#because uh....sigurd's been missing for a while and he's gonna stay missing for a while still | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shall-we-imagine · 5 years

Text

And I'll still love you. (Klaus Goldstein x Reader *AU*)

Sequel to Mess me up.

In which Klaus gets back with his ex.

Jk I'd never 😂👌🏻

Genre: Angst/some fluff?

A/N: This is long, and I mean long, so strap yourselves in I guess? CuZ iTs A lOnG aSs RiDe (A Mark Lee tribute 👌🏻)

Also guys we have a lil Cedric (from BIR) cameo here so um idk there's that ig 😂😂

(Second Person Point of View)

"Okay, one day left till finals; you guys know what that means!" Zeus smirks, though the only one that knew what that means was apparently Luca.

"This time; we're not getting kicked out of the VIP lounge." Luca points an accusing finger at Zeus.

"It's not my fault you lied about our identities without letting me know that I was a famous producer and not just a fucking college student!" Zeus growls.

The intense argument only grew louder from the two opposite sides of the table, isolating you and Klaus from the rest of the group in a strange way. Everyone knew to ignore when Luca and Zeus started arguing, so Amelia and Guy - on the other side of the table - were already having a separate conversation, leaving you and Klaus in an awkward silence (If you ignore the two yelling dorks, of course).

As frustrating as the awkwardness is, you'd already decided to ignore the blond ever since the incident, and no amount of awkward can change that.

It'd been around five days since you even looked him in the face, and he didn't seem to be planning to fix anything. Sure, he constantly looks uncomfortable, and you're sure he knows he fucked up, but that doesn't change his lack of attempts to even apologise properly.

"Hey, what's up, you guys?" Scarlett beams, sitting next to you. Elias, Yukiya, and Augustus take seats around the table as well. "Sigurd's still busy with some work at the library, but he'll be here soon." She announces.

"Anyway, this time we're not going into the VIP lounge; you can get kicked out alone if you want to, but I'd like to keep my dignity!" Zeus crosses his arms.

"Which club are we visiting anyway?" Luca looks around the table.

"None! We're supposed to be studying!" Klaus snaps, earning confused looks from everyone. Sure, it was a logical statement, but his sudden outburst left everyone at a loss of words.

"Don't be such a killjoy." Sigurd's voice is followed by a chuckle. He places himself in the empty seat between you and Klaus; however, you could still feel Klaus stare at you for a bit after it.

"He's right though. Finals start in like two days.." Yukiya states, to which Elias nods.

"Yeah, I need to revise." The younger blond agrees.

"It starts in a week for Amelia, Guy, Augustus, and I." Scarlett shrugs.

"Yeah, we're in." Guy grins.

"Sorry, guys, I don't think Yukiya and I will be joining; we still have stuff to study." Elias gives one of those polite frowns, where you know he's not disappointed about missing out on any of that. Knowing Elias, you can tell he's probably pleased to spend his day in a library instead of a club, and normally, you'd agree; you enjoy peace, and it's never too fun to be in crowded places.

However, you need to do something fun to get your mind off of Klaus. If he's gonna be a dick then so be it; you have to move on.

"I'm coming." You shrug. Part of you wanted to turn to check Klaus's reaction, but you stayed composed.

"What?!" He semi-shouts, but immediately clasps his hand over his mouth, clearly embarrassed by his accidentally loud reaction. He clears his throat, "I mean, you're in the same uni as these dumbasses and I; you start finals the day after tomorrow! What do you mean you'll go clubbing today? You should be studying!"

"What makes you think I have any studying left? I'm already done." You weren't gonna bring it up. You really weren't. Not in front of everyone too, but before you could think it through, you found yourself quoting him from that night. And it wasn't a lie either, you spent your days binge studying to keep your mind busy, so at this point, you really needed something else to keep you occupied.

Something flashes in his eyes, recognition maybe: you weren't sure, but either way, he stays silent. And perhaps you should've left it at that, but the built up anger inside you is now clawing its way out.

"Plus, even if I haven't finished studying; what is it to you?! Who even are you to object and involve yourself in my life?! Mind your own business!" He, once again, doesn't respond, but this time it wasn't because he was caught off guard. He just seemed slightly broken, but in the midst of the fury and anguish you felt, you couldn't care that much.

