Chapter Text
i.
Seven years was how long she waited, and she swore - now that he was here, and she was there, where he was - she would not wait seven, ten, or even twenty more.
The first time she saw him again, she was so overcome with joy that she ran into his arms and held him close and cried.
She told him, through tears, she waited seven years for that day and that she had finally found him.
And in that moment, as he held her close, everything seemed right.
(Worrying aside, she told herself, as she nestled in his warmth and placed in the forefront of her mind that he was here, in person, the most important part is that he's safe.)
They exchanged words - rather harsh ones - after exchanging stories. It seemed that the worries were kicking in already, even after that reunion (which might have been for naught now). How could he? How could he?
How could he?
Celica turned on her heel, walked towards the flight of stairs, and before she could say anything more, disappeared in a white flash.
-
"...?"
Shaking her head, Celica rubbed her eyes as she looked up and tried to adjust to the light. Where exactly was she?
The priestess carefully stood up, brushing herself off and coming face to face (to face to face) with unfamiliar strangers in the room. What happened to the castle? She knew she was there only moments ago...right?
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Askr!" the blonde-haired girl standing next to blue-haired boy greeted her rather cheerfully. The hooded figure was busy unloading some sort of...odd weapon, and the red-haired young woman was eyeing her rather briefly.
"Sorry about the rough landing," the hooded figure apologized, placing down his hood to reveal his face. "But as Sharena said, welcome to Askr. I guess the Order of Heroes, to cut to the chase."
Askr? Order of Heroes? She had to put two and two together.
"...I am Celica, a priestess," she hesitantly introduced herself before clenching a fist. "Though I'd rather avoid bloodshed, I'm prepared to fight if I must."
"There's the fighting spirit!" The red-haired young woman exclaimed before taking her hand and dragging her away from the summoning stone, under the archway, and into the castle.
"Wait a minute!" the priestess protested, nevertheless letting herself be dragged along with the other three following close behind them. "I have no idea what's going on - "
"We'll explain on the way," the blue-haired boy finally spoke up from behind them. "Please don't mind Commander Anna - the one who's dragging you along. She just gets really excited about these sorts of things."
And during these sorts of things, she had to grin and bear it.
ii.
From there, things became a cycle.
Celica was placed on a team - a very...eccentric one at best. She became fast friends with them, but they were quite the bunch. She had heard from many other Heroes (some she was familiar with, others she wasn't) that she was the first "rookie" - as they so rightfully called her and some of the other new Heroes she was summoned with - to be placed on the main team.
From what she learned, Eirika had an older brother who taught her the ways of the sword. Eirika also didn't like bloodshed, but fought when she needed to. And seeing her out on the battlefield, she made for a very formidable swordswoman.
Azura was a songstress and a dancer - also a very good one at that. She was very quiet, though; she preferred to spend time with the other dancers in the Order - not that the rest of the team minded. She was free to do whatever, just as they were. Celica just wished she'd spend more time with them, though.
Hector was loud, and his fighting style was brutish. But, he did make for a good conversationalist. She had brought it up one day, her thoughts about his fighting style.
"You're not the first person to tell me that," he laughed heartily, and Celica raised an eyebrow. Oh?
"Someone back home - someone very important to me - told me so." He tapped his heart with a rather proud smile, and she could only tell that it was someone he loved dearly.
All in all, they clicked; Celica couldn't have asked for a better team.
iii.
With time and experience, Celica became the leader of the team. Eirika, Azura, and Hector were by her side - just as she had wanted - and she had well-acquainted herself with the "hustle" (as Kiran, their summoner, would call it) around the kingdom of Askr.
It had become a cycle - wake up, train new heroes, go out and defeat Veronica's lackies, sleep, and repeat. Despite the homesickness and the longing - the same longing that Hector once confided in her that he felt for his beloved back home - she felt for Alm...
Alm. She had no idea if he would even forgive her even after all this time...
It's time to get up, she told herself, slipping out of her bed to prepare for the cycle ahead. She could ponder over that later.
-
"You're out of it today." Hector had noticed it after he defeated her during a one on one duel they had planned to have for the day. "Normally, I wouldn't defeat you."
"I'm sorry, Hector," she apologized, then moving to take a seat on the bench. "I guess I have some things on my mind."
"I'm assuming it's for someone back home?"
"How'd - "
"I'm no sap, but believe me - you know I'd know."
As true as that was, and for as long as they had been working together, he was right. And Hector was no sap indeed.
"I...I had this argument with him," Celica went on to say, now folding her hands together and resting them on her tome. "I said some things to him, and now...I don't know if I'll ever see him again."
(She was more afraid of the fact that he never wanted to see her again.)
"To apologize? Or maybe even more?" he asked, quirking a brow. That made her laugh.
"To apologize, definitely. Doing something more is the last thing on my mind right now."
"We'll never know until we find out then. You know how summoning works." There was a moment of silence between them, and after it passed the axe-wielding Marquess-to-be stood. "Come on! A good sparring session might make you feel better."
"I'm certainly not opposed to that." Celica stood up after him, then holding her hand out for a good shake.
-
She walked through the halls that same day, basking in the lingering rays of the setting sun as it cast an orange glow through the corridor she passed, much like it did the day she was summoned.
Passing through the main hall, she stopped in her tracks as she heard a familiar voice speak a greeting. Immediately pushing the doors open, her eyes brightened and she broke off into a sprint, tackling the figure and holding him tightly.
"It's really you...!"