continent, but no one goes hungry."
Alfonse had one more question for Roy as he turned to leave them: "You're going to have to tell me, Roy: Who become Queen of Elibe in the end?"
"Larum, believe it or not." Another smile, but it was full of memory and sadness. "Though I'm guessing the Roy you once knew fell in love with Lilina." He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, talking over his shoulder. "Larum loved being Queen, just not as much as she loved being a mother. Those were the happiest of times. We'll talk more about it, given a little time."
He left them, and Celica said, "He's ... Dragon-blooded, isn't he? That's why he seems so sad about people who've been gone for so long." When Alfonse nodded, she added, "Stories of that have been written of the old Zofian kings, so close to Mother Mila that they outlived most of their subjects."
Alfonse nodded. "It's another common thread between worlds. If you go back far enough in my family, you'll find the blood of a Dragon, too, but none of us are long-lived, these days." He turned to look at her. "Well, if he's offering us his hospitality, we should probably take advantage of it. We don't know when we'll be getting another chance, especially if we're off to Arcadia." A shadow passed across his face, and she did not miss the implications there.
"Who are we going to Arcadia to see, Alfonse?" She lowered her voice. "You've talked about Sophia and Fae, but ... it's not either of them, is it?"
Alfonse averted his gaze. "Her name is Idunn. We'll talk more of it later."
END.
Day / Prompt: 09 / Maybe I'm A Lion
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Alfonse, Celica, Roy
Rating / Warning(s): All Ages
Word Count: 930
Notes: It helps that there is at least one character in all of Fire Emblem who explicitly has the word "Lion" in their nickname.
* * * *
Celica stood at the base of the castle wall, her eyes tracing the long creepers of ivy that trailed up the stone. "It doesn't remind me of Zofia, but –" She touched one of the leaves, pinched it between two white-gloved fingers. "– it's very much like what I read of the castles in Archanea, across the sea."
Alfonse smiled. "Well, if you visit enough worlds, you'll see that they have more in common than not. Lycia's very much like Altea in Archanea, though, you're right." His smile faded. "I ... don't remember Castle Pherae looking quite like this, though. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's been more than just twenty years compared to the one I saw in the World of Blazing."
"Well, the gate's open. Let's go." And she added, after greeting the guards and passing into the courtyard, "It's peaceful here, too. Otherwise, we would have been stopped." She thought about it for a moment. "Alfonse, have you encountered a Hero who's later in life than you're used to seeing? What if – ?"
"It's not unusual," a new voice said. Alfonse and Celica both turned to behold a young man striding across the courtyard to greet them – tall, lean, wearing a close-cropped goatee as red as his hair. "It's been a long time, Alfonse."
"Roy?" Alfonse seemed surprised. "Can it be – ? How long have you – ?"
"Don't eat all your words, old friend," Roy replied, laughing. "Or –" He studied Alfonse. "Not as old as all that. Younger than when I left, in fact. Perhaps you're not the same Alfonse?" He shook his head. "Not that it matters! I imagine that you're here for my help if you've come all this way."
Alfonse nodded, but he repeated the question, very calmly, "How long, Roy?"
Roy sighed, his face sobering as he said, "It's that obvious, huh? Well –" His eyes suddenly seemed much older. "It's the hundredth year of my reign. I've offered to step down multiple times, but ... people seem all right with me being the Sovereign of Elibe, even if I'm very tired and can't help wanting to sleep." He nodded. "Children, grandchildren, five generations of House Pherae. Sooner or later, it's going to have to be one of them in charge, not me." He sighed. "I'm sure you realize this means that most of my friends are gone."
"Most," Alfonse admitted, "but not all. I'm sure you know who I mean."
"That's a good point." Roy looked up at the sky, as if trying to see across a great distance. "You'll need me to go with you. The way to Arcadia is not easy to find, especially nowadays." He looked from Alfonse to Celica. "I'll be able to leave in the morning, but I suggest that the two of you take a chance to rest and eat before then. You both look like you've been through a lot."
"Do ... you know me, King Roy?" Celica could not suppress her curiosity.
"Of course I do, Princess." He smiled as she flinched from the use of the title. "But, depending on which Celica you are, and from which time, you may not know you, so I'll keep my mouth closed for the time being." He turned back to Alfonse. "Like I said, rest up, wash up. When you're feeling up to it, we'll dine together. Pherae's not the most exciting place in the world, even as the seat of the entire continent, but no one goes hungry."
Alfonse had one more question for Roy as he turned to leave them: "You're going to have to tell me, Roy: Who become Queen of Elibe in the end?"
"Larum, believe it or not." Another smile, but it was full of memory and sadness. "Though I'm guessing the Roy you once knew fell in love with Lilina." He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, talking over his shoulder. "Larum loved being Queen, just not as much as she loved being a mother. Those were the happiest of times. We'll talk more about it, given a little time."
He left them, and Celica said, "He's ... Dragon-blooded, isn't he? That's why he seems so sad about people who've been gone for so long." When Alfonse nodded, she added, "Stories of that have been written of the old Zofian kings, so close to Mother Mila that they outlived most of their subjects."
Alfonse nodded. "It's another common thread between worlds. If you go back far enough in my family, you'll find the blood of a Dragon, too, but none of us are long-lived, these days." He turned to look at her. "Well, if he's offering us his hospitality, we should probably take advantage of it. We don't know when we'll be getting another chance, especially if we're off to Arcadia." A shadow passed across his face, and she did not miss the implications there.
"Who are we going to Arcadia to see, Alfonse?" She lowered her voice. "You've talked about Sophia and Fae, but ... it's not either of them, is it?"
Alfonse averted his gaze. "Her name is Idunn. We'll talk more of it later."
END.