"Um, what's up with the weird tension between you guys?" Zeus lets out a nervous laugh. If Zeus was giving nervous laughs then it was definitely obvious to everyone how serious whatever is between you and Klaus.

"Haven't you two been ignoring each other a bit too? Like you guys used to be super close." Augustus points out.

Amelia's eyes meet yours, and she immediately gets the memo. "You guys are crazy; they're fine! They've always argued a lot; it's how they are! Can we focus on who's coming and who's not?" You give her a small smile, as to say thank you.

Scarlett catches on to the silent conversation between you and Amelia, immediately joining in. "Yeah, don't worry too much; we've seen it happen a lot! So, yeah, let's just focus on what's important here."

"Uh, sure." Zeus lets it go. Luca, Guy, and Augustus were smarter than that, unfortunately; they remained skeptic. Regardless, none of them make any further comments.

"I've also done my studying, so I'm good to go, as well." Sigurd shoots you a wink, earning a giggle in return. A genuine one, which you were thankful for. It made you relax a little after that rage you let loose on the blond jerk.

Klaus slams his fist on the table, "Fine. I'm coming too."

"Man, could you fucking chill; you're starting to sound scary. More so than normal." Luca complains but moves on to deciding the time and place to meet.

Your eyes drift to Klaus, who was already looking. You quickly look away, unsure why your heart suddenly leaped into your throat.

You avoided looking in his direction for the rest of the gathering.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

"You're not gonna tell me what's up with you and Klaus?" Scarlett glances at you before looking back at her own reflection and applying highlighter.

Amelia sticks her head out the bathroom door, one eye lined perfectly till the wing while the other was left with a random stray streak as if she rushed to the door at hearing Scarlett's statement, and in the process fucked over her left eye. Of course you know that's exactly what she did.

"Um, excuse you? I think you mean us??"

Scarlett sighs, "You're not gonna tell us what's up with you and Klaus?"

"Nothing." You apply your favourite lipstick, absolutely pleased it goes perfectly with your dress. At least one thing is going right here.

Scarlett frowns slightly, but doesn't push it.

"You're so full of shit." Amelia chuckles before pulling herself back inside.

You roll your eyes at her, but a small smile tugs at your lips.

"Who's picking us up?" You wonder.

Scarlett clears her throat. "Well, we initially asked Sigurd, I swear, but...well, um, Klaus insisted..."

"That's fine." You put on your best nonchalant expression.

As if he calculated exactly when to arrive, Klaus calls Amelia's phone the second you're done fixing your hair, aka the last step to getting ready. Excluding shoes, of course.

"Can someone pick up? My hands are busy!" Amelia yells from the bathroom.

You glance at Scarlett. Also still busy.

Not wanting to sound even more suspicious, you force yourself to pick up. "Hello?"

"He-..(Y/N)?"

You swallow awkwardly, "um, yeah, they're not done yet. Are you here? Like, um, to pick us up?"

"No, I'm here to hand you your mail, (Y/N)." You don't need to see him to know he's rolling his eyes.

"I meant are you here already?"

"Yeah."

Amelia sticks her head outside the bathroom again, this time with both eyes looking perfect. "Invite him up here." She smirks, wiggling her eyebrows. "Unless, of course, you have a problem with Klaus being in your apartment."

You throw a pillow, and it barely misses her face.

"Hey! That could've ruined my make up!" She yells but doesn't come back out again.

You considered inviting him like she said, but just the thought of it brought back too many unwelcomed memories. You blushed and immediately decided against it.

"Hello?"

"Oh, sorry, um, I'll just come down and keep your company till they're done, okay? Bye!" You hang up, leaving him no chance to reply. It was already awkward enough.

You slip your feet into your high heels, grab your purse, and head outside- not forgetting to remind the girls to lock the door before leaving.

If it were for you to decide, you'd let the jerk rot in his car as he waits for the three of you, but for the sake of letting things go smoothly, you decide it's for the best to try to make it seem like you don't wanna punch Klaus in the face.

Quickly enough, you spot his car. Also quickly enough, you notice the familiar fluffy, blonde curls you were so used to running your hands through. He looks as handsome as usual, but that hurt you in a different way this time. Sure, everytime you noticed how attracted to him you are, you'd be upset, solely because he's not yours to admire this way. However, today, it hurts you because everytime you look at these perfectly drawn features, a few written words come to mind.

He notices your presence but says nothing. He just stares at you with an unreadable expression.

Not wanting to look odd just standing in front of your building's door, you stiffly walk to his car as fast as you can without face planting into cement.

You take a back seat and say nothing.

Klaus lets out a slight, humourless laugh. "What's that? A back seat? You always call shotgun."

"Wasn't feeling it." You shrug and pull out your phone, using it as your own personal don't talk to me sign.

Unfortunately, Klaus doesn't care about any signs you're giving if it doesn't match his desires. "You look pretty, but with a dress like that, people will mistake you for a prostitute. Couldn't you wear something more revealing??" His voice dripped with irritation, an irritation you couldn't understand.

"Excuse me? My dress is fine; not everyone is a pervert, but you wouldn't know, would you?!" You clap back, not in the mood to let him take out his anger on you.

"Are you trying to call me a pervert?" He laughs in disbelief.

"I didn't say that, but, hey, if the shoe fits, feel free to wear it."

"That's what I get for trying to make sure no one hurts you?" He complains.

"Well, too bad you already did." You spat, tears blinding you momentarily. You hated yourself for letting this escape your lips, but it ended up silencing both of you for a few moments, allowing you to regain composure before the girls hop into the car.

"Uh, what's up with the weird vibe?" Amelia raises an eyebrow.

Scarlett sighs from the front seat, "I don't even know anymore."

Neither Klaus or you respond, so, naturally, the conversation died, leading to a rather quiet ride, excluding Scarlett and Amelia's countless attempts at making it less awkward.

"Finally! I felt like I'd suffocate inside from the tension!" Amelia stretches her arms happily once she leaves the car. It's safe to say...she wasn't the only one happy to exit the metal cage of awkward.

You meet up with the rest of the group before going inside, which wasn't all that helpful, since you lost each other fairly quickly.

Thankfully, Amelia and Scarlett were still with you, and finally, you were ready to block all thoughts of a certain blond and enjoy your life for the time being.

As planned, the three of you were already singing and dancing your hearts out after a few drinks, not a care in the world. You didn't have time to think about what Klaus is doing or how much of a dick he was to you.

Well, until a familiar guy approaches you. And perhaps Klaus shouldn't have been the one your mind drifted to, but that didn't stop you from letting the blond you'd ignored all year try to flirt with you for the billionth time.

"(Y/N)! Didn't think I'd see you here!" Cedric yells over the music.

You tried your best not to roll your eyes, "Yeah, me neither."

"Wanna dance?"

"I'm sure you can see I'm already danc-" both girls nudge you. "Sure. I'd love to dance." You force a smile, not skipping glaring at the girls before following Cedric a little further away from them. You weren't sure why he dragged you away, but you also couldn't care less; being near him was already annoying enough, so it really didn't matter.

The only reason you found yourself agreeing to this nonsense is that you know how much Klaus dislikes it when Cedric flirts with you. He always claimed that Cedric only cares about looks and that you should stay away from him, which normally you do. Mostly because you don't enjoy his personality, or the lack thereof.

However, something about being with the guy Klaus would most hate for you to be with just made you feel pleasure. It was like you wanted to piss him off, even though he really couldn't see you anyway, but you so desperately wish he would.

The dancing got really awkward really quickly. Cedric was already getting touchy, and he didn't seem to catch on to how uncomfortable you felt.

"Could you not fucking do that?!" You aggressively push his hand away from you.

He frowns, "Do what? We're just dancing together. You agreed to that."

"I didn't agree to you groping me though, did I?"

Before he could respond, your eyes drifted to Klaus, who was sitting at the bar. He'd just spotted you.

And maybe common sense would say to just ignore him.

But no.

You look Cedric in the eye, pull his face closer to you, and smash your lips together. You can tell he was confused but quickly recovered, using both hands to pull you closer to him by the waist.

This could've went on for longer if you weren't harshly yanked away from the blond.

"What's wrong with you?!" You try to pull your arm away from Klaus's grasp, but the furious male didn't budge. He didn't even respond; he just pulled you away.

"Klaus! Let go!" You try to wriggle your arm out of his grip. As annoyed as you acted, a huge part of you was extremely giddy. You can tell he's furious, and as sadistic as it sounds, it makes you happy. Your mind didn't seem to catch on to how awkward it would be next time you see Cedric; all it could focus on was that Klaus is jealous.

He only lets go of you outside the club; the sudden change of temperature causes your skin to tingle with goosebumps. You rub your arms to keep yourself warm.

"Bloody hell. I told you that dress wasn't a good idea." Aggressively, he marches to his car and opens the trunk. He pulls out a jacket and wraps it around you.

Blushing lightly, you clear your throat. "Um, thanks."

"I'm not done. What the fuck were you doing with Cedric, (Y/N)?!"

You roll your eyes. "Exactly what you saw."

He nods, letting out a humorless laugh. "Okay. Let me rephrase that: why the fuck were you kissing Cedric?"

Smirking, you poke his chest and whisper, "Because I wanted to."

He grips your hand, "No, (Y/N), you didn't. You hate that guy."

"Well, why does it matter? Why do you care?" You pull away.

He stares at you in silence for a few seconds. "Get in the car."

Not even waiting for a reply, Klaus walks over to the driver's seat.

"What?!"

"I said get in the car. Passenger's seat this time." He shuts the car door.

You snap out of your confusion when his engine roars, pestering you to get moving. You rush and follow his instructions of not sitting in the back seat.

"Where are we going?" You ask.

"You'll see." And with that, neither one of you spoke a word to the other.

***

"I'm not going for a swim with you, Klaus." The moment your gaze met the familiar lake, you were ready to bawl your eyes out, but you kept it together.

Leaving his seat, Klaus sighs. "Calm down. We're here to talk. Like we always do."

Leaving his jacket in the car, you take a deep breath and try to hold yourself together. You can't just break down now. You block away the memories of every other time you and Klaus came to this place.

You sit down on the grass but make sure to keep a distance between you and the male.

"Because it wasn't obvious enough that you're mad." He sighs.

"What do you want, Klaus?"

He looks away, "It's more about what I don't want...I don't want to lose you."

The butterflies went wild in your stomach, leaving you with a clear shade of pink on your cheeks. However, this isn't enough for you to move on and forgive him, so you do your best to keep a stern look.

"Why did you lie to me, Klaus? You don't have feelings for me, and...and I already knew, but part of me wanted to believe you, and you weren't making it very easy to reject you. You could tell I had a crush on you, and you decide to manipulate me into having sex with you?! And you have the guts to criticize Cedric? You're even worse!" Well, there goes your perfect make up. Perhaps raccoon eyes could be the new trend; you can totally pull that off.

His eyes glisten, and you almost want to take back everything, but you have to stand up for yourself. He can't just walk all over you like you're the old weelcome doormat some unknown person placed in front of your apartment door. Who the fuck misspells Welcome? Why the fuck would anyone buy that? Why place it in front of your apartment? Why haven't you thrown it away? All unimportant thoughts you'd rather talk about right now than have to deal with Klaus and this emotional mess.

"I didn't lie to you. And you went out of your way to kiss that douche bag, didn't you? You wanted me to see."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Klaus?! You're trying to make it sound like I'm wrong now?!" You push yourself off the ground, the blond immediately following.

"Listen, okay? This isn't what I meant! I just- I'm still being petty about it, alright? I wanted to punch him square in the face."

"Well, you have no right to be even mildly annoyed. Leave me alone." You start walking away, but he gets a hold of your arm.

"(Y/N), could you just let me explain myself, please?!" He snaps.

"No, Klaus, all you do is blame me; fuck off." You push him away. What you didn't prepare for is stumbling backwards towards the lake. High heels deciding to join The Klaus Movement of Being a Dick to (Y/N), you quickly find yourself falling off the edge.

Panic-filled eyes follow your movements. Klaus's reaction came late, and by the time he grabbed you, he was already falling into the freezing cold water with you.

Surrounded by fear of drowning, you involuntarily call out for Klaus.

"(Y/N)?! (Y/N)!" Klaus's nervous voice echoes around you, but in the middle of trying to stay afloat, you couldn't decide where he was.

So, naturally, he had to be the one to find you. His arms wrap around you, trying to pull you closer to him, but the way you kept flailing your arms wasn't helping him. "Hey, hey, (Y/N), it's fine."

Eventually he was able to snap you out of it and hold you close to his chest. "There, it's okay. You're safe with me. You know I'll always make sure nothing hurts you."

You'd begun to calm down, you'd begun to forget about the dumb note, about him manipulating you; you'd started relaxing in his embrace, but his last statement brought you back to real life. "Let me go, Klaus." You try to pry yourself away from him.

"(Y/N), you can't swim! What are you doing?!"

"Just let me go, Klaus! I'm fine!"

"Didn't seem like it when you started calling for me!"

"It was a mistake! Just let me be!" You begin pushing him away again.

"(Y/N), fucking stop! You'll hurt yourself!" He grips your wrist tightly.

"Fine!" You stop struggling. "Just take me to the edge."

He remains silent. "You're not gonna leave the second I put you back up on land, are you?"

"What? Of course I will! I can't stand looking at your face." You turn your face to the side.

"That so?"

You roll your eyes and begin facing him. "Ye-"

He forces his lips onto yours, leading you to push him away with all your force, this time allowing you to break free from his grasp and latching onto the edge.

Furious, you find extra energy to easily pull yourself up and onto the grass. Unfortunately, your strength was immediately gone after, and this is when you couldn't take any of it anymore. You lost it all.

"Why do you keep ruining my life? I never asked for this." You sob. "Tonight, all I wanted was to have fun and forget about you, but no, you had to ruin things for me again! Look at me! My hair, my make up, my dress, my whole fucking night is a mess! And it's because of you!" You point an accusing finger at him.

His head drops in shame, and he slowly climbs to the edge near you. You start to get up but stop when you hear his shaky voice.

"Wait! Please..." His voice cracks, "I won't touch you anymore. I will drive you home. Just please...please let me explain first; hear me out."

"Get it over with, Goldstein." You cross your arms. You were starting to feel cold again, but you made sure to not make it obvious this time.

"Listen; I didn't lie. I genuinely felt attracted to you; in fact, I have been for the longest time. It's just that I'd already accepted we were merely friends, and I had to move on, and I figured the only way to truly stop viewing you romantically is to commit to someone, so when I found someone I was remotely interested in, I took it as a chance, but then suddenly, everything was gone. I didn't have her; I didn't have you. I didn't have anything." He takes a shaky breath. "And...and I came to you for comfort, but before I knew it, I was trying to get you to do what you clearly didn't want to do. It was selfish; I know. And by morning, I felt disgusting. I knew you wouldn't wanna look me in the face, so I left. I wanted to apologize, but you continued to ignore me, and if I'm being honest, I was also scared to confront you."

"Klaus-"

"Just let me finish." He sighs. "I'm not trying to say I'm not wrong. I am. I just want you to know I would never intentionally hurt you; I was just confused. I was heartbroken; I still had feelings for you; you let me have my way with you. I never knew you were actually into me as well. And when you ignored me, I just wanted to do anything to get your attention. Even if it meant to piss you off...which I suppose you got back at me by getting with Cedric, but that's not the point. You're right I don't have the right to be mad over it. It's just- everything just ended terribly, and I know everything is a mess, but I promise you I never meant to hurt you."

"I don't want to lose you." He starts sobbing, but Klaus being his prideful self, he quickly does his best to hold back.

You shouldn't brush everything off. He was wrong, and he hurt you. But seeing him trembling like that, you couldn't stop yourself from taking him into your arms. "I forgive you." You mumble.

"You do?" He perks up, looking at you with wide eyes.

"Yeah...I understand. Feelings can be confusing at times." You shrug. "Also...you never forced me into something I didn't want to do...I thought you knew I liked you?"

"Me?" He furrows his eyebrows.

"Yeah? You literally said it?" You let out a confused laugh.

Klaus pulls away from you. "When did I ever say that?"

"You were drunk; you said you knew I like you."

"Oh...that's just something I say...to everyone...when I'm drunk..." He rubs his temples in embarrassment.

You laugh. "Well, it's not like you're any less narcissistic when not drunk anyway."

"Hey! Watch it! I could still push you back into the water!"

"Shut up. You literally freaked the hell out when I fell the first time." You get off the grass.

He follows. "Not true."

"Yes true."

"Nope."

"Yup."

Well, maybe two stubborn people shouldn't be friends because this went on for a while. You were glad, however, that the tension between you guys was gone, and you two were back to normal again.

"Wanna go back to my apartment this time?" Klaus smirks before quickly adding, "Promise you won't be waking up to any notes this time...?"

Your face heats up. He was still recovering from a break up. This was still a bad idea. You should just decline and take things slow.

"Sure."

45 notes · View notes

four-loose-screws · 4 years

Text

FE4 Suzuki Novelization Translation - Chapter 5 Part 7

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations - Ko-fi

———————————

Chapter 5 - The Battle in Verdane

Part 7

Noish returned from his regular scouting duty, and reported, “There are very few soldiers stationed at Marpha Castle. We got very close to the castle wall, yet no one tried to attack us.”

Ever since his army had been taken out, Gandolf kept himself locked up in his room.

‘My woman ran away, my men are gone… what the hell is with my luck!?’

After enduring one loss after another, he didn't even talk to the remaining soldiers stationed at the castle anymore, so they'd completely lost their loyalty to him and did whatever they pleased.

With that information, Sigurd's army decided to march towards Marpha Castle and conquer it.

Since Aideen didn't have any offensive capabilities, she traveled slowly with the rear line.

"Lady Aideen!"

She whirled around to see where the voice had come from, and saw Dew running up to her. "What is it, Dew? I thought you'd left already."

"I did, well kinda. But then I found somethin' really interestin', and wanted to give it to you!" He offered her an ornate staff.

"Hm? Is this what I think it is?”

"I just know you'll be able to use it!"

Aideen took it in her hands, and knew immediately what it was when it's power flowed through her veins. "Oh my, this is a Warp Staff! Do you know what would happen if I used it on you?"

"..."

"You'd fly to an allied castle in an instant."

"Don't pull my leg, Aideen! No I wouldn't!"

"Of course you would. Anyway, thank you. This staff could be very helpful. Where did you find it?"

"Where? Um… over there. I betcha it fell from the heavens just for you!"

'You don't just find something like this lying around.' Aideen thought. 'It was probably in the treasury of one of the local village churches.'

"I know you don't believe in a thief's vow, but they really are true!"

"Well, I suppose…"

"I was gonna go wherever the wind takes me, but I couldn't! All thieves do is lie! I wanna make a vow for once in my life, and stick to it! They got a big fancy word for that! It's uh… um… 'mortals!' Yeah! I wanna have 'mortals!'"

"...I think the word you're looking for is 'morals.'"

"Yeah, that's it! 'Morals!' It might make up for all my lies…"

"And you intend to honor that vow?"

"Uh-huh! Whenever I'm havin' trouble, I always find myself comin' straight to you, Aideen!"

"Is that so? Sounds like more trouble for me than you…"

"I can't help it! I just… want to be around you, for some reason…" As he spoke, his eyes looked entirely serious.

"I see. Then please stay with me until you feel satisfied that you've made up for all your past wrongdoings."

Surprise lit up Dew's face. "Yeah! Yup, I sure will! You know, I'm pretty useful. Say, the army probably needs a lot of money…"

"But you can't steal! We aren't fighting for our own gain!"

"I know that! I'll only take money from guys doin' bad stuff to get it. That’ll make me a good thief, and I won't be doin' nothin' wrong!"

When Sigurd's army reached Marpha Castle, Sigurd didn't even have to lead his soldiers into battle, nor unsheathe his sword.

Not one soldier came out to oppose them as they slowly raised the gate and entered the main building.

Once inside, Sigurd heard a woman scream. "No, don't! Please, let me go!"

He followed the voice and saw two soldiers dragging a young woman into a room.

"Aw, don’t say that! This is the last time, we promise! Just keep us company for a little while!"

"The fighting is over! I must return home to the forest! Let me go!!"

"Shut up! Keep complaining, and you'll pay for it!"

"Hey, what are you two doing!? Let her go!"

The soldiers whirled around to see a tall cavalier and all his soldiers standing before them. And they quickly recognized the glittering emblem on the leader's chest: he was a Crusader of Grannvale.

"Oh shit!" They gasped and ran off in a panic.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"Yes, thank you." She said, then took a good look at the face of the man who'd just saved her. "Are you, by any chance… Lord Sigurd?"

"Yes, I am, but why do you ask?" He'd never seen her before. She had lavender hair and eyes that he soon lost himself in.

"There was a woman here named Aideen, who talked about you."

"Aideen talked about me?"

"Yes, she told me about how different you are from other men… and after meeting you… I know right away that she was right."

"What’s your name?"

She suddenly lost her composure at the question. "I'm sorry. ...I must… return home…"

"Wait, hold on! Surely we can talk for a little while longer, can't we…?"

"I'm sorry… really, truly, I am. But… I'm happy… to have met you." She took one last look at him, then dashed out of the room.

"Wait, at least tell me why you have to go so soon!" He had to run past all of his men, slowing him down. By the time he reached the exit to the building, she was already a speck in the distance.

Shanan approached Sigurd before he could go any further. "Lord Sigurd, the village elders are here to greet you." Behind him were three elderly people.

The elders walked up to Sigurd and bowed deeply.

"Do you know who that woman was that just ran away?"

They all stared at him, stunned by the sudden question.

"Um… she had light purple hair."

"Oh, yes, her! I heard her say she was returning home to the forest…"

"Yes, her name is Deirdre. She is the maiden of the Spirit Forest." The elder standing behind the other two said.

"Deirdre…" He said, and recalled her image in his mind. 'She was so beautiful…'

The elder smirked and said. "Oh ho ho, I see you have a weakness for beautiful women as well, Lord Sigurd! You fell in love with her at first sight, didn't you?"

"Don't tease me like that, Elder. ...But I do wonder where this Spirit Forest is."

"Are you asking me? If so, I'll tell you what I know."

"If it won't be too much trouble for you, then please do."

"The Spirit Forest is a very thick forest located northwest of here. Within it is a hidden village, and that's where she lives, or so I've heard. No one besides her knows for sure where it is, so I can't say I know anything else about it."

"I see…"

Upon seeing the disappointment in Sigurd's face, the elder added, "There is a village that's very close to the edge of the forest. Someone there may be able to tell you more."

"Thank you, sir. ...Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself properly. I am Sigurd, current leader of the Grannvalian Army in Verdane. I strongly prohibit my soldiers from pillaging and other improper acts, but if you three need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Jamke ordered his unit to spread out in the forest, then took the lead and traveled down a small path.

About halfway to Marpha Castle, he spotted a group of several enemies.

He readied an arrow, and shouted, "Leave this country now, Grannvalians!"

The enemies continued to advance, so he shot his arrow. It pierced the enemy leader's chest, and he fell where he stood. The others all panicked and ran off.

If the Grannvalians had entered the forest, that meant Marpha Castle had already fallen. Jamke's unit wasn't very big, so he knew he had no chance of winning against an army that could defeat the large unit at the castle if they fought out in the open.

He was entirely prepared to die.

'However, before I breathe my last, I must show them the true spirit of Verdane, and take out as many of them as I can by myself!'

He continued along, and soon saw even more enemies. "Leave this country now, Grannvalians!"

He aimed his bow and shot an arrow at the gap in the enemy's armor near his neck. This attack caused these enemies to run away as well.

The soldiers that had encountered Jamke returned to Marpha Castle and reported that an exceptional archer was leading the incoming enemy unit.

"Is it Prince Jamke?" Aideen asked.

"He is an even more exceptional shot than Jungby's arch knights."

"Then it is him! He left to go convince King Batu to stop the fighting, but it seems he himself was convinced to start fighting again."

"I'll go." Midir said. "I will avenge Jungby's honor, and kill him."

"Midir, you can't go."

"Why not!?" Midir asked, enraged.

Deep down, he was jealous of Jamke and whatever had happened between him and Aideen when he set her free. Even though Midir did not know the details, whenever he heard the prince's name, he felt the pain of a thousand needles assault his body.

Aideen knew that very well, and was why she looked up at him, and said gently, "Midir, please understand how I feel. I don't want you to die." She stared him straight in the eye as she spoke, and couldn't bring herself to say anything beyond that.

“A great shot like you would be at a disadvantage fighting in the middle of a forest, where you can't move around much. I think it would be better for you to wait outside the forest." Shanan suggested, trying to break the tension.

Midir reluctantly agreed.

Sigurd's army quickly prepared for battle and left the castle.

Aideen placed herself not in the rear line, but right next to Sigurd.

"It's dangerous up here! Stand back!"

"I know. If you designate someone to talk to Jamke, then I’ll go back to the rear line.” She promised, but deep down, it was a lie.

'If he knew exactly what I was trying to do, he'd have someone make sure I stayed back there for good.' She thought.

They marched on until Jamke's unit jumped out from the forest.

Jamke ran towards them, then shouted, "Leave this country now, Grannvalians!"

When she saw him, Aideen sprinted towards him. Because she had done it so spontaneously, no one could move in time to try and stop her.

"No, Aideen! It's too dangerous!"

At the sight of enemy movement, the Verdanian soldiers raised their weapons.

"Halt! I'll take care of this woman!" Jamke yelled, and aimed an arrow at Aideen.

Sigurd tried to chase after her, but stopped Faran from going any further when he saw Jamke raise the arrow. He feared that with one wrong move from himself, Jamke would shoot the arrow.

"You tricked me!" Jamke screamed.

"No, I didn't!" She screamed back even louder, refusing to lose to the volume of his voice.

"Then why didn't you stop Grannvale!?"

"We received an order from our king! One that I didn't know about before! There's another man like Sandima in Grannvale, too! I'm sure of it!"

"You expect me to believe that!?"

"If you don't, then go ahead, shoot me straight through the heart." Aideen took one step forward.

When she saw that he wasn't trying to shoot, she took another step forward.

"I came to apologize to you. And… to stop the fighting between us once more…" She continued to walk forwards.

"I can't let you trick me this time!" His yelling this time was closer to screeching. His arm holding the bow string started to shake.

"At the very least, please, let's not fight now." Aideen held back tears, making her voice quiver. "Why must we kill each other!? We've turned into Sandima's puppets… Why must so many people die without good reason?"

"..."

"If you fight here, you'll die! I wouldn't be able to take it! If you must fight, then kill me first. I don't want to see you die.”

Now, they were so close to each other that they didn't have to shout, yet Aideen's voice still got all the louder.

"If you must fight, then fight Sandima and all of his allies in Valhalla! Please, please stop fighting! There's already been enough killing!"

Now, there were only a few steps between them.

Jamke tossed his bow aside. "Aideen, I can't kill you." He walked past Aideen's side, and called out to Sigurd, "Prince Sigurd, if you swear to me that your true enemy is Sandima and Sandima alone, then I will call a ceasefire!"

"I swear it on my life, Prince Jamke." Sigurd replied. "We have no reason to fight King Batu. When Sandima is dead, we will stop."

"What about your king's orders?"

"I will report that Sandima was the cause of all of this. If he still orders us to fight, then I will side with Verdane, and fight Grannvale."

"Alright then, I'm calling a ceasefire. We'll fight Sandima, together." Jamke turned around to face his unit and said, "You heard him, everyone! I will fight Sandima with Prince Sigurd. If you dissent, then go home to Verdane. If you intend to fight me, do it now."

His soldiers gathered around him. "Prince Jamke, we're going with you. We don't like that Sandima guy either! Let’s kick his ass!"

#fire emblem #fe #fe4 #genealogy of the holy war #nintendo #snes #super nintendo #famicom #super famicom #japan #japanese #translation #light novel #fe4 suzuki novelization translation

5 notes · View notes